FOSTER’S Restaurant

The Real Restaurant Report
by Todd Lyon

Foster’s

Oh, what a night! There I was, sitting in a red-walled alcove, at a Chef’s Dinner, at a chef’s table where six tall chairs surrounded a bank of six burners. Friends to the left of me, friends to my right, and in the middle of it all, Chef David Foster, with his long, peppery hair and devilish grin, cooking course after course of “eccentric American” cuisine that made our heads spin and caused spontaneous moans of delight.

It’s Foster’s, my dear readers. After a long, long wait, the restaurant has finally opened in New Haven’s Ninth Square, filling in a sweep of storefronts on Orange Street that has effectively completed our city’s newest Restaurant Row.
There, in a 60-seat dining room articulated by native granite, glowing columns and smooth bamboo tables, and a long bar with cushy banquettes along the windows, Dave Foster flexes his creative muscles with a menu that is warm, wonderful and a just a little bit wacky.

You may remember Dave from his many years cooking in Tre Scalini’s award-winning kitchen, or from his stints at Polo Grill and Fire (both owned by Tre Scalini).
“I was always cooking within other people’s templates,” says the Chef. “Now, it’s all me, and every dish is a signature dish.”

Dave’s dream of owning his own place started taking shape about four years ago when he met Ming Lau, owner of Miso Japanese Restaurant on Orange Street. “We hit it off,” recalls Dave. “We had a yin-yang thing going on.” An unlikely alliance – the suave Ming, an accomplished businessman from Hong Kong with a number of restaurant launches under his belt, and the “hippie pirate” Dave, who estimates that one-quarter of his “land mass” is covered with tattoos – but it works.

Dave, born in Hartford in 1962, grew up with Asian cookery prepared at home by his father. He started making pizzas professionally at the age of 14, and, in 1985, embarked on a series of restaurant adventures that had him criss-crossing the country, cooking in Florida, Colorado, Connecticut and points beyond.
Ming, for his part, had already opened Ming’s Dynasty in Milford and Gunung Tahang Malaysian Restaurant in Westville before settling at Miso in New Haven.

When the two men met, both were ready to branch out, and the historic Chamberlain Building, which includes Artspace at the corner of Crown, was available.

Major renovations followed – the space had been vacant for 18 years – and Dave went to work developing his dream menu.

And a very fine menu it is, bursting with creativity, finesse and above all, variety. Dave utilizes an astonishing array of ingredients, including squash blossoms, elephant garlic, coconut brown rice, Scotch broth, bay scallops, monkfish medallions, smoked jerk pecans, sunflower crackers, tangerine brine, lamb off the rack, chicken without a bone, tuna steak, bocoutri fillets… shall I go on?
The results are such stand-out dishes as Tuna Tartare in a grilled avocado with lemoncello dressing; a pan-roasted salad of Romaine Cores with grape tomatoes and key lime pistachio vinaigrette; Pork Loin with apple pecan stuffing and a macaroni and cheese wedge (which is proving to be a house favorite); Basil Gnocchi with dry-cured olives and buffalo mozzarella; Smoked Duck Breast stuffed with goat cheese, with almond-pear-brandy sauce and lobster mashed potatoes; and Beef Short Rib Osso Bucco with baby veggies and a ginger Zinfandel sauce (another instant hit).

“The selection I’ve given people is pretty broad,” says the Chef, “but the menu isn’t huge – I want everything to be fresh, and relatively simple.” Still, he finds that patrons often tell their servers, “I want everything.”
You’ll want everything, too. And you’ll be relaxed and comfortable throughout your dining experience, because that’s one of Chef Dave’s goals. “I want everyone to feel warm and fuzzy,” he says.

And, if your timing is right, you’ll get to chat with the man himself, who loves to mingle with customers and who once famously stated that he’s “a pussycat in the dining room and a tiger in the kitchen.”

A final note: One of the guests joining me for that fabulous Chef’s Dinner was Will Iannuzzi, who’d won the chance to go on a review with me in a charitable raffle nearly three years ago. Will was great company, and savored Dave’s dishes so much that he closed his eyes and purred after nearly every bite. Which proves that good deeds do have their rewards, and great things can come to those who wait.

THE ESSENTIALS

• Place: Foster’s, 56-62 Orange Street, New Haven

• Phone: (203) 859-6666

• Web site: www.fostersrestaurant.com

• Hours: Lunch: 11:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m., Mondays-Fridays; dinner, 5-10 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays; 5-11 p.m., Fridays-Saturdays; 4-9 p.m. Sundays.

• Reservations: Appreciated; recommended on weekends.

• Note: The Chef’s Table, which features cameras that simulcast the action on a flat-screen t.v. over the bar, can be reserved for special prix-fixe dinners by advance arrangement; Dave says that he can cook there for as many as six for a romantic evening.

• Food: Lush and luscious “eccentric American” cuisine combines an astonishing variety of ingredients into a cohesive menu of dishes that are exciting, but never pretentious. At dinner, 12 appetizers are $7-$13; five fine salads are $7-$9; and 14 entrees start at $18 for a Wild Rice Fettuccini Chicken Confit with baby bok choy and crimini mushrooms, and top out at $29 for the Beef Short Rib Osso Bucco. At lunch, a similar menu is offered with reduced portions and prices. Seven beautiful desserts are $8 each.

• Dietary restrictions: Chef Dave says he can accommodate virtually any special need involving allergies and the like. “Bring a list of what you can’t eat, I’ll see what I can do,” he says.

• Kid-friendliness: The kitchen will cook to please.

• Drink: A full bar is complemented by a lovely, ever-changing wine list with both affordable and hi-end wines by the glass or bottle.

• Wheelchair access: Through the main entrance.

• Credit cards: MasterCard, Visa, Amex, Discover.

• Parking: Validated parking in the lot at the corner of Orange Street and George Street, with entry on George Street.

• Private parties: Foster’s has a sleek private dining room that can seat 44 for lunch or dinner and which has a special banquet menu. It can also be used more creatively; recently, Dave hosted Miss E’s Sweet Sixteen party which featured mad dancing via an Ipod hook-up.