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REPRINT FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES
A Winning Transformation, Four Nights a Week By Patricia Brooks When a friend raved about Bonda in Westport, I had to see what all the fuss was about. I knew the locale as a gourmet food and takeout store called Abbondanza, but didn't know that four nights a week, the store does a Cinderella move, dressing up with cloths and tiny lights on the tables, and turns into a restaurant. It seems as though almost everyone in Westport is in on the secret, for on each of my visits the dining rooms filled up as the evening progressed, and many guests were greeted as regulars. The name Bonda is a shortened form of Abbondanza, which in Italian means abundance. And Bonda certainly takes an expansive approach to cooking: Its eclectic, intriguing menu is basically modern American, though with ingredients, recipes and ideas borrowed from India, China, Europe, Mexico and South America. The choices change monthly, but even on a first visit you can travel the globe gastronomically. One night four of us did just that. We began with braised beef short ribs (so succulent that perfectly nice adornments of roasted cauliflower, toasted pistachios, dried apricots and cracked olives came across as mere distractions); sautéed Swiss chard with olives, raisins and pine nuts (a pleasing riff on a Catalan spinach dish); chilled sweet pea soup (subtly refreshing and perked up by crunchy bacon-fried croutons); and the one downer, an undercooked eggplant napoleon. Entrees were even more diverse, for better and for worse. Each was decked out with completely different accessories, which sometimes overcomplicated an otherwise successful dish. For instance, tequila-chipotle braised lamb was cooked to tender perfection and sparklingly seasoned. It didn't need all the competing flavors of citrus black beans (which could have used a few more minutes' cooking time), pickled red onions, avocado and corn tortillas. Often the complexity worked, as in coriander-crusted chicken with laksa, a spicy Thai curry of coconut milk, kaffir lime leaf and chicken broth, which came in a little pitcher for pouring over the two chicken breasts. Jasmine rice and baby bok choy complemented instead of competed with the rest of the dish. Lemon grilled king salmon was light and moist, accompanied by caramelized cauliflower and a winning herb salad. But the fine-grained, flavor-rich Niman Ranch organic pork chop, served with grilled, diced carica (a Chilean fruit whose flavor is a cross between mango and papaya), was rewarding enough without the addition of a roasted poblano pepper stuffed with couscous, corn, black beans and Cheddar. Beef carpaccio was a pleasing starter too - paper-thin beef slices with finely chopped endive and a wisp of Dijon-caper vinaigrette. Several dishes were amusingly retro, beginning with the iceberg lettuce wedge, covered in Russian dressing and blue cheese and flanked by two slabs of Niman Ranch smoked bacon. . The dessert list harks back to the old days with an ice cream sandwich - a huge square of vanilla ice cream awkwardly lodged between two super-large chocolate chip cookies, halved - and a plate of cookies with a glass of cold milk. At least there is no Jell-O salad on the menu. A little retro goes a long way. Most of Bonda's desserts were heavenly, beginning with the decadently rich chocolate pot de crème, which put mere mousses to shame. Chocolate truffle cake with a tangy raspberry coulis was also rich and delicious, and my crème caramel specialist raved about Bonda's classic example. My particular favorite, though, was the New Orleans-style, custardy, raisin-studded bread pudding in a delicate bourbon sauce. Too often something so simple can be so bad - leaden and inedible. At Bonda it was made with challah and was ambrosial. "The best restaurant in Connecticut," my informant said. I disagree. But despite a certain amount of show-offy overkill, Bonda is Very Good indeed.
Bonda (203) 454-0840 VERY GOOD THE SPACE A gourmet food shop with two pleasing dining rooms that have soft-colored walls, tile floors and dim lighting. Wheelchair accessible. THE CROWD Couples and small groups. Friendly servers; by midevening, the decibel level rises and conversation can be difficult. THE BAR Full bar, with a wine list organized by country and grape varietal, paying attention to smaller producers with nontraditional styles. West Coast and Italian selections dominate. By the bottle, $24 to $220; by the glass, $6 to $9. THE BILL Dinner entrees, $22 to $34. Most credit cards accepted. WHAT WE LIKE Beef carpaccio and endive salad, braised beef short ribs, chilled sweet pea soup, seared diver sea scallops, grilled pork chop, coriander-crusted chicken, lemon-grilled salmon, tequila-chipotle braised lamb, chocolate pot de crème, chocolate truffle cake, crème caramel, bread pudding. IF YOU GO Dinner only, Wednesday to Saturday, 6 to 10 p.m. Free parking in front and on one side. Reviewed July 2, 2006 |
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