Am I the only one who feels this way, or do most of you agree that Westport seems to have had the biggest influx of unique and high-quality dining venues lately? The Whelk, Tarry Lodge and Oaxaca Kitchen are already striring up the scene. Now Spotted Horse, the newbie is already making its mark on the dining scene and Terrain Café due to open in a month or two! WOW!
I was at the opening night celebration of Spotted Horse. I was so excited to try out their menu samplings, but by the time I arrived the food was not being passed around anymore…it had turned into a really rocking party by then with plenty of alcohol and great conversation to go around. So naturally, I had to get back there and sample some of the much talked about food.
What a great menu! Simple selection, yet with immensely complex and flavorful dishes. They had a great selection of Small Plates, Salads, Sandwiches & Burgers, and Main Plates. I believe the menu is the same for lunch and dinner.
I was there with my friend and it was lunch time, so we did not order too many things. I definitely have to go back and try more items on the menu. Their Black Truffle Burger and Gratin Of Bay Scallops were calling my name among other things….but my friend and I settled for their Chicken and Black Bean Empanadas and Open Face Steak Sandwich.
I think these are the best empanadas I have had in a long-long time. So crisp and crunchy was the crust, and inside was this delicious moist chicken with a wonderfully spicy kick. It was served with avocado puree and lime cream which perfectly complimented the Empandas’ fried nature.
The Open Face Steak Sandwich was packed with strong flavors of red wine braised onions, grated horseradish and delicious fontina cheese. Served with a perfect salad on the side, this is a great lunch time option.
We HAD to have dessert! And of course we chose the chocolate mousse. It had a really cool delicately salty flavor to compliment the rich chocolatey mousse. If I am not mistaken, the desserts are being provided by Fritz Knipschildt of Chocopologie – so it was bound to awesome!
Housed in a beautiful antique building, and shabby-chic in its decor, Spotted Horse creates a unique ambiance for its diners. Great outdoor seating, on a quiet street it will offer a wonderful al fresco dining option for the weary downtown shoppers.
At the opening night, I had the pleasure of chatting with chef Pedro Garzon and he told me that Spotted Horse does not take reservations because they want people to change the way they dine. Dinner does not necessary need to be consumed in the same boring 2-3 hour window every night. Come early come late…Spotted Horse will be ready and waiting for you!
