Well Fed On the Town

You would think that being the editor of Well Fed On The Town would mean that I get out a lot. Truth be told: I don’t. I have a two-year-old at home and a crazy work schedule. It’s a wonder that I remember to eat sometimes. Nonetheless, when my husband and I do get out, we like to make it worthwhile.

For our anniversary this year, we headed off to a restaurant we’ve heard good things about, passed a million times, but have never tried: Jim Barbarie’s. My first impression, from the outside, is that it wasn’t the sort of place I would normally head off to — too macho rustic for me. But open mind, right?

The menu is a good size - lots of chicken, several beef/steak options and some seafood as well. Shawn ordered a cup of New England Clam Chowder and a 15 oz Filet Mignon, medium-rare. I ordered Clams Casino and Chicken Francaise. We both had mashed potatoes on the side.

The appetizers? My Clams Casino were very good. They were arranged nicely on a bowl/plate with a good deal of liquid. I prefer my Clams Casino a bit salty, but these weren’t (usually the bacon takes care of that). Nothing a little salt can’t solve though. The server also told me that the kitchen still does a special oyster dish that is similar, if you ask. I would have tried that if I wasn’t already staring at a lovely plate of clams, but I will keep that in mind for next time. The Clam Chowder, on the other hand, was disappointing. Although it looked like the perfect mix of creamy and chunky, it had a distinctive vinegary taste to it.

Our salads were typical salads with the usual suspects - red onions, red cabbage, etc. The Blue Cheese Red Wine Vinaigrette was fantastic. Shawn found the Parmesan Peppercorn to be a little too light on the Parmesan and heavy on the peppercorn, but that could be a matter of taste.

Onto our entrees. Shawn’s filet was cooked perfectly on the inside. I think he could have done without the charred outside, but it didn’t really effect the dish. The Bearnaise sauce that came with it was a bit thicker and different in taste than any we’ve had before - not bad, just different. We prefer a thinner Bearnaise.

My Chicken Francaise was fantastic. The lightly breaded chicken in a lemony butter sauce hit the spot and complemented the extra creamy (extra dreamy) mashed potatoes. You know it’s good when the first bite sends you scrambling to cut and eat more.

The portions on the entrees are generous - we were both able to bring home half and make a second meal out of them. Both dishes reheated well.

What about dessert? We were too stuffed to eat it at the restaurant so we brought it home. My Chocolate Torte was divine - creamy with just the right mix of dark and milk chocolates. Shawn loved his Fried Banana Cheesecake, which was a banana and cheesecake encased in a dough and fried. I think that might be a more acquired taste - Will and I steered clear after one bite. If we eat there again, I would definitely try the Brownie Sundae. Mmmm.

Jim Barbarie’s
47 Padanaram Rd.
Danbury, CT
(203) 743-3287