Andrea Calstier’s La Bastide: A New Culinary Delight in Westchester County, NY

The newest restaurant featuring only six tables highlights French influences and ingredients from Hudson Valley. In addition, Nina Compton presents her Compère Lapin in Miami for a four-week-long residency.

The masterminds are: La Bastide by Andrea Calstier is a fresh venture by chef Andrea Calstier and his wife Elena Oliver, who manages the restaurant. Situated above their own Cenadou Bistrot, which was launched the previous year in North Salem, N.Y., in Westchester County. La Bastide, provides a chef’s table dining experience, comprising merely six tables, each accommodating one to six diners.

Prior to this, Calstier and Oliver were the entrepreneurial couple behind the New York City restaurant Papilles, which ceased its business early in the year 2022. Earlier, Calstier was associated with the restaurant Abbaye de La Bussière in Burgundy, France, and had the opportunity to work with famed chefs like Daniel Boulud and Christophe Bacquié.

“Having spent years working on this project, the feeling of finally presenting it to our community and patrons is spectacular,” remarked Calstier and Oliver in a statement made to Wine Spectator. “We are very optimistic that this restaurant will become beloved to our customers as much as it is to us. The feedback we have received until now is very promising and we are eager to witness how the restaurant will develop over the years.”

Opening date: La Bastide, a project of Andrea Calstier, opened its doors on February 14, 2024 – Valentine’s Day.

Culinary focus: As suggested by its name (‘la bastide’ means a country house in Provence), the restaurant throws the spotlight on French cuisine using ingredients sourced from the Hudson Valley. Calstier’s sampling menus (at $225 a person for six courses and $175 for four courses on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays) boasts of treats like bouillabaisse amuse-bouche (an ode to Calstier’s hometown Marseilles), black sea bass coupled with caviar, and white asparagus served with seaweed pistou and Jamón Iberico lardo. Cheese selection from New York and France as well as desserts crafted by pastry maestro Andy Chorda, such as a dish comprising Coeur de Guanaja chocolate and goat cheese, are other highlights. You can also opt for an exclusive cheese course or a cheese pairing for an added $35 or $25 a person, respectively.

Wine selection: The 600-label wine menu, curated by Calstier, is dominated by French labels. Selections include champagnes and crémants from brands like Egly-Ouriet and BIllecart-Salmon, Burgundies from Taupenot-Merme and Armand Rousseau, and Bordeaux from Lafite Rothschild and Cos d’Estournel. Also included are Loire Valley whites and Rhône Valley reds. The menu expands beyond France with Napa Valley, Oregon, Italy and more. Around 15 wines are offered by the glass including Domaine du Bagnol Cassis, Bernard Baudry Chinon, and others. Guests can opt to pair wines with their meal for an extra $150.

Come spring, Miami patrons can sample a taste of Nina Compton’s popular New Orleans restaurant Compère Lapin. Compton plans to showcase the restaurant—which has been a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence holder since 2023—at the Four Seasons Hotel Miami for a four-week featured appearance.

“I can’t wait to cook on the magical blue waters of Biscayne Bay,” Compton told Wine Spectator via email. “I’m grateful this incredible collaboration with the Four Seasons Miami came to fruition and excited to get back to Miami, where so much of my career unfolded.”

When it’s happening: The pop-up runs April 18 through May 19, 2024.

The culinary approach: As at Compère Lapin in New Orleans’ Arts/Warehouse District, the residency menu will reflect Compton’s distinctive combination of Caribbean, French and New Orleans culinary influences. Smaller plates will include stone crab with spicy aioli, hamachi crudo with passion fruit and tuna tartare with crispy dasheen chips. For entrées, guests can expect whole-roasted striped bass with papaya, blackened lobster with black-eyed peas and collards and Compton’s fried chicken with coconut grits and pickles.

The beverage program: The Compère Lapin residency will feature a new wine program that complements Compton’s cuisine with bottles from primarily California, France and Italy. There are about 120 labels on the list, including Champagnes from Krug and Bollinger, Chardonnays from Burgundy’s Chanson and California’s Pahlmeyer and Cabernets from Napa Valley’s Nickel & Nickel and Chateau Montelena, not to mention many other impressive selections such as Antinori’s Tignanello. The pop-up will offer nearly 25 wines by the glass, including Argentine Malbec, Napa Merlot, Oregon Pinot Noir, Sancerre and more.

These wines are accompanied by a variety of cocktails such as the Tropical Vesper Riff (compounded of coconut-infused gin, pineapple-infused vodka, Cocchi Americano and Taylor’s Velvet Falernum) and A Night at the Oloffson (consisting of Clairin Le Rocher rum, passion fruit and lime, complemented by a ginger, salt and chile rim).

The locale: The Compère Lapin pop-up will transform a rooftop space into a hospitable scene, including an indoor dining area and an open-air terrace. Nestled within the Brickell region of Miami, the pop-up will be conveniently located close to Simpson Park and a comprehensive range of prominent hotels and eateries lining the waterfront of the Magic City.

The Compère Lapin pop-up will welcome guests every day, serving lunch from 12–3 p.m. and dinner from 6–10 p.m.

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About the Author: Chris Lehoux

Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored!