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Foe
1114 Main St.
Branford
Monroe Street
203-483-5896

By MICHAEL GANNON

Hartford Courant

Published: 4/25/04

Foe is the kind of restaurant that I could eat at for the rest of my life.

That's the pleasure of a great bistro. To me, that means an atmosphere that is sophisticated without being stuffy, service that is courteous but not fawning, and food that is fresh, reliable and familiar.

Of course, the best thing about the modern bistro is that ``reliable and familiar'' in no way means boring. Sure, you've had most of these ingredients. Maybe you've even had them combined in similar ways. But there is just the perfect measure of innovation here, proving from the first bite that there is a true chef at the helm.

Try the grilled lamb lollipops, and you'll see what I mean. Tiny loin chops, cooked rosy pink throughout, were absolutely perfect, which is exactlywhat one expects from a $12 appetizer. But even better were the roasted garlic jam and veal glace on the plate -- deep, dusky pools of sauce that led us to lick these lollies to the bone.

Among the must-orders are the wild mushroom and risotto cakes, which are enormous in size and flavor. The triple texture of risotto, wild mushrooms and crisped shiitake is compelling, and the shallot demi-glace adds a welcome lilt to the earthiness of the dish.

The list of fine choices goes on and on: spicy buffalo sausage over thinly sliced herbed potatoes, crispy duck breast glazed with cherries and black figs, a phenomenal plate of silken-soft veal and masterfully fried calamari scattered with cherry peppers, basil and lemon juice. It's no wonder this
place was named best new restaurant in New Haven County by Connecticut Magazine readers. The spread on our table, matched with the brief but choice wine list and the manageable prices, made for two of the most enjoyable meals I've had in a long, long time.

I can count on one hand the dishes that aren't worth raving over, and for me, that's nearly a rave in itself. Desserts, for one, are too predictable. That part of the menu could use a few headliners beyond apple crisp and chocolate cake.

Less predictable, but also less tasty, were the shrimp and scallop spring rolls, which need to be reworked from the inside out. The filling is supposedly made in a citrus tamari broth, but the broth's lightness renders it invisible, leaving the spring rolls charming but bland. The chili dipping
sauce is better, but its similarity to the goop you get in little plastic pouches left me feeling a little cheap.

Also, some of the entrees needed balancing. The prosciutto-wrapped monkfish with a truffled veal glaze was too rich for the tastes at my table. The truffle is a tricky little vixen: While we often want her to be the life of
the party, we don't want her to have her way with the entire plate.

Chicken and pancetta risotto had a similar problem. In this case, the risotto had a coopful of chicken gumming up the works. It's hard to enjoy the goat cheese or slivered scallions when your mouth is always full of some underachieving fowl.

These missteps were easy to forgive, particularly as I found myself becoming more and more fond of Foe. I loved its name, which sounds playfully combative but is actually the nickname for the chef, Alfonso Iaderosa. I was endeared by the shy but stellar service, the cozy table layout that makes the
most of its small space and the tiny blue and violet vases stuffed with fistfuls of lilies. I even learned to like its pale green and white country decor, something like a garden shed without the dirt, right up to the ``bar'' built of the flat concrete stones you might see edging a flowerbed. It's quaint, New England summertime decor, which makes it just as appropriate for lunch with Grandma as it is for a first date on a Friday night.

If Friday night is what you have in mind, be sure to call ahead. This is a popular restaurant, and it fills up quickly with folks looking for accessible food with a creative twist, in a wonderfully untwisted atmosphere.

The nouveau bistro concept is catching on hard and fast across the state, and I'm sure the friends of Foe would be thrilled if there were one on every corner. But for now, at least, they seem content to gather in Branford, where a gem of the genre sits unassumingly on Main Street, serving food you could
eat for the rest of your life.

Hours: Lunch Tue.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dinner Tue.-Thu., 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Sun., 5 p.m.-9 p.m.

Extras:

Critic's Rating Cuisine Bistro Meals Served Lunch, Dinner Price Range Moderate Reservations Recommended, Popular restaurant that fills up quickly, especially on the weekend. Services Private Parties Spirits Full Bar Website http://www.foeanamericanbistro.com Wheelchair Access Restrooms