2 minute read
Eat This Now
Eat This Now
HALIBUT AT WESTPORT CAFÉ
By Sarah Sipple
Westport Café is one of the ultimate date spots in Kansas City. Is it the intimate setting? The delicately plated dishes? The ambient pops of champagne bottles and flambé desserts made tableside? Yes.
New this year to Westport Café is Chef Thomas Milesi, who drew inspiration for several new menu items from his hometown in the South of France. This seasonal menu is light and agile, with slight tweaks by the week as various local produce comes to harvest.
A star of the “Plats Principaux” (Main Dish) category is the Halibut. A tender filet is steamed and then served with fava beans, pearl onions, sliced radishes, and wasabi aioli. To maintain the halibut’s pristine texture, the dish is bathed in a dashi bouillabaisse only when it reaches the table. The fragrant soup is made with miso, saffron, tomatoes, coconut milk, and a hint of yuzu. Tapioca crackers add a crunch to the delicate fish. The fava beans will soon be swapped for a late-summer option, such as snap peas.
This dish is as complex as it is lovely. The variety of colors accurately represents the range of textures and flavors that come together for each cohesive bite.
To keep the romantic theme flowing, pair this with a Crémant you’ll only find here. Executive Chef Romain Monnoyeur’s family wine, Desire Petit, hits the spot for a sparkling wine that is not too sweet, not too bubbly.
Westport Café is open Tuesday through Sunday, 4 p.m. - 12 a.m., plus a Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended.
