Guest Chef Dinner Series @ Amis Trattoria w/ New Executive Chef Jes Bengston + Amazing Guest Chef Lineup

Executive Chef of the Terrain Cafe brand, Jes Bengston, has just been appointed as the regional head chef for Westport’s Amis Trattoria, in addition to continuing her role at Terrain Café. She will oversee both restaurants (under the Urban Outfitters umbrella) in the CT region. To celebrate, she rolling out an exciting new Guest Chef Dinner Series: Friends + Neighbors. 

Every Wednesday from Sept 25 through November 13 a new chef will bring their culinary POV by creating a menu of specials that fuses their style with the Italian flair of Amis. Diners can expect some creative dishes that push the boundaries of what can typically be found at Amis + an opportunity to rub elbows with both Jes and her chef friends. Check out the schedule below. This is gonna be fun people…

GUEST CHEF SERIES SCHEDULE:

September 25: Robin Selden of Naked Fig Catering

October 2: Hoo Doo Brown of Hoo Doo Brown BBQ

October 9: Carlos Baez of The Spread

October 16: Eric Felitto of The Tasty Yolk

October 23: Greer Fredricks of Peaches

October 30: Christian Petroni of Fortina

November 6: Emily Mingrone of Tavern on State

November 13: Bill Taibe of Jesup Hall

CHANGES TO AMIS IN WESTPORT

Located in Bedford Square, Amis Trattoria opened in 2017 under the guidance of original founder and head chef, Brad Spence, who recently stepped away from the restaurant after the flagship location in Philadelphia shuttered. With Brad’s departure, Amis’ culinary future is now under the guidance of Steve Linneman –  the longtime Executive Chef of the Terrain Cafe brand – who has appointed Jes Bengsten as the regional head chef overseeing both restaurants in the CT region.

 Jes has long been a staple in the culinary community. She’s been recognized as an Innovative Chef by Greenwich Wine + Food Festival, in which she participates annually, and was selected to work alongside fellow Terrain chefs to create a meal for patrons at James Beard Foundation’s Beard House. A committed member of the Westport community, you can find Jes regularly perusing the Westport Farmers Market for fresh produce to feature on her menus and volunteering for Food Rescue. She’ll continue that commitment and more as she helps to transform the Amis kitchen in Westport.

Under Jes’s leadership, guests can expect the menu to maintain its Italian influence with a shift towards lighter, brighter fare that nods to the restaurant’s coastal locale. Serving both lunch and dinner throughout the week, the summer menu featured such bright Italian classics as Summer Melon and Prosciutto and Zucchini Blossom antipasti, fresh summer salads and seasonal pastas featuring charred corn and zucchini. Dinner mains include vegetarian options, like avocado carpaccio and cauliflower with salsa rosa, parmesan and parsley; seafood dishes, like the scallops with sweet corn puree and salmon with a confit summer squash; and flavorful meats like the chicken paillard and Amis-favorite pork chop parmigiana. For lunch diners can enjoy sandwiches like the Amis burger or the Sal’s old school meatball sandwich.