Brian Lewis Opens Second Location of The Cottage in Greenwich

Foie gras, spiced quince, smoked macadamia nut, jerez vinegar jus

Brian Lewis officially has two pair. It’s generally a foldable poker hand, but when it comes to his successful restaurants OKO and The Cottage, that’s a very good thing for the rest of us.

The opening of a second location of The Cottage gives Lewis his fourth. OKO times two in Westport and Rye, plus his flagship of The Cottage in Westport.

But an exact facsimile of Westport it is not.

First off, it looks different. Grayish tan wooden tables and chairs, hues of power blue against white paneling, exposed wooden beams, and beachy décor are reminiscent of relaxed Cape Cod vibes. It’s also bigger. The dining room, the bar, the kitchen are all more spacious than Westport.

In Greenwich, Lewis and his team of talented chefs that he gives so much credit to, will still apply the same style to the cuisine that comes out of the kitchen. “It’s American cooking, but we’re inspired by so many cultures from around the world; French, Italian, Spanish, techniques from Japan, fermentations, and things like that,” Lewis explains. “We’ll make our own beautiful green curry paste and put it on halibut with aromatic jasmine rice and cashew gomashio. Break that down. The halibut is from Maine, the vegetables are from the local farmers markets, gomashio is a Japanese technique. My cooking and the cooking from my chefs is about not being pigeonholed.”

On the bottom of the soft farm scrambled eggs and robiola cheese is crispy, maple glazed chunks of bacon. Have at it with a spoon or The Cottage’s house-baked buttery brioche.

Back to those differences. Fans of The Cottage will notice some menu carryover and that’s inevitable. The Cottage’s greatest hits like the wagyu brisket bao buns, the burger, and the wild stinging nettle sachetti have all made the short journey to Greenwich.

Familiar at both restaurants is the miso black cod crepe, marrying Japanese and French cuisines. “The worst word is the ‘f’ word…fusion,” Lewis says. “I’m not trying to force ingredients together. You have to realize that this generation of chefs is evolving food, too.”

Don’t worry, the duck fried rice appears, too, just in a different form. Lewis switched up the presentation of this signature dish to resemble a rice bowl—clearly influenced by OKO—and with a sunny side up duck egg as opposed to a bunch of quail eggs like you’d see in Westport. Lewis even noted that Greenwich has a deeper bag of tricks when it comes to this sequel’s kitchen capabilities. Dishes that were a fuss to make in Westport, like the maple eggs and bacon, are much easier to prepare, as is all their handmade pasta, and fresh baked brioche that shows up as a dipper for the eggs and bacon, and as a vehicle for a decadent bite of foie gras, quince, smoked macadamia nuts, and sherry vinegar jus.

The cocktail list in Greenwich is almost completely different from its sister restaurant. Fresno Way (left) with chipotle tequila, mezcal orange oleo, Fresno chili) and Island Boy (right), a blend of rums, pineapple juice, vanilla-coconut foam. There’s even a drink on the menu with truffle honey and shaved parmesan!

Further changes when comparing the two lie in the experience. Greenwich is more small plates based. There are 16 in total, at least as of now, an additional pasta dish, and two less entrées. “I felt it was important in Greenwich to have a few entrées, but more small plates as to not have it be a traditional appetizer, entrée, dessert format,” Lewis says. “I wanted to leave it up to guests to create their own experience. If you want to have a Cottage Burger and a salad and call it a day, you can. Or you can hold onto the menu and order as you wish. I like having 2-3 bites of multiple dishes and diners do, too. Eating this way is current and it’s evolving.”

The hot fudge & peanut butter sundae obviously couldn’t stay in Westport, that’d be silly. They’ve added a white chocolate sundae with marshmallow and rhubarb as well. The ice cream in each is made to order.

Coming this summer, Lewis teased ideas like an heirloom tomato cart with “room temperature tomatoes, only kissed by the sun, and all the accoutrements,” and an iced shellfish presentation featuring a hyper-local selection from up the coast. With both the tomatoes and the ice cold shellfish, Lewis said he plans to stay honest to the star ingredient.

What else is next for Lewis and his team is to continue creating in the kitchen and to keep supporting his chefs. “Part of the identity here is surprise and exploration,” he says. “I want to treat people to flavors they weren’t expecting. I’m blessed to have an amazing team. It’s not about just me anymore. We workshop dishes and produce menus together and it’s about creatively supporting their growth. Instead of it being my food, it’s ours.”

49 Greenwich Avenue; Greenwich
203.769.1220; thecottage.kitchen