Bonne Nuit Chef to Join Basaran at Picador

Anxious food lovers of New Canaan concerned about the activity occurring behind the covered windows of 15 Elm Street, (the building that formerly housed Harvest Supper), can rest easy. CTbites is pleased to announce that Alan Basaran, owner of New Canaan’s Carpe Diem, is the restaurateur behind the changes. Next month Basaran will open Picador, a Spanish themed restaurant offering both Tapas and entrée sized dishes. Overseeing the kitchen will be a long time New Canaan favorite, Chef Kender Urena, from Bistro Bonne Nuit.

Chef Kender will bring his Latin heritage to the kitchen. Born and raised in Costa Rica, he worked in his parent’s restaurant before enrolling at the French Culinary Institute where he received a Culinary Arts degree as well as degrees from its International Bread and Pastry Arts program. He honed his culinary skills at some of the New York’s finest restaurants including Le Cirque and Barbetta. He relocated and opened Bistro Bonne Nuit in 2002. The Picador kitchen will also include Pastry Chef Lisbeth Rawls, who joins the team from the kitchen of Gramercy Tavern in New York and most recently as chef-owner of LuLu’s Bakery in Atlanta.

The menu will showcase Chef Kender’s extraordinary culinary talents and highlight a wide range of flavors focused on specialties from Spain, the Iberian Peninsula and the Mediterranean. A sneak peak indicates that Picador’s menu will emphasize the region’s incredibly bright and vibrant flavors while maintaining the Mediterranean tradition of seafood, hams and paella, plus a smattering of meats and poultry.

Interior renovations are currently in process to complement the Spanish influenced menu. In addition, for those who enjoy al fresco dining, Picador will also offer several tables on its newly renovated back patio.

Stay tuned as CTbites covers another exciting restaurant opening in New Canaan and samples the delicious cuisine of Chef Kender and Chef Lisbeth.