Amis Trattoria Westport Shifts Towards Lighter, Fresher, More Fun Approach

Andrew Dominick October 07, 2020

When Jes Bengston quietly took over the executive chef reigns at Amis Trattoria in July 2019, she’ll tell you bluntly that “most of the people that work here didn’t even know what the hell ‘Amis’ meant.”

“Amis” or “ami” translated from French means “friends.” And there’s a flashy new “Amis Means Friends” neon sign that pops in dining room near the chef’s counter to proudly stress that mantra.

But French, Amis is not. It’s an Italian-ish concept that’s changing its stripes.

If you wanted to share (no obligation!), there are plenty of veggie-based apps like fried artichokes with lemon zest, balsamic puree, and a smear of sweet black garlic.

“We didn’t change much the first few months when I took over because we were in transition—we weren’t sure if we’d rebrand or close,” Bengston says. “We thought about changing the name and even considered making it Italian tapas but COVID happened, so we scrapped the idea of shared small plates.”

Every table gets treated to Amis’ house-made focaccia

Bengston—who also serves double duty as the executive chef at Terrain—mentioned that the team at Amis is trying to move on from what the concept was under the previous culinary team that included well known Philadelphia chefs Marc Vetri and Brad Spence. After URBN (that owns Urban Outfitters, Terrain, and Anthropologie) made a deal to acquire Amis and Pizzeria Vetri restaurants, both Vetri and Spence departed the company not long after.

This bowl of “meatballs” might sway the carnivores

After figuring out what a new ethos would look like, Bengston, plus a new culinary director and new team members, decided to lighten up the menu.

“We asked ourselves, ‘how can we do this fun and flavorful?’ Bengston says. “We want it to evolve with every season. Food should be really fresh. We should know where it’s coming from. Ingredients should be treated with quality and care.”

A juicy half roasted chicken that dispels the myth that poultry is boring. The bird gets a 24-hour salt/sugar brine before a hot oven finish, a rosemary-balsamic glaze, and a spoonful of rich, homemade chicken jus made from the backs and necks, plu… — A juicy half roasted chicken that dispels the myth that poultry is boring. The bird gets a 24-hour salt/sugar brine before a hot oven finish, a rosemary-balsamic glaze, and a spoonful of rich, homemade chicken jus made from the backs and necks, plus veggies and thyme.

Think along the lines of heirloom tomatoes with grilled peaches in the summer. Amis serves it simply with a drizzle of Freso chili infused honey and a sprinkling of salt, with a belief that less is more and that the ingredients be allowed to shine.

Pasta, made in-house, will still be one of the restaurant’s focuses.

Paccheri with charred sweet corn crema is one of Amis’ modern takes on a pasta dish

“We kept a few classics and modernized a few other, different pasta dishes,” Bengston says. “We knew we couldn’t get rid of cacio e pepe or Bolognese.”

Bengston tells us “people were upset about us not having linguini with clams, but that’s not who I am as a chef.” Classics with a twist may sometimes appear, like this scampi-esque Szeuchuan shrimp with linguini.

A few of those new age pasta creations are paccheri with a sweet, charred corn crema with pecorino and scallions and an improved take on shrimp scampi Szechuan chili oil shrimp atop fresh bucatini.

Also gone from the previous regime are the swordfish meatballs, that Bengston said “did not work in Westport,” and the former iteration of Sal’s Old School Meatballs, which used to come with a potato-tomato sauce, but are now enveloped in a brighter, more vibrant red sauce.

Bone-in pork chop Milanese, the Amis way

But another meatball takes center stage…and it’s a vegetarian spinach and ricotta version with tomato sauce with the added heat of crushed red pepper.

Much like what Bengston does with her menu at Terrain, vegetarian is part of what’s happening at Amis, as are vegan and gluten-free options. There’s something for everyone in every section of the menu.

Pastry chef Marina White—who also serves double duty at Amis and Terrain—has infused some delicious fun into the dessert menu with Fruity Pebbles cream puffs and caramel popcorn budino. Amis staples like olive oil cake and rice pudding with red wine… — Pastry chef Marina White—who also serves double duty at Amis and Terrain—has infused some delicious fun into the dessert menu with Fruity Pebbles cream puffs and caramel popcorn budino. Amis staples like olive oil cake and rice pudding with red wine soaked figs remain on the menu.
Photo credit: Jes Bengston

“We’re making it all in-house and taking no shortcuts,” she says. “Fifty percent of the menu is stuff you can’t get anywhere else. You might see pork Milanese elsewhere but not with kale, tomatoes, and lemon poppyseed dressing.”

Soon, expect a seasonal menu switch-up as the weather changes, and they told us they’re working on plans for a winterized courtyard area with continued live music performances that they’ve been hosting since summertime.