Restaurant L'Ostal Opens in Darien with Beautiful Provençal Cuisine

Darien gets a serious contender in upscale dining, bringing New York City excellence to the area without the city prices. Rooted in history and steeped in tradition, Restaurant L’Ostal celebrates the cuisines of Southern France and its neighboring communities from Catalonia, the Languedoc, Provence and the Alps of the Piemonte region of Italy with precision and accuracy. 

Before I share my own culinary experience, you must meet Chef Jared Sippel and General Manager and Sommelier Joe Cracco.

With over two decades of experience in some of the most esteemed kitchens in the United States and Europe, Chef worked in Boulder at the James Beard Award-winning Frasca Food & Wine under renowned Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson and Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey, Michelin rated L’Oustau de Baumanière in France, Italy’s Michelin-rated Friuli and the Veneto, and Relais & Chateau’s Quince Restaurant in San Francisco where he worked under Chef Michael Tusk. In 2013, New York City welcomed him to open the highly anticipated Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, but delays led him to begin the pursuit of building his own restaurant, Trattoria Italienne, which opened in 2016, focusing on regional cuisines of Northern Italy and Southern France. Unfortunately, Italienne closed in 2020 due to Covid, and Jared and his wife Lindsey relocated to Darien, welcomed their daughter Lennon, and opened Restaurant L'Ostal. 

General Manager and Sommelier, Joe Cracco’s parents owned and operated small family restaurants in his native Iowa where he worked in all aspects of the kitchen learning the ins and outs of the restaurant business. Upon graduating from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Minnesota, he worked with Chef Paul Kahan at Blackbird in Chicago, then travelled west to Quince where he first met Sippel. His path redirected to the beverage side of the business when ventured to NYC and attended blind tastings with Boulud Sud’s wine director Michael Madrigale. He joined the team as Sommelier after receiving his certification in 2015 and was subsequently the Sommelier at the esteemed Le Bernadin. His unique background sets the table for L’Ostal’s refined beverage program. 

Now onto the food…

The Beginnings offers small nibbles that will satisfy your palate and senses, keep your fingers busy without killing your appetite, and includes a dish of warm Marinated Olives seasoned with Herbes de Provence, or the stunning sunshine-colored Spiced Nuts consisting of cashews and Marcona almonds in an aromatic vas al harout curry. A dish of soft and buttery Gigante beans dressed in a mild vinaigrette, and equally delightfully vinegary Boquerones, tender and mild in a Catalonia spice offer up a little more substance.

Even more substantial, and truly spectacular are the Oeufs Mayonnaise, L’Ostal’s extraordinary take on the deviled egg. Served upside-down, with a wonderful herbaceous tarragon mustard sauce, miniature pickled onions and crumbled crouton bits, you’ll never want to settle for an ordinary deviled egg ever again. It was for me, however, the Escargots that stole the show. These snails imported from Burgundy, outfitted in their gorgeous shells with parsley, garlic and AOC butter were just plain decadent, much milder, more tender and less pungent than those you may be familiar with. 

To accompany our Beginnings, a Vermentino di Sardegna (Mora & Memo) was selected for us, fresh, light fruity and minerally.

For those looking for something a bit heartier to start, there’s a cheese and charcuterie alternative with selections such as Prosciutto San Danielle, Foie Gras Torchon and Potted Salmon Rillette.

The First Course selections are varied but concise. Delicate and tender, slices of Crudo of Ingrid’s Diver Scallop melt in your mouth as the unmistakable essences of the Mediterranean swim around the sweet and buttery meat enhanced by the sweet citrus of the Cara Cara orange, and the mild absinthe of the fennel while the natural saltwater taste is heightened by the olive’s brininess. The dish may be small, but it is mighty.

The Provençal Garden Vegetables is how I imagine a Claude Monet painting might taste like, or whether the artist himself may have created this (as he was known to have been as talented in the kitchen as he was at his easel.) This simple and beautiful bowl transported me back to the South of France with its assortment of seasonal vegetables that included baby radishes, mixed baby roots (carrots and turnips), green and white asparagus, artichoke, baby fennel, baby leeks, spring onion, green garlic, haricots vert and petite sorrel. The tiny dollhouse-sized vegetables were incredibly sweet and tender, served in a wonderfully aromatic broth with black truffle and Barolo vinegar. 

The Egg Tagliatelle was like none I had ever seen with its golden orange hue, made simply from eggs imported from Arkansas - known for their deep apricot colored yolk - and flour. Roasted mushrooms, squash blossoms and green asparagus make this dish fresh, seasonal and light. With the First Course dishes we sipped a refreshing, minerally White Burgundy (Camille Giroud) with notes of apple that was a lovely accompaniment to the smaller dishes. 

The New York State Duck with Anson Mills Farro verde, green garlic and apricot purée was flawlessly prepared. A seared crispy skin yielded to a mild, tender grassy meat. The farro’s toasty flavor was met with the more piquant flavors of the salsa verde and the sweetness of the apricot. We enjoyed this with a Nebbiolo, (Langhe) made from the grape of the same name found in the Piedmont region, most notable in Barolo varietals. This medium-heavy bodied wine with has hints of fruit and floral and an earthiness from clay made it the perfect accompaniment to the duck. 

We ended the meal with a taste of Chartreuse, herbaceous and spicy and a scoop of sweet citrus sorbet to balance out the flavors and cleanse the palate. 

I encourage everyone to participate in L’Ostal’s well curated wine program with selections at all ends of the price spectrum, including delicious and inexpensive wine available on tap in their Vino di Tavola section, meant to be shared and enjoyed with great vigor.  

On the wine list, you will find the major French regions of Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Rhône, and Loire Valleys, well represented. The Italian wine section represents the classic zones of Piedmont and Tuscany, as well as favorites from lesser-known areas like Alto Adige, Friuli, and Valle D'Aosta.  The cocktails are designed to be variations on classics; 'Ellis Island' cocktail is a riff on a Manhattan, where the port of entry for Spanish and Italian immigrants lends its name to a cocktail taking the same influence with sherry and amaro.  

L’Ostal’s absinthe service is also worth noting. The classical absinthe fountain sits on their bar to honor the traditional service style, slowly dripping water over a sugar cube to dilute this enchanting spirit, releasing the "green fairy" and many stories. This delicious beverage is an amazing pairing with the fresh herbs and mild spice notes you see accenting Chef Jared's cuisine. Have a true taste of the south of France and enjoy this fennel flavored spirit accompanying a dish of escargot with parsley butter.  Their digestif cart offers a selection of cognac, amaro, scotch, eau de vie, chartreuse, Madeira, sherry, and other treats to pair with cheese or finish off a meal.  

L’Ostal is a name to remember and is poised to become a destination for fine dining excellence, likely to attract those wanting to experience the pure pleasures of an extremely talented chef and those with the most discerning tastes.

Restaurant L’Ostal
22 Center Street, Darien, CT 06820

475.328.9629