Jeffrey’s changes, but all the fine food stays
By Todd Lyon
From the New Haven Register
Jeffrey’s changes, but all the fine food stays
 | | Chef Osvaldo Rameriz with his Creole Coconut Encrusted Jumbo Shrimp. Melanie Stengel/Register photo |
When a beloved restaurant changes direction, there’s bound to be some backlash.
Take the case of Jeffrey’s.
Thirteen years ago, Jeffrey Johnson walked cautiously through a vacant, eroding property in an industrial neighborhood in Milford. It was a former pizza parlor with windows that faced the used-car lots and auto-repair places of New Haven Avenue, but Jeffrey barely noticed them: Rather, he fixed his gaze on the view out back, where the Indian River rambled through vigorous marshlands, alive with natural beauty. Then and there, he envisioned the restaurant that would become Jeffrey’s.
If you’ve ever met Jeffrey, you’ll know that he’s gracious, kind and surprisingly down to earth (surprising because he’s so handsome and because he wears cashmere with an offhand ease that few men — or women — can manage). Yet Jeffrey is a risk-taker of the highest order, one who seeks to satisfy his own passion for quality and artistry, even if he doesn’t have a whisper of evidence that the public will follow his lead.
He’s not a chef. And I suspect that he’s not much of a businessman in that dog-eat-dog, Donald Trump sense of the word. I’d say that Jeffrey Johnson is a restaurant artist — that is, he has a gift for orchestrating an experience that looks, tastes and feels wonderful. And, as artists often do, he happily ignores models of conventional success.
When he opened Jeffrey’s,all those years ago, he surrounded himself with talented chefs who created sublime menus with complicated dishes worthy of high-end eateries in Manhattan. In his former pizza joint, there was a grand piano, formal place settings, sigh-inspiring views of the marshlands and a patio that was its own secret garden.
It didn’t look like much from the outside. The neighborhood was more conducive to fixing a flat than dining in style. And Jeffrey’s prices were citified enough to cause a few raised eyebrows.
Who knew that the place would work?
Jeffrey did.
In spite of the odds and the oddities, Jeffrey’s became a destination restaurant, a favorite place to celebrate birthdays and graduations, or stage romantic dinners, or entertain visiting celebrities (I myself dined there with gospel great Edwin Hawkins a few years ago. .. he loved it).
Last spring, Jeffrey decided to make a change. The restaurant was in fine shape — in fact, it was humming along, thriving under the care of a close-knit crew that included Chef Osvaldo Rameriz, who had worked at Jeffrey’s from the very beginning, first as sous chef and then as head chef. Jeffrey credits Osvaldo with the creativity and consistency that’s made Jeffrey’s kitchen great, and calls him "amazing."
There was only one problem, and that was Jeffrey’s own yearning: "I wanted to spend more time with my family and friends," he says.
Throughout his 30-odd years in the restaurant business, you understand, Jeffrey had been quietly buying dilapidated houses in New Haven and restoring them to their original Victorian glory. He did it for love, not for profit, but with his most recent "project" — a rambling house on the water with plenty of room for visitors — he felt that it was time for him to put his feet up and enjoy the view from his own porch.
He and Osvaldo closed the restaurant last March in order to reinvent the new Jeffrey’s. "I didn’t know what the hell I was doing," says Jeffrey with a laugh. "All I knew was that I wanted a more casual place, a more mixed crowd, to take the attitude down a few notches."
When Jeffrey’s reopened its doors in May, customers discovered a celery-green dining room with a fresh look; butcher paper and pale bottles of water on each table; a distinct lack of piano; and a counter area with a glass case displaying desserts and bottles of wine. The feel is of an airy bistro, and yes, the Indian River is still in view, and the patio — though currently dormant — is still a fab feature.
As for the menu, it was — and is — true to the spirit of the classic Jeffrey’s (duck breast with tamarind pear sauce, $22, tenderloin with green peppercorn brandy, $22), with the addition of more casual fare, including a selection of salads and sandwiches. Yet even the sandwiches are gussied up — witness the Shrimp and Crabmeat Panini with smoked salmon caper cream cheese, shaved Bermuda onion and alfalfa sprouts, served with fries or mixed greens for $11.
One major change at the more relaxed Jeffrey’s is that every item on the lunch and dinner menus is available for take out. "You can plan ahead and order in advance, or call 15 minutes ahead, and everything is made fresh, nicely packed, beautiful and ready to eat," says Jeffrey. "It’s like having the restaurant experience at home."
Not everybody welcomed the restaurant’s new attitude. "Some customers resisted it at first," admits Jeffrey. "I had to remind them — ‘Hey! I did this for me!’"
In spite of a few naysayers, the change has been a success, and has brought in whole new segments of the population — including young hipsters — who now feel comfortable showing up and sitting down to apps, salads, a glass of wine.
"It’s still the same great food," says Jeffrey. "But now there are more options, and less attitude."
Todd Lyon of New Haven is a freelance writer.
THE ESSENTIALS
•Place: Jeffrey’s, 501 New Haven Ave., Milford.
•Phone: (203) 878-1910.
•Web site: www.jeffreysofmilford.com.
•Hours: Lunch — 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Dinner — 5-8:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 5-9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2-7 p.m. Sundays.
•Reservations: Recommended.
•Food: Pay no attention to the stick-on letters in the window advertising meals to go; Jeffrey’s is still Jeffrey’s, with beautifully complicated food and a lovely, if more casual, atmosphere. The revamped dinner menu starts with seven appetizers in the $8-$14 range, including Butternut Squash and Crawfish Agnoloti; Mozzarella with Artichoke Hearts and Oven Roasted Tomatoes; and Grilled Pizzette with a pretty mix of veggies and cheese. Two soups ($3.50-$5.50) are on the menu, as are four salads ($3.50-$7); there are also Entree Salads with mix-and-match choices of greens and protein, priced from $12-$15. Four fancy sandwiches, including a gussied up cheeseburger, are $8-$11 with fries or greens. Seven entrees are very Jeffrey’s, and start at $18 for a Pan-Roasted T-Bone of Pork with poached pear mango chutney, mashed sweet potatoes and mixed root vegetables, and top out at $26 for Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna with a coriander crust over baby bok choy and Jasmine rice. An extensive lunch menu features soups, lots of salads with lots of options ($8-$15), a Quiche of the Day ($8, with greens), a dozen sandwiches, pannini and wraps ($7-$10.50), plus five swank entrees ($13.50-$16). A luxurious dessert menu tempts with nine offerings at $7 each, including a Ginger Snap Cookie Sandwich with Pumpkin Ice Cream.
•Vegetarianism: Salads, meat-free sandwiches and apps are on the menu, and Chef Osvaldo is happy to customize meals for dietary needs.
•Note: All dishes at Jeffrey’s are available for take-out.
•Kid-friendliness: A children’s menu features a few faves — chicken fingers, burgers, pasta — with sides for $4-$6.
•Drink: In addition to a full bar, Jeffrey’s has a great little wine list with 11 bottles — six red, five white — offered for $22 per bottle or $6.50 per glass. There’s also a carefully curated Reserve List with 14 options priced from $35-$75.
•Wheelchair access: Through the front door.
•Credit cards: MasterCard, Visa, Amex, Discover, Diner’s Club.
•Parking: In a dedicated lot surrounding the restaurant.
•Private parties: Jeffrey’s has a quasi-private dining room that can seat parties of up to 24; the main dining room is available for up to 60 guests; and, in season, the gorgeous patio can be reserved for garden parties of up to 40 loved ones. |
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