As the saying goes, out with the old, in with the new, and that can true with restaurants too. The owners of The Benjamin realized how powerful those words are upon purchasing the former Bernard’s Restaurant in Ridgefield. After being open for about six months, they revitalized and revamped the restaurant, rolling out a whole new menu and vibe.
“We wanted to continue the lineage of French cuisine, keeping with the property’s historically French offerings. Why go against the tide, when people for decades have known they could find delicious French food here,” said Dave Studwell who co-owns the restaurant, and Washington Prime in South Norwalk with Rob Moss and B;J. Lawless, of B.
J. Ryan’s Restaurant Group that owns B.J.
Ryan’s East, B.J. Ryan’s Pub, and B.
J. Ryan’s B·AN·C House, also in Norwalk. “We aimed for sophisticated and refined with French-inspired sauces and techniques that are involved in every state of cooking, especially the high-end level.
It was delicious, but not a lot of people wanted to come out for smoked trout, foie gras, or escargot. We knew we had to make a switch,” said Studwell, noting he felt the restaurant wasn’t connecting with the needs of the community. “We didn’t want to fall into a special occasion restaurant,” he said.
“Being more involved in the town of Ridgefield and seeing all the events, we realized how family-driven everything is in town.” The owners set about switching up the menu, and said they focused on what would appeal to the community. The new menu, now more eclectic, approachable, affordable, and featuring bigger portions, is described as uniquely American, globally inspired.
“We thought, ‘let’s stick to what we do best, American global food, that we do at Washington Prime and BJs. It’s ‘New American’ style and this allows us to serve a broader offering to both parents and kids,” Studwell said. “We lowered our price point and expanded our appetizer offerings that were mostly seafood and fish driven before.
Now there’s meatballs, steak tartare, a new kids’ menu with different pastas and grilled cheeses, and kids’ burgers.” “The whole category of New American, which a lot of restaurants categorize themselves as, really applies to everything. You can play around with any flavors.
Being globally-inspired, we can do a French dish, some Latin flavors, or something with an Asian flair to it. It opens up the opportunities,” said Studwell. The kitchen is manned by chef Vicente Santacruz, affectionately known as Panda, who previously worked at other restaurants owned by the trio.
“He’s a very happy guy in the kitchen, so positive. He’s a nice breath of fresh air,” Studwell said. The restaurant’s most popular dishes include New York strip steak and filet mignon along with olive oil poached halibut.
“One dish we brought up from BJ’s is the Pork Chop Martini. “Think of a giant pounded out pan-fried pork chop but cooked chicken Scarpiello style with hot cherry peppers, white wine, herbed butter, garlic, and marble potatoes. It’s fantastic,” said Studwell.
Also, there are weekly specials Thursday through Sunday and the menu changes seasonally. “We’re just about to get ideas for heavier, heartier winter dishes, like braised short ribs, fresh pastas, roasted root vegetables and all those lovely things,” said Studwell. The kids’ menu features the ever-popular chicken fingers, kids’ burger, and Texas Toast grilled cheese along with a variety of different pastas, including Orecchiette with red sauce or butter.
“A lot of the kids in this area come in for filet mignon and potatoes, but you have to have the staples for the masses. The kids’ palate in this area is a little more refined than most would imagine.” A dessert menu is created by pastry chef Melissa Knauer, formerly of Arethusa A Mano .
Studwell praised her skills. “She makes everything from scratch, from the little cookies that get served with coffee to full on marble cheesecakes, and roasted s’mores pies. We let her play around and see what she wants to do, and she never misses,’ he said.
“We also serve piping hot chocolate chip cookies from the oven with a glass of milk – so simple but one of the best comfort desserts.” The restaurant’s décor remained the same. “It’s always been neutral.
We don’t have ironed tablecloths with a single rose on every table. That’s not our style. We switched gears to a little bit of eclectic music that plays into the overall atmosphere, from American rock and roll to jazz and old classics,” said Studwell.
There’s live music on Tuesdays and Sundays from 3 to 5 p.m. and they recently launched Wednesday night jazz with local musicians.
Studwell said he is proud to continue the ambience of the location. “It’s such a cool, little storybook property. It’s a really beautiful old building.
I think everyone’s dream at some point is to bring some old building, a historic building, to life. There are sprawling gardens, lawns with multiple levels and decks, and the house in the back. It’s an enchanting property,” Studwell said, explaining that the restaurant takes its name from Benjamin Franklin, one of the first ambassadors to France.
“When we were doing French-American, we thought we’d pay a little homage to the guy that merged the two cultures in the culinary world. In his travels Franklin would go abroad and just be immersed in all these different cultural experiences and he would bring them home. He was known for his wild dinner parties and wine and for bringing back French cooking.
Crème Brulee is actually here because of Franklin.” Since the space has evolved, the owners have received positive feedback. “We’ve already seen the changes in the customers.
We’re seeing new regulars coming in two to three times a week,” said Studwell, who hopes The Benjamin experiences the same longevity as the former restaurants at that location. “It’s been great so far. I’d love to be the town melting pot and have everybody come in and relax.
Plus, we’re getting more involved in the town, sponsoring events and holding tastings, and having more of a community kind of atmosphere. It’s really just the tip of the iceberg, so we’re hoping to have a nice long run.” Pamela Brown is a freelance journalist in Connecticut.
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