Red Devon: Eat Your Green

by Peter Barrett and photographs by Jennifer May, April 27, 2010

"Farm to table” is a phrase that gets a lot of use these days. An increasing number of restaurants use seasonal, local ingredients, and it’s a trend that augurs well for consumers and the environment alike. But, as with any trend, the slogan can become overused and diluted through aggressive marketing by bandwagon-jumpers. There are some good options for locally oriented restaurant eating in our region, but to see what the farm-to-table ethos looks like fully realized, one should visit the Red Devon restaurant and market in Bangall. From the eco-conscious physical plant to the rigorously local sourcing of nearly every ingredient, this is an institution that walks the sustainability walk.

Julia and Nigel Widdowson opened the restaurant a couple of years ago, following a complete renovation. Formerly the Stage Stop—once owned by James Cagney—the building was reborn as a state-of-the-art green facility with geothermal heat pumps, solar electric and hot water systems, recycled construction materials, and a variable volume exhaust fan in the kitchen that draws only as much air as needed. The many changes also include a green roof on an addition, a reduction of impervious paved surfaces outside to improve water absorption, and indigenous plantings. There’s a detailed seven-page pamphlet by the architects describing all of the green features of the building available inside the entry.

Julia, originally from Texas, grew up with a conservationist and part-time rancher father who instilled within her a love of both subjects. After their children were grown, she says, she and Nigel bought Temple Farm in Millbrook and moved up from New York City full-time, starting off with nine Devon cows. Over the course of eight years, the herd has grown to 30, including two bulls. The cattle are grazed rotationally, moving to fresh pasture every day or two, ensuring healthy fields and happy cows. Devon cattle get particularly fat on an all-grass diet, making them ideal livestock for a restaurant owner. The farm supplies the restaurant with beef and eggs, and some vegetables. Many crops—grain, vegetables, and fruit—are grown nearby by farmers who contract to produce specific quantities. Other ingredients are bought from as nearby as possible, and must be sustainably and organically grown.

Despite the wide range of energy-saving technologies and methods deployed throughout, the building is understated and does not call undue attention to itself. The exterior was preserved, as were many other components, including the historic bar, to reduce new material consumption. The interior is pleasant, well lit, and relatively unadorned. The staff is friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about everything from sources for ingredients to the history of the Stage Stop, and service is smooth.

Chef Sara Lukasiewicz is a recent graduate of the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park. As sous-chef at the Devon, she was in charge of charcuterie, and since her promotion last year to executive chef, she has been deepening her knowledge of the subject, hanging hams and broadening her range of pâtés, sausages, and salami. Originally from the Midwest, she’s delighted to have landed here: “The Hudson Valley is an amazing place to be for a culinary person; the ingredients are just phenomenal,” Lukasiewicz says, but she notes that winter provides a challenge to an all-local menu. In response, Lukasiewicz has been working with the local growers who provide vegetables, increasing her orders and focusing on canning, freezing, and root-cellaring enough to last until the growing season begins again. Future plans include a greenhouse to grow citrus trees and provide salad greens all winter, as well as planting a garden next to the parking lot and herbs and flowers all around.

The menu changes weekly, as new ingredients come into season. It’s not showy food, but it is very well crafted; like the building, it’s understated and unimpeachably put together. A recent menu featured early spring comfort food: braised meats, bouillabaisse, mushroom and leek ravioli. A braised pork cheek on house-made tagliatelle offered rich, shreddy meat on sturdy noodles that might have benefited from a higher ratio of yolk to white for a silkier bite. Beef short ribs with ramp-smashed potatoes—ramps, foraged by the chef, appeared in many places on the menu—were beautifully balanced between the flavors of the tender meat and the unctuous red wine-based cooking liquid. Desserts included sorbets made from local rhubarb and currants frozen last summer and a masterful carrot cake made almost entirely from local ingredients, including cream cheese from Ronnybrook dairy, which was at once fluffy and moist, with exactly the right amount of frosting to maintain an ideal equilibrium of taste and texture.