Michael White, owner of Altamarea Group, adds Farmhouse and The Barn to the list of dining destinations he oversees. Farmhouse will be renamed Campagna and its chef will be Devin Boyzaka of the Westend at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C., according to the New York Times.
PJ Calpa, who is the chef at two of White’s other restaurants, will oversee food, which will be Italian and seasonal at Campagna, the Times reported. Gere still owns the Bedford Post Inn with his partner Russell Hernandez.
Bedford residents said they were excited about the addition of White, who is the second big-name chef to come to the area in recent months. Jean-Georges Vongerichten reopened the Inn at Pound Ridge earlier this year. Similarly, Gere and Hernandez reopened the Bedford Post Inn in 2007.
David Turner of Bedford ate at the Inn at Pound Ridge Thursday night with his son, who was home from college. The real estate agent with a store front on Village Greene said both restaurateurs bring fine dining to an area with a country feel.
“I think it’s a good asset in many ways,” he said. “It brings attention to the area, locals like it and it draws people from Greenwich and the rest of Connecticut.”
Talking about Gere and Lowell’s decision to give up control of the restaurants, Turner said he understands the move.
“I’ve been through divorce, I get it,” he said.
Some residents said the Inn at Pound Ridge has likely taken some business away from the Bedford Post Inn.
However, Cameron Riordan, who works at Bedford Wine Merchants, said he thinks the two can coexist.
While both inns are recent additions to the area, residents said they are the best around when it comes to quality.
"I've eaten at the (Bedford Post) Inn and I think it's a good asset to the community," Turner said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Mount Pleasant and receive free news updates.