Bill Taibe
Chef/Owner
LeFarm, Westport, CT
The Whelk, Westport, CT
Kawa Ni, Westport, CT
By the age of 33, Chef Bill Taibe had received three “Excellent” ratings from the New York Times. He is among the leaders of the new generation of chefs sourcing from and supporting local farms and distributors.
Chef Taibe’s love for food began early on while working after school at the local butcher shop. As a young chef, both at Two Moons in Port Chester, NY and Wildfire in Greenwich, CT, he quickly advanced from Sous Chef to Executive Chef.
In 2001, Chef Taibe became the Executive Chef at G/R/A/N/D in Stamford, CT where he helped to develop and design the concept and menu for this upscale lounge, earning much recognition as well as “3 Stars” from Connecticut Magazine.
Three years later, Chef Taibe ventured out on his own and created Relish Food & Wine, located in South Norwalk, CT, a 55-seat restaurant and 12-seat wine bar. Chef Taibe received many accolades at Relish, including his second “Excellent”, “4 Stars” from Connecticut Magazine, “Best New Restaurant” and “Best Overall Restaurant” by Fairfield County Weekly.
After much success with Relish, Chef Taibe left to help develop Napa & Co., in downtown Stamford, CT. Consisting of 90 seats, a gourmet market and boutique retail wine shop, Chef Taibe, again, received an “Excellent” from the New York Times, “Four Stars” in CT magazine, “Best New Restaurant”, by Connecticut Magazine, and “Best New Restaurant” by Moffly Publications.
In the summer of 2009, Chef Taibe left Napa & Co. to open LeFarm. This small, cozy, 34-seat restaurant located in Westport, CT, opened to universal praise and unprecedented success. It is now home to Chef Taibe’s ever-changing menu that reflects the season’s freshest produce, fish and meat. LeFarm’s accolades include a 27 rating in the most current Zagat guide, “Best Overall Restaurant and Best Chef” of the year in the Fairfield County Weekly, Connecticut Magazine’s “Best American Restaurant”, Statewide winner. In 2011, 2012 and 2013 Chef Taibe was named a semi-finalist for “Best Chef: Northeast” by the James Beard House. He has also received press for a series of underground dining events he calls “Souterrain”.
In 2012, Chef Taibe joined with Massimo Tullio to open his latest concept, The Whelk. Located in Westport, Connecticut, The Whelk is a 45-seat Oyster Bar and Seafood Restaurant. The Whelk follows the same rules and guidelines established at LeFarm, allowing the product speak for it’s self by utilizing the freshest ingredients from local purveyors. The Whelk quickly received many accolades such as, “Don’t Miss”, New York Times, “Superior-Extraordinary”, Connecticut Magazine. “Best New Restaurant-2013”, “Best Seafood-2013”, Connecticut Magazine.
Kawa Ni, opened in September of 2014 and is located right around the corner from The Whelk. Similar in style to the “Izakayas” , of Japan, Kawa Ni offers a casual pub-like atmosphere. The menu utilizes our local products to create Asian inspired dishes such as ramen, donburi and onigiri.
Chef Taibe’s success has led to three appearances on The Martha Stewart Show, and an appearance on The Today Show. He is featured in Harvest to Heat Cookbook, which highlights the relationship between the top chefs of our country and the farmers with which they work. A true trailblazer, he has spearheaded the “Farm-to-Table” movement in Fairfield County.
When not in the kitchen, Chef Taibe can often be found coaching both his sons’ baseball teams .
VIDEO LINKS:
Martha Stewart Show
http://www.marthastewart.com/998782/shad-roe-recipe-chef-bill-taibe
http://www.marthastewart.com/898074/warm-crab-fondue?search_key=bill taibe
http://www.marthastewart.com/898076/roasted-oysters?search_key=bill taibe
Westport Farmer’s Market (Gazpacho)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9Z674bI-Ug
NBC Today Show
http://www.today.com/id/33315120/ns/today-today_food/t/slow-roasted-pork-belly-acorn-squash/#.UgQC2BwgA1A
