The inspiration for the menu at Applecrest Farm Bistro in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, surrounds diners. From the apple orchards framed by the picture windows in the restaurant’s rustic-chic dining room to the chamomile that grows wild across the property, chef Patrick Soucy turns it all into something delicious.
Soucy, winner of the Star Chefs 2014 Rising Star Award and former chef at Ceia Kitchen + Bar in Newburyport, is clearly in his element at Applecrest. Those familiar with his work at Ceia know that he often spent his mornings at local farms, harvesting baby greens and even helping with the planting.
These days, Soucy is intimately involved with every aspect of Applecrest Farm—from planning to pickling and preserving overabundant vegetables and fruits for winter. He even plots dishes that make use of produce that cannot be sold at Applecrest’s farm stand and CSA—like cool ranch-style dusting for his crispy pork rinds, made from imperfect produce that’s been dehydrated and combined with powdered buttermilk. (Even the buttermilk is pedigreed; sourced from Animal Farm in Vermont, it is derived from the $50-per-pound butter Thomas Keller uses at his storied restaurant, Per Se, in New York.)
The pork rinds are an unpretentious bar snack—terrific when paired with one of the restaurant’s “farm-inspired” cocktails like the Dixon Way, a delicious combination of freshly pressed cider, Bulleit Rye, and orange bitters.
The chef draws on locally available ingredients to deliver elegant perfection. His Bigeye Tuna Crudo is a work of art—a riot of colors and flavors melds with whatever is fresh at the moment. A recent plate featured thinly shaved radishes, cucumbers, summer squash, and sea lettuce, foraged nearby in Rye and dotted with a lacto-fermented red pepper purée.
The charcuterie starter combines haute cuisine with bar food appeal. On a recent night, the selection, which changes frequently, included a beautiful foie gras pâté topped with apple cider gelée, unctuous duck bacon, and a lamb sausage “merguez” with Middle Eastern flavors.
Seasonally inspired main dishes might include a thick piece of hake with a flavorful crust and a perfectly cooked center, resting on a vibrant orange purée of carrots, sprinkled with peas and dollops of brightly flavored Meyer lemon purée. Or Today’s Steak, a locally sourced special butcher’s cut prepared with minimal fuss—just as an excellent piece of meat should be. Soucy has been known to take a thick, juicy steak, season it with top-of-the-line course gray salt and pepper, grill it to perfection, and serve it atop a blue cheese sauce with carrots and green beans.
Chef Soucy is meticulous when sourcing ingredients. Though his menu doesn’t spell out the provenance of each dish, he knows it, and the waitstaff know it, too. For instance, they know a local fisherman caught the Bigeye Tuna, and the chamomile was harvested right on the farm.
Just as much thought goes into the kids’ menu. Standards like mac and cheese are elevated by toothsome pasta made in-house, and steak frites and locally caught fish are on offer in smaller portions. Sides include apples, Maine potato fries, and salad greens.
As for dessert…that abundance of chamomile growing wild all over the farm might be turned into chamomile ice cream made with local milk and served with fresh farm berries. Dessert could also include a rich, dark chocolate crémeux made with 65 percent single-origin cocoa, topped with a tart and refreshing raspberry and hibiscus sorbet, or the farm’s famous cider donuts reimagined as bread pudding.
As the colder months set in, look for more braised dishes and menu options that incorporate ingredients from Soucy’s fast-growing pantry of pickles and preserves. During tomato season, in addition to preparing three meals a day for the 125-seat restaurant (50 inside and 75 on the patio), kitchen staff process and can approximately 100 pounds of tomatoes per week for sauces and pizzas that will be made during the winter months.
A happy marriage of food and atmosphere, Applecrest Farm Bistro offers the next generation of New England cuisine.