Lapizzeria Restaurant

For every one of us who craves high-end, delicious food, but who dreads the affected maitre d's and condescending waitstaffs one usually must tolerate to find that cuisine, I highly recommend Bailey's Backyard in Brookfield, CT.



This relatively new restaurant, divided between a large bar with high-top tables for pizza and lighter fare dining and a charming dining room, offers consistently excellent fare thoughtfully prepared by Alfonso DeMasi, the CIA-trained chef/owner and his experienced kitchen staff. Alfonso updates the menu periodically during the year, keeping old favorites while adding new selections. The latest additions are a spectacular tempura artichoke appetizer, creamy lobster bisque, seafood crepes bursting with lobster, shrimp and scallops, and a delicious cobb salad, large enough to satisfy as a dinner entree choice. There are also steaks, seafood and pasta selections that are infinitely better than anything I've ever had in anyone's backyard.



And while the food is, of course, the primary attraction, it must be mentioned that the waitstaff and bartenders are among the most competent, yet friendly bunch I've ever encountered. Almost any request is cheerfully accommodated. When a diner recently requested mint jelly with her lamb entree - an accompaniment frowned up by some pseudo-gourmet chefs and missing from most kitchens - Alfonso promptly conjured some up from scratch!! That is customer service taken to the nth degree!



Reservations are suggested for weekends, since Bailey's has become the new "in" spot for locals and diners from neighboring towns as well. There is a full-service bar and an expansive wine list. Bailey's Backyard, Brookfield, is open Tuesday - Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday for dinner, and is dark on Mondays.