Polo Brunch Launches at La Crémaillère in Partnership with the Greenwich Polo Club
By Sarah Bamford
Earlier this year, Peter Orthwein, an American businessman and celebrated polo player reopened the legendary La Crémaillère restaurant in Bedford, New York, known as La Crém by its longtime regulars. Orthwein is co-owner of the restaurant with the Boies family and has been dining at the restaurant since the early ’80s. Orthwein and Boies appointed renowned chef Thomas Burke to the helm of the establishment with the goal to create a high-quality experience for all. Jackets are no longer required but proper “smart casual” attire is suggested. La Crémaillère is under its third ownership since opening in 1948 and underwent its last interior renovation in the ’60s.According to a Vanity Fair feature article from 2017, “La Crém has been a staple among stars, politicians, and fashion designers. The walls are covered with murals of countrymen in their regional costumes—Burgundy, Normandy—and the slate floors gleam. Although the main part of this landmarked farmhouse dates to 1750, you would swear you have landed in Aix”. Now, moving into the restaurant’s third chapter, Chef Burke humbly accepts the honor of continuing the restaurant’s legacy by highlighting top-quality produce sourced from the best purveyors for the next generation of celebutantes. His revolving menu items are designed to celebrate French cuisine with a seasonal flare and provide a memorable experience for every palate. This summer he’ll add a herb and vegetable garden to the property and plans for next spring include outdoor dining.Chef Burke is originally from Westchester County and began his culinary journey as a teenager in local restaurants. Early on his talent was apparent as he worked his way up and mastered all kitchen stations. By the age of 20 Chef Burke was named Chef de Cuisine at Purdy’s Farmer and the Fish. While with Farmer and the Fish Chef Burke opened the New York City location on Park Avenue and managed the culinary operations of its two Westchester locations. Looking to expand his gastronomic knowledge Chef Burke joined the kitchens of several Michelin-starred restaurants including Le Bernardin and Aureole in New York City, Boulevard in San Francisco, and The French Laundry in Napa Valley. He joins the team at La Crémaillère directly after completing a stint as the Executive Chef for the Charlie Palmer Collective, renowned for excellence in food and hospitality throughout the country.This month, Chef Burke launched a very special menu in honor of Orthwein’s polo legacy and the opening day at the Greenwich Polo Club. For the first time in history, a mouthwatering burger is on La Crem’s menu! The brunch menu features oysters, French toast with house-made brioche, vanilla anglaise and NY Maple syrup, and the “Polo Burger” is made with Niman Ranch ground beef, triple cream cheese, crispy shallots, and truffle aioli. In partnership with the Greenwich Polo Club, La Crem is providing a complimentary car pass to each table of two or four with reservation. VIP seating accommodations are available to larger parties, anyone interested should call or email the restaurant and ask to speak with the general manager, Ali Cartelli, for more information.Greenwich Polo Club was established in 1981 and is recognized as one of the elite high-goal polo venues in the world. The club is home to the legendary White Birch polo team, one of the most successful in history, having won the most high-goal polo tournaments of any team over the course of the past 25 years, including the US Open Polo Championship in 2005. Some of the world’s best players have played at Greenwich Polo Club, including Mariano Aguerre, Facundo Pieres, Hilario Ulloa, Nacho Figueras, and many others. Each Spring these players descend on Greenwich with their strings of champion horses to compete for one of polo’s most prestigious cups. The club has also hosted many dignitaries and celebrities and in 2013 Prince Harry chose Greenwich Polo Club to host the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup. The prestigious match raised funds for the Sentebale charity founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in memory of their mothers to raise funds for Lesotho’s most vulnerable children according to the Greenwich Polo Club website (greenwichpoloclub.com).Orthwein is a player in residence at the Club and in 2015, Peter Brant, founder of Greenwich Polo Club, celebrated him by naming one of the polo fields at the Greenwich Polo Club in his honor. Since childhood, Orthwein has been an avid polo player and is also one of polo’s biggest patrons today. Growing up in St. Louis, Orthwein and his brothers were introduced to the sport by their father and have continued to participate throughout their lives. A 1968 graduate of Cornell University, he was inducted into the Cornell University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011 for his accomplishments in collegiate polo, which included winning the National Intercollegiate Championship Tournament in 1966. On Sunday, you will often see Orthwein and his wife, Beverly, next to the energetic announcer in his SkyBox at the top of the Polo Club’s Grandstand and dining at his restaurant.In addition to Sunday brunch, dinner is available Wednesday through Saturday. Diners should also note that a very special Bordeaux Reserve wine collection is available which includes fully matured selections from the high scoring 2000 vintage, exceptionally rare Bordeaux from the breathtaking ‘61 vintage, an astonishing 40th-anniversary selection of the legendary ‘82 vintage, carefully curated California cabs and large format bottles in addition to the standard wine list.For more information and to view menus, please visit La Crémaillère online (lacremny.com). I hope to see you at Polo Brunch this season, I’ll be sipping a passion fruit mocktail and wearing one of the latest dresses from one of the Avenue’s newest boutiques like Ba&sh and Love Shack Fancy. À bientôt!Sarah Bamford is a Communications Strategist and Founder at Hybrid Media. She specializes in hyper-local public relations and social media marketing for small businesses, restaurants, and non-profit organizations in Fairfield and Westchester County.
