MILLBROOK, June 3 — Canfield Street, long known for shuttered storefronts and a struggling economy, is about to get a serious culinary makeover. Three independently owned farm-to-table restaurants are scheduled to open within six weeks of each other this summer, drawing buzz from food writers and curious diners across the region. Leading the charge is Fieldstone Kitchen, the brainchild of chef Amara Osei, a Millbrook native who spent eight years working in restaurants in Portland and Charleston before returning home.
The Newcomers
Joining Fieldstone Kitchen are Ploughshare Brasserie, a French-inspired bistro sourcing produce exclusively from farms within 60 miles of Millbrook, and The Sutton Table, a chef's counter concept from married chefs Rena and Gil Moravec that will seat just eighteen diners per evening. All three restaurants have signed sourcing agreements with the Millbrook Regional Growers Cooperative, which has seen membership grow by 40 percent since last year. "We're not doing this as a trend," said Osei. "The supply chain is right here. It would be almost irresponsible not to use it."
A Broader Revival
The restaurant openings are part of a larger Canfield Street revitalization effort backed by the city's Office of Economic Development, which has offered subsidized lease rates to food, arts, and retail businesses willing to commit to at least a three-year occupancy. The initiative has so far attracted eleven new tenants in the past eighteen months. Economic development director Claudette Farris said she expects Canfield Street to be "largely full" by the end of the calendar year. Foodies looking for a sneak peek can attend a free tasting pop-up on June 21 in the 400 block of Canfield, open to the public from noon to 5 p.m.
