Rustic Leaf offers local, organic food

The Table for Twos usually wait a few months for a new restaurant to be up and running before we review it, but we made in exception in the case of the The Rustic Leaf for a few reasons.

First, this is a great winter destination because the food is seasonally inspired, so we wouldn’t want diners to miss out on that. Second, proprietors Danielle and Josh Enright are a known entity in the local organic dining scene, having been the proprietors of Seedling Cafe in downtown Nashua for five years, until they sold the business this year.

Their new enterprise is The Rustic Leaf, in the former French Bistro property outside the Oval in Milford.

The French Bistro was all about continental cuisine served in the authentic train caboose. It was cool and fun to go out there for vichyssoise and coq au vin, but it had problems and shut down.

The Enrights have expanded their Seedling commitment to organic and locally grown and raised food to a dinner and brunch menu, not just lunch. Their motto is “From seed to plate.” Plus, the Enrights have expanded the dining area to the front rooms of the house attached to the caboose. The decor is beautifully designed in earthy colors and provides elegant accommodations for bigger parties.

On our recent visit, we were seated in the caboose, which really is just so cool, with its wainscoting, windows etched with the B&M logo and all the original fittings of the train car. It really does make for a special dining experience – think Valentine’s Day folks.

For Seedling devotees, the restaurant still offers amazing sandwiches and salads, and we like the fact that their names and flavors are inspired by the seed theme. Some of our faves – all served with a choice of sides – are the Cedar ($8.25), herb-roasted, all-natural chicken, nitrate-free bacon, tomatoes, organic corn, Caesar dressing, Parmesan cheese and romaine hearts on a spinach wrap; the Juniper ($8.25), organic garbanzo beans, sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, steamed broccoli, quinoa, balsamic vinaigrette, herbed hummus, feta cheese and organic baby spinach, served on a tomato-basil wrap panini grilled; and the Pine ($8.25), roasted butternut squash, roasted apples, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, poached apple vinaigrette, baby spinach, panini grilled on a spinach wrap.

Rustic Leaf, like Seedling, also has a nice selection of organic salads that certainly can be made into meals in themselves, especially when opting for the addition of roasted chicken, chicken salad, steamed veggies (all an additional $2.99) or seared salmon or trout ($4.50).

In the appetizers and lunch and dinner entrees, you will be able to see a different side of these restaurateurs.

For starters, munch on Steamed Organic Edamame ($5.95), with sea salt; Baked Brie ($6.95), with roasted garlic and tomato confit, served with toasted baguette, or do like we did, try the Apple Cider Braised Mussels ($6.95 at lunch, $7.95 dinner).

This dish was outstanding in every way. The mussels were small and, thus, sweet, without one bit of grit. They were swimming in a sweet and savory broth, with chunks of fresh apple; smoked, crispy bacon and fresh herbs. Our only complaint was that the two rounds of baguette weren’t enough to soak up all that lovely flavor.

We also shared some soup with our meal. The soups are also made with farm-fresh products and are seasonally inspired. Soups du jour on the days we visited were Tomato Black Bean and Butternut Squash and Walnut ($4/$6).

Mrs. T for T preferred the former – tasting like the tomatoes were picked in the summer sun, then preserved until this particular cold winter day. The beans added an earthy, hearty element.

The squash soup was also hearty, sweet but a little too thick for our taste.

For our main meal, Mr. T for T selected the Pan-Seared Rainbow Trout ($11.95/$17.95), with mashed red potatoes, roasted root vegetables, wilted spinach and an apple-pumpkin coulis. This was again totally fresh, perfectly filleted and seasoned with fresh herbs. The spinach was an incredible accompaniment with the fish, and the root veggies were colorful and nicely julienned, but could have used some more seasoning. All entrees are served with a side or Caesar salad. Try the poached apple dressing. It rocks.

Mrs. T for T, on her server’s recommendation, selected the Cider Brined Grilled Chicken ($11.95/$16.95), which at lunch is served with an apple cider reduction, mashed sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli. At dinner, it’s prepared with the reduction and a roasted apple compote with mashed sweet potatoes and herbed green beans.

So often we’ve found organic chicken to be a tad tough, but not in this case. The nicely grilled chicken breast was tender and infused with the sweet apple flavor of the reduction. The potatoes were a nice, lighter switch from regular mashed – hearty without being laden with butter. The steamed broccoli, while fresh, could have used a little something to brighten the flavor.

The Rustic Leaf serves beer and wine – no mixed drinks.

Desserts of the day were a selection of cheesecakes and Rustic Leaf’s locally made ginger ice cream, which will be sold at the on-site ice cream stand come the warmer weather.

We wish the Enright family all the best in the Milford endeavor. It’s nice to go to that caboose again, and it’s really nice to have fresh, organic and delicious entrees.