Tucked between Monaco and the Franco-Italian border is the small, coastal town of Menton. Known for its temperate climate and renowned for its citrus—particularly the lemon, it’s the hometown of Westport Café’s new chef and inspiration behind the summer menu.
Romain Monnoyeur, co-owner and longtime Westport Café executive chef, and new chef Thomas Milesi, collaborated on a lighter, Mediterranean-style menu, reflecting the changing season and Milesi’s upbringing. While Monnoyeur hails from eastern France, he also has connections to the French Riviera. “Every summer I was in the South of France with my mom because we have a little studio there,” Monnoyeur explains.
“One dish Thomas brought is the pissaladiere. It’s like a focaccia with caramelized onion, anchovies, and olives. You can find this in most bakeries—it’s like a street food that Thomas ate when he was a kid,” says Monnoyeur. Another summer starter is the Barbajuan ravioli, a specialty from Monte Carlo, where both chefs worked previously, as did co-owner Kevin Mouhot. The house-made ravioli is stuffed with chard, ricotta, spinach, and rice, and is paired with a brown butter and lemon sauce.
“Some people can be nervous to go to a French restaurant because they think it’s going to be just foie gras and escargot,” Monnoyeur says, “So we try to expand what people like, how we can be a little bit adventurous, and I want [Milesi] to have fun as well.” Milesi, who worked for eight years in Switzerland, grew up in the restaurant industry. His father and grandfather were both chefs, and his parents met in Monte Carlo where his mother worked in the front of the house.
Nostalgia is on the menu for Monnoyeur and Melisi. “People like when you bring back childhood memories or dishes you’ve been eating since you were a kid,” says Monnoyeur. “And I think the best dish is when you bring all your memories together with the techniques you’ve learned. So we created this menu around his skills, his memories, and my expertise of what people like.” In keeping with the theme, the café is now offering Monnoyeur’s family’s wine, Desire Petit.
The collaboration isn’t limited to the chefs. “It’s sometimes difficult to create a menu with just one person,” says Monnoyeur. “We like to collaborate with the servers, the front manager, the kitchen staff. That’s how we come up with the best menu we can.” The café and bar also focuses on local produce and partnerships, working with the Barham Family Farm, Yoli Tortilleria, and Blackhole Bakery. “We go to the market in Overland Park every Wednesday,” says Monnoyeur.
Small southern French twists touch every inch of the new menu—from the olives on the cheese plate (from Nice, naturally), to the lemon-marinated pork belly. The halibut is served with a bouillabaisse sauce originated by Marseilles fisherman.
Both chefs agree on their favorite new menu item—the pork. The Porc au Citron is a slow-cooked pork belly marinated with thyme and lemon and stuffed with chard. “You cook it 36 hours, so it’s a lot of work, but it’s fun,” Monnoyeur says. “You have the jus, you have a nice slow-cooked meat, you have a seasonal veggie, and then it’s very generous and flavorful.”
“And the people love it,” says Milesi.