Restaurant News, March Madness and The Great Breastfeeding Debate [Update]

If there was ever a week in food news, this was it: After 23 years on Elm St., Sandy and Wayne Chan Taste of Asia last Sunday, barely two weeks after on Feb. 5. Wayne Chan said Chef Brian Lewis, who worked with Richard Gere to create Bedford Post in Westchester, will be taking over the space.

A sign on the front of Taste of Asia tells the Chans’ story: “It has been a pleasure serving you, our friends, and the town of New Canaan for the past 23 years. We appreciate your patronage and value your friendship.

“We will be closing the restaurant and look forward to spending the next 23 years enjoying (and serving) our children and grandchildren.

“We also want to thank our landlord and trustee for their years of support.”

New Canaan will greatly miss Taste of Asia but can look forward to a new restaurant joining a plentiful pool of local eateries this fall.

Confirming rumors that have persisted for months, Chef Brian Lewis – who co-created Bedford Post Inn with Richard Gere – will be opening a restaurant in New Canaan next fall. Lewis told Patch that the restaurant will be located at 73 Elm St., which, until last weekend,

Lewis, 43, said he will use his experience cooking in California, Manhattan, and Europe to create “a wonderful world class restaurant with small town charm” in the as yet unnamed restaurant.

The Great Breastfeeding Debate rages on. Columnist Laurie Cantillo admits she’s tried to like Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, both women who have been successful at combining motherhood and demanding political careers, but says the First Lady’s push to get the IRS to provide tax breaks for breast pumps riled these two conservative darlings in a big way. 

“Rep. Michele Bachmann, who leads us to believe that Uncle Sam is handing out breast pumps on every street corner for lactating women. “To think the government has to go out and buy my breast pump for my babies. I mean, you want to talk about the nanny state?” Cantillo urges readers to support women who work hard to be great moms AND who work outside of the home, as a result of choice or necessity.

Finally, in sports this week, SportsSeen reported the New Canaan High School’s girls basketball fell to Ridgefield in the FCIAC semifinals: the Ridgefield Tigers beat New Canaan 51-33.

And if ever there was a winter to a ski team, this was it.  did just that, starting a ski team in one of the snowiest winters on record.

“New Canaan has finally joined the ranks of the surrounding towns,” sophomore Chuck Anderson told About Town. “I am happy to be competing for my home town.”

(Editor's Note: This article was changed to remove a reference to the first anniversary of The Filling Station. The story about the anniversary will run Monday, Feb. 28.)