News


Bill Taibe

March 24, 2023
Serendipity

Bill Taibe is the driving force behind The Whelk and Kawa Ni, both located on the Saugatuck River, in Westport.

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BILL TAIBE

March 24, 2023
Best Chefs America

Chefs, for your protection, only BCA can modify your profile page.

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March 23, 2023
City Lifestyle

During deep-cleans at The Whelk, Bill Taibe and his team used to munch on Philly cheese-steak egg rolls purchased at the Chinese Restaurant across the way.

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Two Connecticut Concepts Coming to Colorado

June 21, 2022
What Now Denver

Two restaurant concepts based in Westport, Connecticut are making their way to Colorado. Bill Taibe, chef and owner, and business partner Massimo Tullio, plan to open Kawa Ni in Denver in late spring of 2023 with Don Memo to follow later that fall.

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Westfair’s 2021 Persons Of The Year

December 25, 2021
Westfair Business Publications

Choosing an individual to be named Person of the Year is never easy, but selecting one business leader who stood out in this strange and remarkable year proved to be a thankless task.

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The 20 Best Suburban Restaurants Outside NYC

November 9, 2021
Thrillist

This quaint Japanese bistro—with blond wood paneling from floor to ceiling—has been serving ramen to Westport denizens for the last seven years. Executive chef and owner Bill Taibe, along with partner Massimo Tullio, are behind the concept, with kitchen help from chef de cuisine Will Friedman.

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Shad Roe with Beets, Bacon, and Balsamic

October 30, 2021
Martha Stewart

Shad roe, with its rich, nutty flavor, is an exquisite spring dish. This appetizer recipe is from chef Bill Taibe of LeFarm in Westport, Connecticut.Also try:Whipped Chicken Livers with Shallot Jam

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Chef Bill Taibe Opens Don Memo: Authentic Mexican in Westport

July 12, 2020
CT Bites

Bill Taibe is a chef who is constantly creating. This is why, in the midst of a pandemic, as many restaurants closed their doors, Taibe and his executive chef, Anthony Kostelis, were in the kitchen recipe testing and preparing to launch a new Mexican concept in Downtown Westport.

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Chef Bill Taibe Does Japanese at Westport’s Kawa Ni

July 8, 2016
Faith Middleton Food Schmooze

Chef Bill Taibe’s Le Farm is considered one of Connecticut’s treats, as restaurants go, very farm-to-table, the food very well prepared. But chefs get itchy, and Taibe has decided to scratch that itch with a twist on Japanese tavern food.

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Kawa Ni Now Offering Patio Dining in Westport

May 26, 2016
CT Bites

Great news for those looking for a unique outdoor dining spot as we slowly ease our way into the warmer months. The patio above Kawa Ni is officially open for business. What patio, you ask? It may be stealthy, but overlooking the Saugatuck River, and decked with twinkling lights, this small waterside gem is sure to become a go-to spot this summer.

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Ambassador Chef: Bill Taibe

May 2, 2016
Serendipity

Bill Taibe is the driving force behind The Whelk and Kawa Ni, both located on the Saugatuck River, in Westport. The Whelk opened in 2012 and immediately received an “Excellent” rating from the NY Times, “Superior-Extraordinary”, Connecticut Magazine.

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A Japanese Pub on the Saugatuck

March 6, 2015
NY Times

The chef Bill Taibe began his gustatory takeover of Westport modestly, with the minuscule Le Farm. Then he opened the Welk. His newest venture is Kawa Ni, which is Japanese for “on the river” — it is at the bridge overlooking the Saugatuck River.

Each of these Taibe ventures relies mostly on fresh, locally grown ingredients; at least nine area growers supply many of them to Kawa Ni.

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Why Kawa Ni is the (Sake) Bomb

October 4, 2014
OmNomCT

When you’re asked where you want to go out to dinner for your birthday, how do you pick? Do you go for that fancy schmancy place you’ve been waiting for a special occasion to go to, or your favorite spot you know is going to be amazing, or the hot new restaurant you’ve been dying to try? It’s a tough call…I mean, you only get that choice once a year.

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Bill Taibe Opening Kawa Ni

August 19, 2014
Hartford Courant

It's not a Japanese restaurant. It's an American restaurant influenced by Japan. But no matter what you call it, it's all Taibe.

Kawa Ni, chef-owner Bill Taibe's third restaurant in Westport, scheduled to open Aug. 20, is sure to be another winner for the James Beard-nominated chef.

Bill Taibe and his brother Jeff, Kawa Ni's chef, traveled to Japan last winter and ate their way through Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. The menu at Kawa Ni, which means "on the river," in this case the Saugatuck, reflects Bill Taibe's love of the pristine nature of Japanese cuisine and its respect for ingredients.

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