Le Bistro Newport
41 Bowen’s Wharf
Newport
by Bob Mariani
Attention, Rhode Islanders: If you don’t take advantage of Newport’s spectacular array of first rate restaurants now, before the crowds appear, you’re missing a truly great opportunity.
Take Le Bistro Newport for instance. On a still chilly Monday night, this warmly-lit, romantic Newport mainstay offers an outstanding Province-style menu overlooking the beautiful harbor and the vintage waterside architecture of Bowen’s Wharf. There’s no wait for a cozy window table and you’ll get plenty of personalized attention. In fact, so romantic is this location, that its busiest day of the entire year continues to be Valentine’s Day.
But of course, the food is what you really come for. The Yankee Magazine Travel Guide gave Le Bistro their "Editor’s Pick Award" and it’s easy to see why. Simpler, rustic dishes with the lighter touch of French and Northern Italian cuisine make Le Bistro’s menu adventuresome without being trendy.
From a list of starters that include Mussels Mariniere steamed in wine with shallots and cream; smoked Atlantic salmon with cucumber slices and dill mayonnaise; Littlenecks steamed in white wine with red onions, fresh thyme and cream; Spinney Creek oysters on the half-shell; or escargots a la Bourguignon, I chose the Chef’s pate’, a rich, smoky slice of pate’ meats accompanied by some petit sour pickles.
My wife had the sauté of wild mushrooms and shallots, a combination of hearty, woodsy flavors that opened up the palate for the main course. (Starter prices range from $5.95 to $10.95.)
My main course was one of the evening’s specials: roasted duck breast with risotto. The medallions of duck meat were superbly succulent, but what took this dish to the next level was the intensely flavorful note of a pesto sauce. The sauce was served as a smaller dollop in the middle of the dish rather than as a cover-all. Its mixture of really exceptional olive oil with basil, parmigiano cheese and lots of fresh garlic and herbs was a very creative and unexpected twist.
Our other entrée was from the regular menu, a simple grilled salmon steak on a bed of freshly made ribbons of chive fettuccini pasta. The fish, which for our taste at least, seemed a tad over-cooked, was topped with a comfort-laden warm tomato, saffron and mint compote.
Other entrée choices reflect Le Bistro’s Province-style marriage with traditional New England dishes— broiled scrod with tomatoes, fresh herbs and French bread crumbs; seafood linguini with littlenecks, mussels, shrimp and scallops; native lobster, steamed or stuffed and baked; fresh sea scallops sautéed in butter with red onions and orange Pernod cream sauce; a 10oz. grilled sirloin steak in a wild mushroom and bourbon sauce; rack of lamb in a mirabelle sauce; and chicken breast roasted in a thick slice of acorn squash with honey walnut butter. (Entrée’s run from about $16.95 to $22.95.)
There is a nice selection of wines by the glass or by the bottle.
All the desserts are made on the premises at Le Bistro. We sampled three and found it hard to say which was the most delicious: a light, white maple pecan cake; a rich French cheesecake with a peanut- butter, chocolate truffle topping; or their signature warm bread pudding with a sweet, but not cloying maple pecan sauce. There were no bad choices here.
Le Bistro Newport has been at their prime waterside location just off Thames St. on Bowen’s Wharf for almost 30 years. It has evolved and earned its place among The-City-By-The-Sea’s most distinguished restaurants. But, if you want to experience it without the crowds that are about to descend on Newport, now’s the perfect time— now during the off season as the sunsets on the Harbor grow longer and more lingering and the ambiance of Le Bistro Newport captures your sense of romance. By the time this article is posted, Le Bistro will have its spring menu in place.
They are open every day for lunch and dinner. There are two flights of fairly steep stairs that would probably be a problem for the handicapped. And there is still ample free parking in the lots and on the streets nearby. For reservations, 849-7778. www.LeBistroNewport.com.
Bob Mariani is a Southeastern New England freelance author. Besides his "Table for Two" restaurant reviews found here, he also writes jazz articles on allaboutjazz.com.
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