Trattoria Simpatico
13 Narragansett Avenue
Jamestown
by Bob Mariani
It’s hard to imagine a better spot to spend the first warm evening of summer than in the lantern-lit garden restaurant of Jamestown’s own Trattoria Simpatico. There under the huge old, swaying beech trees, the soft strains of the Steve DeConte Duo drift over you like a gentle sea breeze. And although there are obviously lots of regulars here hob-knobbing at the open-air bar, you feel right at home almost immediately.
A new chef, Kevin Geaudreau, and a seriously spiffed up kitchen, have combined to bump the Trattoria’s menu up a few serious notches since my last visit.
I began our meal with a half dozen fresh oysters from the raw bar menu. Their clean, steel-y taste is, I find, a great pallet cleanser. (I was amused by the frantic hand-waving-in-front-of-the-mouth antics of a young lady at a nearby table as she experienced her first oyster. It’s just like your first Martini, I told her: "Pretty soon you’ll be wanting a dozen.")
Our other appetizer was a pair of the fluffiest, lightest Maryland crab cakes I’ve ever eaten. Lightly dredged in breadcrumbs, they were garnished with a subtle mélange of shaved fennel, jicama and fresse salad, and seasoned with a grainy mustard tartar sauce.
While we waited for our entrées, we shared a crisp wedge salad, my new garden favorite. To a quarter head of iceberg lettuce, they added a creamy bleu cheese dressing laced with smoked bacon bits, crispy shallots, little cubes of plum tomatoes, and some thread-thin red onion strings. I like to think of this classic as the New York sirloin of salads.
For my entrée, I chose the Atlantic Salmon. I’ve become pretty indifferent to this fish lately, but the Trattoria’s "BBQ-lacquered" version intrigued me, and I was right. The large salmon fillet arrived hot, clear through and redolent of smoky BBQ. It had been finished with a creamy, but light, citrus beurre blanc and accompanied by a really delicious crabmeat hash that was riddled with corn kernels and little squares of sweet potatoes. This was a really skillful mingling of fresh seafood and fresh veggies.
Our other entrée was char-grilled Atlantic swordfish, which dazzled my wife with its color combinations even before she took a bite. Purple potatoes, red roasted pepper yard beans loosely framed two full-size swordfish steaks beautifully sauced with a charred tomato vinaigrette. I was struck by the lovely balance of these flavors, with no one element coming through too strongly.
Trattoria Simpatico’s desserts are all house-made and of the four we tried, one was more dazzling than the other. A bittersweet chocolate marquise was a thin slice of dense, rich chocolate terrine served with a delicate raspberry coulis and fresh berries. A passion fruit parfait was a light, airy frozen mousse intriguingly flavored with tart passion fruit puree. The chocolate gelato Tartufo was a classic with dark chocolate ice cream rolled in a crumble of dark chocolate and walnuts and garnished with macerated berries. The lavender crème brule was a deep dish of creamy but light custard with a subtle spike of lavender and garnished with fresh –and I do mean "fresh"—berries.
The service here is friendly and prompt, and the ambiance is so relaxing and pleasant, one almost wishes it were slower so one could linger.
The appetizers are almost meals in themselves and range in price from $5.95 for the soup of the day, to $10.95 for their beef carpaccio with reggiano parmesan cheese and capers drizzled with truffle oil. Starters also include things like crisp calamari with red pepper remoulade; and home made scallop ravioli. There’s a salad and pasta menu that features a classic Caesar salad ($7.95) and black pepper fettuccine with tasso ham, broccolini, tomatoes, and pignoli nuts ($16.95).
Other main dishes I’d love to return for are the lamb tenderloin slow -roasted with tomato filets, sliced red onion and cucumber salad ($27.95); the New York Sirloin char-grilled with morel mushroom bordelaise, sautéed spinach and chive-whipped potatoes ($24.95); and the seared halibut filet sautéed with arugula, tomatoes, roasted garlic cream and chorizo essence ($23.95).
No, sir, dinning al fresco just doesn’t get much better than at the Trattoria Simpatico. Irresistible ambiance and marvelous cuisine make this place an island treasure for Jamestown.
They’re open seven nights a week for dinner, and Wednesday through Sunday for lunch as well. Reservations are suggested. To contact the Trattoria Simpatico call 423-3731 or visit their
website.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.
