DeWolf Tavern
259 Thames Street
Bristol
by Bob Mariani
This doesn’t usually happen to me, but I’ve been awake since 5am trying to come up with a way to describe the flavor of the "Kocum vanilla bean sauce" I had last night at DeWolf Tavern in Bristol. The sauce was paired with a nice piece of grilled king salmon and presented very simply with a side of slow-cooked fingerling potatoes. But the taste of that Kocum sauce was just not like anything I’ve ever had before. Sure, I could taste the vanilla, but there were other flavor notes in there I just didn’t recognize. I guess it was the "Kocum".
It says on the DeWolf Tavern web site that "Chef Sai has created a cuisine that interprets contemporary American cuisine through the flavorful and colorful prism of Indian cuisine." And since I’ve never been to India, I suppose that’s why many of these flavors seem so new to me. I’ve had Indian food many times, of course, but not like this.
Don’t get me wrong, the dish is not some exotic concoction. It’s delicious and "friendly", and very well focused; as is everything I’ve tried at this beautifully restored waterfront dining establishment. But Chef Sai takes you to culinary locations you might not have been before.
My appetizer course this night, for example, was Mushroom Gnocchi with crisp pancetta, Swiss chard and a parmesan cream. I loved how fresh tasting the little pasta pillows were, dark and woodsy from the mushrooms, and how naturally the sauce seemed to enhance that flavor.
My wife had the Seafood Bisque and again, it was a combination of the familiar with the exotic in a way that just seduces your taste buds. The new ingredient here was the "seafood samosa." It added a very subtle flower-like flavor to the more familiar smoky, sherry-tinged bisque.
Reluctantly by-passing other starter items like Charcoal Tandoor-Roasted Coconut Jumbo Shrimp; Warm Duck Freesee Salad with camembert, pecans, prunes and flaky paratha; Tuna Carpaccio with green mango, mustard oil and pearl onion chutney; and Steamed Mussels in saffron-white wine, or coconut milk ; I ordered the King Salmon described above. And, sorry, but I still can’t describe what that Kocum sauce tastes like. It’s very mild and subtle and at the same time unforgettable.
For her entree, Jan had the Charcoal Tandoor Oven-Roasted Chicken. It was two legs and two thighs (no white meat) that had been marinated with caramelized onions and an original honey tomato, sweet spice sauce that again contained flavor notes I can’t quite think of an analogy for. The flavors are not strong; just extremely distinctive. The entire dish was lightly topped with melted cheese—cheddar, we thought, but were not quite certain since it had combined with the rest of the marinade for a very tasty overall effect.
The rest of the entrees feature things like Charcoal Tandoor-Braised Truffl-ed Loin Lamb Chops with a mint crisp shallot Raita, saffron basmati rice, and lemon lavender chutney ($26); Tandoor-Roasted Native Lobster ($34); a duo of Crisp Duck Confit with Shrimp Biryani wrapped in a lotus leaf with a mango sauce ($19); Grilled Delmonico Steak with bourbon mushroom sauce ($34)— available with a grilled lobster tail for an additional $15; Grilled, Spice-Rubbed Veal Chop with roasted mushrooms ($29); or Grilled, Butterfly-ed Trout with a salad of fresee, fava beans and roasted baby corn ($19).The list goes on with items Chef Sai has just added to his summer menu including a "Seafood Summer Pot
" with lobster, crab, scallops, shrimp, mussels, clams and baby corn in a white wine sauce with garlic and linquica.There are several enticing items for dessert and – what a great idea!—a "Dessert Sampler Platter
"($16) that lets you try a little of each, which is just what we did: the Chocolate Lava Cake with kirsch cherry center vanilla ice cream and dried cherry sauce was a superb combination that did not go overboard with sweetness; the Lime Curd Tartlette with honeyed cranberries was a springy tasting delight; the little dollop of Baked Alaska with rose ice cream and devil's food cake was one of those flavors you never quite forget (thanks largely to the rose-flavored ice cream—wow!); the Coffee Cardamom Cappuccino pot de crème with warm froth & chocolate Amaretto biscotti was impeccable; as was the Warm Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Pudding, and the Rum Raisin Ice Cream with a very home-made tasting caramel banana sauce.DeWolf’s also has a Tavern menu for downstairs with many pared-down versions of the upstairs dining room menu, plus some items specific to the Tavern.
No question about it, DeWolf’s is one of the most interesting additions to the Rhode Island dining scene in quite some time. And its setting couldn’t be lovelier with a cozy fireplace and windows that look out on breezy Bristol Harbor. There will be outdoor dining when weather permits, and no doubt once all the new, nearby harbor-side condos are completed, it will be tough to get a table at the DeWolf Tavern. I suggest you go right now, before they get "discovered". Visit the Dewolf Tavern
website. For reservations call 401-254-2005.Bob Mariani is a Southeastern New England freelance author. Besides his "Your Table is Ready" restaurant reviews found here, he also writes jazz articles on allaboutjazz.com
