The Gatehouse Restaurant
4 Richmond Square
Providence
by Bob Mariani
When the old gatehouse that operated the old "red bridge" over the Seekonk River was first turned into a restaurant by Hank Cates over a dozen years ago, I was delighted. There’s something very special about that riverside location with its ever-changing tides, the small boat traffic, and moonlit evenings on the open veranda.
With its relatively new ownership, the ambiance and charm of the place has been maintained and there have been some good additions to the overall look of the place. Some new interior paint jobs and a jazzier bar downstairs, brighter lighting, and a top-floor room with comfy banquets and pillows have been added. But thankfully, it still feels like The Gatehouse I liked so much when it first opened.
The menu has had its ups and downs as new owners and chefs came and went. At the moment, The Gatehouse is being run by general manager/chef Nat Hughes whose credentials include training with the renowned Michel Roux at the beautiful 3-star Waterside Inn just south of London where I enjoyed a very memorable meal a few years ago.
Hughes’s current Gatehouse menu does not aspire to 3-star magnitude. It’s a pretty straightforward mix of items known to be popular with local Rhode Island diners. Starters include things like fried calamari; New England crab and lobster cake; steamed little necks with chorizo, and a raw bar with three or four different types of oysters.
On the night we were there, the light off the breezy Seekonk River was just as lovely and constantly-changing as always, and the wait staff could not have been more helpful or friendly. I began with the Gatehouse Cassoulet ($8), an appetizer that perhaps belongs on the entrée list, given its size and hearty-ness. It was a crispy chicken leg and thigh that had been cooked long and slow in a dark brown sauce with herb sausage and white beans. (At just $8, you could make a very satisfying meal out of this one.)
Jan had the more modest-sized caramelized Vidalia Onion and ChevreTartet ($8), an interesting blend of truffled greens atop a very light tarte topped with a mild green tapenade. For her entrée, she chose one of the evening’s specials, a Pan-Roasted Halibut Steak. It came with a mélange of nicely sautéed spring veggies like red and yellow beets and roasted corns, and a dollop of spinach-pistachio pesto.
I ordered the South Shore Cioppino ($24) and was promptly served a bowl of hefty red tomato stew filled with little necks, mussels, shrimp, lobster meat and "native fish" (I think it was salmon). This is always one of my favorite dishes, but I usually prefer a few sharper flavor accents than this particular version offered.
As we dined I eavesdropped on the table next to ours where a couple was discussing their oyster options this evening with their knowledgeable young waiter. They seemed very satisfied with their final selections.
Other entrée offerings at The Gatehouse are: Oven-Roasted Chicken Breast with lingo berry sauce ($20); Seared Duck Breast and confit ($21) with a blackberry demi glace and rose rice; Wood Grilled Rib Eye Steak ($25) with crisp onion rings and garlic creamed potatoes; Blackened Tuna Steak Frites ($23) with a creamy mustard sauce; Wood-Grilled Veal Tenderloin($22); or Double Pork Chop ($23); Wild Mushroom Ravioli ($19) with herb sausage and a sauté of wild mushrooms; a Wood-Grilled Filet Mignon ($27): and a Grilled Vegetable and Chevre Timbale ($16).
From a list of house-made desserts all priced at $7, I chose the Peach Almond Tartlet. It came in a neat, modest size cup with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Jan tried the Warm Chocolate Banana Cake, an interesting mix of tasty banana cake sprinkled with chips of sweet pineapple compote and finished with a little vanilla ice cream.
I hope there will always be a Gatehouse restaurant on the river at Richmond Square. For me it is just one of the most delightful dinning locations around. And I hope that the inevitable improvements to the far side of the River that the Gatehouse faces won’t become too commercial and retain some of the riverside’s funky industrial charm. The Gatehouse takes reservations at 521-9229 and they’re open for dinner Tuesday - Thursday 5PM - 10PM; Friday & Saturday 5PM - 11PM;and for Sunday, 5PM - 9PM. Sundays are also open for brunch 11AM - 3PM
. Visit The Gatehouse website.Bob Mariani is a Southeastern New England freelance author. Besides his "Your Table is Ready" and "Out to Lunch" restaurant reviews on findRI.com, he also writes jazz articles on allaboutjazz.com.
