Lot 401
44 Hospital Street
Providence Jewelry District
by Bob Mariani
When you haven‘t tasted food with real nuance for a while, it’s amazing how exciting little things like Lot 401’s fresh shrimp with mango chutney appetizer can be. With your very first mouthful, the flavors just blossom on your tongue— the crispy batter-fried shrimp morsel, the sweet/tangy/citrus-y contrast of the chutney, all combine in a way that has you squinting with delight.
When I learned that chef Rachel Klein, the creator of Lot 401’s spectacular original menu had left, I worried that she’d set the bar so high, nobody was going to duplicate it. I’m happy to report, however, that their new chef, Kate Neilis, is quite ably maintaining and indeed, extending Lot 401’s culinary triumphs.
On a recent Tuesday night, we settled in at a window-side table in the Lot’s very cool, hip dinning area. To me this little corner, off-beat, street-level spot across from the Providence Children’s Museum, with about 15 tables seems exactly the right size for the kind of precise dishes it produces.
The following samples are all from Lot 401’s new fall menu: After the shrimp, we shared another appetizer, chef Neilis’s exquisitely delicate Grilled Pear Sandwich ($8), an open-faced sandwich with grilled pear slices, tiny, garden-fresh watercress, and paper-thin pecorino cheese served on walnut-dusted toast, and topped with just a hint of cham-pagne-vanilla-honey reduction. Sounds complex and it is, but in a very harmonious way.
Next we shared an entrée size portion of whole fried red snapper ($28). The mildness of the fish, which was lightly breaded and sautéed, was enlivened by an accompanying orzo "fried rice" with tiny tidbits of Chinese sweet sausage, and a slightly sweet papaya pomegranate salsa. It was all about the nuance, which came and went in all kinds of interesting ways as you parsed each mouthful.
The other entrée we shared was the Grilled Lamb Loin ($30), which had been marinated in very a subtly flavored horseradish sauce and seasoned with an airy cranberry demi glace. The meat was mated with a soft, creamy turnip purée, and topped with a few wispy leaves of sautéed Swiss chard. Needless to say, none of the elements here were for "decoration," but rather each added its own unmistakable complementary note, while everything balanced beautifully.
Still present from Lot 401’s previous menu is the very popular Steak and Egg ($32), which I had on a previous visit. It’s an 8 oz. filet with pomme purée, poached asparagus, bordelaise, and a truffle-fried egg. Just marvelous!
Other newer entrées are Asian Braised Pork Belly ($24), with sweet and sour red cabbage, fingerling potatoes, and Chinese hot mustard sauce; Pan Roasted Monkfish ($22) with a flageolet bean cassoulet, edamame purée, and morel mushroom butter; a Pan-Roasted Half-Chicken ($20) with cornbread pudding, sautéed mustard greens and spiced cherry demiglace; a 14oz. Wasabi Crusted Sirloin Steak ($28) with soba noodle salad, adzuki (Chinese sweet red beans) sauce, and grilled candied limes; and Miso-Cured Day Boat Scallops ($28) with sautéed watercress, shitake mushrooms, and fermented black bean jus, and taro chips. I can safely assure you that you will not find a misstep or a disappointment on this menu.
Desserts are all made to order for Lot 401 and include small miracles like Apple Cinnamon Fritters ($8); Poached Pear ($8) with orange mascarpone cream and a side of blood orange sorbet; and a "Deconstructed Pecan Pie" ($6) with a caramelized meringue and a bourbon gelee in a sweet tart shell.
We shared a remarkably light but very satisfying Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Cake ($10). It was a milk chocolate mousse layered over spongy chocolate cake and a slightly crunchy hazelnut crust, accompanied by a very clear tasting sweet berry sauce. Delicious but not ridiculously filling.
Throughout our tasting adventure at Lot 401, our enthusiastic waiter, Mark, helped us by pairing each dish with the perfect selection of wines— again, never quite the expected choice, but always right on the money for the uniquely original food served here at what I believe is one of the top three or four restaurants in Rhode Island— and probably all of New England. Lot 401 is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm to close. For more information call 401-490-3980 or visit their
website.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.
