“I’ve known forever, wherever we were, that it was going to be incredibly locally sourced food. I’ve known that since I started working in restaurants,” said Noah Cain.
Brioche with sardines and pickled beets at SALTY Restaurant & Wine Bar in Jamestown, R.I.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
Noah (left) and Alex Cain (right) inside their restaurant.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
Why you should go: While living in Switzerland and Germany, the Cains frequently discovered hidden gems where they’d be able to sit and graze for a few hours, which ultimately became their inspiration for SALTY. It draws on the idea of Spanish-style tapas where smaller, shareable plates are common, and the French influence of coursing out the plates throughout the night. And it’s something new in an area where restaurants lean more toward a classic, American style of dining, one where guests share an appetizer but then each person gets their own plate.
When you should go: They’re open Wednesdays through Saturdays. But head there for Newport Restaurant Week Nov. 1-10, when they’ll be offering a six-course tasting menu for $60 per person.
Seasonal offerings: They’re truly bringing local food from nearby farmers, producers, and fishermen to local diners. Their menu can change every day they’re open, but it always focuses exclusively on local produce, seafood, and cuts of meat. “Changing menu items up nightly can be risky, for sure,” said Alex Cain, who is also a full-time business professor at the University of Rhode Island. “But using and highlighting local producers gives them an opportunity to raise their brand awareness, too.”
The Cains source from some of the smallest producers in the state, all of which are listed on the bottom of every night’s menu, including Luckyfoot Ranch, Windmist Farm, Goodlands Garden, and Hopkins Southdowns.
The kale salad at SALTY Restaurant & Wine Bar in Jamestown, R.I.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
The roasted sweet potato dish from SALTY, which is served with whipped feta and olive hazelnut. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
The staples: There are a few items that tend to stay on the menu, with a few seasonal tweaks to ingredients. Things like Scallops a la Plancha (currently served with a Tunisian salsa verde and lemon for $39). Or the deviled eggs ($8), which have lemon aioli and bonito flakes with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds right now. They serve bread from Le Bec Sucre, a French patisserie in Middletown, R.I., and you can order it with an array of spreads and dips ($7-$8), marinated Greek cheese, salt cod brandade, kale fettunta, or chickpeas with harissa.
What else you should eat: You could actually order the full menu if you’re with a group, and try a bite of everything. The smoked bluefish toast with pickled “dilly” beans ($14) would be a good start, along with the sweet potatoes with whipped feta, roasted almonds, red onion, and Castelvetrano olive ($14). Then jump to larger plates, such as the spiced lamb meatballs with eggplant conserva ($19), Bluefin Sicilian tuna with potato pine nut and honey tomatoes ($32), and the Point Judith tautog from Narragansett Bay Lobsters, which is served with apricot, roasted pistachio, herb salad, and an orange blossom vinaigrette. (Sometimes he switches the tautog for sea bass, it depends on what is available). Get the buttermilk panna cotta with poached figs and coriander seed for dessert ($11).
SALTY Restaurant & Wine Bar started the business as a pop-up inside a shared space with bakery Village Hearth. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
SALTY’s sea bass dish, which is often swapped out for tautog from Point Judith depending on what is available to Noah Cain.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
What you should drink: If you’re not drinking alcohol, they have zero-proof options, such as their house-made ginger fizz. If you want a cocktail, go for a Prampolini with Vino Rosso, Campari, and Aranciata soda. Or the Salty 75, which is a twist on a classic, using rosemary syrup. But I recommend trying the wines: a Catalonia red to share, or a glass of Slovenian sauvignon blanc.
How the business works: From Wednesday through Saturday nights, the Cains go into the bakery at 3 p.m. and work to reconfigure the space to open for 5 p.m. That includes stripping the decor and changing the atmosphere. At the end of dinner service, after 10 p.m., they pack everything up and make the space ready for pastries and coffee in the morning again.
The takeaway: This is not like your typical restaurant in Jamestown, or even Narragansett. Head there if you want a more elevated coastal dining experience.
2 Watson Ave., Jamestown, R.I., saltywinebar.com. Follow their Instagram for updates.
This story first appeared in The Food Club, a free weekly email newsletter about Rhode Island food and dining. Already a member of the club? Check your inbox for more news, recipes, and features in the latest newsletter. Not a member yet? If you’d like to receive it via e-mail each Thursday, you can sign up here.
The full staff at SALTY Restaurant & Wine Bar in Jamestown, R.I.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=6723588cc64c40bba94664e67da37a7b&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bostonglobe.com%2F2024%2F10%2F31%2Fmetro%2Fsalty-restaurant-wine-bar-where-to-eat-jamestown-ri%2F&c=3846807908327031875&mkt=de-de
Author :
Publish date : 2024-10-31 03:14:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
