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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Asterisk - Newport, RI

What an amazing Newport Restaurant Week it has been! Today was the final day and my final 3 course menu! You cannot imagine how FULL I have been all week!

Final stop - Asterisk for Lunch
I finally decided on this place because, I couldn't decide and the Executive Chef is Danish born so I figured I'd go with my country men (half)...

So at first glance, the place looks great! Great atmosphere, nice bar, open kitchen where the Chef made eye contact with me the moment I walked through the door and gave a welcoming gesture. I was pleased to look around and see tables with happy patrons.
I chose to sit at the bar, it is Sunday after all and football is on. The bartender was nice albeit a tad immature... I asked him about the menu and he answered questions as best he could (not very well)...Such as, "Is the Seafood Chowder Red or White?"... "Have you ever seen red chowder?" You can probably guess where that went...

For my meal, I chose the Caesar Salad to start. Fresh crisp romaine lettuce, great light dressing, very crispy croutons. Could have used a better chop on the lettuce but it wasn't a deal breaker :)
Next up for my Entree, Grilled Duck Sausage Pizza with Sweet Onions, Rosemary and Lingonberries. I cannot tell you how excited I was for this pizza. It was delicious although the crust in the center was soft and almost doughy. Probably needed a bit more grilling. That aside it was very good and the flavors were great.
Dessert - They didn't have the ice cream that was offered on the menu. The bartender offered various items and I went with the Pumpkin Tiramisu. I have to say, although I am not much of a dessert person this was really delicious. In many ways a saving grace for the entire meal.

I had the pleasure of meeting the "NEW" Chef John (formerly of Clarke Cooke House) I was thrilled to learn that breathing new life into this place is happening. Renovations here and there, menu updates and the like. I feel like the Tiramisu was a great step in the right direction. Educating wait staff would be a definite plus as well. I actually could love this place and considered offering my resume to work there myself. Chef John is engaging and charismatic and excited. I will keep you posted:)

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