Too Much at Red Stripe

The Red Stripe American Brasserie in Narragansett, one of two in Rhode Island, is described in their website as:

Red Stripe is a traditional brasserie with an edge. Classic, and unique. Red Stripe has the distinction of being upscale yet relaxed, where you will find people from all walks of life enjoying their dining experience. Red Stripe serves comfort food with a French influence – simple in context, yet refined in taste. Food that is reasonably priced and made with passion!

This is far from the dinner experience I had. Inside the decor is a bit confusing. Like in other brasseries, they have wine bottle displayed, round white lamps above the tables, warm colored walls, and large art prints. In the dinning room, some tables have large red and black banquets, which made me feel like I was at a diner. The bar has a free floating display of liquor bottles inside of it; more fitting for a trendy city bar, not a restaurant that gives crayons to children to draw on the table.

The menu was extensive; comparable to the Cheesecake Factory, with somewhat diverse selections worth mentioning: burgers, pizzas, appetizers, salads, seafood,fried seafood, sandwiches pork, chicken, Jamaican selection, and Italian selection. I guess the large portions can be interpreted as comforting, but the French influence is weak and with dishes like taco fritos de la playa negra and veal parmesan they should not make such a distinct claim.

We ordered the Red Strip mussels cooked with shallots, Red Stripe beer, garlic, tomato, pesto and cream, while we took our time to read the entire menu. We decided to order several things to share. When the mussels arrived, in mini iron pans, we did not have plates, and our server was m.i.a. We started eating them, since we did not want them to get cold, and we realized that they were sandy. When our server finally came around, we told her, and she took them away and said she would put in a new order. I would have preferred to order something else, since if there was sand the whole batch is still sandy, but she rushed off.

The rest of our food all arrived soon after, although we had requested they get sent out when ready. A pizza does not take the same amount of time as a soup! The "New Heaven" clam pizza, with garlic, parmesan cheese, chopped clams, and green onion was disappointing. First, it did not have green onion and there was an excessive amount of cheese (a common denominator at Red Strip) which made the thin crust very soggy. The baked French onion soup was extremely weak, as if it had been made with vegetable or chicken stock, and it was very greasy. The Jamaican jerk chicken wings, served with banana guava ketchup, was probably the best part of our meal. They were sweet and a bit spicy, although traditional Jamaican jerk spice is more spicy than sweet. My beau suggested it needed acidity, so we ordered limes, and the squirt of juice did make an amazing difference. It masked the sweetness, which was so predominant, and brought out the spiciness. The banana guava ketchup was as unappealing as it sounds. It was a thick paste made of browned bananas and its sweetness made no sense with the already sweet wings. The second mussels arrived, and to no ones surprise, they still had sand, and we sent them back. Worked out well since the rest of the food was ample. We finished full with food left on the plate.

Red Stripe is a place of excess, which is to their detriment. If they limited their menu, they could be more successful with the execution of dishes. They should also assess the actual approach to the dishes in terms of ingredients and preparation. Narrowing down their focus could be beneficial to them. Too many ideas are in place but their is little harmony among the different concepts. I hope they take a step back and reflect; they have potential.

More Seafood at the Ancient Mariner

Like many of the other local restaurants I have visited since moving to the Rhode Island/ Connecticut area, the Ancient Mariner in Mystic is a casual restaurant that specializes in seafood, like the name implies. The menu, like in many of the other restaurants I have tried, does not stop with mussels, clams, and the daily catch; the Mariner also serves chop house style fare, New England classic dishes (think Yankee Post Roast) and burgers.

The space is made to look like a nautical museum with oars hanging from the ceiling, blue wooden panels lining the walls and booths, and prints of old Mystic steamboats hanging from the walls.

For old times sake, we ordered an onion soup, which made well can be delicious (and very different from the Campbell's version which has been desecrated to make casseroles and other "family" meals). The signs of a good onion soup: evident acidity, rich color, bubbling and browning of cheese. Their onion soup was all the above and more, so much that we ordered a seconds.

Since we were in the mood of sharing, we ordered the Mariners Treasure Chest- clams casino, oysters Rockefeller, Stuffies, and popcorn shrimp. This did not prove to be as amazing as the soup. The biggest let down were the clams, which instead of diced bacon and a heap of toasted breadcrumbs, there was a slice of bacon (the length of the clam) and a light sprinkle of breadcrumbs. It was slightly insulting. The oysters were an improvement, with a savory creamed spinach on top. The stuffies, quintessential Rhode Island, were decent. The quahogs are mixed with an excessive amount of breadcrumbs to make what seemed like a bread crumb Matzoh ball in the half shell. To my opinion, and this was my first stuffie, this preparation completely hides the clam's flavor. The popcorn shrimp was good; it was fried and had a sweet and sour dipping sauce. Easy.

From the specials' menu, we ordered a blackened salmon Caesar salad. This was disappointing. The salmon was under seasoned, and completely dry. Salmon can be blackened on the grill without drying; its all about timing.

For dessert, we ordered a brownie Sunday. Chocolate, ice cream, and fudge- ultimate indulgence.

The Ancient Mariner has a good selection of items, although not all might be hits, which makes the restaurant a good choice for a low key meal, in a laid back setting, with friendly service.