Though a nautical rhumb line is akin to the shortest distance between two points, the Rhumbline — which takes its name (and some of its décor) from that mariner’s term — has zigged and zagged over the past decade to its current captain, Ian McIntyre. The chef/owner re-opened the Newport eatery almost three years ago, after it had been closed for two years.
During that dormant phase, many of the Rhumbline’s loyal fans yearned for past favorites, not the least among them, “Nana’s chocolate bread pudding.” We’re not the only ones whose first question for our waitress concerned that dessert. She assured us that the recipe had been revised and upgraded. I won’t keep you in suspense: the current chocolate and Grand Marnier bread pudding ($6.95) is quite good, with a very fudgy sauce swirling around the bread, but we remember Nana’s having more actual “pudding” to it.
Nonetheless, our appetizer and entrée choices were excellent, and there were other desserts that we would definitely try on a subsequent visit. The salad with marinated mushrooms and grilled asparagus ($8.95) caught my eye, as did the pan-fried cod cakes ($6.95). Bill and I split these starters, and there were pleased murmurs from both sides of the table.
The mushroom slices had a nice tang, and the grilled asparagus spears were fat and flavorful. Both were on top of a generous portion of baby greens, with roasted red pepper slices, dollops of goat cheese, and a balsamic vinaigrette. The cod cakes had chunks of fresh cod in a potato base, and they were accompanied by a tomato-corn salsa and a scallion-dill remoulade, both great complements to the cakes.
Other appealing openers were barbecued shrimp with a black bean and cornmeal cake, mussels mariniere, steamed littlenecks, and a house-smoked bluefish pate. Another seafood option on the regular menu is “porcini-dusted” cod with lobster sauce, and pan-fried cod and pan-fried scallops were among the specials that night. From those possibilities, the scallops ($22.95) won me over.
Was it the roasted beet cream described in the menu? The butternut risotto? Or just the scallops themselves, finished in a balsamic reduction? Our kind waitress Rebecca initially told us that the beet garnish had been replaced with a ginger sauce, but I was in luck by the time she served me the scallops. She explained that the cook that evening had not been satisfied with her first attempt at the beet sauce, but upon hearing of my disappointment, she gave it another try. The earthy undertone of the beets was a nice counterpoint to the sweet scallops and the risotto.
Bill had been looking over the meat dishes, which included lamb Wellington, grilled duck breast, veal osso bucco, and beef tenderloin. He was drawn, however, to the lemon-thyme marinated chicken breasts ($18.95). Served with delicate wild rice pancakes and the tomato-roasted corn salsa previously featured on the cod cakes, this dish was everything he’d hoped for.
The spacious dining room at the Rhumbline is made intimate by various room dividers, with two nooks on either side of the entryway and the staircase to the upper floor (which is not used for dining). Another “divider” is an upright piano, with local jazz pianists playing on Friday and Saturday nights.
We were lured to one corner by a gas-fired wood stove. Accents of natural woodwork, along with wide hardwood floorboards, add additional warmth to the room. The walls display nautical photographs by Onne van der Wal, from his gallery on Bannisters Wharf. At the back of the room is an inviting bar, set off from the din of the diners.
To come full circle to the desserts, it’s notable that four of the five options are served warm with vanilla ice cream. Rebecca told us she dreams about the carmelized banana cake but considers the chocolate marquis — chocolate mousse tucked inside phyllo dough — her absolute favorite. She mentioned that the “house” crème brûleé has an espresso kick to it.
Although the Rhumbline is in one of the many 18th-century Colonial houses in Newport’s historic Pont district, McIntyre, formerly at El Diablo, has taken the traditional American theme of the restaurant in different directions, giving quite alluring and very surprising twists to some familiar dishes.
The Rhumbline | 62 Bridge Street, Newport, Rhode Island | Tues-Thurs, 5-10 pm; Fri-Sat until 10:30 pm; sun brunch, 10 am-2 pm, dinner 5-10 pm | Major credit cards | Full bar | Sidewalk-level access | 401.849.3999
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Email the author:
Johnette Rodriguez: johnette.rodriguez@cox.net
