Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Landing, Newport, Rhode Island

My view for dinner
My second trip to Newport this summer came courtesy of one of my favorite ladies saying goodbye to her single days and celebrating taking the big leap with her girlfriends.  We journeyed down to Newport and spent our day sitting on the beach, soaking up the sun and girl talk, and then we headed out for a dinner among friends. 

Now the thing about Newport is that there aren't many places that will take reservations, and even fewer who will take them for parties of 12.  So we found one who said they would be able to seat us, and headed on over.  When we arrived however, they decided that their kitchen wasn't able to "handle" a party of 12 and so we set off to find another spot.  We made our way down Thames Street and to the main drag and were guided unknowingly to the Landing, seafood restaurant located on Bowens Wharf, with gorgeous views of the harbor.  Miraculously they cut the hour and half wait down to 5 minutes, and went out of their way to make us comfortable and create an enjoyable atmosphere for us. 

Though I was tempted by the lobster roll, perusing the menu further found me face to face with grilled swordfish, served with grilled pineapple and a peach salsa and complimented with sauteed mushrooms and mashed potatoes.  I skipped the mashed potatoes and settled on just the vegetables and the swordfish for my dinner, and it was a decision I did not regret.  

The swordfish was perfectly cooked, tender to the fork, melt in your mouth texture and full of its natural buttery flavor.  On it's own it was perfection but with the addition of the fruit accompaniments- it was beyond.  The pineapple was presented in two perfect slices, grilled and then stacked on top of the thick slab of fish.  The peaches, diced and paired with herbs and seasonings artfully fell off to the side of the fish, and both added bursts of fresh sweetness to the robust fish.  The sauteed vegetables were anticipated to be an afterthought, but as they sat in their julienned state, bright with the colors of zucchini and carrot, their flavor was fresh and showed the butter they had obviously been cooked in.  I cleaned my plate.  Every last morsel was savored.

I walked into Landing assuming I'd be underwhelmed.  I decided ahead of time that it was a tourist trap and as such, it couldn't possibly have tasty food.  I was proven wrong with my dish, and others felt similarly with their meals.  That isn't to say there weren't missteps however.  The majority of us had only one course, and yet our dinner took a full two and a half hours.  While we all enjoyed the atmosphere and the company, we were anxious to proceed with our plans by the end of the meal.   That said- I would return in a heart beat.

2 comments:

Emily @ A Cambridge Story said...

I'm headed to Newport next week for one night and have been wondering where to go for dinner! This place is a definite candidate!

In and Around Town said...

I cannot believe you got turned away, but between the sound of that swordfish dish and view, it was a good thing!

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