A Flood of Good Food

By: Daniela Altimari
Date: Mar 24, 2005

Noah’s
113 Water St., Stonington 860-535-3925

Popular dishes: The menu changes daily, but seafood dishes are generally the most popular. Also, the Portuguese soup, with chourico, cabbage, potatoes and kale, a winter seasonal item, is a bestseller. For desserts, the from-scratch cheesecakes and creme brulees are among the most popular selections.
The 411: Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hours: Tuesday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Mondays. All major credit cards accepted.

Forget the glitz of the casinos, the commotion of Mystic Seaport and all of New London County’s other tourist magnets. We’re drawn to the quieter charms of Stonington borough. Unlike the ersatz feel of some of the area’s attractions, this tiny village, with its handsome sea captain’s homes, working harbor and interesting shops, feels real.

For more than two decades, Noah’s has occupied a prime spot on Water Street, the main drag. This comfortable, unpretentious cafe feels warm and inviting on a freezing March afternoon. The atmosphere is relaxed and cozy, the works of local artists hang on the walls and a pressed-tin ceiling and creaky wood floors give the place vintage flair.

Given the casual vibe, the menu surprises with its sophistication and flair. Take the bread basket. It’s filled with warm slices of a homemade farmhouse white, several notches above the usual restaurant offerings.

Noah’s menu is long and varied, with offerings from across the globe. But don’t ignore the specials. The day’s soup was billed as cream of tomato, and it came highly recommended by our waitress. The bowl that arrived was filled with a chunky concoction of tomatoes, celery and onion. Not the smooth, velvety blend typical of cream of tomato, but delicious nonetheless. The restaurant’s signature Portuguese soup does the region’s ethnic heritage proud. Full of kale, seafood and homemade chourico sausage, it was warm and delicious on this brisk afternoon.

Next we sampled the Korean pancakes, one of the menu’s many multi- cultural offerings. These crisp discs were a big hit; even our 11- month-old daughter gobbled them up. Of course, she skipped the tasty spicy dipping sauce that came on the side.

The salads range from crisp iceberg with homemade Russian dressing to the high-protein chef’s salad with ham, sliced chicken breast and Swiss cheese. Our favorite, dubbed Matt’s, featured baby greens, pecans, grapes, blue cheese and cloves of caramelized roasted garlic. It was good, although a bit skimpy on the grapes.

Seafood dishes play a starring role here, given the borough’s seafaring heritage — steamers, mussels, clam chowder, and that’s just the starters. The lunch and dinner menu are both laden with seafood entrees, such as broiled scallops, grilled salmon with lemon- dill butter, and pan-fried flounder. Keeping with the Asian theme, we sampled a special of sesame-crusted salmon with Korean barbecue sauce. The large, tender piece of fish came with a lacquered, golden crust. It’s a bit sweet, but it served to preserve the fish’s moisture.

After sampling several baskets of Noah’s bread, we knew there was a talented baker in the kitchen, and the desserts proved us right. Apricot dacquoise, an old-fashioned formal dessert that brings to mind stuffy French restaurants, seems slightly incongruous in Noah’s casual surroundings, but the crunchy discs of baked meringue and tart apricot filling were the perfect light ending to our meal. Espresso creme brulee, on the other hand, was smooth and rich and incredibly creamy, with a definite coffee kick. The bakery case also holds cakes, cookies and pies, including whoopee pies, guaranteed to bring back memories of grade-school lunches.

With all those delicious treats, it was the malted milk balls that caught my 6-year-old daughter’s eye — malted milk balls. They weren’t homemade; the waitress told us they come from a shop in Providence. Nor were they special in any way. But when they arrived, stacked high in a Sundae bowl like a pile of bowling balls, my daughter’s eyes lit up.

An unusual item to find on a dessert menu, but somehow reflective of Noah’s quirky spirit.

(Copyright The Hartford Courant 2005)