Welcome to Little Compton, which, as the name implies is just that... little. That being said, for a summer town, there are surprisingly few dining options, but 1854 at The Stone House is a must-visit.
The restaurant is under new management for the 2013 season (it is only open during the summer, through November), and the dining room manager and Executive Chef are a married couple. The chef has previously worked for Donald Trump and at a number of other high-end establishments as our server graciously informed us upon our asking.
The restaurant is situated in the basement of a quaint Bed and Breakfast (The Stone House Inn), and is all wood paneling and heavy beams. Basketball players, beware! The ceiling is quite low, though it isn't so low that it is an inconvenience. The ambiance is quite nice, dimly light with candlelight and a fireplace. A bar takes up one side of the dining room, with tables for parties of 2-4 (or they will combine tables for larger parties) interment, and two private rooms for larger parties.
The food is delicious, though a bit on the pricey side. There is a full menu, with different daily specials and a soup du jour. The bread is accompanied with a made-in-house honey butter, that uses honey from the local honey bazaar, as our wonderful server (I believe her name was Zoey) once again informed us. On my most recent visit, I enjoyed the Summer Pizette as an appetizer which was fantastic; others in my party had the raw oysters rockafeller, which were delicious as well, and the yellowfin tuna salad accompanied with two different aioli sauces, which was out of this world! The Stone House salad (watercress, romaine, walnuts, cranberries and bleu cheese) was equally tantalizing.
For our entrees, I indulged in the lobster ravioli, which was a special that night. Homemade ravioli stuffed with claw and tail meat, served in a light cream/pink sauce, topped with fresh claw and tail meat... simply superb. My husband chose the bone-in pork chop, which was topped with an over easy egg and he subbed the side for polenta. The combination of the pork chop (cooked perfectly, might I add) with the egg was a surprisingly delicious combination. Our friend chose the salmon and wild rice, which is possibly my favorite dish on the menu! The salmon was cooked to perfection - not raw, yet not overly dry - and the rice was great. Needless to say, we all sampled a bit of each others dishes. Portions were very generous, but not overwhelming - we ate every bite!
We chose a wine from the local winery, Sakonnet Vineyards, to go with our meal, which did not disappoint. The bar also offers up a number of signature cocktails, like the Stone House Mojito and the Rhode Island Mai Tai. My husband enjoyed their version of a "Tipsy Arnold Palmer", and raved about it for days after our visit.
For dessert, we chose the lemon mascarpone cake and the old fashioned berry pie to share amongst us. The servings were large and did not disappoint. Both desserts were served with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries.
Our server (Zoey) was attentive, friendly, informative, and downright hilarious. She was knowledgeable of both the menu and the history of the restaurant and inn, and answered all of our questions, and then some. She gave us suggestions on both wines and foods, and saw to it that all of our needs were met. Perhaps most importantly though, she kept us laughing! She had a great sense of humor. I definitely will ask for her to be our server again.
Service was executed in a timely manner, and we were never wanting for things like water, drink refills, etc.
The only reason I gave 4 stars and not 5 is due to three (minor) things... 1.) The location is out of the way, and takes a bit to get to, though the drive is scenic and beautiful. 2.) The menu items are a bit pricey. 3.) The restaurant is only open Thursday-Sunday, though according to Zoey that will change as we move a bit deeper into the summer.
Other than that, if you're in Little Compton, you must check out 1854 at The Stone House! read more