When my husband and I met seven years ago, our first summer together was spent gallivanting around Rhode Island, especially in and around all our beautiful towns on the water. We spent most of our time in Newport, but occasionally traveled to gorgeous Bristol in order to hang out at Colt State Park. I remember one night after a fun day throwing a softball around at the park, we decided to head to what is perhaps Bristol's most celebrated restaurant, DeWolf Tavern, for a semi-fancy dinner. DeWolf Tavern is right on the water in a gorgeous building, and really, as far as restaurant location and atmosphere, it can't be beat. Seven years ago, we had a really expensive meal (nearly 200 dollars and I don't even drink!) that wasn't that great, and we vowed to never go back there again.
Well fast forward seven years, and based on rave reviews from many friends who have dined there in the past few years, we decided to give it another chance. In fact, our friends were shocked when we told our story of seven years ago- they said it was actually quite affordable and the food was amazing. Hoping they were right, we made the 25 minute drive to Bristol a few Saturday nights ago to give the acclaimed DeWolf Tavern another chance.
I am so glad we did. . . based on our meal that night, DeWolf Tavern has officially made it into my top five of casual but upscale Rhode Island restaurants. Seriously- I want to go back tonight!
DeWolf Tavern is unique in that it features Indian/New England fusion cuisine. In other words, what you will find on their menu is lots of seafood, steak and other New England favorites spiced with Indian flavors or prepared according to Indian cooking methods, such as use of a tandoori oven. When we went there seven years ago, the concept was the same. I don't exactly know what happened between now and then, but let's just say they officially do Indian fusion cuisine right!
We had a reservation for 8 o' clock and were seated immediately. The restaurant was very busy, and it was definitely full despite how huge it is. It is two floors, with a more casual downstairs dining area with a bar and a more formal upstairs (also with a smaller, less busy bar!). One feature I thought was so cool was the exposed beams and piping you could see, given we were seated upstairs. It gave the place a very rustic feel, which I liked.
Now, the real reason I was willing to give DeWolf Tavern another chance was the fact that their online menu made it quite clear this place was extremely vegetarian friendly. Not only were there vegetarian apps and salads to pick from, but they had a whole section devoted to vegetarian entrees, including a pasta option and a sandwich option. The best part though? All of their sides are vegetarian, and you could pick any three sides to create your own vegetarian entrée!
Our waitress was extremely helpful, and she checked with the chefs which of the sides were vegan or could be made so. Out of the three I asked about (the corn hash, the lentils, and the broccoli rabe), only the hash wasn't vegan (it had butter in it), but they could make it vegan for me! After a harrowing decision-making process, I decided to get an entrée composed of the braised black lentils, the native corn and poblano hash (veganized), and the veggie fries. I also needed to get a separate side order of cauliflower manchurian because I love the stuff!
The cauliflower manchurian was sort of like an appetizer for me. My husband and I devoured these amazing florets coated in a sweet and spicy Asian sauce. I would get this again in a heartbeat.
My entrée was huge. . . and delicious! The lentils were simple in terms of flavor, but they were hearty and warming. The corn hash, which was essentially fresh sautéed corn with some peppery spice, was perfect-nice and sweet from the fresh kernels with a pop of heat. My favorite thing though were the mixed veggie fries- in the mix were sweet potatoes, onions, bell peppers, cauliflower and potatoes, all nicely "french-fried" and eaten of course with copious amounts of ketchup. I ate every single thing, with the exception of some of the hash which I left so my husband could have some!
We didn't have dessert, but based on what I saw, they did have vegan and gluten-free options in the form of a few sorbet flavors. I hate sorbet, so I passed.
All in all, I wish I could go back to DeWolf Tavern tonight, as I said earlier. There are so many of the veggie sides I am dying to try that I haven't yet, and I am giddy over the possible vegan entrée combinations I could produce! The sercive was outstanding, the food was plentiful and amazingly tasty, and the atmosphere is the perfect blend of fancy and rustic. The DeWolf Tavern has officially redeemed itself in a big way.
DeWolf Tavern- I'll be back. I promise. And it won't take me another seven years. read more