Visited The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar restaurant on historic Sayer’s Wharf in Newport, RI with friends. The Mooring is somewhat of a dining institution in Newport, having been around for over 25 years. Filled with both locals and tourists, the atmosphere is always lively and welcoming. Two bar areas provide seating while waiting for a table. We chose to sit on the canopied outside patio, overlooking Narragansett Bay and the various anchored sailboats and yachts. This is my second time dining at The Mooring since my Celiac diagnosis, and similarly to my initial experience, it was a pleasurable one. I asked the hostess if a gluten-free menu was available, knowing full well it wasn’t. I feel the more
inquiries a restaurant gets for a gluten-free menu, the sooner one will be created! The hostess said the chef would be able to prepare many of the items gluten-free. Our server reiterated this, and I opted for the King Cobia entree ($24). Having never heard of a Cobia (aka black kingfish, black salmon) I thought I’d give it a try. The grilled fillet was accompanied by spring vegetable wild rice, and a citrus gremolata (orange & lemon zest mixed with garlic & parsley) served over a salad of assorted greens. My plate was delivered by the manager. The Cobia had excellent flavor and a nice texture, somewhat similar to swordfish. We declined dessert because we knew we were heading to another destination to enjoy not only dessert, but also a beautiful view…
http://www.mooringrestaurant.com/
As we left Sayer’s Wharf, we drove along scenic Ocean Drive and stopped at the charming Castle Hill Inn (circa 1874). Once the summer home of Harvard marine biologist and explorer, Alexander Agassiz, the Victorian-style inn offers rooms directly at the Inn or at nearby cottages, chalets and harbor houses. We lounged on the Adirondack chairs scattered over the sprawling lawn and watched the boats sail by for awhile and then moved to a table closer to the bar area, to enjoy our dessert al fresco. The hostess checked with the pastry chef to clarify which items on the lunch dessert menu were considered gluten-free. Of the 6 or so options, a couple were or could be modified to be gluten-free … the Creme Brulet (without biscuit), a Chocolate & banana dish, and the home-made sorbet. Still feeling full from lunch at The Mooring, I ordered the lime & raspberry sorbet ($8) which was light and refreshing.
Castle Hill Inn
After leaving Castle Hill, we leisurely continued our drive enjoying the Atlantic views and passing by the gorgeous estates (many now museums) on mansion row.
