Malt

Malt Restaurant Review:

Malt has seemingly built its reputation around a single starter: inventive Thai shrimp nachos. But don't let that lull you into thinking this is just a place to grab a drink and appetizer. Entrées are just as tasty and hardly limited by the chef's devotion to locally sourced ingredients. Crispy fried wontons take the place of tortilla chips in the aforementioned nachos, which are topped with tender shrimp, leeks and bell peppers that have been sautéed in a Thai coconut and red curry sauce --- a nice balance between the slightly sweet chips and the marginally hot peppers. Calamari is a Rhode Island staple, but Malt breaks the mold with a dish that adds pickled peppers, watercress and fried leeks to tender squid rings bathed in a chorizo sauce that's worth spooning up. Seared sea scallops and a French cut pork chop drizzled with strawberry jus, served on a bed of creamy cheese polenta, are winning main dishes. Vanilla crème brûlée and butterscotch pudding are fine finishers. At the bar you'll find unusual drafts like a Porterhouse Oyster Stout from Ireland (made with real oysters) and a variety of specialty cocktails.