Moxy

Moxy Restaurant Review:

Chef Matthew Louis worked at Per Se and The French Laundry before opening Moxy with Portsmouth restaurateur Jay McSharry. It's all Louis' show in this hip spot where small plates show off the bounty of local farms as well as take root in the history of the seacoast. Be prepared for "non-linear" dining --- dishes come out when ready and are designed for sharing. The menu changes frequently and is divided into sections like “inspirations” and “regional pinchos.” You might choose a bowl of sweet pumpkin-sunflower seed granola bites with feather light chili-scented crispy kale, good with one of the local brews on draft or the “Hemingway Daiquiri” with Matusalem Platino rum, lime and grapefruit juice that shows off the first-rate beverage program. Hasty pudding frites come with a molasses barbecue dip, and the rabbit mortadella pairs well with butternut chutney, all sourced from farms you'll see listed on the wall. Regional bites include three skewers of crisp pork belly lacquered with apple cider, and salt cod fritters, a nod to the sailing days of Portsmouth. Larger plates include the “johnny cake community,” a pot of brown-sugared pork shoulder to place in mini cornmeal pancakes and top with house sauces. No locally inspired dinner can end without a Whoopie pie, this one with chocolate sauce, or fried dough with maple caramel and apple chutney.