Dining Review

Garde de la Mer Features Fish with a French Accent

Providence G’s new food installation of approachable fine dining

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Providence’s newest fine dining restaurant, Garde de la Mer, appeared like a surprise beam of sunlight during a grey December. Garde is the third and final dining establishment in the Providence G, joining the lower-level G Pub and the fair-weather rooftop bar. Garde de la Mer means “guardian of the sea,” hinting at the contemporary French seafood-focused menu.

Passing the construction site, I’d wondered how a restaurant would fit in the comically narrow tailor’s shop on Dorrance Street. The developers cleverly built into the adjacent alley, forming an elegant two-story space that houses the marble bar. An unexpected upper level holds more dining tables as well as an airy banquet room.

The restaurant’s decor complements the Francophile seafood menu: a classic tiled floor is reminiscent of a French bistro, the haunting mermaid in the painting above the bar beckons you to consider some oysters and a gold sea dragon playfully spouts water at the bathroom sink.

This was our second visit, and we ordered the same cocktails. That is a testament to the talent of the mixologists, because we usually like to work our way through a menu before repeating ourselves. I enjoyed the smoky, spicy Ginger-Lime Fumé ($12), made with El Buho Mezcal, Jose Cuervo Gold, ginger-lime jalapeno shrub and smoked sugar. My husband had the Eau de Tomate ($12), a salt and pepper rimmed tomato water martini made with Ketel One, with the optional oyster garnish. Dirty martini fans might find themselves ditching the olive for this savory delight.

The bread arrived first, little glossy pretzel-like rolls with coarse salt served in a rectangular dish. An amuse bouche came from the kitchen: tiny profiteroles stuffed with herbed cheese.

Obviously proof that we were meant to live in Rhode Island, Providence’s two “Restaurant Weeks” are scheduled to coincide with our birthdays. Our visit to Garde de la Mer was on my husband’s birthday, so we added a celebratory round of oysters to the restaurant week menu. Our waiter, Ben, rattled off a delicious-sounding list of bivalves and was very knowledgeable about the varieties. We decided on Canada Cups ($3/ea), a medium-sized Prince Edward Island variety. We settled into a bottle of Louis Jadot Pouilly Fuisse ‘13 ($40) while we looked over the menu.

Restaurants participating in Providence’s Restaurant Week(s) feature three-course dinners for either $29.95 or $34.95. To my surprise, Garde de la Mer had set theirs at the lower price, perhaps as an opportunity to showcase their new restaurant. Much of what we ordered is also available on the regular menu.

My husband had the Lobster Bisque, a nice presentation. Blood orange, greens and rounds of brioche were arranged at the bottom of a shallow soup bowl. Our server poured the bisque around these from a small, elegant pitcher. Tarragon crème fraiche was a nice complement to lobster, and I detected a hint of cumin.

I started with the Sautéed Squid (normally $12). This dish was visually striking, a painterly brush stroke of squid ink aioli scattered with squid, thin slices of dried tomatoes, beans and fried chickpeas. The squid was tender and well seasoned.

For his entree, my husband had the Pan Seared Diver Scallops. Three seared scallops sat atop a bed of tiny black lentils, with brown butter vegetables on the side. I ordered the Roulade de Poulet (normally $25). Pounded chicken was wrapped around pine nuts and Camembert. The chicken was not at all dry, and the filling oozed out just enough to trigger a visceral hunger. Accompanying the chicken were tiny roasted Brussels sprouts, maitake mushrooms (also known as Hen of the Woods) and a pudding-like rye muffin with golden raisins.

We shared our two desserts: the Meyer Lemon Semifreddo, garnished with blood orange marmalade, fresh blood orange and coin-sized rounds of almond cake, and the Flourless Chocolate Torte (normally $10) with chocolate caramel mousse, cranberry chutney, cocoa nib nougatine and a scoop of browned butter ice cream. Both desserts were well executed and just the right size.

From my excessive description, it may be difficult to garner just how fun the dishes were. The juxtaposition of ingredients was playful and smart. With so many fantastic restaurants in Providence, it’s difficult to make a mark, but Garde de la Mer has what it takes to impress: impeccable service, a beautiful interior, a talented kitchen and beautifully plated food.

Garde de la Mer
86 Dorrance Street
632-4799

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