Plonking the little fellow’s car seat down on the long bench at Barrington’s Black Pear felt like some sort of triumph as new parents. We made it all the way from Newport – how incredibly impressive. The rest of the folks may have noticed the little one, but they seemed unimpressed by our victory, especially the ones with their own children squirming through brunch. Faced with the excellent food, warm conversation and some great local provisions to bring home, we were happy to have made the trip.
The Black Pear is a definite Barrington scene, far better appointed than your average deli. There was a thrum of relaxed conversation in the bright airy room owing to tall ceilings, full windows in front and subway tile all along one wall. With the deli case showcasing baked treats from croissants to brownies, as well as a selection of prepared meals, the nice extra element to this place is what’s in the back. The Black Pear has one of the more comprehensive selections of local food I’ve seen outside of a farmer’s market. Nearby Hope and Main’s various producers are represented well, with jams, pickles, sauces and more on display. There’s also fresh produce like honey, spinach and root vegetables, as well as a fridge with local meat and cheese. New Harvest is here for your coffee needs and there’s a selection of Seven Stars bread as well, rare this far south. With this varied a selection, you can have lunch and do a little pantry restocking all at once.
The various options for both breakfast and lunch are written on giant chalkboards behind the counter. There’s nothing too wacky in their sandwich or salad selection, with burgers, BLTs, tuna melts and even PB&J. Given that we’ve been waking up lately at an ungodly hour, we were in the mood for lunch, but their breakfast offerings were similarly textbook: omelettes, eggs benedict, salmon and schmear on a bagel. Coffee ($2.10) is compulsory and solid. I appreciate that you get an actual mug if you want one. My latte ($3.80) was smooth, with good foam and a humble little rosette.
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