Newport’s Audette Debuts with a Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi

An announcement came in springtime that the long legacy of an elevated dining experience at 505 Thames Street in Newport would continue, but with a fresh, modern concept. Shortly after, the doors of Audette opened and the impression it’s made since is magnifique.

For more than three decades, chef/owner Albert Bouchard and his wife Sarah worked tirelessly to garner a coveted reputation for their eponymous restaurant’s fine French cuisine. Bouchard Inn & Restaurant became a downtown Newport – and frankly, a Rhode Island – icon; the kind of place where reservations were required and a dress code was taken seriously. Myriad awards and accolades poured in over the years, but when the time came to pass the baton, the family-run team behind much loved local restaurants TSK and Mission, and kitchen goods shop Utility (plus retired restaurants Winner Winner and Nomi Park) rose to the occasion.

Anna Burnley, Tyler Burnley, Chad Hoffer, along with Carmen Ratoi, who was part of Bouchard’s front of house for more than 15 years, are ushering the restaurant into its new chapter. Audette takes fine French dining and merges it with a contemporary point of view. While the outside of the restaurant on bustling Thames Street hasn’t changed, the inside has been completely reimagined with a swanky bar and modern interior while continuing the tradition of perfectly set tables draped in crisp white linens.

“The new bar opened the whole place up a little bit and made it a little more light, so it ties it in and it gives the room a lot more energy, whereas before, it was very quiet,” explains Hoffer. “Now you hear the cocktails shaking and the banter at the bar. It just kind of made the whole place a bit more new.”

Hoffer, a lauded chef who hails from the Midwest and whose resume includes cooking at David Burke’s BLT Prime in New York City, where he met fellow chef Tyler Burnley, credits Anna and Carmen with being the vision behind the whole aesthetic of the space, creating a French Provence meets au courant vibe.

As one might expect, the drink menu starts with apéritifs – cocktails served before the meal to whet the appetite – in proper French fashion. You’ll find a host of temptations, including the French martini, Hugo Spritz, Kir Royale, and the Gentian Spark, a blend of Lillet, Salers, absinthe, and sparkling wine. A carefully curated selection of beer and wine rounds out the list of libations, while classic caviar service, a nod to the traditions of haute French cuisine, and charcuterie top the dinner menu.

Longtime Bouchard diners will be relieved to find a few familiar hors d’oeuvres, like the mushroom vol au vent with wild mushrooms in porcini béchamel nestled in a flaky puff pastry. “We’ve changed it up a little bit, but it’s very recognizable and familiar from what it was before,” says Hoffer. Escargot, beef tartare, and seared foie gras are also starters, as is an homage to the Ocean State: Rhode Island Red Consomme with clams, crispy potato, and pickled fennel. Main dishes, or “plats principaux,” are seasonally driven, while Hoffer looks forward to some dishes earning permanent residency. “We’re hoping to have some things that sort of become classics on our end,” he says, adding that overall, diners can expect changes every few weeks. “But not drastic changes,” he adds. Hoffer, who can sometimes also be found behind the line in the open kitchen at neighboring TSK, is a proponent of sourcing locally. Big Black Dog Farm, an artisanal grower of edible flowers, micro greens, micro herbs, and vegetables, is less than a mile away and one of Hoffer’s longtime favorite purveyors.

True to French tradition, a meal at Audette is incomplete without dessert, and Bouchard’s beloved Grand Marnier souffle, artfully presented with its pillowy top followed by a dramatic pouring of crème anglaise by the server, remains a fixture. Speaking of, so do two of Bouchard’s longtime servers, the crème de la crème themselves. Dan Sylvester and Max Putier both have more than a decade of experience in the dining room and have seamlessly adopted Audette’s approach. 

Though Audette is a fine dining experience, the team here also wants it to be approachable; a high-end experience that remains warm, welcoming, and down-to-earth. Yes, ideal for special occasions and romantic nights out, but also for diners who crave next-level dining sans pretense any night of the week.

For an alfresco amuse bouche of Auduette, the beloved tiny bar between TSK and Audette, traditionally referred to as “Sarah’s Bar” and now dubbed the “Mid Bar” as it’s midway between the two eateries, is open with a new menu crafted by Hoffer and Burnley. “It’s a snack menu with things like mushroom pâté, or mortadella mousse, or stracciatella with pesto,” says Hoffer, who you may even find behind the bar at times (it’s a magical little spot, admittedly). As one might expect, there’s plenty of champagne as well, which is fitting as Audette has much to raise a glass to looking ahead.

Audette

505 Thames Street, Newport

401-324-5802 • AudetteNewport.com