Bites Nearby: Chardonnay's

My new wife and I finally made it to Chardonnay’s on Taunton Avenue in Seekonk on our second try. The first time we tried to go, there was well over an hour wait.  We should have made a reservation on a Friday night. The second time we went was on Tuesday night. It was still busy, but we were seated right away. We went with a couple of our friends, and in general the experience was delightful and I would definitely go back.

The décor was classy and nice. It was simple and I was glad they didn’t cram a gimmicky wine-oriented theme down our throats, especially with a name like Chardonnay’s. The bar was situated in the center of the restaurant with guest tables surrounding it. It boasted a few televisions, just enough to catch a glimpse of how the Sox were doing without the feel of a sports bar. The service was friendly and attentive. 

I was very happy with the range of the menu, and unlike Davenport’s (reviewed last week), they managed to diversify while using a much simpler and shorter menu. I didn’t get the feeling that the restaurant was overcompensating by using a lengthy menu. My general feeling was that the chef just enjoys cooking and has perfected some very specific dishes. There was seemingly a bit of a disconnect in the theme of the food, but I must say, that all of our dishes were well received. There were multiple dishes described using the word Cajun. The menu also includes fire grilled pizzas, salads, sushi, traditional seafood items, and an intriguing mix of entrées. 

I started with pan-seared scallops. They were cooked perfectly, and had a little drop of Sriracha chili sauce on top. It was an interesting spin on scallops, which can easily take a turn for the plain. The scallops were sitting on a “wakami salad.” It was an Asian type of green with sesame seed oil as a main ingredient. It was a creative appetizer, and I liked it a lot. My friend got a meatball slider with Arugula and herbed ricotta. It disappeared from his plate pretty quickly, and I didn’t hear any complaints. The ladies got Caesar salads. I had a couple bites of Amy’s salad, and it was fresh, crisp and not overdressed. The dressing on the salad was a nice mixture, but I definitely preferred the scallops.

Entrées were highly anticipated. I ordered Chilean sea bass. This was only my second experience with this fish. The first time, I thought it was fantastic. This preparation was definitely different as it was prepared with an orange miso glaze. It was a little too sweet for my taste. I tend to keep sweet and savory foods separate. Amy is a sucker for anything with the word braised in the description. She ordered a braised beef and pork rigatoni. It was essentially an interpretation of pasta bolognaise, and a very good interpretation indeed. The pasta sauce definitely had a heavy pour of wine in it, and it was delicious. The stellar pasta dish was exactly what I was expecting from a place called Chardonnay’s. 

One of our friends ordered a Cajun steak special, and his girlfriend ordered the Salmon. My friend offered me a bite of the Cajun steak, and though it didn’t seem very Cajun flavored, it was a good cut of meat and was well seasoned. I wasn’t fortunate enough to try any of the salmon (Amy and I don’t know her that well yet), but again there were no complaints and most of it was gone from her plate. 

We were really excited to go to Chardonnay’s. Between the first time we tried to go and Tuesday, we attended a fundraiser in which Chardonnay’s had a tasting station. The food they served there was enticing, and ensured that we’d be visiting the restaurant soon. The experience was great and reasonably priced. Our bill for four people was just over $160, and included two drinks each, maybe three for me. The food at Chardonnay’s was worthy of a location on Federal Hill, but it was much easier to park, and the drive out was quick and stress-free.