Under a chilly, white autumn sky bordered by a sloshing chrome harbor, bursts and puffs of orange, gold, and purple mums, wonky-shaped gourds, and bundles of flaxen straw line the edges of Newport’s downtown wharves. It’s still early for a roaring fire, and I’m hanging on with both gloved hands to the last breaths of outdoor dining, but there’s no denying that first whiff of a slow burn toward winter. The enclosed, year-round porch at Wharf Southern Kitchen & Whiskey Bar, with its overhead heaters, barn-style vibe, and comfort food menu, straddles the seasons nicely. Time for lunch.
Instant warmers here start with the cocktail menu, and a deceptively pretty Litchfield Cranberry Whiskey Smash. It arrives looking innocent enough, all pink and dotted with fresh cranberries, accented with fresh lemon juice and sweetened with a rosemary-ginger simple syrup, but don’t be fooled. The Litchfield Distillery straight bourbon whiskey base packs a gorgeously sharp punch. The cocktail’s warming effects were so on point, my lunch buddy ordered a second while I stuck with my fall margarita—an impossibly smooth concoction of apple cider reduction, triple sec, Lunazul blanco tequila, and citrus served in a cinnamon-rimmed glass, garnished with a dried apple slice and a cinnamon stick. Ooooooh! Toasty. And rumor has it that as the mercury drops, the drinks get hotter, with warm ciders and toddies ahead.
Diving right into hearty, our next step was a southern BBQ plate, piled high with either deeply smoky brisket or crunchy country fried chicken (we went for BOTH), crisp-chewy and moist roasted poblano cornbread, salty collard greens with caramelized cubes of pork belly, a mild and crunchy cabbage slaw, and house pickles. A regular, sweet, and tangy BBQ sauce was mouthwatering, but the vinegar-based Carolina sauce totally crushes against the smoky brisket.
Mac and cheese was in order. We went with the rich and savory Guinness version, topped with tasty buttermilk fried onion strings and Ritz cracker crumbs. Admittedly, we failed on dessert, but don’t make the same mistake. Save room for the house-made warm bourbon pecan pie with vanilla bean ice cream or the banana pudding with Nilla wafers and whipped cream.
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