Perfection Comes Easily for Christie’s of Newport

By: Steph Sullivan
Posted In: Entertainment

As I walked down the long alley way off of Thames Street, all I could smell was seafood. My dinner date was talking away at my side, but all I could think of at that moment were my questions.

Is the food going to be good? Is it going to be too pricey since I came at dinner time and not at lunch like I had planned? But most of all, the fear of feeling dorky popped into my mind at least a dozen times.

I had to take notes, ask questions, take pictures, eat, and try not to look like a freak in a place filled with people. This assignment was going to be the death of me, but I opened the door and walked in.

We were seated at a table for four, even though there were only two of us, in the back center of one of the rooms. The table was simple with only sugar packets, salt & pepper, and a vase like candle holder in the center. Little cabin lights lined the walls of this restaurant.

And as you looked out, scanning the room for anymore people, the blue chairs and the wooden walls and floors engulfed you. You were transported to a different place, in a different time, all together. You were no longer at Christie’s in Newport, you were in elegant dinning room on a cruise boat that was sailing from Florida to the Caribbean.

The sun was setting as you looked out over the water, and all the other boats in the harbor seemed to smile back at you. There was a sense of warmth coming from the outside. The restaurant has two rooms with an additional deck providing outdoor seating for people, weather permitting.

In the main room was the bar, where a group of men were watching a television, and towards the center was a rectangular box that held four fireplaces. On the left wall were rows and rows of pictures and drawings that further enhanced the comfortable atmosphere.

The atmosphere was familiar and it felt like everyone there knew each other; it was the same good old crowd on a Tuesday night at 5:30p.m. Usually, their busiest time is on Friday nights, when the kitchen closes at 10p.m., but the bar remains open until 1a.m.

However, the restaurant was calm and relaxing on this night as the lights were set in a romantic mood, and the only real sounds came from the soft chatting of the men at the bar watching the Red Sox game.

Michelle, our server, presented herself well, but as we found out later, didn’t seem to care enough to come over and see how our food was. As we scanned down the menu through the appetizers that consisted of boneless wings, Christie’s Award Winning Stuffies (which are quahogs), past the raw bar and down the soups and salads, my eyes were caught by Sheila’s Turkey Supreme.

This delectable sandwich consisted of roasted turkey and Swiss cheese (which I substituted for American) with zesty herbed mayonnaise, served with lettuce and tomato on a gourmet roll, streak fries and a pickle on the side. Hmm…my mouth was watering just reading it.

Other choices included a lobster roll sandwich, a chicken sandwich, or something off the pricier menu. The menu from which my friend and I ordered from was the Pub menu due to our student budget or lack there of. However, they also had a lunch and dinner menu which you could choose from.

My friend ordered a plain Caesar salad, for only $6, but when it arrived, it was anything but plain. It was the size of a full dinner plate, and the appearance was very pleasing. With the light and dark lettuce and croutons spread throughout the plate and with just the right amount of dressing poured on top. It looked good, and tasted even better.

My sandwich was scrumptious but messy. As I lifted my napkin to my mouth to wipe off the mayonnaise from my sandwich, I noticed the cloth texture of the napkin and the fancy restaurant name in the corner.

The service was friendly and fast. We had obtained our food in a matter of 12 minutes from ordering. The people around us made our evening even more delightful. As our dinner came and went, more people started to fill the room.

There were two couples at the table next to us, and as they engaged in conversation, they turned to us and asked if we were from around here.

We answered simultaneously that we were students at Salve. All six of us started to talk, and my friend and I answered questions about our “new home” here in Newport.

As the check came, we said our goodbyes to the couples next to us, and we left our money on the table. My dinner and drink only came to $11.25, which still left me money for a tip. I was excited about this since I didn’t go over my budget.

So, we left Christie’s and walked up the big hill to where our home awaited us. Christie’s comes highly recommended by me. Everything was perfect on that night; the food, the setting, and the company.