A shining light

Crescent City puts some class in Garrison City

By Kathy Gunst

Crescent City Bistro and Rum Bar,
83 Washington Street, Dover, NH, (603) 742-1611.
Open Mon., Tues., and Thurs. through Sun. from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Closed on Wed.
Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express accepted.
All major credit cards. Full Bar
Dinner reservations, particularly on weekends, are advised.

RED RUM order carefully and you can have a killer time at Crescent City.

Shake me. Throw cold water on my face. Am I dreaming or has hipness finally arrived in Dover, NH — arguably one of the most unhip cities in America? I had to pinch myself the first time I walked into Crescent City Bistro and Rum Bar in downtown Dover.

The young and the restless stand three-deep at the bar ordering aged, hard-to-find rums from all over the Caribbean, Hawaii, Haiti, and Venezuela. The bartender uses all the body language he can muster as he mixes, shakes, and stirs tall, exotic-looking drinks. Behind the bar the open kitchen buzzes as strong, bold flavors are released from blackened frying pans, and amazing looking sauces squiggle out of squeeze tubes. Are these chefs auditioning for a spot on the TV Food Network? And, bearing in mind that this is Dover, NH, do these people really know what they are doing?

The answer is kind-of-sort-of yes. Two recent visits to Crescent City Bistro proved that half of what goes on is absolutely fabulous, while the other half still leaves much to be desired. Let me explain.

First the look of the place. It may be the “dead” of winter, but this place is literally brimming with life. When you enter through the thick, velvet curtains that keep out the cold, you’re hit with salsa and blues pumping from the sound system, bright yüllow/orange walls, copper-topped tables, and Mardi Gras beaded necklaces and feather boas hanging from the walls. The theme is Bourbon Street/New Orleans meets the Caribbean. The contrast between the wintry street scene outside (despite recent attempts to bring color to downtown Dover, the place is still fairly drab) is striking.

Start with a rum drink and you’ll forget February is a month that some people dread. The Cuban Mojito Cocktail (an intoxicating combination of rum, fresh mint, lime, sugar, and soda) or the Kozmo-Politan (rum, contreau, cranberry juice, orange juice, and “love”) provide a good jump start. Or grab a seat at the bar and talk to Todd, the extremely knowledgeable bartender, and get a course in Rum 101.

Appetizers include Barbecued Shrimp: a stunning bowl of whole shrimp (shells, head, and all) that have been blanched in olive butter and are served with a tower of baguette slices. They are the juiciest, most flavorful shrimp around. The Blackened Crabcakes, chock full of Dungeness crab and not too much bready filling, is topped with a roasted red pepper remoulade. There’s nothing wrong with the cakes, but they need more salt and overall flavor. Crawfish Gumbo, thick and steaming hot, is a satisfying deep red broth with rice, whole crayfish, huge hunks of lobster, and andouille sausage. It lacked the degree of spice and punch I expect in a good gumbo, but is full of flavor and depth. And the Grilled Shrimp and Hearts of Palm Salad offers the same juicy shrimp, mixed with greens, thin slices of hearts of palm and a good, subtle dressing.

Of the four entrees we tried at Crescent City, half worked and half were disastrous. The favorites included Ropa Vieja, “a traditional Cuban dish of braised beef brisket with a chipotle pepper and fire-roasted vegetables in cocoa sauce.” The beef is pulled into thin strips, cooked until it nearly falls apart, coated in a rich sauce. The mound of garlic mashed potatoes, and sautéed greens create an appealing plate, but the soggy (frozen?) corn kernels are a mistake. Bronzed Ribeye Steak is an even better choice. A 12-ounce hunk of meat, black and caramelized on the outside, is topped off with a Pernod Butter and Roasted Creole Garlic Sauce (with big cloves of roasted garlic) that add just the right degree of flavor to the perfectly cooked meat.

Less successful: a watery, flavorless Lobster Etouffee and Trout Meuniere overwhelmed by a heavy, brown herb parsley butter sauce. However, the Rice and Red Beans served with the entrees is tender and delicious.

Cajun-style cuisine is great winter food, full of bold, warming flavors, and . . . bulky. But we couldn’t resist the idea of ordering Beignets and Café au Lait from Café du Monde (New Orleans’s most famous café). Beignets, which are essentially fried dough, are made to order and arrive steaming hot, and coated with powdered vanilla sugar. Dipped in the Café au Lait they make an irresistible dessert. The Crème Brulee, subtly flavored with coconut milk, is equally good, with a caramelized sugar topping that cracked like ice when we tapped our spoon into the dish.

I’d like to check out Crescent City again in a few months and see if they can work the kinks out of the menu. Given the bistro’s instant popularity (they have only been open for three months) they have an excellent opportunity to build on a successful debut. At this point, to have a satisfying meal, you need to order very carefully. Despite that caveat, if you’re looking for les bons temps in Dover, this is the place to be.