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Cafe Nuovo

Anchoring One Citizens Plaza and overlooking the Woonasquatucket River, Café Nuovo has been pigeonholed by its reputation of catering to business parties and Waterfire visitors. Although it’s true that Café Nuovo does benefit from the legal and financial crowd housed upstairs (as well as an unsurpassed view of the water), the restaurant has also managed to develop a menu that’s detailed enough for the discriminating, but still accessible to those who are just plain hungry.

The wine list, like the space itself, is festive and far-reaching, but the prices are geared toward the corporate-covered. Of the two hundred varieties, only about 30 percent are under $50, and many are well above $100. There is quality on the list but not much in the way of a bargain: most wines are marked up a more-than-standard 120 percent.

Fortunately, the food doesn’t suffer from such inflation. Chef Tim Kelly’s international leanings permeate the menu, with dishes ranging from calamari to the French-inspired escargots with Pernod-infused garlic butter and brie. A spicy tuna-and-avocado maki is as good here as it is at any local Japanese haunt with an added kick from the drizzle of sriracha hot sauce. Crab shows up in abundance in both cakes and cocktail, as well as bisque with sweet green peas. The restaurant plays to its strengths with an array of preparations that don’t overpower the main ingredient. Tart green mango and a spicy remoulade offer just a hint of Caribbean flavor without stealing the spotlight from a bread-heavy but worthwhile crab cake.

There are quite a few Italian dishes on the menu, though the various ethnic influences are so disparate that one may assume the kitchen struggles with command over so many cuisines. Not so. Café Nuovo is, at its core, a finely tuned (if slightly impersonal) machine, from the (mostly) all-male servers who respond like a team relaying food across a field to the open kitchen, which bustles with efficiency and skill.

A Carolina-style pork shank satisfies with traditional vinegar-braised collard greens, corn pudding and Nuovo’s trademark flourish, which often comes in the form of a squirt, squiggle or architectural feat of food. In this case, it’s a thick wedge of tempura-fried Fuji apple that looks like a mammoth onion ring but tastes oh-so-much better. Scallops escape monotony, served on a bed of al dente risotto with bits of preserved lemon. This combination truly is a good one: tart lemon gives life to a somewhat heavy starch, as does the sweet, syrupy pinot noir garnish and bright green parsley oil.

There’s a Spago-style element to Café Nuovo: fast-paced with a dedication to showmanship that’s evident in everything from the bread basket filled with house-made, Parmesan-sprinkled foccacia to the white and dark mousse served in a chocolate box emblazoned with the restaurant’s logo. At a time when many chefs are embracing a streamlined aesthetic, there’s a celebratory construct in Kelly’s cuisine. It’s a bit dated, but the effect doesn’t diminish the quality of the dish. The food is beautiful enough to grab your attention but not so fussy as to pull you from your conversation. You won’t find a quiet corner at Café Nuovo, but it’s doubtful anyone at the restaurant is looking for one.

Café Nuovo -1/2
One Citizens Plaza, 421-2525,
www.cafenuovo.com
Years in Business: 12
Chef: Tim Kelly, Executive Chef; Manuel Ojeda, Chef de Cuisine
Cuisine: Contemporary
Dinner for Two: $135
Get: Risotto, chops and dessert.
Don’t get: A lot of wine, unless someone else is paying.