Little Clam Opens at the Wayfinder Newport
The new restaurant replaces Nomi Park, which closed after a devastating fire in May 2022.
Little Clam, helmed by executive chef Antonio Wormley and consulting chef Jake Rojas, is open in the Wayfinder Newport. Photograph courtesy of Little Clam.
Little Clam, a seafood restaurant that pays homage to the state’s coastal heritage, has opened at the Wayfinder Newport.
Led by executive chef Antonio Wormley and consulting chef Jake Rojas, Little Clam features local seafood, meats and seasonal produce sourced from local farmers and fishermen.
“I’m excited to be building a team in Newport that understands the ethos that Newport is about,” says Rojas, an El Paso native who owns Providence-based Tallulah’s Taqueria. “Local seafood, local farms, etc. So, with that building a team with him [Wormley] is important.”
The eatery replaces Nomi Park, which remained shuttered after a four-alarm fire struck the hotel in May 2022. (The hotel reopened last summer.) Menu highlights include Walrus and Carpenter oysters, a Blackbird Farm burger and salads featuring locally grown greens. Breakfast and brunch favorites like brioche French toast, pancakes and farm-fresh egg dishes round out the menu.
Beef tartare at Little Clam is served on the bone. Photograph courtesy of Little Clam.
“Even though the food looks and sounds simple, there is so much thought and so much preparation,” Rojas says. “Our pancakes are made from ground corn masa; our French toast is a very different version of French toast; our beef tartare is just a fun take on what tartare is by serving it on the bone. I think the food needs to be fun; I think the food needs to be delicious.”
Wormley, a Philadelphia native, graduated from Johnson & Wales University in 2012 and has worked in kitchens throughout New England, including Providence’s Milk Money, and the country. Since 2023, he’s been helping to run Pavilion in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. He’s determined to serve products from local growers at the highest standard.
“Working with the people that are out there every day, getting their hands dirty like we are in the back[kitchen], we want to pay homage to that because we appreciate that so much,” he says.
Brioche French toast. Photograph courtesy of Little Clam.
A selection of locally brewed beers and spirits — think Whalers Rise and Ragged Island Old Boys lager — rounds out the locally driven menu.
The restaurant seats 161 in a minimalistic, beachy setting. And if you visit, Wormley wants you to put down your phones and enjoy yourself, your company, and the creative fare coming out of the kitchen.
“I want people to come in and have a good time, I want dining to be fun. I want people not on their phones, engaged in conversation because it’s so important.” says Wormley. wayfindernewport.com
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