Dining Review

Get Cozy at Christian's

Delicious wood-grilled dining in Bristol

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For a small town, keeping up with Bristol’s dining scene will keep you surprisingly busy. The latest addition to the waterfront’s “restaurant row” on Thames Street is Christian’s Wood Fired Grille, located in the space formerly occupied by Hourglass Brasserie. Executive Chef Christian Ferreira is well known to locals – a Portsmouth native and Johnson & Wales graduate, Christian manned the kitchen at nearby Roberto’s for the past few years.

The wood-fired grill influences much of the food – from vegetables and pizza to chicken and steaks – but an equally unique part of the menu is the array of small plates. Christian explains, “I want the food to be inventive and keep the guests excited to try new things. I promote small plates for the diners to sample multiple offerings. The nice thing about the concept here is to have the menu change often... to change the menu with the seasons and cater to what the market provides as well as what the guests would like to see.”

My first visit to Christian’s was a spur-of-the-moment solo trip, where I dined at the bar. I was immediately struck by the ambiance. The space is relatively simple and no-fuss, but with a definite air of class. The striking element was the lighting – it was dim, and I loved it. I found that it created a relaxed and sophisticated urban feel often absent or poorly executed in suburbia. At the very least, I thought, this will be a great place to chill with a cocktail.

The craft cocktail list is extensive, as well as the beer selection. I flirted with “Le Dame,” a concoction of pear vodka, elderflower liqueur, grapefruit and sparkling wine but ultimately passed for a glass of Terra Andina Malbec ($7) that turned out to be fantastic. Of additional note on the drink list are several large format beer bottles that are great for sharing (or not).

I started with the Wood Fired Brussels Sprouts ($8), which came with bacon, parmigiana peppercorn vinaigrette and Cuban bread crumbs. Brussels sprouts are everywhere these days, much like kale earlier in the year. I’m not sure it’s seasonality so much as chefs rotating their “It” veggies like Hollywood starlets, but I don’t mind Brussels sprouts’ 15 minutes of fame because they are my favorite veggie. This presentation was a cross between Caesar salad and tartare, and made for a fresh, light start to the meal.

My entrée was the Portuguese Beef Short Rib ($16), with pickled peppers, poached quail egg and fingerling potatoes. At the waitress’s suggestion, I added a side of the Bacon White Bean Cassoulet ($7). My first impression with the Short Rib and some other dishes I saw float by was that the portions were small. In retrospect, that’s a good thing. First, as Christian points out, it encourages sampling a variety of dishes. Second, when you’re full at the end, it reminds you that you never need as much food as you think you do.

I returned to Christian’s a week later with my wife, and was dismayed to see that the lights were turned up. Granted, it was a quiet Monday night, but I thought the lighting was a cool differentiator that I had hoped would be a mainstay.

Our food order included a variety of shareable dishes. The Wood Fired Chicken Wings ($9) with ponzu chili glaze and scallions, and the Blackened Shrimp Tacos ($14) with avocado, grilled corn, mango salsa and chili lime sour cream each had their proteins imprinted with the smoky flavor of the wood-fired grill. For the tacos in particular, the flavor was a great complement to the sweet corn. The show-stealer was the Pizza Margherita ($16 - pictured above) with fontina, mozzarella, tomato and basil. The crust was super-thin and crispy and the to- mato sauce lightly dolloped throughout. It is one of those dangerous, addictive dishes that can disappear before you know it.

Christian’s vision is for his restaurant “to give a unique experience and offer something a little different to the town of Bristol. I want to bring the modern feel of bigger cities to a small, upscale but casual place for everyone to enjoy. I love to see guests come from all over to check the place out.” Christian is well on his way to achieving that goal, much to the delight of Bristolians and local foodies.

Christian’s Wood Fired Grille
382 Thames Street #1, Bristol
401-396-9811

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