Best Calamari
Friday, October 08, 2010
Fried calamari may be the quintessential Rhode Island dish. I have yet to be in an Italian restaurant in the state that doesn’t serve it, and most non-Italian cuisine places serve it as well. There are minor variations in how it’s prepared and that seems to suit most Rhode Islanders just fine. I have been told of places in Florida that are searched out by transplanted RI senior citizens because they fry it just like back home, served with hot peppers and marinara, and not some bad alteration of the two.
So where is the best? I had to try a lot of squid to figure that out. For a dish that’s relatively simple to make, there’s a lot of bad calamari out there. The biggest failure is cooking time. You can tell after one bite if whoever’s frying in the kitchen that evening doesn’t pay attention to their cooking time. More than a minute and squid becomes rubbery. That should be a crime in a state that loves it’s calamari as much as here. These are the top five, plus one sort-of-calamari stand-out, that do it best.
1. Hemenway’s Dockside Dining and Hemenway’s Seafood Grill & Oyster BarGET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
Crisp, fresh, perfect chew without even a hint of rubber, the Pan-Fried Calamari platter at the two Hemenway’s locations would bring me home to RI no matter where my mind was. If you’re a fan of calamari tentacles, which I am, you’ll be glad to see these on the platter (some places only use rings). Calamari’s not always the prettiest plate, but Hemenway’s heaps their dish with plenty of multi-colored hot peppers to make an attractive dish you’ll want to see in the middle of your table to share with friends. In addition, high marks to both Hemenway’s for using local Point Judith calamari. In this age of commodity seafood shipped from Asia, it’s nice to know that since it is fished locally, the seafood on my plate is local and sustainable. $10.00, Hemenway’s Dockside Dining , 28 Water St., East Greenwich, 336-3920 and Hemenway’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar, 121 South Main St., Providence, 351-8570
2. Bistro Nine
If you like cornmeal, and I love it, then Bistro Nine is where you want to get your squid-fix. Their Cornmeal-Encrusted Calamari has a fantastic crunch and nice cornmeal flavor. This calamari dish is more like a salad, sitting on a bed of arugula with sliced banana peppers and grape tomatoes mixed into the calamari. The menu says balsamic glaze, but I would describe it more as a light dressing of balsamic vinegar, which I thought was a perfect amount. Bistro Nine also fries and serves the tentacles with the rings and said their calamari is fished regionally. $9.00 - $10.00, Bistro Nine, 1646 Division St., East Greenwich, 398-1875
3. Luigi’s Restaurant & Gourmet Express
There are three calamari dishes on the menu at Luigi’s Restaurant & Gourmet Express. If you want something with a bit of a kick and a ton of flavor, then you’ll want to order their Calamari Raffi. Calamari Raffi is Chef Ralph Battista's creation of fried squid rings with roasted grape tomatoes, basil and hot cherry peppers in a balsamic reduction with a touch of molasses and sprinkled with Romano cheese. Now this is a glaze—the dish comes out almost covered in deep, dark brown—and it’s very tasty. The fresh basil cuts through nicely and the tomatoes work well with the slightly sweet reduction. It may not be traditional, but it’s very good. $10.00, Luigi’s Restaurant & Gourmet Express, 1357 Hartford Ave., Johnston, 861-3850
4. Trattoria Romana Bar & Grill
Sometimes, like those senior citizens in Florida I mentioned, you just want a dish of fried calamari with hot peppers and a good marinara sauce for dipping. There are plenty of red sauce joints in RI, one might say too many, and I’m not saying Trattoria Romana is the best Italian restaurant in the state. But if you’re up north or down in South County, it’s a good choice for several classic Rhode Island/Italian dishes including well-fried rings of calamari. $8.00 - $10.00, Trattoria Romana Bar & Grill, 3 Wake Robin Rd., Lincoln, 333-6700 and 71 South County Way, Wakefield, 792-4933
5. Matunuck Oyster Bar
You would think that places that fry seafood all-day, every day would put out perfect calamari, but sadly that is often not the case. However, Matunuck Oyster Bar has their seafood cooking down to perfect timing and their Point Judith Calamari is a great dish with a little twist: a citrus aioli instead of any tomato sauce. As you would expect from a restaurant based around local aquaculture, their squid is straight out of the waters off Point Judith. There’s no reason to use anything else. $10.00, Matunuck Oyster Bar, 629 Succotash Rd., South Kingstown, 783-4202
That one sort-of-calamari stand out: MuMu Cuisine
I'm going to quote from my GoLocalProv colleague Sean DeBobes' Five Things column about MuMu Cuisine's Fried Squid dish: "Tempura-battered, fried and dusted generously with salt and black pepper, the fried squid at MuMu contends with any restaurant on Atwells for best calamari (and with no vinegar or marinara in sight). The squid had a great bite to it, but not at all rubbery, and the seasoning just brought out the freshness of this surprising standout." MuMu, 220 Atwells Ave, Providence, 369-7040
Photos David Dadekian
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