The Gist
Grabbing a table at Noah’s will remind you just how lucky we are to be near fresh catches and just-picked produce.
The seafood-forward menu and its variety of local veggies are the foundation of the 16-year-old restaurant. When chef Noah Schwartz and his wife, Sunita, opened the spot in 2010, Schwartz, a native New Yorker, drew from his externship experience at the venerable Culinary Institute of America’s Napa Valley campus — and time spent in Sonoma Valley’s wine-and-locavore dining scene — to curate a return home that would benefit everyone’s taste buds.
Says Schwartz: “We wanted to be part of the growing wine and food industry here on the North Fork.”
Photo Credit: Doug Young
The Vibe
Noah’s is a bit of a welcome wagon to Greenport. Drive onto Front Street and be drawn in by its lively alfresco tables and giant picture windows that flood the dining room with natural light. The anchor of the space is the large, sea glass-inspired polished concrete bar, which has over 20 seats and is surrounded by tables. East End wall art by Montauk-based artist Annie Sessler adds a sea-centric feel, as does the restaurant’s locally sourced menu.
The Food
Noah’s tagline tells you a lot about its ethos: “Know your farmer, know your food.” Take your pick from a raw bar full of Peconic Gold, Oysterponds and Widow’s Hole oysters; small plates, not-so-small plates, and sides, all of which are loaded with options like seafood selections (often local), Long Island duck, steaks, a Kobe beef burger and homegrown ingredients. Yes, some of the menu items come with herbs grown right in Noah’s back garden. The drink list is heavy on bottles from their wine-forward region, as well as local draft beer and specialty cocktails and mocktails.
Spicy Tuna Bites
Noah lays the toro — the fatty belly cut — of the tuna over a crispy rice cake and shiso leaf, then tops it with avocado and slivers of fresno chile. It delights with a sturdy texture and taste with each bite, from the minty, basil-like flavor of the shiso to the crunch from the rice cake and the silky smoothness of the tuna.
Nofo Clam Chowder
This New England-style chowder starts with a rich butter and flour roux and explodes in lifted flavor with an Italian sofrito vegetable blend of finely diced carrots, shallots, fennel, chervil, tarragon and chives. It gets a little gravity from Latham Farms fingerling potatoes and chopped Peconic Bay littleneck clams, while a final touch of cream gives the delicate chowder a hearty touch.
Photo Credit: Doug Young
Black Truffle Risotto
Truffle pecorino cheese and locally grown pea microgreens top a carnaroli risotto, Latham’s asparagus and summer truffle blend over a sweet pea puree base. The toothsome dish’s velvety bites come with a subtly bitter, earthy punch.
Noah’s Lobster Roll
Made from cull lobsters — the “battered and bruised ones, not perfect for a whole lobster dinner but great for a roll,” says Schwartz — the plump butter-poached meat, served warm, is expertly complemented by a plush brioche roll with a croissant-like richness. The sandwich is topped with Noah’s garden-grown chives and served with fries.
Montauk Fluke Meuniere
Placed over a creamy, organic purple sweet-potato puree, sauteed kale and roasted carrots, a browned fluke is finished with a white-wine caper sauce and chopped parsley. Sweet, savory and snappy, the fluke’s flavor is elevated by the carrot and kale combo.
Noah’s, 136 Front St., Greenport, 631-477-6720, chefnoahs.com
Hours: Every day but Wednesday; check website for hours.
