River Bar

37 Main St., Westerly

(401) 561-7050

riverbarwesterly.com

Everything they make and serve at River Bar has its own twist and personality.

Like the made-to-order chocolate chip cookies, with dark chocolate, brown butter, koji, and bay leaves. They are innovatively prepared, very tasty, and not your grandmother’s cookie recipe.

For their warm fudge brownies, they use rye flour, and in their olive oil cake, Campari. Those desserts are a nod to their sister operation, the two Nana’s, one in Mystic and the other in Westerly.

At River Bar, there are basics like burgers and a grilled chicken sandwich, or for the more adventurous eater, the daily crudo – raw seafood or fish prepared with a smoked habanero aioli, fried capers, lemon, and olive oil.

They also make a mushroom poke bowl and a sweet potato red curry, with the option of adding raw yellowfin tuna or scallops to either entrée.

The River Bar menu is extensive, with multiple options and price points. They have a happy hour, a raw bar, and serve brunch on Sundays. The operators are seasoned restauranters who have polished up an old establishment to make it shine and sparkle. Give it a try.

– Ann Baldelli

Monti’s Market

6 Lower Boulevard, New London

(860) 574-9217

My first, avant-garde inclination for this capsule version of a previous full-length review of Monti’s was fairly inspired. James Joyce does sandwiches. Here’s an example of what I had in mind:

Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders. Grinders, he said.

Yes, she said. Grinders.

Get it?

The thing is, at Monti’s, a small storefront operation, grinders ARE the focus. Damned good ones, too. From sweet Italian sausage or homemade meatball hot grinders to cold cuts including an exemplary Italian grinder, this is a Grinder Paradise. You can also get a daily, house-crafted soup, occasional batches of meat or eggplant lasagna, and so forth.

I’m thinking Monti’s might be ideal for holiday parties — or for lunch every day for the next few years until you’ve read “Finnegan’s Wake.” Go forth. Grinders. Oh, and the guy just ahead of you in line? It’s the ghost of Franz Kafka. He’s hungry.

— Rick Koster

Rusty Rail Tavern

439 B Main St., Deep River

(860) 322-4285

rustyrailct.com

Whether you’re craving atmosphere, comfort food, or a little bit of both, the Rusty Rail Tavern in Deep River will serve nicely.

Situated on the historic Valley Railroad Company line, the tavern embraces its location and wants you to settle in for awhile and take it in for yourself. Go to check out the backyard-esque seating, stay for the good eats.

Top picks for us included the Southwest Turkey sandwich ($17.50; comes with fries), which features a thick stack of hot roasted turkey, thin and crispy bacon and cheddar cheese on a perfect ciabatta roll. It’s very big and the fries are fantastic, so plan accordingly with an eating partner.

We also loved the Southwest Nachos ($18.50; another huge portion), which we know is a common app ’round these parts, but all nacho platters are not created equal. For example, these perfectly baked nachos come with black beans and corn throughout.

Another standout was the Trenitalia Frecciarossa ($18), a grilled chicken sandwich topped with fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, basil, garlic and a balsamic glaze drizzle on grilled rustica bread. The delish is in the details on this one, so be prepared to savor this sandwich.

In short: All aboard for carefully crafted comfort foods!

— Marisa Nadolny