The leaning old building on Water Street that houses Pimentos has gone through many changes since I came to the area, and while I don't live in Exeter anymore, I'm still excited to see what new restaurants open there. After all, I have to visit friends there still and it's good to have a new place to meet.
Pimentos is owned by young but still relatively "seasoned" restaurant veterans Ken Linn in the front of the house and Chef Rob Miller in the kitchen. They have spruced up the place to open a lively or relaxing spot (depending which room you're in) serving creative cuisine with a comfort food twist.
I've experienced both "environments" here, the upstairs dining room with its more subdued atmosphere for quiet, romantic or family evenings and the livelier lounge and bar area with some great water views and plenty of locals to gossip with. I like both depending on my mood and the service is good in both as well.
Ken Linn was the bartender one evening I was there and he handles the room well. There's a new summer menu and while I had some items from the previous opening menu, this one is more interesting. I started with a drink at the bar as I waited for Friend Vicky. There's a good wine selection and while no brews on tap, there's a decent selection of bottled beer. I made poor Ken go through the whole list until he reached Peak Organic Nut Brown Ale. Local, organic is key.
We started with a few appetizers, the dips and spreads du jour that du jour were a corn and poblano and an artichoke and gorgonzola served with nice crispy chips ($8). Both were creamy and had good flavors, but I wished there was more oomph to both. The corn dip could have used more heat from the poblanos and the artichoke dip had only the hint of gorgonzola. More in this case would have been better, although the corn was sweet and fresh.
A fried golden tomato has a nice texture, a good base for a substantial pile of fresh lobster meat ($14) A layer of creamy avocado puree added a nutty flavor and some crisp watercress was a good salad with it all, overall a terrific dish. Chicken and wild mushroom gyoza are crispy on one side, tender on the other, juicy and hot inside and made more interesting by a sake and soy sauce for dipping ($8).
I will digress and go back to my previous experience when I tried the pomme frites with garlic aioli and an excellent burger with blue cheese, which was also very good. For dinner this night, I tried the charbroiled pork tenderloin, a very large portion of pork, just lightly pink inside, which I feel preserved the flavor and the moistness of the meat. I liked the apricot sauce with it, listed as a vinaigrette but which came out more like a creamy sauce. I was looking for something else to offset the sweetness, however, perhaps a tang from mustard or sage to give it more power ($21). A polenta cake with a hint of red pepper was served as a side and was fine, although a baked crust on it was unnecessary. I'm a bit of polenta purist and prefer it creamier. Garlic green beans were nice and crisp and the dish overall fit into my impression of the cuisine food here—it seems like comfort food but has a stealth creativity that adds some vigor.
Friend Vicky tried a pan roasted halibut with a Mediterranean flair from sweet roasted fennel, dried tomatoes, olives, fingerling potatoes and basil oil all tossed together under the fresh white, nicely spongy halibut with its crispy crust ($24), all in all a successful dish with a good mix of fresh flavors and textures. Other dishes that look intriguing are a Maine lobster potato gnocchi with poblano chilis and a grilled salmon with an unusual looking red plum sauce.
For dessert we tried a crème brulee with a good texture, a hint of vanilla and a well prepared sugar crust and even better, a strawberry "pie" that was nothing like a pie, and more like a strawberry crumble, the sweet red berries piping hot in a ramekin with a crumbly pastry underneath ($7).
Pimentos is a cool little neighborhood restaurant, the kind I like to see thrive. The staff is very good, welcoming and friendly. While the ingredients are great, the dishes interesting and tasty, I do think they can go further and add a touch more zing to some offerings in cuisine that nicely balances the world of comfort food and creative fare.
Dining Out: Pimentos
Pimentos, 69 Water St., Exeter, 583-4501
Hours: Dinner Monday-Saturday from 5 p.m.
Food *** and a half. Familiar ingredients but with creative elements and interesting combinations making up a sort of nouveau comfort food.
Service ****. It's that kind of service you get when the owners are on hand — personal, enthusiastic, and with great pride in their work.
Ambience *** and a half. The upstairs has a quiet calm and a more refined setting while the downstairs lounge is more lively and has a great water view.
Overall *** and a half. This creative cuisine with a comfort food twist continues to evolve in the midst of a friendly, cozy atmosphere.
Ratings
***** - Excellent,
If you like neighborhood spots with creative cuisine, try:
Phat Cats Bistro, 65A Market St., Amesbury, Mass., (978) 388-2777
Fun and relaxing with bistro fare fresh from the farm.
Hagan's Grill, 6 High St., Hampton, 926-5668
Good bar scene and Asian fusion cuisine
Rachel Forrest is a former restaurant owner who lives in Portsmouth. Her column appears Wednesdays in Go &Do. Her restaurant review column, Dining Out, appears Thursdays in Spotlight magazine. Hear her on Wine Me Dine Me at 6 p.m. Fridays on WSCA-FM 106.1. She can be reached by e-mail at rforrest@seacoastonline.com.
