Newport Food Scene: End of winter is a special time for locals to dine out

You might not realize it, but now is the time of year when you can enjoy some outstanding and unique experiences at our local restaurants. When summer rolls around, most restauranteurs are going to be focused on taking care of summer guests. Naturally, they’ll be giving every customer great food and drinks along with outstanding service - that’s Newport hospitality. But when business is booming, there’s not much time or space for trying new things. Similarly, when spring arrives, restaurants will have to focus on taking care of business that is slowly increasing as each day gets warmer, plus they have to ready themselves for what’s to come. Hiring, training, cleaning, preparing - every restaurant wants to be ready to hit the ground running when summer comes to town (which may come sooner this year than we think). There’s no time to try anything new.

But now in late February, there is time. It’s the time when restaurants and chefs can get a little more creative. They can show off a little. They can try new things and have some fun. They are looking for ways to increase sales in the off-season and to get more locals into their restaurants, but they also want to flex some of their creative muscles. And we, the diners of Aquidneck Island, are lucky enough to be here for it all.

Take Midtown Oyster Bar for example. They recently brought back Green Dragon, a weekend ghost kitchen concept located upstairs at Midtown offering reimagined Chinese takeout. Hard to imagine how they could offer this during the summer, but we can enjoy it now. Order classics like Crab Rangoon and Pork Dumplings or opt for local fresh takes like Lobster Fried Rice and General Thames Chicken. Order while you can! Similarly, the folks at Mission Burger have brought back Winner, Winner chicken nights and now offer the mouth-watering fried chicken from their famed old sister restaurant on Monday nights. Don’t forget the biscuits! But time is limited because once the winter is over, so is the chicken.

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The Newport Winter Festival rolls into town this weekend too and with it an opportunity to try some special menus crafted by local chefs. Try the four-course Truffle menu from Stoneacre Brasserie on Friday or maybe give the four-course Craft Beer and Grilled Pizza Pairing at the Gas Lamp Grille a try on Saturday. Tuesday you can enjoy a Tilted Barn Beer Dinner at the Mooring featuring a four-course dinner pairing. Or if you would rather enjoy a nice tipple, the Winter Festival has lots of options showcasing new ideas. Check out the Hot Chocolate bar at the Chanler serving artisanal hot chocolate with some adult options available or visit the Polar Pineapples ice bar at Newport Harbor Island Resort on Friday and Saturday for warm and seasonal drinks. On Thursday, you can go to the Red Parrot and watch the Annual Best Hot Drink Contest - a great way to see and taste what’s new. Check out all the festivities at newportwinterfestival.com.

The folks at the Newport Vineyard and Taproot Brewery are making the best of their off-season too. As part of Winter Festival, they’ll be hosting their annual WINEterfest on Saturday and Sunday (with grape-stomping contests of course). They are also hosting a Winter Wine Dinner next Saturday with Chef Andy preparing a special menu just for the event. But to keep busy, they are also hosting a trivia night this Thursday and have plans for an indoor Mini Golf Night on March 9 with a putt-putt course winding its way through the tank rooms and more. Each ticket includes a pint of beer or glass of wine to keep the game fun. Sounds like a great night, so might as well finish with dinner in their restaurant so you can boast about your birdie on the fourth hole.

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For something a little unusual, Chef Mike Anderson at Zelda’s has created a four-course Wild Game Dinner Menu featuring Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling pairings for $65 on Feb. 22. And Reject’s Beer Company is featuring dinner and a show this Friday with their My Bloody Valentine Drag Dinner featuring the Trailer Park Girls. A $45 ticket comes with an all you can eat buffet from Wharf’s Southern Kitchen plus includes a donation to the 2023 Pride parade. Sounds like a fun night!

Meanwhile, Brick Alley Pub is offering a special three-course prix fixe menu all month long for just $39 per person and Gulf Stream is offering a three-Course Dinner for Two for $49 special with 1/2 priced bottles of wine every Wednesday through Sunday. For something very different, check out the Nintendo Smash Bro's Tournament at Surf Club coming up at the end of the month (21 and over) or if you feel like gorging on some dumplings, head to Yagi Noodles on Saturday, Feb. 25 for their first ever Dumpling Eating Contest!

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Some people say February is the slow season around here. It doesn’t have to be. There is a lot to see and eat. Get out there and join the fun. There’s some truly unique and delicious surprises waiting for you.

Dan Lederer is a Middletown resident with 30 years experience in the food service industry throughout New England. He continues to work locally behind the scenes within the industry and remains a devoted fan of all things restaurant and hospitality related. His column appears on newportri.com and Thursdays in The Daily News. Cheers!

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Newport restaurants deals, specials to find at the end of winter