As my friend David Johnston ‘19 and I were served the charcuterie board, our eyes lit up while our server, Kimmie, walked us through the variety of meats, cheeses, and preserves that we would be sampling that night. Blocks of manchego, bleu and raclette cheeses occupied one corner of the board, and slices of Genoa salami, capicola, and duck prosciutto sat next to them. Below the meats and cheeses were house-made pickles and vegetables, and onion, fruit, and mustard seed preserves. A plate of grilled sourdough bread accompanied the offerings, serving as a perfect canvas for the food.
David and I eagerly dove and started sampling everything. Highlights included the melt-in-your-mouth capicola and the sourdough bread, but the standouts were the bleu cheese and the fruit preserve. Normally, I do not enjoy bleu cheese and find it too pungent, but this bleu cheese was creamy with just enough flavor to add an extra dimension without being too overwhelming. Pairing the bleu cheese with the fruit preserve was the perfect bite. As I scraped up the last of the bleu cheese and the fruit preserve off of the board, I remembered how twenty-four hours ago I had just discovered the restaurant.
I discovered Noble Restaurant the previous day through my internship. I am an intern at the nonprofit New London Main Street and was tasked with interviewing the restaurant’s owner as part of a social media campaign to promote the 2019 New London Food Stroll. Upon entering the restaurant, I knew that I would have to revisit. Its interior evoke a dual trendiness and rustic charm; the walls are a mix of wood and exposed brick, and are decorated with art from local artists. Edison bulbs hang over the bar, and string lights cover the ceiling. Noble also boasts about its outdoor seating understandably as it features a wonderful view of the Thames River, and if you’re lucky, you can even see a train pass by.
When I talked with the restaurant owner Kyle, he discussed his hopes for Noble and for the future of New London. Having previously lived in Providence, Rhode Island, Kyle moved to New London to open Noble. The restaurant has been in business for a month, and he seeks to bring seasonal, New American cuisine to the community, along with a cocktail program inspired from his time in Providence. Kyle sees potential in New London to grow and become a vibrant cultural hotspot, and he hopes that Noble can serve as a catalyst for change. After talking with Kyle, I mentioned that I would love to review his restaurant for The College Voice, and he said that he could provide me and a friend a dinner on the house. My desire to return to Noble Restaurant was to be fulfilled.
As we settled at our table, David and I were immediately impressed by the attention to detail, as our menu was presented with a red wax seal emblazoned with the restaurant’s logo. Excited about Noble’s cocktail offerings, we both decided to start with a seasonal cocktail. David ordered the “Love Goes Where My Rosemary Goes,” a cocktail mixed with gin, grapefruit, honey syrup, and rosemary, and served with a sprig of rosemary. Upon strong recommendation from Kimmie, I ordered “The Savannah’s,” a cocktail mixed with scotch, lavender simple syrup, lemon, orange, bitters, and soda. The cocktail was one of the best I have ever had and the flavors balanced each other out perfectly. It tasted like a sophisticated lemonade, and would be the perfect drink for any spring or summertime occasion. After our charcuterie board and cocktails, David and I could not wait for our dinner. David ordered the mussels, served fresh in a cast iron pan with a spicy tomato sauce, and I ordered the lobster roll, which came with a red cabbage slaw and plenty of truffle fries. As a native New Englander, I am very picky about my lobster rolls, and this one was absolutely incredible. The roll came with a substantial amount of flavorful lobster, served warm with butter, and the brioche bun, baked from scratch, served as a wonderful elevation to the traditional hot dog bun. The red cabbage slaw provided an acidic palette cleanser and the truffle fries were a divine side that David and I kept coming back to even after we were absolutely full.
I cannot recommend Noble Restaurant enough. Incredible service, a warm atmosphere, and unforgettable cocktails and food make Noble a stud in the New London food scene. I am excited to return to this restaurant and see how they continue to evolve. •
