Crudo
What do you get when you combine Coastal Italian cuisine with Rhode Island’s freshest seafood? Well we have the answer. And it’s a place called Crudo Oyster Bar in Smithfield.
Crudo Oyster Bar’s menu offers classic seafood fare served every which way, from raw to fried, along with some delicious dishes from the land, like juicy burgers and huge pork chops, all in a vibrant, bright space that pays tribute to the sea.
Partner Jeffrey Merlino says everything was intentional when creating Crudo, from the dishes to the decor.
“We have melded traditional Italian recipes with a lot of different recipes inspired by the local bounty of the Rhode Island coastline, trying to do that with, you know, an Italian influence on just about everything we do. So it's a lot of old family recipes, traditional seafood recipes that we've kind of given an Italian twist and a twist of our own.”
“We have a full bar. We have high top tables for people to sit at. We have our full dining room with really beautiful banquet and booth seating.”
“You'll see a lot of iridescent blues and the browns and coppers that you see in an oyster shell. So we wanted you to feel like you were near the ocean, but at the same time, you know, we wanted to be comfortable.”
For appetizers, Crudo offers the best of both worlds. Starting with their Fried calamari, served Rhode Island style with garlic butter, zucchini and cherry peppers for a little kick.
They also make their own meatballs using a family recipe, blending beef, pork and veal along with breadcrumbs from a local bakery. These meatballs are delicious and you can taste why this recipe has been passed down for generations.
But for the ultimate starter showpiece, you have to get the Grande Crudo Tower.
“We take a lot of pride in that everything is super fresh… three tier tower with a mix of local little necks, local oysters, crab salad, lobster cocktail and shrimp cocktail, along with our house made Mignonette, cocktail sauce and other accouterments…. when those are going out onto the floor and people see that, it really is a sight to see.“
“Even though we’re in Smithfield, we’re still so close to the ocean. We're able to get such great raw bar items that it's a shame not to have them when you're here.”
If landlocked protein is more your style, the menu has plenty to choose from.
The Crudo burger includes fried brie cheese, a bacon pepper jam, and roasted garlic aioli all together on a brioche bun. It’s totally flavorful and will melt in your mouth.
For classic Italian, you can get the veal parm. It’s that big, tender, breaded, bone-in veal chop, smothered in their house marinara and melted mozzarella cheese.
If you’re a steak lover, go for the 10 ounce filet mignon, served with a classic red wine sauce, a side of mashed potatoes and asparagus.
But, Jeffrey says the number one dish you have to get is the signature Maple Glazed Double Cut Pork Chop.
“That's one that people if we ever tried to do a seasonal menu without that, we'd be in trouble. So it's a it's a thick cut, double cut pork chop, and then we put on that a maple bacon corn relish, and the flavors…”
just the juices from the pork chop itself with that relish on top, it just all comes together. And it's, it's just one of our favorite dishes, and really, we think it's one of our perfect dish.”
Believe it not, Crudo also offers brunch, seven days a week, not just on the weekends! And it’s definitely worth a try.
They have a dish called Eggs in Purgatory, sort of an Italian style huevos rancheros featuring eggs poached in tomato sauce, with calabrian chilis, onions and spices, served with grilled Italian bread for dipping.
For something sweet, the lemon ricotta pancakes are fluffy and creamy with fresh blueberries, apricot jam, mascarpone and of course, maple syrup.
And for some serious sweetness day or night, you have to get the Nutella S’mores Bread Pudding for dessert.
“It tastes a little bit like childhood, but at the same time, it's a little more elevated than that.”
“You get that warm, that warm for the bread pudding, and the marshmallow is nice and gooey, because we've bruleed the top of that, and then that with the melting Nutella. It just, it just comes together beautifully. And there's a little bit of texture in there from the toasted hazelnut graham cracker crumb. So you get some nice texture, some great flavors. They all compliment one another.”
“Every dessert we do is made right here. And you know, we encourage people to save room for dessert every time they're here.”
“We've got a great team of servers here, a great team in the kitchen. Everybody here loves what they're doing, and so we pride ourselves on that great service, just a very welcoming place to be. And at the same time, you know that, you know we take everything we do in the kitchen seriously, and we're using the best possible ingredients we can use.”
“Putting out great food, great drinks, and giving a fun atmosphere for people to enjoy themselves in.”
