T he Vanderbilt , Auberge Resorts Collection has undergone a radical sea change . Purchased by Auberge Resorts five years ago , the former estate of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt has , as of late , become a full-throated embrace of its illicit past . Rumor has it that Vanderbilt constructed the downtown mansion for his mistress , Agnes O ’ Brien Ruíz , and , if there ’ s any enclave in the state that celebrates the sultry draw of forbidden appetites , it ’ s the lush , moody dining room that inhabits the west wing of the manor .
The restaurant is an homage to Farrow and Ball ’ s deepest hues — part blue , part black , the entire room sits in the resplendent shadows of romance . Bulbs burn barely over forty watts and , consequently , each party takes on an air of mystery manifested in film noir . The bar is a mammoth sprawl of black marble and carved wood , illuminated under a coffered ceiling that looms like midnight . This is a place that not only appreciates transgressions , it practically demands them . Sins all fall to the corporal here . If there ’ s no temptation to down a gin and tonic and stumble upstairs , then the damage will be done with food and drink .
Auberge brought in April Bloomfield ( of the often-praised , now defunct Spotted Pig and Breslin ) to develop select dishes for the menu , and she has leaned heavily in the direction of indulgence . It ’ s not surprising that the dining room ’ s aura is
fully manifested in the bar plates : all are offered as several bites of opulence , just enough to pair with a Negroni ($ 20 ) or an Old-Fashioned ($ 17 ). The pinnacle — not surprisingly — is a bowl of softly scrambled eggs piled high with Alverta caviar and served with brioche toast sticks ($ 32 ). What surprises throughout the meal , however , is that Bloomfield has infused the menu with Middle Eastern spices and , in this case , it ’ s a sweet curry that tempers the briny fish eggs . It ’ s bites like this that conjure the Vanderbilt legacy and , looking around this lavish room , everyone is led to believe that gratification is the great American birthright .
The aesthetics are just as complicit in this gastronomic fever dream . Stuffed pheasants perch on the inky walls , gilded frames sit under fixtures that offer only a whisper of illumination . Is that a landscape or a nude ? Doesn ’ t matter , as either is an effective ode to beauty . On cooler nights , the majestic fire burns in the entryway , filling the air with more romantic haze . But even in the height of the season , there ’ s a tendency to close the heavy drapes to block out the world and simply submerge oneself in the velvet , leather and cane decor . Occasionally , there ’ s a break in the fantasy — Echo and the Bunnymen pop up on the playlist , or a fedora-wearing toddler nestles into a banquette with his iPad in tow . But the food will pull an entire table back a hundred years , to a Newport that ’ s less
THE DINING ROOM AT THE VANDERBILT
41 Mary St ., Newport , 846 – 6200 , aubergeresorts . com / vanderbilt / dine .
Open for dinner daily . Wheelchair-accessible . Valet parking .
CUISINE New England , elevated .
CAPACITY Seventy-five .
VIBE Ralph Lauren , made-to-order .
PRICES Appetizers : $ 10 –$ 32 ; entrees : $ 20 –$ 52 ; dessert : $ 10 –$ 25 .
MUST GET Bar food , soft scrambled eggs with caviar , braised lamb . Cocktails are de rigueur .
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l JUNE 2022 95