Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/589641
26 | NOVEMBER 2015 nshoremag.com CONTACT The Poynt 31 Water St. Newburyport 978-358-8501 poyntnewburyport.com For a hot starter, try the crispy fried oysters, nicely battered and topped with a sweet-and-sour black pepper beurre blanc and American caviar. The salad menu is equally entic- ing—the Caesar offers up a unique take on the classic, with half the let- tuce grilled and the other half crisp and chilled. Topped with a powerful garlic and Parmesan dressing and a fried egg, it is challenging and fun. Main courses also feature familiar comfort foods interpreted in new ways. The lamb Bolognese pappardelle steers a classic Italian dish toward the Middle East, with delicious results. House-made pap- pardelle is sauced with a rich mix- ture of meat seasoned with fennel, coriander, cardamom, and cumin—it is a dish to crave all winter long, and one that Hansen has been perfecting since his days working in London at the Grove Park Hotel. Hansen is just as comfortable with the tastes of Asia—his Can- tonese-style whole Maine lobster, originally developed while working with Todd English at Kingfish Hall in Boston, is an exciting take on a seaside classic. Meat is extracted from a generously large lobster and cooked tempura-style until moist and tender, and then it is stuffed back into the shell, which is also bat- tered and fried. The sweet, savory, crunchy dish is served with a house- made teriyaki sauce, pumped up with lemongrass and ginger, over a bed of udon noodles tossed with an Asian-style vinaigrette. Desserts like beignets are all made in-house. The square packets of fried dough, dusted with pow- dered sugar, will whisk customers from Water Street right down to the French Quarter. The restaurant's vast open space, formerly John Farley Clothiers, has a chic urban vibe, thanks to celebrity designer Taniya Nayak, who hosts shows on HGTV and is a frequent expert on Food Network's Restaurant: Impossible. Nayak is known for her flair for repurposing materials, so walls feature snow fencing from an old farm and an eye-catching array of wooden rolling pins over the cozy pizza bar. In a nod to the space's for- mer retail history, a faded John Far- ley sign adorns one wall and booths are upholstered in a plaid fabric. It's fortunate that the space is so large and welcoming—The Poynt does not take reservations, in a move the owners hope will be appealing to locals who just want to drop in for a bite. Insiders are well-advised to download the No Wait app, which enables guests to join the wait list from anywhere and monitor pro- gress. Or just grab a cocktail! Appetizers Chilled Lobster Cocktail $17 Crispy Fried Oysters $13 Entreés Cantonese-Style Whole Maine Lobster $26 Lamb Bolognese Pappardelle $18 Dessert Beignets $8 THE MENU Clockwise from left, lamb Bolognese with pappardelle, crispy fried oysters, and beignets