John B.
Yelp
You know, I had the pleasure of living in New Hampshire for a year and spent any free weekend I had exploring my surroundings, sightseeing, and trying to find the best food around. Now that I'm back home, I've been catching up on reviews and contemplating which business to review last. Gotta end on a good note and all. So here it is! My last NH review ever for a restaurant that easily makes my top two list for the Granite State and maybe even the very top spot!
Moxy is an American-style tapas restaurant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire serving up shareable-sized plates of modern food made from locally-sourced ingredients. Basically, they are exactly the type of restaurant I look for when exploring new areas! I'm unfamiliar with the area, the regional produce, and the culture so I love it when someone tells me a story with the meals they serve up, but in a manner that is up-to-date and exciting. I feel as though that's the promise Moxy makes. They certainly cook with some moxy. Moreover, they have a wall piece proudly listing the local farms they support, all of which are located miles from the restaurant.
F O O D
Based on my description, you could probably deduce that the menu changes frequently depending on what is in season. I love that as it ensures every ingredient is at its peak of flavor! Rather than ordering whatever sounded enticing, I entrusted my server with ordering "whatever it is I should order from the menu." Basically, if this were my only visit, what would I absolutely regret missing out on? Plus a beer. No dessert. Here is what I had.
-Portsmouth Rarebit (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/moxy-portsmouth?select=cIF_WAvPqDOOTqJR5b-LWg): Anadama bread, beer cheese sauce, caramelized onions, pear, pickled beets. Holy smokes! New England has a great dairy & great bread culture and that was evident in this dish, a modern and refined take on the humble grilled cheese sandwich. It's the type of grilled cheese I wish I grew up eating. Cheesy. A bit sweet. A little tangy. Very much comforting. They used a Smuttynose IPA for the sauce. Completely forgot what cheese was used other than it was locally produced and very tasty! Not going to lie, I actually was on my smartphone during dinner googling anadama bread. Turns out, it a hearty style of yeast bread common in New England and made of wheat flour, cornmeal, and molasses. Great dish!
-Beef Short Rib Marmalade(https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/moxy-portsmouth?select=qj6jLcvJRw4qZq7C_Hwfuw): Grilled local bread, pickled onion, shades of blue cheese. Meat + cheese + bread isn't exactly a groundbreaking formula but it was so well done and comforting that I had no complaints. I normally don't enjoy blue cheese but this wasn't off-putting for whatever reason and I cleaned my plate of everything. The short rib was so flavorful and the pickled red onion cut through the richness of everything.
-Beer: I opted for just a beer instead of a cocktail as I still had to drive back to Manchester. I do not remember what I had except that it reflected much of the beers I've had in New Hampshire. Unheard of (at least to me) and forgettable. True, the craft beer scene has exploded in the Granite State over the past several years or so and some beers are pretty good, but I feel as though breweries in every surrounding state (Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts) make much better beer than what you can come to expect from NH. I would've much rather enjoyed a beer from Maine Brewing Co. or Funky Bow or anywhere up the highway in Maine, but then Moxy would deviate from their celebration of NH products. It is what it is. I recommend trying one of Moxy's craft cocktails instead.
S E R V I C E
Service was prompt and everyone had that New England kindness. They checked up on me often enough, didn't lead me astray with the menu choices, and genuinely asked what I thought of their food.
I've had farm-to-table elsewhere in NH but I feel that but none of those places (looking at you, Republic Cafe) served up food anywhere near as successful as Moxy. I doubt I'll be back, but I would love a return visit to this restaurant and I highly recommend them to anyone visiting the area!