The Port of Call Cocktail Lounge Opens in Mystic with Globally Inspired Menu

Kristin L. Wolfe April 01, 2022

How does Mystic do it? In such a small area, there’s a steady stream of creativity and passion, delectable food, and now, with The Port of Call, there’s a reason it has become my home away from home.

Dripping with history, the new two-in-one stop, is a complete experience. With a friendly Welcome from manager Nancy Hankins, your eyes, mind, and belly (not necessarily in that order), will be lit up and spun into a whir of pleasure when learning about the location’s past, the collaborations forged, not to mention the top notch drink and food offerings. Notice, I said drink then food….

The “Million Miles” Bar is front and center as you walk through the stately, yet otherwise, unassuming exterior. That’s because the drinks, or shall I say beverage program, is the first star on stage. Although we often enter a restaurant hungry, we are being not-so gently, happily hypnotized first by the drinks that will then be paired by knock-out plates honoring global ports. We’ve been conditioned to think about the food before deciding what drink to pair with it; The Port of Call is asking us to think in reverse: “Wet” your palates first, sailors. Helmed by Jade Ayala (who also rocks the booze next door at Oyster Club) and Sebastian Guerrero (of NYC’s Dante and Mother of Pearl), your drink will come with a “generous pour,” as my feller put it, and a side tale about the area’s notorious seafaring past.

Designer Jennifer Pryor sought and succeeded in recreating a yacht saloon experience. With sleek mahogany paneling, a skylight and leather chairs, and even reclaimed wood for the top of the bar from the Charles W. Morgan, the last ever wooden whaleship, diners feel both luxurious and cozy.

“This has been over a year in the making,” says Dan Meiser of the 85th Day Food Community, when asked about how this came together, seemingly on the down low. Along with partner Bailey Pryor of The Real McCoy Rum, also based in Mystic, the convergence of talent, creativity, and taste for The Port of Call really raises the bar.

Let’s Drink; Let’s Eat
Okay, many of you have heard us sing the praises of Executive Chef Renee Touponce recently, as her food, creativity and her kitchen community at Oyster Club sets her apart. Throngs of enthusiasts go to the Oyster Club next door for the way in which she marries global cuisine with classic New England dishes. Well, now she is stretching her sails in a similar way at The Port of Call, but with tapas plates from ports around the world, like Havana, Seattle, Bridgetown, Negril, Rome, or Tokyo.

So, with a Cuba Libre, a sweet and spicy riff on a rum and coke, in my hand, and an Organic Woodland Matter, an umami Manhattan, in my feller’s, we were primed for the suggested pairings. We first tried the Grilled Mushroom Salad, Bacalaitos, and Smoking Pinchos. Likely the crispest, juiciest salad I’ve ever had, I did nothing to quell my slurp.

For all to hear, I lapped up Seacoast’s trumpets and maitakes, with soy aioli, daikon, mint, sesame, and sake. Move over Caesar, I could have this salad every day. The Bacalaitos, Touponce’s spin on the traditional Puerto Rican dish, the salted fluke fritter was not salty but a light crisp bite, seasoned with charred onion, old bay, and a lime and chimichurri foam. The Smoking Pinchos of Guayanilla were like a trompe l'oeil, surprising your eyes and taste buds with tostones made from fermented parsnips and just as flavorful as the barbeque, sofrito, skewered pork it accompanied.

As if our taste buds needed to be won over any more, we dove head first into the Squid Ink Empanadas. To know Touponce is to know her empanadas. HOWEVER, with room in her goody bag for more, Port of Call brings these dark, rich, flaky ones filled with Stonington squid, green rice, and peanuts, served with a side of bonito aioli and chimichurri. To end our dining experience we tried both sweet nibbles offered: A Korean Hotteok, a warm cinnamon, sugar, walnut pancake and a Flan like no other, made with The Real McCoy rum.How many flavors can you dock in one port? Apparently, there’s no end.

Once you’re ready to loosen the belt, leave the luxury behind and go “below deck” to the after hours bar, Dive. With dark, under-the-water lighting, murals, arcade games, and a ship’s“Head,” you’ll find more tales from the area’s diving history: meet Ted Benton by the back door, for example. And, you’ll have to try what might just become the bar’s best snack of all, a RI Saugy Dog in a double-fermented bao bun, layers of kimchi, bonito aioli, and shallot furikake.

The Port of Call is a new maritime adventure “must” in Mystic. Diners get an experience that is part museum, part yacht, part bar, that becomes, in part, a much-needed getaway. Every bite is an homage to the cultural, coastal, and creative landscape that is enmeshed in Mystic’s new narrative. And now, with Touponce stirring the pot, The Port of Call has what Dan Meiser proudly says of her, “The X Factor.