Phantom Gourmet: The Shanty In Warwick, RI

WARWICK, RI - Do you ever long for the dishes you grew up with: the TV dinners, nostalgic snacks, real comfort food? You can have all of that and more at The Shanty.

Located in Warwick, Rhode Island, The Shanty is a cozy roadside restaurant serving some of the best old school classics in all of little Rhody. Owner Kara Neisinger has built a comfortable space with booths made from old church pews, a handsome wooden bar, and a light installation that catches your attention the second you enter the place.

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Her entire staff believes that service at The Shanty should always be done with a smile. Customers find it hard not to smile when a crock of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish is delivered to their table.

"A lot of people giggle because you're not going to expect in this type of restaurant - a little dish of actual goldfish," said General Manager Amber Fraleigh. "But once they get them, they just get excited. It's just the perfect snack while you're drinking and catching up with friends."

The perfect meal at The Shanty would have to be their gourmet version of a classic TV Dinner.

"We do it on an old school tin tray," Amber explained. "It's kind of what you would imagine a Swanson's meal would be like, done modern."

The magnificent cafeteria tray consists of five components. First, you've got your Buttermilk Fried Cornish Game Hen. The second piece to this delicious puzzle is Smoked Cheddar Mac & Cheese. From there you've got crispy cole slaw, mashed sweet potato, and a gourmet version of a Hostess Ho-Ho, with pumpkin filling. Put them together, and you've got one memorable meal.

"It's basically every indecisive person's dream come true. You have everything you could want on that platter and more," said Amber.

The comfort food continues with a plate tipping portion of beer battered Fish and Chips. There's an amped up version of meat and potatoes, a juicy half-pound burger served on brioche, and a twist on Chicken Pot Pie.

"Chicken is great, but duck is even better," declared Kara. "It's in our nice little casserole dish and you have the peas and the carrots. Everything you're used to in a chicken pot pie, but duck."

There are outstanding appetizers like Chimichurri Mussels served with toast points for dipping; and the ultra-addictive Sweet Soy Wings.

"They're just crunchy and the chicken itself is just succulent, and then they do the coating of the sauce. You get sweetness form the little molasses. You get the Thai chilies to give you the heat. There's scallions in it for just a little crispness," Amber listed. "People will come here just for wings."

But nothing is more indulgent, or more addictive, then the Beer Battered Brats. The upscale spin on a corn dog consists of bratwurst deep fried in a sweet corn batter, and drizzled with spicy honey mustard.

"We do two links, slice them in half so you have four pieces per dish, and it's a great shareable item. It's a great conversation piece. You don't really see battered brats in many places, let alone a corn dog done gourmet," Amber noted.

Desserts are as delicious as they are creative. There are Ice Cream Sandwiches that change with the seasons, and an artfully presented personal pecan pie.

Once you've finished your meal and are ready to head home, Kara hopes you're as excited as she is about The Shanty.

"I love when I leave a restaurant and I can't stop talking about it from the time I leave the door until the time I get home. Just being there was amazing; or the service was amazing; the food was amazing and I want to give that to every guests that walk in the door."

You can find The Shanty at 3854 Post Road in Warwick, Rhode Island, and online at theshantyri.com.

Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.