New Beige offers grab-and-go foods and restaurant dining in downtown New Bedford
NEW BEDFORD — New Beige, the newest addition to the culinary scene in the downtown area, is already making waves with its unique concept of being both a restaurant and a grab-and-go market.
Co-owned by Howie Mallowes and Albert Santos, who also owns Cultivator Shoals next door, the restaurant is located at 39 Union St. and offers a variety of delicious options for customers.
"There's not really anything in the area kind of like it," Mallowes said. "We have dining capacity for about 50 seats and then we're working with the city to get the outdoor permit so we can have outdoor seating where we hope to have another 30 seats."
The restaurant features a full kitchen led by Chef Joe Rego, winner of Food Network's "Chopped" in 2012. He has created a menu with a variety of dishes from salads and sandwiches to skewers and pasta salads.
What's on the menu at New Beige
New Beige offers a variety of delicious options for diners to choose from. For appetizers, they have a scallop crudo made with thinly sliced scallops, citrus radishes, avocado puree, onion, and micro cilantro. Another option is the hummus and merguez plate, which includes silky chickpea puree, grilled lamb sausage, roasted eggplant, za'atar spice, herb salad, and naan bread.
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A popular choice is their crispy pork belly BLT with baby lettuce leaves, cherry tomato, crispy pork belly, sriracha mayo, toasted sesame, chili garlic sauce, and fried Brussels sprouts with smoked bacon, maple syrup, and chipotle aioli.
For salads, they offer a baby kale Caesar made with romaine lettuce, baby kale, homemade Caesar dressing, parmesan, and focaccia croutons.
As for mains, there's pan-seared scallops with corn and mushrooms, succotash, snow peas, bacon, and basil pesto. Another option is the Argentinian flank steak with grilled flank steak, brown butter, Belgian endive, charred broccoli, and chimichurri. They also have a grilled piri-piri Cornish hen served with two sides, such as summer corn succotash, crispy smoked paprika potatoes, and black forbidden rice.
Mallowes also mentions the grab-and-go counter, stocked with pre-made foods like empanadas and other tasty options.
"We have a whole coffee and espresso station with a huge espresso machine that we actually purchased from Sunrise Bakery when they closed down," he said.
"We also have a full cocktail bar featuring unique dessert cocktails, and even a milkshake machine for some sweet treats."
Grab-and-go meals and a salad bar
The grab-and-go menu includes hot coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, Americanos, and ready-to-go foods such as fruit salad and a salad bar. For quick bites, they have options like ham and Swiss empanadas, jalapeno bacon empanadas, and chicken piri-piri skewers.
Their signature cocktails include the Rooftop Garden with vodka, matcha, simple syrup, and oat milk, and the Sage Room with sage, simple syrup, and lemon.
For dessert, they offer unique cocktails like the After Dark with mescal, vodka, and horchata, and the Irish Goodbye with shanky whip Irish whiskey, cold brew, and Baileys. To top it off, they also have boozy espresso shakes made with vodka, espresso, and vanilla ice cream.
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Inside, Mallowes said the atmosphere is best described as relaxed and fun, perfect for enjoying a meal or grabbing a drink after a visit to neighboring establishments like Cultivator Shoals.
"We want people to come and be relaxed and just have a good time, if its for people to come for a quick moment or stay awhile. It's their choice" Mallowes added.
Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on twitter: @ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford restaurant New Beige opens on Union Street
