Review Reviews Restaurants: REDCAN

The Upper Valley is a deceptively dangerous place for new restaurants. One would think that Dartmouth, with its undergrad population being wealthy, unable to cook for itself, and faced with mediocre-at-best on campus fare, would provide an ample customer base for any dining establishment. 

And yet, most Upper Valley restaurants fail to last more than a few years. The few who have stood the test of time stand as almost an exception that proves the rule, in that the handful of restaurants which have become mainstays are considered so uncommon in their longevity. Rising rents, fickle customers, and competition with the established “default” restaurants in Pine, Molly’s, and Lou’s present an insurmountable obstacle for newcomers to the Upper Valley dining scene. Yet, there remain those willing to brave the perils of the industry. REDCAN in particular was founded by the owners of the already-notable Worthy Kitchen. 

Apparently, they sought to break into the fine dining scene with their new restaurant RedCan. With a menu for “food enthusiasts,” this newcomer establishment seems set on adding to the Upper Valley another high-end restaurant to compete with Pine, Simon Pearce, and Carpenter and Main. Seeking to stay abreast of new developments in the region, this writer took it upon himself to journey to REDCAN, aiming to determine whether it is just another flash in the pan restaurant, or a potential permanent addition to the Upper Valley. 

Upon entering REDCAN one steps into an island of coastal civilization seemingly distinct from the sea of trees that is rural New England. To this end, it affects almost a studio apartment aesthetic, with concrete floors, bare metal ceilings, hanging lights, with some elements of more rural restaurants in its wood furnishings. REDCAN’s owners describe the style as drawing from the Prohibition era. To that end, it boasts a speakeasy, another hallmark of hipster restaurants meant to extend the feeling of exclusivity already imparted by the reservation requirement. However, this writer takes issue to any restaurant claiming to host a speakeasy while still paying liquor taxes and registering with the state. 

Attempting to co-opt the Prohibition-era hallmark without taking on the very conditions which made the speakeasy possible inevitably leads to an imitation missing the very soul that made the original venue for subversive indulgence in proscribed potables so attractive. However, the main restaurant itself does a reasonably good job of creating an atmosphere that mixes elements of modern design with traditional hallmarks of New England restaurants to produce a reasonably coherent synergy. While it fails to truly affect a prohibition theme, REDCAN, regardless, does generally succeed in creating an atmosphere different from that found in the Upper Valley’s existing fine dining restaurant. 

After giving our reservation we were quickly ushered to a high table near the center of the main room, perhaps ten feet from the bar. The standard smattering of elderly locals and young professionals made up the rest of REDCAN’s clientele that evening, combining with the relatively cramped interior of the establishment to foster a calm and somewhat subdued atmosphere. 

The waitstaff were professional and for the most part able. Helpfully, they explained some of the more eclectic items on the menu. Our waitress did, however, mistake spring water for sparkling, giving us the former rather than the requested latter. While not a major mistake, and one quickly corrected by that same waitress, it is worth being conscious of if one has become accustomed to a daily minimum quantity of carbonated water courtesy of Dartmouth’s generous program. 

REDCAN’s menu is split between small plates meant to be ordered in batches and shared and larger items that are closer to a standard entree. Each category offers a handful of wildly different choices, ranging from Tuna Ceviche to the Korean Fried Chicken Buns. The result is an eclectic menu with several good options, but little apparent consistency or, one notices, relationship to the “Prohibition” theme. We each ordered, and then waited for perhaps half an hour before receiving our food. 

This writer opted for the aforementioned Korean Fried Chicken, and was satisfied with the interestingly constructed dish. Consisting of boneless wings coated in a spicy sauce and enveloped in fluffy bread rolls, it was an interesting combination of quality ingredients and a relatively unpretentious recipe. Uniformly, though, the “entree-sized” plates were rather small, closer to what one would expect from an appetizer. 

Apparently, the menu has undergone several revisions, and these new large plates are an addition meant to satisfy those to whom the idea of sharing several plates with others did not appeal. If that is the case, RedCan could do with a more definitive increase in the size of the large plates relative to the small, creating full meals rather than isolated components of them. 

Ultimately, while REDCAN does present an innovation on the status quo, it is difficult to tell whether that will be enough to secure its long-term survival. Its menu, while appetizing, is too confused at the moment to offer a convincing argument in its favor. It does not specialize in one particular type of cuisine, and so must excel in quality if it wants to draw customers away from established venues, a more difficult task. Regardless, one should at least consider giving REDCAN a chance before simply opting for an umpteenth visit to the same three restaurants on Main Street.