Black Trumpet

29 Ceres Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
603-431-0887

Black Trumpet, a two tiered bistro and wine bar in the heart of Portsmouth's historic old port, offers diners a choice between the cozy, romantic first floor dining room and the upstairs wine bar, a more intimate, convivial space enlivened by music, art and conversation. Both floors offer views of the Piscataqua River and the oft-photographed tugboats as they escort enormous tankers into the harbor.

The cuisine reflects chef-owner Evan Mallet's culinary curiosity, drawing inspiration from the Mediterranean as well as the Americas. A typical Black Trumpet menu may pull from Spain, North Africa, Turkey and the Mexican heartland.

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ricotta

at Black Trumpet

Puffed house-made ricotta with roasted beets dressed with basil oil and mango-ginger vinegar

Dinner

Little Dishes

Fried Almonds, Olives and Garlic 6.

Seared Stonefruit and Fig with fromage blanc and strawberry gastrique 6.5

Beef Kibbeh served with plantain chips and coriander mojo 7.

Marinated Shrimp with scapes and carrot harissa 7.

Chef's Meze Plate: a daily assortment of three little dishes in one 13.

Medium Dishes

Charcuterie Slate: housemade sausage, duck and foie gras torchon, Pasamontes cheese, pickles and fruit mostarda 15.

Maine Mussels steamed with spicy salami, kale, tomato and spring garlic 13.

Crispy Duck Confit Roulade with pigeon pea hummus, pea greens and dried persimmon chips 14.

Calamari Canasta with jicama slaw and Mike's hot sauce 11.

Skillet-fried Farm Egg on toast with sautéed escarole and fava bean ragout 10.

Cheeses

Lindy Hop-Dancing Cow, Bridport, VT-Raw cow's milk, mild, creamy and grassy with an edible bloomy rind paired with cherry and peppercorn gelée

Chévre de Boite-Celles Sur Belle, FR-Pasteurized goat's milk cheese in the traditional camembert style. White, bloomy rind, rich and pungent, paired with sour plum preserve

Maggie's Round-Williamstown, MA-Italian farm style raw cow's milk cheese. Washed rind with hints of grass and earth, paired with artichoke garbanzo hummus

1 Cheese $11 2 Cheeses $13 3 Cheeses $15

Salads

Spring Greens tossed in a cucumber-lime vinaigrette 9.

Chopped Watermelon Jicama Salad: feta, black olives, pickled onion, bacon and arugula 11.

Soups

Soupe au Pistou: everything local, green and vegetal 10.

Fromage Blanc Vichyssoise: chilled potato leek soup with basil balsamic, angelica oil and caviar 11.

Main Courses

Summer Vegetable and Mushroom Paella with saffron rice, English peas, peppers and spring garlic 19.

Herb-crusted Aged NEFF Steak with mashed potatoes, broccoli rabe and chausseur sauce 29.

Seared Scallops with creamed corn, shrimp quinoa and fried spinach 27.

Pan-roasted Veal Chop with blue-green butter, rye berries, fig glace and sautéed mustard greens 30.

Rhubarb-Marinated Chicken Breast with wild mushroom risotto, sautéed greens and a bacon and pea gravy 22.

Seared Wild Alaskan Salmon with local bok choy, black pasta, pickled fruit, chilies and opal basil cream 27.

Dessert

$8 each

Pan-Fried Sour Cream Poundcake with sweet whipped mascarpone, macerated blueberries and lemon curd

White Chocolate Mousse Cup with lavender shortbread and strawberry gastrique

Maple Cream Caramel with maple oat lace cookie

Mango Jelly Rum Roll with guava whip

Dark Chocolate Mint Meringue Tart with milk chocolate creme anglaise

PLEASE NOTE: The items, ingredients and prices on all menus are subject to change. It is recommended that if you are interested in a particular dish you contact the restaurant directly to determine its availability.

Dictionary

Brioche: 1. noun A soft, yeasty French bread enriched with butter and eggs.

Charcuterie: 1. noun The French term for delicatessen-style items.

Confit: 1. noun Meat (usually goose, duck or pork) that is slowly cooked in its own fat and preserved with the fat packed around it as a seal.

Crème anglaise: 1. noun Rich custard sauce, often used as a topping or plating accompaniment to fruits and pastries.

Foie gras: 1. noun Expensive, silk-textured goose or duck liver that has been enlarged by a process you don't want to read about if you're going to eat this dish.

Frisée: 1. noun A curly, mildly bitter member of the chicory family, eaten raw in salads.

Gourmand: 1. noun A person who appreciates eating and drinking, sometimes to excess.

Hummus: 1. noun Mashed chickpeas flavored with lemon juice, garlic and oil.

Jicama: 1. noun Used in Latin American cooking, jicama is a member of the potato family. The bulbous, brown root has a thin brown skin and crunchy and sweet white flesh.

Mascarpone: 1. noun Ultra-rich, soft cheese known best for its role in tiramisu.

Paella: 1. noun A saffron-flavored rice dish with meats, vegetables and shellfish; named for the large shallow pan in which it is traditionally cooked.

Pistou: 1. noun The French version of pesto, a mixture of basil, garlic and olive oil.

Praline: 1. noun A sweet made of almonds and sugar invented for the French Comte du Plessis-Praslin by his cook in the 1600s.

Quinoa: 1. noun These small, round, pale-brown grains look similar to millet and have a mild taste and a firm texture. Quinoa is considered a complete protein because it contains all eight essential amino acids.

Ragoût: 1. noun A thick, seasoned stew of meat or fish, sometimes with vegetables.

Risotto: 1. noun Italian dish made from rice cooked by intermittently adding small amounts of stock or broth. Other ingredients are added as required.

Roulade: 1. noun A French term for a thin roll of meat or cake around savory or sweet fillings.

Torchon: 1. noun Method of cooking foie gras by which it is placed in a towel (torchon in French) and poached.

Vichyssoise: 1. noun Creamy potato and leek soup, served cold.

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