REDCAN Opens in White River Junction
It says everything about REDCAN, the new restaurant in White River Junction, that I found myself dining there at 5:00 p.m on a Thursday. Despite having opened only three weeks ago, REDCAN reservations are that hard to come by. And, as it happily turns out, with good reason.
REDCAN (the owner’s mother had an affinity for cans of Coca-Cola) occupies the space where Trailbreak Tacos used to be. The room’s been refurbished and spiffed up a bit though it retains that come-as-you-are vibe that is part of White River Junction. Even at 5:00 p.m., the place was packed, the servers moving with swift efficiency.
But you would be there for the food. Small plates, beautifully presented and tasty, with many vegetable-forward options. Pick a few to hoard or to share, and keep the menu at the table in case you want to add on to your order as you make your way through the likes of lobster salad with burrata, handmade ravioli (only one, but larger than the usual), crab cake, charred asparagus. The honey-ginger carrots with housemade hummus will cause you to abandon your fork and eat those orange and purple beauties with your fingers. We judiciously declined the bread board, only to change our minds mid-meal, and were presented with a generous mound of focaccia with compound butters. Speciality cocktails and mocktails are available. And, a rarity for the Upper Valley, there’s an oyster bar.
REDCAN is open Tuesday through Saturday, 4:00 to 9:00 p.m., at 129 S. Main Street, White River Junction, Vermont. Here’s the menu. Reservations advised.
——————————————————
Thank you! You’re reading Artful, a blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley, and I hope you’ll subscribe (still free) and then share this post with your friends and on your social media. We are now just under 3000 subscribers.
Artful will continue through my moving house although it may be a little scarcer over the next couple of weeks.
And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.