Worthwild bills itself a destination for adventurists and undeniably the proprietors don't just talk the talk; they're triathlete- and ironman-types, and one of them is actually endeavoring to paddle across the ATLANTIC OCEAN in a 20 foot rowboat come springtime. As wild as that is, however, the restaurant itself is pretty contained, although super cozy and comfortable; think of it more as fuel for the adventure and a haven thereafter, rather than the adventure itself.
We started off with some absolutely great roasted shisito peppers, their blistery skins dusted with crystalline flakes of salt for crunch, and espelette for some added punch. Potted crab would have been my second choice, scented with lemon and served with toast, but I had decided on scallops for my entree so held off on doubling-down on the seafood and went for the veg, and happily so. Not that things from the garden are scarce here- there are leeks vinaigrette, two lovely salads and by far my favorite thing of the night, a grilled artichoke, simply split and assertively charred, softening the tough petals into potato chip-like
crisps. I pretty much look forward to artichokes in any form, but these were stellar.
They also seemed like they would go along nicely with the baked scallops and mushrooms I chose for my entree, but it was a little less successful. Both the mollusks and the mushrooms were underdone, the dish arrived barely-warm and more than barely under seasoned. It was doubly disappointing in a dish that read from the menu as kind of a decadent splurgey kind of thing, with its creamy, casserole-esque format, but came off sort of insipidly timid. Fully cooking it and maintaining the serving temperature would've cured this- a problem of execution not conception.
Roasted duck was a nice, wintery dish, served with a buttery mash of sweet potatoes plonked with tangy huckleberries, its skin wonderfully crispy and meat fall-off-the-bone juicy and tender. Lacking in a real vegetable component
, my tablemate supplemented this with a creamy Swiss chard gratin, lightly gratinéed, but rich enough to counter the earthiness of the chard.
Desserts are nostalgic, inspired by a grade-school birthday party kind of yummy, think birthday cake o' the day (sic), a campfire sundae (s'mores?) and "warm hot sweet thangs", which I'm imagining were doughnuts and perhaps a molten caramel sauce or hot fudge. A nice homey cobbler would've been a welcome addition to the starchier roster currently on hand. I prefer fruit desserts, and I really wanted to linger in the cabin-like space, what with the icy clear winter night just outside the glass French doors that open onto a small patio behind the dining room. A small fir twinkled with Christmas lights out there, echoing the festively decorated room and really comfortable, convivial atmosphere of the restaurant. The room made me wish the dessert options were more appealing, and frankly, that the food had been overall better. But Worthwild is still worthy a visit, perhaps even repeat ones, given its neighborhoodiness and relaxed, welcoming vibe. Some minor tweaks to improve the food could make it even more worthy your while.
We started off with some absolutely great roasted shisito peppers, their blistery skins dusted with crystalline flakes of salt for crunch, and espelette for some added punch. Potted crab would have been my second choice, scented with lemon and served with toast, but I had decided on scallops for my entree so held off on doubling-down on the seafood and went for the veg, and happily so. Not that things from the garden are scarce here- there are leeks vinaigrette, two lovely salads and by far my favorite thing of the night, a grilled artichoke, simply split and assertively charred, softening the tough petals into potato chip-like
crisps. I pretty much look forward to artichokes in any form, but these were stellar.
They also seemed like they would go along nicely with the baked scallops and mushrooms I chose for my entree, but it was a little less successful. Both the mollusks and the mushrooms were underdone, the dish arrived barely-warm and more than barely under seasoned. It was doubly disappointing in a dish that read from the menu as kind of a decadent splurgey kind of thing, with its creamy, casserole-esque format, but came off sort of insipidly timid. Fully cooking it and maintaining the serving temperature would've cured this- a problem of execution not conception.
Roasted duck was a nice, wintery dish, served with a buttery mash of sweet potatoes plonked with tangy huckleberries, its skin wonderfully crispy and meat fall-off-the-bone juicy and tender. Lacking in a real vegetable component
, my tablemate supplemented this with a creamy Swiss chard gratin, lightly gratinéed, but rich enough to counter the earthiness of the chard. 
Desserts are nostalgic, inspired by a grade-school birthday party kind of yummy, think birthday cake o' the day (sic), a campfire sundae (s'mores?) and "warm hot sweet thangs", which I'm imagining were doughnuts and perhaps a molten caramel sauce or hot fudge. A nice homey cobbler would've been a welcome addition to the starchier roster currently on hand. I prefer fruit desserts, and I really wanted to linger in the cabin-like space, what with the icy clear winter night just outside the glass French doors that open onto a small patio behind the dining room. A small fir twinkled with Christmas lights out there, echoing the festively decorated room and really comfortable, convivial atmosphere of the restaurant. The room made me wish the dessert options were more appealing, and frankly, that the food had been overall better. But Worthwild is still worthy a visit, perhaps even repeat ones, given its neighborhoodiness and relaxed, welcoming vibe. Some minor tweaks to improve the food could make it even more worthy your while.
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