Red Rock Bistro
141 Humphrey Street
Swampscott, MA 01907
781-595-1414
An informal yet elegant spot overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, The Red Rock Bistro in Swampscott boasts spectacular views of both the Boston skyline (which is just eleven miles away) and stunning sunsets over Swampscott Harbor.
Making the most of local, seasonal ingredients the innovative American menu leans heavily towards fish and seafood with perennial New England favorites taking their place among more contemporary fare. Locals also love Red Rock’s outdoor patios, Sunday jazz brunch, the extensive wine list and signature martinis.
Red Rock Bistro Hosts Vodka Shoot Out
Reserve your front-and-center seat for Red Rock Bistro's Vodka Shoot Out on Wednesday, January 21st.
Red Rock Starts 2009 with 2 Anniversary Specials
Chef Lee Fannon keeps the Red Rock Bistro year-long anniversary celebration going with two January specials.
6 at 7 at Swampscott's Red Rock Bistro
Red Rock Bistro continues 6 at 7, its Tuesday night wine and spirits tasting series.
Lee Fannon
Chef at Red Rock Bistro
Lee Fannon, Executive Chef at Red Rock Bistro since summer of 2005, grew up in a food-focused household, where both his mother and his grandmother encouraged him to bake. As early as high school, Fannon was working in a local "fry shack" and dreaming of a career in the culinary arts.
After high school, Fannon headed to the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. While in school, he got his first taste of the Boston restaurant scene interning under Chef Jamie Mammano at Mistral in the South End. Once he graduated, Fannon headed back to Boston, working his way through several key kitchen positions under Chef-Owner Tony Ambrose at Ambrosia on Huntington. He soon landed at the Red Rock Bistro, in Swampscott as Pastry Chef, where his skill with chocolate, pastry dough and New England fruit desserts soon made him a favorite among North Shore diners.
The versatile Chef soon abandoned his love affair with sugar and switched to the savory side of the Red Rock kitchen. Fannon is enthusiastic about the dayboat fish and shellfish he has to work with and the encouragement he gets from Red Rock's owners when it comes to using top quality ingredients in creative ways.
"You don't need to stay in the big city to eat fine food," says Fannon, who's well on his way to making Swampscott an unparalleled dining destination all year round.
- Aïoli
- 1. noun A blend of ail (garlic) and oli (oil) in the parlance of the Provence region of southern France. Around here, we'd call it a garlic mayonnaise.
- Assiette
- 1. noun French for "assortment," as in cheeses.
- Beurre blanc
- 1. noun A thick sauce of butter, white wine and vinegar.
- Champ
- 1. noun An Irish favorite of mashed potatoes, green onions and butter.
- Chorizo
- 1. noun Crumbly, spiced pork sausage.
- Compote
- 1. noun Slow-cooked fruit in syrup.
- Haricot vert
- 1. noun A green string bean with French attitude.
- Infuse
- 1. noun The flavor extracted from herbs, spices, tea or coffee by steeping them in boiling water. The liquid derived from the process of infusing is also called an infusion.
- Jus
- 1. noun French for juice, jus also refers to the unthickened juices from a piece of roasted meat.
- Nage
- 1. noun This culinary buzzword usually indicates a bouillon with (among other things) white wine, shallots and herbs.
- Niçoise
- 1. noun Dishes typical of cuisine from the Nice, France, region, where garlic, black olives, anchovies and tomatoes are nearly always part of the mix.
- Oxtail
- 1. noun A very flavorful cut of meat usually from beef or veal tail. Can be very tough so, often requires long, slow braising.
- Pesto
- 1. noun An Italian sauce traditionally made with basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and Romano and Parmesan cheeses.
- Polenta
- 1. noun A slow-cooked cornmeal porridge popular in northern Italy; can be served soupy or firm, sometimes fried.
- Puttanesca
- 1. noun Spicy, bold tomato sauce (hence the name, deriving from the Italian word for whore) made distinct with anchovies, capers and black olives.
- Ragu
- 1. noun Tomato and meat sauce from Bologna.
- Tartare
- 1. noun Ground or finely chopped, seasoned raw meat (traditionally beef). May or may not come mounded, and with a raw egg.
- Yuzu
- 1. noun A tangy citrus fruit with flavorful rind.