Rare Earth Is Now Open In Former Melt Space, Full Menu Still To Come

Rare Earth, the new restaurant from the owners of Melt, which previously occupied the same space at 440 Bergen Street, is officially open, though the menu is light right now and will be filled out in the next week or so.

The space — which was renovated, but pretty much has the same layout as Melt — has some seating near the sliding glass doors, which makes it a good place to sit and people-watch.

Though there are only a few dishes to eat right now, they do have a full bar, with wines by the glass between $8-10, several beers on tap like One and Done Farmhouse Ale ($8) and Stone Ruination IPA ($9), plus six summer-inspired cocktails.

We tried the Rare Melon & Pickleback Shot ($12, pictured above), which is a refreshing mix of watermelon juice and cucumber-infused vodka, and is the sort of drink you could imagine enjoying at a an upscale backyard barbecue on a muggy mid-summer night.

There are currently five dishes to choose from — including a grilled octopus for $12 and smoked deviled eggs for $7 — and we tried the vegetarian white quinoa ($12), loaded with summer vegetables and toasted pine nuts and tossed in a bright vinaigrette. Sometimes you end up feeling dutiful about quinoa — you know it’s good for you, but maybe it tastes heavy and mushy, and you try to power through anyway. Not this dish, though. It’s served cold, is cooked just right, and is just the thing, again, for a hot summer night. You won’t feel loaded down — you can let the humidity do that for you, instead.

Has anyone else stopped by yet? If so, what did you think?