New Leadership Takes the Helm Newport Harbor Island Resort, the 258-room luxury property on Goat Island, has appointed John Barth as Director of Food & Beverage, overseeing 1639 restaurant alongside room service, banquets, catering, and four additional dining outlets: Torpedo Bar & Lounge, The Firepits, The Bakery, and The Pineapple Club. Barth brings more than two decades of hospitality leadership, including prior roles as Director of Food & Beverage for The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa in Manchester, Vermont, and Director of Food & Beverage for Pyramid Global Hospitality. He is currently writing a book on hospitality leadership. "Newport Harbor Island is already well-recognized for its exceptional dining and guest service," Barth said. "I'm looking forward to leveraging my expertise to enhance the property's robust menu offerings and beverage program while inspiring our on-site team to become industry examples through strategic operations, revenue optimization and organizational leadership." Barth works alongside Assistant Director of Food & Beverage Grigore Cosolovschi and Executive Chef of Outlets Eleasar 'Chef El' Conoz.
1639 Menu and Programming The refreshed 1639 dining concept emphasizes New England coastal cuisine with contemporary execution. The restaurant sits on Goat Island along Newport Harbor and features a raw bar, house-made pastas, and locally sourced seafood and meats. Signature dishes on the new menu include a seafood platter with oysters from Martha's Vineyard and Duxbury waters, spaghetti alla chitarra with Maine lobster in sherry wine cream sauce and snap peas, Nova Scotian halibut on a crispy potato nest with peperonata sauce and corn puree, and a wagyu tomahawk ribeye with options including red chimichurri or Nebbiolo reduction jus. The reimagined cocktail program features offerings such as the "1639 Smoked Old Fashioned" with Whistle Pig Bourbon, homemade vanilla syrup, and Angostura bitters.
Event Programming and Reservations Barth announced a calendar of experiential dining events to complement the menu refresh. "We're seeing an increased number of visitors seeking more immersive and experiential dining events, so in addition to our updated menu, we're introducing a rotating calendar of dining events to the 1639 lineup," Barth said. "These experiences will showcase the best of our new offerings, from weekly Golden Hour cocktail specials and Sunday Harbor Suppers to quarterly curated wine and spirit dinners, which will pair vintages and specialty liquors with menu items that draw on coastal Rhode Island traditions and contemporary culinary trends." Reservations are available at newportharborisland.com/dine/1639/.
Why It Matters
The appointment of an experienced multi-unit F&B leader and the repositioning of 1639 signal renewed focus on dining revenue at a major Northeast coastal resort. The emphasis on event programming—Golden Hour cocktails, wine dinners, themed supper nights—reflects operator strategy to drive frequency and per-cover spend beyond à la carte dining, a tactic gaining traction among high-end hotel restaurants.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
