217 replies to this topic

[Chris Amirault]

I happen to think that Brickway is quite bad, especially at lunch, and Z is just ok, as are most/all of the Wickenden options. The area around RIC doesn't hold much, either.

Given your "straightforward" needs, I'd hit Rue de L'Espoir on (duh) Hope Street, just up from Wickenden (and down the street from my school!). Not perfect, but nails all the stuff you mention.

[Curlz]

Terrific. Thanks for the quick reply, Chris!

[feedmec00kies]

A little last minute, but I'm heading to Providence tomorrow for a conference Wednesday through Friday. I looked over posts from mid-2007 and later on here, but was wondering about current recommendations. I'll be staying near the Rhode Island Convention Center. I'm going to need lunch and dinner. I noted recommendations for the following:

• Murphy's Deli and Bar (near the Convention Center and on the cheaper end)
• Gracie's (Seems highly recommended)
• Local 121 (Noted that it was described as inconsistent in the past, but no updates)

I was wondering if there was anything else nearby/easy to get to that is known to be solid/good and inexpensive to moderately priced, both for lunch and dinner. I'll probably be dining alone, and I'm an adventurous eater, so offal or new cuisines are not a problem. I won't have a car, unfortunately, so I had to rule out the pho and korean recommendations I saw. Also, so how "walkable"/transit-able is this area for a New Yorker?

Thanks in advance!

[Chris Amirault]

The downtown area is wee and very walkable. You can get to Federal Hill as well if you don't mind crossing I-95 on an overpass.

Using your criteria, I think that the best downtown option for lunch is takeaway at Farmstead, a renowned cheese shop that has an outpost on Westminster with outstanding sandwiches; eGullet Society member Matt Jennings owns and ops. I don't think anything else downtown comes close.

For dinner, you might be able to put together a cheaper meal at Bacaro (small plate Italian) than at Gracie's, but not by much. For good grub in a relaxed environment you can check out Thee Red Fez (49 Pike St), which is quite a bit cheaper than either Gracie's or Bacaro. If you don't like tattoos and loud music, though, you might want to go somewhere else.

[rad1964]

I grew up in CT and right before I moved to CA we started a routine that to this day we still practice and that is going to Nordic Lodge in Charleston RI. (formerly Custy's) Right now the price is a whopping $82 / person! But like I said no trip back East was worthy without a visit to Nordic Lodge! 35 miles from Providence seems like such a short distance to indulge yourself! Nordic Lodge

I reccomend you have a friend drive, because leaving that place is like being on heroin (not that I know from experience)but you will want to take a nap for sure. ha-ha.

Rad

[Chris Amirault]

A favorite stop of bus tours heading to Mohegan Sun, Nordic Lodge is an all-you-can-eat joint that slaps steaks and lobsters on your table until you burst like Mr. Creosote in "Monty Python's Meaning of Life." Of all the non-chain places to eat in RI, Nordic Lodge is pretty close to the last place I'd send someone. (Twin Oaks is probably last.)

[John Rosevear]

Ah, but 40 years ago (before the fire), Twin Oaks was still a big deal in certain crowds -- my grandfather, a retired East Providence cop, loved that dump and used to talk about it as if it were the epitome of fine dining. (My parents, on the other hand, chose to schlep to Boston when actual fine dining was required -- this was before the Providence renaissance, when "fine dining" downtown meant Pot au Feu... or something like Ming Garden et al.) I haven't been in there in many years but I'm almost curious to see how awful it is nowadays.

Nordic Lodge, on the other hand, not so much.

[TimS]

Unfortunately, Twin Oaks is still considered by many to be 'fine dining'. One visit as a guest of my boss was enough to convince me that I'll never go back. He thought it was fabulous.

[Chris Amirault]

I've had many, many fantastic things at Cook & Brown Public House -- where (full disclosure) I'm on the bartending team -- and urge anyone interested in great food and drink to stop by. If you want a cocktail made by yours truly, stop by on Tuesday nights.

Tonight we decided to explore eateries in our new suburban neighborhood (Coventry/West Warwick). So it was evening dim sum at Silver Crystal (289 Cowesett Ave, West Warwick) -- which was pretty darned good. We'll have to select carefully: the har gaw, baby bok choy, and lotus leaf rice were the standouts, but there were some weak notes. Thankfully, the misses were mostly 5-year-old fare, like crab rangoon and scallion pancakes.

[Dryden]

I guess this is primarily a question for Chris, but if any other egulleteer want to weigh in... We're planning to be in boston for a few days in late August, and thought it would be nice to stop into Providence for a day to see the town, so planning to come in right after breakfast, have lunch in or near Providence, and then maybe grab a takeout dinner to eat on the way back to New York... but the day we will be there is Sunday, so it seems a lot of choices (Farmstead, unfortunately) won't be open...

In general, just looking for local/regional, price not a concern, and we'll have a car. Any suggestions? Having just said that, Minh Hai sounds pretty good of the choices that I've seen so far, but would love some more insight. If it helps, we're planning to hit Craigie on Main, TW Food, and B&G Oysters while we're in Boston.

Thanks!

[Chris Amirault]

Sunday most places at "lunchtime" are serving brunch. The quality favorites are Cook & Brown (where I work -- disclaimer), Nick's on Broadway (expect a titanic line), Julian's, and a few other places. You can also get extremely good dim sum at Lucky Garden in North Providence, and Minh Hai is a great bet too. but I'm not sure how local etc. that is.

[Dryden]

Is it more of a gastropubby brunch, or regular american stuff? Since my wife is Chinese and we're from new york, I'm thinking we're setting ourselves up to be disappointed with dim sum...

Any good takeaway food places for an early dinner you know of?

[Chris Amirault]

You want C&B or Nick's then for brunch. Both have high quality, locally sourced ingredients, and both feature those in their brunch menus.

Tell me what "takeaway dinner" means. That's gonna be tricky...!

[Dryden]

Basically, my wife will be taking the train back to New York with our son while I continue on with the car for work. So they're catching an Amtrak that gets into New York around 7 PM, and it would be good if they could eat something for dinner on the train that's, well, better than train food... :-)

[Chris Amirault]

You could hit any of a number of SE Asian markets for lort (ground pork and taro rolls), pad Thai, steamed bao, and more. If you're interested, go to Trinity Square on Broad St (where it joins with Elmwood) and hit the Mekong Market or the place across the street next to Pho Paradise. The same few women make all of those things and sell them at different shops in town.

You could also go to Meeting Street Cafe on Thayer Street for good sandwiches and massive cookies.

I'll keep thinking....

[vice]

Well, it's about time for my biannual 'What's new in the RI food scene?' post. I'll be back next week.

- Chris A, I'll save you the disclaimer - I hope to make at least one trip to Cook & Brown. You're there Tuesdays?
- I just saw that La Laiterie is doing a small chef's tasting now. Anyone tried it yet?

Anything else that's below the radar but not to be missed?

[Chris Amirault]

Yes, Tuesdays.

Matt and Ben are doing a lot of interesting stuff at La Laiterie these days. They just got a Beard House gig.

One note: the terrific Joe Hafner is no longer at Gracie's, which is a true loss. I don't know what else is happening there.

I'm always happy at Chez Pascal, and at their hot dog cart in Lippit Park, and at the food truck. I had a good but not great meal at New Rivers Monday night, but, well, it was Monday night.

[xxchef]

What a great thread. Chris - you're an awesome resource!

I am amazed at how the Providence food scene has "grown up" since I went to college in the late 70's-early 80's. Wow! As a very busy and penny-pinching student I rarely went to any decent restaurants. A couple of good, solid Family Italian places on the south side, a Greek place near Brown U when my folks came to town. I was more likely to visit a really dark and dirty early morning bar on Friendship (I think) that served huge and cheap Dagwood sub sandwiches that I still remember; or maybe Haven Brothers' trailer after getting off work in the wee hours of the morning. Jeez, Is Haven Bros still around? What an institution that was (is)!

Thanks for the great posts.

[Chris Amirault]

Thanks, xxchef. I try to stay on top of things, and now that my wife is out of grad school and has a nice job, we are able to get to places that, for a while, were off our radar. In addition, working at one of the excellent restaurants in town, I get some heretofore unavailable scuttlebutt.

Haven Brothers are still around and still producing food that is good only at 2a when you're snookered.

The Greek place on Thayer Street is Andrea's. Still there, astonishingly.

Your Dagwood may have come from the Sandwich Hut on North Main St, which is still there and still outstanding. I had an Al Italia sub yesterday, in fact, for lunch!

As for family Italian red sauce joints, I'm still partial to Mike's in the VFW hall in Cranston and, of course, Angelo’s Civita Farnese. Model train is still there....

[vice]

Thanks, Chris. Chez Pascal is always on my short list, and yet, somehow often falls by the wayside (haven't been in years). I'll fix that this time around.

[xxchef]

Chris-

Andrea's on Thayer - that's right! That was the first place I’d had a gyro not made from "pre-gurgitated" mystery meat and tzatziki sauce not made with some fake dairy product (so sue me – I had a sheltered upbringing!). By “Still there, astonishingly” do you mean that Andrea’s is, perhaps, not worthy of such a long run? That it might be living off something besides its inherent culinary merits (ummm, like location and a never-ending supply of new student/customers)?

I had to laugh at the mention of Tortilla Flats earlier in the thread. I can’t believe it is still in existence. I worked a brief stint at a Domino’s Pizza around the corner and, even with my ignorance about good Mexican food at the time; I knew it wasn’t.

I remember Sandwich Hut too. Glad they’re still going but that’s not the place I’m thinking of. This was a real stinking (literally) dive full of dock workers drinking tap ‘Gansetts with raw eggs and Tabasco at 6am. My shoes would stick to the floor on the way in to pick up the sandwiches from the bartender. What was I even thinking eating food from there? But the sandwiches were great.

Thanks. This is a real trip down memory lane for me as I haven't been in Providence in almost 30 years.

Oh. Another place I remember was Vinnie’s Deli on Douglas Ave(?). I lived near there for a while and the owner introduced me to sopressata and a really good dried beef cold cut (probably bresaola?). He always had great bread too.

[Chris Amirault]

So where did you end up going?

[Chris Amirault]

Great write-up from Tom Siestema at the Washington Post on Providence restaurants, noting Persimmon, La Laiterie, and Cook & Brown Public House. I'm on the cocktail team, so I'm very proud of these two paragraphs in particular -- and of "secret ingredient" Hannah Kirschner!

As with the food, the cocktails at Cook & Brown reflect the owners' desire to "do what we think is great," says Nemo. Cook & Brown mixes a first-rate rye Manhattan and a Jakewalk with just the right splashes of tequila, white rum, elderflower liqueur and lime. Thin stone coasters support each drink. My friends and I are captivated by the attention that mix master Hannah Kirshner lavishes on a trio of anonymous customers; the bar manager's graciousness on a busy Friday night is equaled by her smooth bar skills.

Before we leave, Kirschner passes out handwritten instructions for making the cocktails we like best. I appreciate knowing exactly how much mescal, Aperol, lime and maraschino liqueur go into a proper (smoky and floral) Division Bell. But I know that whatever I whip up back home can't possibly compete with Cook & Brown's version. She is, after all, its secret ingredient.

[vice]

So where did you end up going?

I'm afraid this was directed towards me. I'm embarrassed that it's taken me til the eve of my next trip back to Rhode Island to report back on the previous one—-apologies all around. Luckily I did have some notes (some more complete than others) to jog my memory.


Cook & Brown
I stopped in for a quick bite and a drink served by our own Chris Amirault, a consummate host despite the fact that he was flying solo on a busy night. He and his colleagues behind the bar have definitely put together the best cocktail program that I've encountered in Providence thus far. I started off with the Famiglia Royale, a Negroni on the rocks, topped up with prosecco. Such a simple tweak to a classic, but very well conceived. It was a great way to cut through what, at the time, was a very humid Providence summer. I now have this little gem tucked away and will be repurposing it as a brunch drink, served up in a flute, as soon as the opportunity arises.

To eat, I had a small plate of bluefish prepared two ways: fritters, crusted in coarse breadrumbs (panko?), and nicely balanced by the horseradish mayo beneath; and rillettes atop crostini. Some pleasantly bitter baby greens alongside offset the richness of the fish. And thus the craving of this homesick New Englander for one of our great summer treats was sated.

After a brief chat about various intriguing bottles behind the bar, we settled on rum for the next drink, specifically the Doctor cocktail: Smith & Cross Jamaican rum, a slightly modified version of Erik Ellestad's Swedish Punsch, and lime juice. This was a lovely showcase both for the rum and the Swedish Punsch. I'm angry that I had overlooked this in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails for so long. It beats an apple a day by a mile.

So thanks again to Chris. He kindly introduced me to Nemo, Cook and Brown's chef-owner, and some folks around the bar (one of whom I actually knew but had never met in person; Rhode Island, small world, and all that). My overall impression is that C&B is a top-rate neighborhood joint, but also one that aspires to be and succeeds at being much more. I'm very jealous of the locals, and look forward to my next visit (which will hopefully be soon).


Chez Pascal
head cheese, sauce gribiche
country pâté, candied fennel
duck liver mousse, carmeleized onions
pork rilletes, pickled red pepper
cornichons, pickled fennel and carrot

Why has it been so long since I've been to Chez Pascal? They gave me what was, without a doubt, far and away, the best head cheese I've ever had. Ever. So delicate, so rich. Where other head cheese comes in firm slices, this melted. Is it just a more refined aspic holding all the face bits together? Other standouts included the pickled vegetables and the pâté. I confess that I've never been excited about rilletes of pork or duck—they always seem devoid of flavor relative to the unshredded meat, which is curious (contrast with salmon rilletes, or bluefish like the above, which never fail to please). These continued the trend. All told, Matt Gennuso might be doing the best charcuterie in the state right now, and so it's in everyone's interest to get back there and try it.


La Laiterie
Charcuterie platter of rabbit mortadella, pâté de campagne (pork, pistachio, smoked bacon), and chicken liver mousse. The liver flavor of the mousse was way too strong, and I like liver. Mortadella and pâté were both good.

Heirloom tomato salad, burrata, avocado, purslane. How can you not enjoy a salad like this at the height of summer? Also, since when did RI restaurants discover purslane? I think I encountered it three separate times on this trip.

Baby octopus, charred corn, green cherry tomato
Soft shell crab, pork belly, (unidentified large-leafed herb?), two sauces (one remoulade-like, the other a coarse chili sauce)
Grilled sea scallops, grilled white peach, potato, turnip puree, green goddess?, peach molasses
Pork head torchon, grilled peach. Torchon was like a fried doughnut filled with pork, intoxicating.


Other notable mentions include a chicken liver mousse at Nick's on Broadway that was textbook perfect, and the mutton curry at Not Just Snacks. In our prolonged separation, it continues to haunt my dreams.

[vice]

So after all that, and a promise to be more punctual next time, what's new and exciting in our little state? On my radar:

Persimmon, and now Persimmon Provisions. Never been (well, haven't had a chance for the latter), but everything I've heard sounds very promising.

Watching the twitter feed of La Laiterie's Ben Sukle is increasingly, mind-bendingly awesome. I'd love to do their tasting menu. Any idea if it's still only offered Friday and Saturday (which, over the course of my visit, are entirely obscured by the holidays -- #*@%)?

[Chris Amirault]

Dave, it was great to meet you and serve you. Thanks for the kind words.

I don't know about LL's tasting menu, but a Twitter DM to Matt or Ben would probably get you your answer.

[janeer]

I am headed back to the East Coast for the holidays tomorrow and will be in RI for the first week. Maybe see some of you

[Chris Amirault]

Would love to see you at Cook & Brown Sunday -- doing a cocktail workshop, in fact!

[janeer]

Have arrived in RI. Would love to come, BUT have a dinner party in LC. Are you open Monday?

[Chris Amirault]

Alas, no. But I can recommend lots of good places. What are you up for?