Providence RI Restaurants

[denise_madison]

Going up to Providence next weekend? Any great restaurants with great wine lists?

Like New American and great seafood. Also where the best place for sushi?

Denise

[researchgal]

There are so many great places to choose from. Empire located across from the Trinity Rep is great and probably would be considered new American. There's always Al Forno, especially if you've never been there. Also, Neath's is fantastic, they have a Thai lobster noodle dish that is killer. All of these have very good wine lists.

Haven't been to the Providence Oyster Bar, but heard it is very good for seafood, obviously oysters in particular.

Haven't had sushi in Providence, so not sure what to recommend on that front.

Have fun!

[chopjwu12]

I agree with researchgal. Empire was preety good and i had a very good meal at al forno. But i didnt get much sushi while i was up there.

Try going to

My Webpage

There is a list if restaurants there

[speidec]

As far as Providence restaurants go, Gracie's is the best. The food is outstanding and the atmosphere is perfect. This place is tiny (maybe 30 seats), but you'd think you are dining is SoHo.

[Rail Paul]

As far as Providence restaurants go, Gracie's is the best.  The food is outstanding and the atmosphere is perfect.  This place is tiny (maybe 30 seats), but you'd think you are dining is SoHo.

Where is Gracie's? Any suggestions on their specialties?

Thanks

[speidec]

gracie's is on atwell's avenue(federal hill) they have a website also, graciesprov.com, I think it is pretty current with menus, etc... the oyster dish is awesome, as is the foie gras.

[robert brown]

My pal Louie the foodie, whose taste is virtually unerring (barely a single example of Cabernet Sauvignon among his 3000 cases of wine); who has lived in Providence for over 30 years; and wears his gourmandness with quiet confidence, calls Empire the best restaurant in town.

[chefb]

Union station brewery, great upscale pub food, homemade beers.

Cafe Neuovo, contenporary foods on the waterfront

[CathyL]

I had a very nice dinner at Empire last night. The place is lovely: floor-to-ceiling windows, serenely simple decor, soft candlelight everywhere.

We ordered the house French fries for the table, and they were excellent - brown, crisp, potato-y - served with homemade ketchup and lemon mayonnaise. Other starters were fine: Russian beef borscht (a little light on beet flavor) and spinach/arugula salad with bacon, portobellos and Gorgonzola (a little too generously dressed with oil & balsamic).

Entrées: roasted quail stuffed with pumpkin was nicely cooked and deeply flavored; spaghetti carbonara (minus the bacon since my dad doesn't eat pig) was rich, lush and topped with a fried egg; perfectly seared sea scallops with caramelized onions were garnished with a large mushroom ravioli that needed less dough and more filling. My nephew ordered manica del frate ("monk's leaves"), a large sheet of tender pasta, which was draped over braised Asian greens and Italian sausage, a nice mix of textures and bitter/sweet/salty flavors.

Dishes are beautifully presented and portions are almost too generous. (No one had room for dessert.) Our server was warm, accommodating and very knowledgeable about the menu. No wonder - it turns out she's chef/owner Loren Falsone, who works the floor incognito one night a week. She told me she loves the customer contact and finds the direct feedback invaluable. I wish more chefs would adopt this practice.

[Liz Johnson]

Any new suggestions? I have a last-minute trip coming up.

I'm guessing our Saturday night meal will be at Al Forno, since we've never been. Any thoughts on what to order?

Also, any recommendations on a place to stay?

[Aquitaine]

My vote goes to Neath's, also. Both times I went, I was happy with both with the quiet (can talk with companions) and the food. Be prepared for a much more bustly scene at Al Forno....Best known for their thin-crust pizza (in case you didn't already know)

I've heard that Cav (14 Imperial Place, 401/751-9164) is definitely worth checking out....

[speidec]

I still say Gracie's on Atwell's Avenue:Graciesprov.com Tiny, but powerful

[DTHEASH1]

Mills Tavern is fantatic. I had the short ribs. My wife had tuna. I'm not sure about the wine list, we were able to find a wine we liked, but I don't remember how extensive the list was. Try the mushrooms also.

[Liz Johnson]

John Mariani's newsletter this week discusses Providence:

Mariani

[Suzanne F]

The current (April 2003) issue of Chef magazine has a piece about the chef/owner of XO Cafe in Providence having trademarked "The Greatest Burger on Earth " -- sirloin mixed with duck fat, stuffed with barbecued duck confit and black truffles; rubbed with smoked grey Danish salt and Madagascar pepper; sauteed in butter; topped with pate de foie gras; served on a brioche roll with microgreens and tomato chutney. Accompanied by housemade potato chips drizzled with Gorgonzola cream. $24, dinner and late night.

Well, anyway, it's in Providence.

[Al_Dente]

This is a long shot, but I'm going to be arriving at Providence airport early Monday morning and driving south to meet with clients. I'll have a couple of hours to kill on the way down.

Any "must go to" places for breakfast?

[cigalechanta]

I like Al Forno, as the best of all.

[VivreManger]

After all these recommendations I tried Empire during the summer, a celebratory dinner for a 92 year old's birthday. I was disappointed.

The seared tuna salad that I ordered lacked oomph. The tuna did not go well with the nondescript potato salad that dominated the vegetables. My aunt's filet was fine, but nothing spectacular. My daughter had a cold avocado soup that was rich and satsifying, but could have used a bit more assertive and intriguing spicing. We kept on adding more lime.

The chocolate pot de creme was rich and savory, perhaps the best dish of the evening.

[speidec]

Empire closed for good, Loren Falsone is out and a new owner will take over the space soon. It was the textbook example of how not to run a restaurant.

[ErinB]

I'm going to be in Providence for 3 days next week. We'll probably be doing at least one dinner out at a nice place and also will be looking for some places for lunch. I'll be staying at the Westin.

I went through the previous posts and it seems like these are the suggestions:

Alforno: Italian, which I've heard excellent things about, especially their baked pastas.

Neath's: What kind-of cuisine is this? Can anyone elaborate more on this?

Gracie's: New-American

XO Cafe: ??

Does anyone have any other suggestions? I'm looking for:

• lunch options with good food close to my hotel
  
• any great ethnic food
  
• if i had to choose 1 high end meal, where should i go?
  

I'll post a full review after my trip.

[newsbabe]

I tried L'Epicureo on Atwell's and it was marvelous! Best risotto I've had since Italy.

[Brad S]

Heres Al Fornos web site

http://www.alforno.com/Main%20Page.htm

I wish it was around when I went to collage in RI.

[ErinB]

Does anyone know anything about the ethnic option in Providence? Thai, Middle-Eastern, Greek, Etc?

[Chris Amirault]

Does anyone know anything about the ethnic option in Providence?  Thai, Middle-Eastern, Greek, Etc?

←

Thai: Pakarang on North Main gets the best reviews, and is a bit overpriced; the best pad thai (if that's what you really want) is at Siam Square in the northern end of the city.

There are no middle-eastern restaurants that I know of save for East Side Pockets on Thayer St, which is the ol' reliable felafel joint in town. There are good middle eastern stores (Baroudi on Smith Hill, and another shop on Mineral Spring Ave), however.

Greek? Couldn't tell you. It's all... oh, well, you know the rest.

Someone earlier in this post asked about Japanese food, the best of which is Haruki, on Rt 5 in Cranston and a new one in Wayland Square in Prov.

The most significant "ethnic" food in Providence involves the cuisines of recent arrivals to our town, including Guatemalans (Mi Guatemala on Atwells), Vietnamese (House of Noodles on Rt. 2 [Reservoir Ave] in nearby Cranston), and Cambodian (the crowded and ever-popular pan-Asian Apsara on Elmwood Ave). You can also drive down Broad St on a Saturday and try just about every Puerto Rican, Dominican, or Guatemalan item from the cafeterias and chimi-trucks.

Lucky Garden, Smith St in N Providence, for great dim sum and Hong Kong dinners -- though the owner's cousin's restaurant has closed (thank god) and he's now in the kitchen, causing several of us regulars to panic. Ask explicitly for the "Chinese menu"; if you get served bread, make a big deal about sending it back, to prove you're not there for egg foo young.

Haruki, on Rt 5 in Cranston and a new one in Wayland Square in Prov, for the best Japanese food in town (usually fresh, relatively cheap, but it ain't Nobu).

Do NOT eat at any asian restaurant on Hope Street on the east side, particularly ones with names like this!

As for other restaurants, we eat at the Red Fez, Peck St downtown Prov, once every two weeks. It's a funky place serving several staple items that are great (grilled cheese sandwich, bowl of asian noodles, etc.) with rotating specials.

I'm also an Al Forno fan, but I know dozens of people who can't stand the place. New Rivers is solid, as is Mills Tavern (as long as you get decent wait staff), and Neath's (fusion-y cuisine, but not so fusion that Vo Dihlundahs would leave in droves). And for a city with a huge Italian (and Italian restaurant) population, the Italian food is largely unremarkable save for homey joints like Angelos Civita Farnese on Atwells.

I'm happy to try to provide more specific suggestions if you have questions!

[ErinB]

Thanks for the post. I actually went to East Side pockets. While the falafel, was acceptable, I was completely alarmed by the "everything" orders which consisted of people ordering hummus, tahini, hot peppers, hot sauce and a whole bunch of other crap on their falafel.

I'll probably try a few of the places and report back.