Providence and Newport for a week in May

[Lonnie]

Hubby and I will be taking a week's vacation in Newport for the first time ever. The last time I was in that part of New England was when I was a teen. We'll be looking to just eat our way around the area, and find some decent coffee, too. Our particular interests: solid quality in just about any cuisine, great seafood, anything "ethnic" (Portuguese? Asian? Latin American?), authentic old diners for breakfast. And the nearly impossible-to-find: a great down-home breakfast with really good coffee. We can do about two all-out splurges, then have to look for value the rest of the time.

This is the list I've come up with so far having tried to do my research here at e-gullet:

Rue de L'Espoir

Lucky Garden

Gracie’s

New Rivers

Breakfast:

Rufful’s in Wayland Sq

Skipper’s on Hope St.

Modern Diner (maybe for dinner, too!)

I think all of the above are more like in the Providence area. Are all of the above still good? What else is a must-do? Any recommendations for Newport itself, particularly breakfast?

We'll be in the area from May 7 until May 12. Would love to do coffee or a meal with any e-gulleters from the area.

Lonnie

Syracuse, NY

lonniechu@gmail.com

[ErinB]

In terms of Providence:

The best breakfast in Providence is at Nick's on Broadway. And they have really good coffee there. If you can go during the week, that is your best bet. It's gourmet diner type food.

For ethnic, Mexico is good authentic Mexican hole in the wall. It is a little out of the way, you have to travel down atwell's ave past the italian neighborhood.

The only high end places of been in Providence are Chez Pascal and New Rivers. Both really great, but two different experiences.

Edited April 24, 2006 by ErinB (log)

[WHS]

In Newport there's Franklin Spa on Spring St for a good diner breakfast. It's a local institution that serves things like Azorean omelets (with chourico) and crab cakes benedict. If you're into ceramics and tableware, there's a great store down the street called Roy that sells beautiful things including Heathware and a line of pewter from Italy called Match.

We had a fancy brunch at the Castle Hill Inn. Lobster Hash, Lamb & eggs, spectacular desserts. The location is great--just off Ocean Drive with a view of the water.

We enjoyed dinner at Mama Luisa's, which has an extensive wine list and a good selection of Northern Italian dishes. It's way down at the far end of Thames St.

Nancy, the owner of Roy, also suggested a place called Salvation Cafe for dinner. Asian fusion and where the locals eat. Since we were only there for the weekend, we didn't have time to try it.

[ErinB]

Also, if you want to go all out (very very expensive) go to The Spiced Pear in Newport.

Also, for Korean, go to Sun and Moon in East Providence, on Warren Ave.

Edited April 24, 2006 by ErinB (log)

[OwnReward]

Also, if you want to go all out (very very expensive) go to The Spiced Pear in Newport.

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I think Spiced Pear has had a chef change recently... has anyone heard results?

I liked Ocean Breeze Cafe on Thames when I was in the area for brunch/lunch...very reasonable....

KV

[menton1]

Absolute best breakfast is in a gentrified part of town, on Wickenden. The Brickway, 234 Wickenden St, has awesome breakfasts. For a unique treat, get some New York system weiners at Olneyville. In spite of the name, these hot dogs are unique to Providence. 18 Plainfield St. Great seafood specialties, like giant stuffed quahogs (clams) and clam cakes are best at Carrie's, 1035 Douglas avenue.

If you're brave, you'll try some "CoffeeMilk" at a fountain. Too sweet for my taste, though.

[Chris Amirault]

For breakfast, don't go to Brickway unless you want greasy eggs, bad bacon, and flabby pancakes. Instead, hit Modern Diner in Pawtucket for, well, anything save the home fries, JP Spoonems in Cranston for jonnycakes, and Jiggers in East Greenwich for great pancakes.

There are lots of good Central/Latin American places in Providence, several on Atwells Ave/Manton Ave, including the aforementioned Mexico (just mediocre), Mi Guatemala for, obviously, Guatemalan, and Chilangos for street Mexican.

Though we disagree on many things, menton1 is spot-on concerning one thing: you must have weiners while you're here. Hit the Olneyville spot in Olneyville or Cranston, or (my favorite) Original NY System on Smith St. Wash it down with a Del's frozen lemonade, stands for which will be open widely in the next week or two.

edited to add: I think I'm hitting one of the two Bolivian places on Chalkstone Ave tomorrow night. If so, I'll report back!

Edited April 26, 2006 by chrisamirault (log)

[menton1]

Let me just reiterate my kudos for the Brickway. You can't please everyone, but most folks love the place. Here is a blurb from The Daily Jolt, a Brown University student newspaper:

Brickway is absolutely fantastic. I cannot describe how much I love going there on a weekend morning, sitting outside, and getting the most delicious brunch i've had in Providence. My personal favorite breakfast for when I'm starving: apple juice, coffee,water, their AMAZING banana pancakes (short stack), and the Norwegian omelet (fried potato chunks, sour cream, smoked salmon). I have never been unhappy with their service, nor their food, and their coffee is good for the mass-brewed type. The service is what I actually enjoy most about it. Oftentimes, I'll just go alone and read a book outside while I eat, and they actually don't treat single customers like shit. A lot of establishments will get pissed because single people take up a table for two, and aren't ordering as much. However, I've always been treated with excellent, friendly service, and have always gotten seated rapidly despite their popularity. The last time I was there, my waitress checked up on me enough to make sure all was well and my coffee was filled, yet didn't bug me so much that I couldn't read - she was excellent. Altogether, their omelets are the best in Providence, you can always get exactly what you want for breakfast, and the quality and service are superb.

[Lonnie]

Oh my! I go away for a day or two and in come all these wonderful ideas! I don't think a week is long enough to do all the required meals....

Thanks so much to all of you.

Lonnie

[ErinB]

menton1, when's the last time you've gone to the Brickway? I'm only asking because someone recommended I go there, raving about how great it was, and I was completely underwhelmed.

Maybe it used to be better, but at this point in Providence, there are definitely places that are WAY better. At this point, it's basically just an average breakfast place in Providence.

[menton1]

menton1, when's the last time you've gone to the Brickway?  I'm only asking because someone recommended I go there, raving about how great it was, and I was completely underwhelmed. 

Maybe it used to be better, but at this point in Providence, there are definitely places that are WAY better.  At this point, it's basically just an average breakfast place in Providence.

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Please reread my post. I said: "You can't please everyone". The place is also consistently packed with customers.

[Chris Amirault]

So is McDonalds.

What exactly do you like to order at Brickway, menton1?

[menton1]

So is McDonalds. 

What exactly do you like to order at Brickway, menton1?

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Are you challenging my judgement or my veracity by this contentious question? And do you equate somehow the food at Brickway to that of McDonald's?

[Chris Amirault]

I'm just pointing out that the post suggests that popularity and quality have a relationship. And I'm sincerely interested to know what you think is good at Brickway.

[Lonnie]

Okay, folks, a quick report on what we ended up eating and where.

We wandered into Newport late the first night and the only thing open and easy to find was the Brick Alley restaurant. The food was delicious and kept being so each time we went there. Not totally spectacular, but good. The place is immaculate. Heard some horror stories about fleas biting the ankles of wait staff at another restaurant in town because they clean the kitchen mats only once a WEEK!!!

Great coffee at Ocean Coffee - really great.

And breakfast? We found the Blue Plate Diner just up the road from our hotel, in Middletown. We couldn't bring ourselves to have breakfast anywhere else, it was sooo good. Everything there is made from scratch, the coffee is Seattle's Best - pretty good for diner coffee - and the staff was not only friendly to us, they were a hoot to watch. They seemed to genuinely enjoy each other's company. Very unusual in a restaurant! I kept ordering the same omelet because I'll never get it here in Syracuse. What-all was in it? I don't remember... let's see, some really sweet onions, some kind of cheese, and... chourico (pronounced there as "cherisse"), that marvellous Portuguese sausage that's all over New England but doesn't make it into upstate New York. It was pure heaven. Okay, the wheat bread was pedestrian, so on our last day we brought our own ridiculously meaty sprouted-wheat-and-seeds bread and asked them to toast it for us. The waitress was very kind and even said she did that herself sometimes. But from then on, we were the subjects of lighthearted jokes about "the Syracusans who bring their own bread." It was great fun, and we'll go back there first whenever we return.

We did go to Providence one day, but it was raining hard and steadily and the wind was blowing. Very unpleasant for walking around much. We ended up holed up in Venda Ravioli up on Federal Hill, and that was quite alright with us. They had everything in there to keep us happy: Italian groceries, prepared foods, kitchenware, espresso, gelato, homemade canoli, and an Italian barista with that unique combination of charm and elegance that Americans just can't imitate, ever.

We finished that day off with a visit to New Rivers, and it was, of course, outstanding. We ate fois gras for the first time (yeah, we're newbie foodies) and thought we'd died and gone to heaven. I do not remember the rest of the meal. Sorry. I do remember the effect: essentially we were very pleased with the meal. Something was a bit not quite up to snuff but it couldn't have been terribly important. The place is small and the conversation going on literally at my back was... well... annoying. Everyone trying to impress everyone. But what the heck. The whole thing was worth it just for the fois gras alone.

Thanks to everyone for your tips. I'll refer back to them for the next time go to that area, which we hope is again sometime soon!

Lonnie

[Chantilly Bob]

The place is small and the conversation going on literally at my back was... well... annoying.  Everyone trying to impress everyone.

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Lonnie: Are you sure it just wasn't the RI accents you found annoying?

[Lonnie]

The place is small and the conversation going on literally at my back was... well... annoying.  Everyone trying to impress everyone.

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Lonnie: Are you sure it just wasn't the RI accents you found annoying?

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Oh, not at all! Hubby and I were having fun the whole vacation doing our best at imitations. He won hands down.

Lonnie