T's

T's Restaurant
1059 Park Ave
Cranston, RI 02910

Eat'n Park with an Italian influence. If you aren't from Western Pennsylvania, that remark probably doesn't make any sense. Think a dineresque family restaurant, kinda like a Cumberland Farms or Denny's.



Another week, another lunch out with the guys from work. Though this week, half the group ended up having "breakfast" for lunch in the form of giant omelets. The rest of us went for more traditional fare, though all with interesting names, such as the "the Supermodel", "Big Mambo".

Mine was the Big Mambo, a new to me, interpretation of a classic eggplant sandwich. Not an eggplant parm, per se, with no tomato sauce, but rather with bread slathered in a very well put together pesto sauce (disclosure, I'm not a fan of pesto, in general). The eggplant was well fried, the breading being nice and crisp, only mildly oily, and the eggplant cooked to to perfect tenderness without going all the way to mush. For a side I chose the squash seasonal without asking, expecting a fried squash, instead receiving a delicious cup of cubed, sweet butternut squash and raisins. While the squash didn't accompany the sandwich very well, the sweetness being too much of a contrast to the flavors of the sandwich, neverless an excellent preparation.

I apparently had a very disorganized brain, as I also decided to try the eggnog flavored coffee that was on offer. The flavor wasn't strong enough for me to really notice it, but the smell was there, inspiring me to start plotting my eggnog batches over the next several months.

The omelets were huge and reported as delicious. The sausage and cheese omelet reported to contain "real" sausage, instead of some frozen prepackaged food service item.

Atmosphere is typical family restaurant, nothing particularly special to call it out, breakfast served all day, coffee freely flowing (including eggnog and gingerbread flavors).

Price Range: $7-10 for lunch entrees, $5-10 for breakfast items.

Recommended? Yes.

Date of Dining: December 5, 2008

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3 Steeple Street

3 Steeple Street
125 Canal Street
Providence Rhode Island 02903

Situated in one of the oldest industrial buildings in the country (read their web page for more info), the building has a unique feel with exposed beams and posts and a combination of brick and stone walls. The lighting is kept dim, yielding an intimate feel. Tables are adequately spaced to feel like you have some privacy from neighboring tables. Walking in is an interesting experience, as the front entry is very narrow and cavelike, with nothing to see ahead but an opening onto one end of the bar.

Start out with the awesome. Best Creme Brulee I or my mother have ever had. The custard was perfectly smooth. It was a pleasure to move a bite around the mouth and wait for it to warm up. Absolutely no graininess. The caramelized sugar on top was a thick, even, crisp layer across the entire top. Continuing with the best part of dinner, my dessert was very good.

I'm very picky about my bread puddings, having grown up eating a custard concoction made from day old home made bread, arguably more custard than bread. I find that most restaurants bread puddings are dense, compacted and dry loaves of torn, seasoned bread. I must admit, I was happy to experience a lightly custardy dish of good bread, crisp on the exposed tops of the bread jutting from the custard base, and with the lower bread well integrated with a discernible custard. My mother's only complaint about desert was the lack of espresso and cappuccino.

The rest of our dining experience, while very tasty, had minor issues. All of the dishes that we ordered came out and seemed to be over cooked. My seared Ahi tuna was more to medium than rare and dry as a result. The wasabi mashed potatoes were good, but I found that the wasabi flavor was too subtle for me to detect. Finally, I found the accompanying vegetables very good, with a nice light sauce, reminiscent of a teriyaki, but lighter and better tasting.

My dining companions also mentioned that the chicken and duck seemed to be somewhat overdone or perhaps just cooked too close to the broiler. The Chicken Florentine was very good, but the tough and dry outside layer of chicken and tip detracted from the overall effect, though I was told it was accompanied very well as leftovers with my own homemade chicken giblet gravy. The Samurai Phils 5 Spice Duck was also very tasty, but slightly dry.

For appetizer, we shared the mediteranean plate, which featured an overly parsleyed tabouleh, an extremely good, if garlicy hummus, baba gahoush and fresh cucumbers and tomatoes. The plate had bland canned black olives substituted for the kalamata olives, a dissapointing choice.

We shared a very good bottle of wine, at 3.5 times the per glass cost, we felt it was a reasonable price. The wine menu is limited, covering the basic wine pallet, no outstanding choices, but no poor choices either.

Price Range: $18 - $25 entrees, $8-15 appetizers

Recommended? Needs further investigation. The desert's were great, dinners were good, perhaps just a little off the night I dined. Great, cozy atmosphere.


Date of Dining: November 28.

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Stanley's Burgers

Stanley's Famous Hamburgers
371 Richmond Street
Providence, RI




I received a tip many months ago that Stanley's had a really good hamburger that was worth making an effort to try. Lucky for me, my new coworkers have a standing lunch out every Friday. This should to lead to an uptick in local reviews, at least of places that serve a reasonably quick lunch.

I ate at Stanley's newer location in Providence's Jewelry District. Upon walking in, I immediately experienced the delightful smell of onion rings. The place resembles a diner or burger stand, similar to Johnny Rockets. The walls are decorated in cartoons, which of course one can't help think of Wimpy from the Popeye cartoon, or the characters that adorn Monopoly games.

We were seated quickly and perused the menus. My coworkers reminded each other and tipped me off that the single patty burgers were wimpy. While the menu describes the double-patty burgers as quarter pounders, I felt that it too, was wimpy. All burgers are served with grilled onions and pickles. Lettuce, tomato and cheese are extra at 69 cents for each pair. Burger combinations are traditional with offerings such as mushroom cheese, bacon cheese, peppers, etc.

We shared an extremely good plate of fries with cheese and bacon, fries with gravy and cheese and onion rings. I was disappointed in the mushroom cheeseburger (no extras) that I ordered. I felt that the patties were flavorless and as I mentioned above, wimpy. Without the toppings, I could have been eating a double-burger from McDonalds.

Price Range: $2-$6 burgers, most expensive item on menu - $7.50.

Recommended? Go for the fries and diner atmosphere or the cheapness, don't bother with the burgers.

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Napa Valley Grille

Napa Valley Grille
111 Providence Place
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: 401.270.6272





This review is likely to become dated very quickly, as this restaurant changes its menu seasonally to reflect currently available produce. Also featured is a weekly Prix Fixe three course dinner menu composed mostly of items not found on the menu, except for the desserts, though the dessert selection also varies.

Located in Providence Place mall, this is probably the most upscale restaurant in that facility. The food is very good, though possibly not quite as good as the prices would indicate. The atmosphere is pleasant as well, mostly quiet, but tables are too closely placed for an intimate dinner. When a friend and I were first seated, I felt as though I was participating in the conversation of the table adjacent. And later in the evening, an acquaintance of my dining companions sat at the same table. It was easy to have a conversation with her and her companion without even slightly raising our voices.


Both my companion and I found the salads to be lackluster. Hers was a simple organic greens salad sprinkled with a few sunflower seeds and a maple vinaigrette. Mine was a similar salad, but served with candied pecans and a quarter of grilled and chilled radicchio. For my case, I found that mostly the greens were of the bitter variety, without much variation in flavor. The candied nuts were a nice contrast, but easily were overwhelmed by the greens, as was the very mild Atwells Gold cheese.

For entrees, we had the Grilled Chicken Penne off the main menu and a Lamb Sausage and White Bean dish from the weekly menu. The first comment that my friend made about her dish was that it was comfort food. An assessment that I agreed with for my dish as well. Mine reminded me of a French cassoulet in look and flavors, and combined with the excellent lamb sausage, made for a very satisfying meal. I only sampled a small bite of the Penne, but the sauce was delicious, the pasta perfectly cooked, and an extremely generous portion, easily enough for two meals.

Initially I thought the portion size on the cassoulet looked small, and I found myself wanting a few more bites, but really it was the right sized serving for the three course menu.

We shared the dessert from my selections, the Strawberry Shortbread Cheesecake. I am typically a cheesecake "purist", not choosing flavored or topped cheesecakes, but in this case, I was happy with the amendments. A white chocolate cheesecake topped with whipped cream served on a thick shortbread cookie and a strawberry coulis on the plate instead of the cake itself. The cheesecake was very light (a friend of mine would probably call it a Jell-o cheesecake), and very flavorful. The thick, airy and not too-dry shortbread was a nice twist over the traditional graham cracker crust.

At $36 for a three course meal, and featuring items not on the menu, it was a good choice, and the most economical. Combined with an inexpensive glass of Chardonay (I know, bad pairing decision), my portion of the bill was $45.

Price Range: $8-10 appetizers/salads, $20-35 entrees, $5-15 desserts.

Recommended? Yes, the food is excellent, atmosphere a little crowded for a romantic evening, though the food quality is up to par. Excellent variety of wines by the glass.

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Cravings

Sometimes it really is a pain to have a craving that you just can't find the right restaurant to satisfy. Soft Serve Ice Cream (ideally, a Peanut Buster Parfait or similar). Unfortunately, on the East Side of Providence, I don't have anything very close that I can find to fulfill this one. But don't worry, I'll be sure to let you know when I do.


Update: There's a DQ in Providence Place Mall!

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Received New Tips

While lost on a bike ride, I was talking with a fellow cyclist about the area, since we had time to kill while riding our "bonus" 20 miles. He recommended Fellini's Pizzeria on Wickenden for thin crust pizza, Cassarino's in Federal Hill for Sicilian style pizza, and Venda Ravioli for fresh pasta and sauces to stock up for home cooking.

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Rick's Roadhouse

Rick's Roadhouse
370 Richmond Street
Providence, RI 02903



As a lover of BBQ (and Asian and Indian and ... ) I'm shocked that I hadn't even thought to try to find a good place to get a pork sandwich, ribs or chicken. And thanks to a good friend having a birthday, and loving NC style Q, I've now been educated to one of the offerings in Providence for this fine and distinctly American cuisine.

First off, I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant that offered tasting flights of Bourbon, Whiskey and Tequilas on their drink menu. A great idea, and well received by the birthday boy who is deeply into Whiskey and its various styles. The rest of the drink menu is nothing to be ignored, with a draft list not typical of most local places.

The menu ranges from $5 dollar burgers and sandwiches up to a $19 combo plate. One highlight is a reinterpretation of a Cuban sandwich with pulled pork. The menu is presented with tongue firmly in cheek section headings and item names. Reports from my fellow diners is that the beef brisket is excellent as either a sandwich or entree. The quantity of food served is reasonable and easily eaten in a single sitting without feeling stuffed.

As is typical of any quality BBQ place, sauces were on the table in unmarked squeeze bottles. In Rick's case, there are only two sauces, a sweet-spicy and a sweet sauce. Both were very good, though I could have wished for a little wider variety, such as a vinegary sauce.

I opted to go to the expensive end of the menu and ordered the chicken and baby back ribs combo platter. Accompanied with excellent BBQ beans, which seemed to be about equal parts beans and pulled pork and a somewhat sweet cabbage and carrot slaw, the dish was great. The chicken thigh and leg meat nearly fell of the bone on its own, tasted good on its own and went well with the table sauces. The ribs seemed to me to be a bit on the dry side, but tasted excellent and worked equally well plain or with the table sauces, with a slight preference for the sauces to kick up the moisture.

A table companion ordered a side of Mac and Cheese for the table and none were disappointed with this heavy, creamy, cheesy dish. Large elbows, abundant, creamy yet thick cheese sauce made this tastes like a well prepared version of a stove top Mac and Cheese. Way better than a boxed mix, not quite as good as a slightly dryer and crisp top baked, but still superb.

After a hearty meal, a couple of handfuls of fresh peanuts and a large beer for me, we skipped dessert.

Price Range: $6 - $20

Recommended? Great BBQ and Staff, Go!

Date of Visit: July 29, 2008

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Temple Downtown

Temple
106 Francis Street
Providence, RI 02903
401.919.5050


I took the opportunity offered during Providence's Restaurant Weeks to sample a prix fixe menu at Temple. I would have loved to have sampled many of the other fine restaurants who were participating, but time is a limited resource. I decided therefore that a friend and I would visit one of the swankier places in downtown.

Located directly across from the state capital in the uncompleted RI Masonic Temple. After sitting abandoned for 80 years, it has been converted to the Renaissance Hotel with Temple restaurant occupying space downstairs. The space is very open and hip leaving me to wonder if I was dressed appropriately, in my business casual clothing to fit in. No worries, business casual never really goes out of style, just the colors and patterns change. The space is beautifully finished with a large lounge and bar at the bottom of the steps from the entrance. The main dining room is also very open, surrounded by semi-private booths and open and closely spaced tables.

Our waiter for the evening, Gustavo, was extremely good, many times quite surreptitiously filling a water glass without being noticed and offering second glasses of wine and yet not hovering over the table. Dinner pace was comfortable, with a three course meal spread nicely over a little more than an hour.

As to the food, all excellent. I opted to use the Prix Fixe menu and ordered the Roasted Beet Salad, Tri-Tips steak with tamarind sauce and a finish of one of the few restaurant desserts I'll eat, cheesecake. My companion also had the beet salad and the Twice Truffled Farfalle. The beet salad had a nice combination of flavors, the sweetness of the chopped roasted golden beets with the tart saltiness of bleu cheese and bacon made for an interesting and refreshing start to the meal. I didn't particularly taste the vinaigrette with the strong flavors of the beets and cheese, but also didn't feel that the salad lacked in flavor.

Our entrees were also both excellent. The medium-rare was perfectly done, seared on the outside and pink throughout without running juices. The tamarind sauce served to the side was a very good complement of tart and sweet with just a hint of spice. Served on the side were very lightly fried mini-fingerling potatoes. The potatoes could have used a little something to bring out their flavor. The bite that I had of the farfalle dish was also quite good, though I didn't have enough to study its flavors, she assured me that it was excellent.

For dessert, the mini-cheesecake, heavily tasting of vanilla, was more moist and less heavy than a traditional New York style cheesecake. At about 5 inches across the round, it was easily enough for two, though I didn't have much difficulty eating all but a couple of bites. My dining companion wasn't as enamored of the cheesecake, not being as big a fan of vanilla flavors as I. She did steal all of the fruit off the top though. A fine conclusion to the meal. Also on offer were fresh fruit flavored sorbet's as well as chocolate and vanilla gelato.

The menu is varied and defies categorization, ranging from flatbreads, traditional salads, steak, fish, as well as some unique combinations, such as the beet salad.


Price Range: Appetizers/Salads: $7-10, Entrees: $17-28, Valet: $3

Recommended? Yes. A little on the expensive side, but the service was attentive, food was very good and excellently prepared. Midweek, not overly crowded, so noise levels mentioned in other reviews wasn't an issue.

Date of Visit: July 15, 2008

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Fatty McGee's Dublin Pub

Fatty McGee's
55 Union Street
Providence, RI 02903

Unfortunately for this review, the menu is in the process of being changed, so this review may be outdated very quickly. The owner told me that due to low sales volumes, many of the seafood items (stuffies, crab, clams) on the menu are not available, and new menus haven't been printed yet. This left the standard pub fair of sandwiches, burgers, nachos, cheese sticks, wings, etc.

I had a very disappointing Reuben. The meat was overcooked, dried out and tough and the sandwich didn't have enough sauce on it, in general, it didn't taste like much. Probably the first Reuben I've had that wasn't good. In contrast, a dining companion had a the Mac and Cheese, according to the owner, one of the best items on the menu. Given the reaction and rampant sampling by everyone at the table, this is not an overblown assessment.

I found the wings and sauce to be unexciting, the buffalo sauce seemed to be just a cup of red hot without much butter or other spice to it. The wings are served plain and the sauce is provided on the side for dipping. The nachos were okay, but not great, certainly not as good as the ones at Spats. The quesadilla was decent, nothing fantastic, but reasonably tasty.

Friends I've dined with here have either loved or hated the grilled cheese sandwich. The decisive ingredient appears to be the inclusion of a thinly sliced tomato, which isn't mentioned on the menu, for the tomato hater, not a good sandwich. The burgers have been reported to be good, but I haven't had a sample of one.

Our waitress Christina was great, handling the 11 of us quite jovially and genuinely helpful, making recommendations to folks. One of her favorites was the Reuben, so I can only assume that I had a poorly prepared example. The owner was also about and quite friendly and talkative.

Price Range: $8 - 15

Recommended? Great staff, very friendly and helpful. But most of the food is only okay, go for the atmosphere, to watch sports or for one of their weeknight events like Karaoke or Trivia.

Date of Visit: July 14, 2008

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Local 121 Revisit

Local 121
121 Washington Street, Providence , RI , 02903

I recently had the opportunity to revisit Local 121 while dining out with out of town guests (Hi Mom!). We didn't have reservations on a Saturday evening and were advised that there were no tables available unless we wished to eat in the bar. Since the bar has several tables and offers the full menu, we decided to enjoy the distinct dark woods and bottle bottom windows for our dinner. What the dining room has for classy service, white table cloths, napkins, etc., the bar area makes up for with its rich warmth. Pleasantly, the area only has one television tucked above one end of the bar. The area seats about 12 at low tables and has several high tables as well as the bar.

When I heard the specials I was sold on my choice based on one of the side ingredients included which I had been hoping to try this year, and I suspected Local 121 was the place to do it. Fiddle head ferns. In fact, I'm still so jazzed about having tried them, I don't have any recollection of what they were served on the side or atop (bad food writer) My first fiddle head was very tasty, lightly tasting of caramelized butter, but also distinctly reminding me of tender asparagus. At first I thought I only had a few of these delicious goodies, and shared anyways, until I slid the main attraction of my entree aside and found a small pile of the bite sized morsels waiting to be enjoyed.

Additionally, the wine list has been updated and expanded, but no longer features any markings to denote the features of the vineyard such as sustainable or organic production. The waitress did recommend against the local Sakonnet vineyards red, indicating she didn't think it was a particularly good wine, however, she wasn't able to offer a reasonable suggestion of a red to accompany the variety of dishes that were ordered. (yes, it is possible to find wait staff/sommelier who can suggest a good wine for sharing that pairs well chicken, fish, and beef entries).


Recommended? Certainly.

Date of Visit: May 5, 2008

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Waterman Grille

Waterman Grille
Four Richmond Square
Providence, RI 02906

Approaching and entering Waterman Grille, I was greeted the subtle but unmistakable scent of wood smoke. This small old looking brick building is dwarfed by a very modern looking pink building. On entering at street level, one has a clear view into the kitchen over the bar. I didn't see it, but a lower level was in evidence with an outdoor bar and outdoor seating at river level.

We had considered what the dress code might be before going, with high prices and fancy looking web site and photos, but entering, found that the rest of the patrons were dressed in casual wear and we needn't have worried. From perusing their website, the upstairs and facilities can be used for more formal dining, though it isn't clear if that room is used for daily dining.

The restaurant's main floor creates a casual, cozy atmosphere with its blend of brick, dark woods, and open beamed ceilings. The main level dining room is lined with windows looking out on the Seekonk River, Henderson Bridge (aka the Red Bridge) and the East Providence shoreline of the river. While dining we had the pleasure of watching four rowing boats speed down the river. It is easy to imagine that later in the season sitting on the many outdoor decks would make for a very pleasant dining experience.

At the time of my visit, the restaurant had extended their Monday night Prix Fixe menu beyond the original April 28 run date. I chose not to enjoy that phenomenal combination, the only person at a table of seven not to do so, and ventured into the full menu. My top two choices from the menu led to many minutes of agonizing, the lamb steak or the Cioppino. I opted for the lamb, and was treated to a very generous steak, perfectly cooked to medium-rare served over very good mashed potatoes. I ordered the Waterman Salad as an appetizer since the meal didn't really include any vegetables, a minor complaint.

I was not impressed with the Waterman Green Salad. The best item on the salad plate was the small piece of toasted bread with olive oil and a generous spread of goat cheese. The salad itself was a spring green mix with a very understated dressing that I couldn't even taste. Another of my dining companions ordered the same salad and concurred with this analysis. Everyone else was extremely happy with their beef skewers and stuffed mushrooms, with the beef skewers and its extremely delicious spicy, "fiery" on the menu, cashew "dip" being the crowds favorite. I say dip, because it was much more of a thick spread of coarsely chopped cashews, a low level, but detectable and very complementary, addition of spice. My companions were eating this dip with a fork when they were out of beef.

With the current Monday Prix Fixe, the winners overall as best choices were the Beef Skewers, Hereford Top Sirloin, and the Tiger Cake dessert. I didn't order a dessert, but did sample the Creme Brulee and must say that it was also excellent, though I think served while still a little bit warm. Early spoonfuls of the custard were warm and soft, but the final bites (my dining companion had eaten too much) were set nicely and had the perfect custard texture, especially contrasted with the thick and crisp caramelized sugar layer. I regretfully didn't get to sample either the Tiger Cake or the Tropical Sorbet, though one of the other diners, who especially loves creme brulee, which was very good, declared the cake the better of the two.

The only major complaint for the evening was that
two of my dining companions had ordered the salmon entree and received
only partly cooked fish. The wait staff quickly took the meals back to
the kitchen and had them replaced with new preparations fish within a
few minutes. The service staff were very attentive and friendly, one
whom at one point volunteered, during dessert selection, that he felt
the Tiger Cake was an excellent choice, having had two pieces as his
lunch.


Price Range: appetizers: ~$10, entrees: $15-30, dessert: $8

Recommended? Absolutely: Well prepared and flavorful food.

Date of Visit: May 12, 2008

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Spats

Spats
182 Angell St
Providence, RI 02906

By all accounts, the best item on the menu here is the Spats Nachos. And in my opinion, so far the best Stuffies (stuffed quahog clam for the uninitiated) that I've had in the state are here as well. I've been visiting here reasonably frequently over the course of several months and have tried items from most sections of the menu. One attraction is a decent set of draught and bottled beers. It doesn't rotate very frequently and is pilsner heavy for my tastes, but offers something for most palettes.

Items that I do not recommend on the menu include the baked mac and cheese, which I found to be too light on sauce and dry. I've had good experiences with the other pasta dishes, including the Clam Zuppa and some of the daily specials that tend to be some sort of clam and shrimp dish over angel hair.

The version of greek pizza on offer also lacked for flavor and could easily be improved by including a salty presence such as olives to complement the other toppings. I haven't tried the other pizzas to vouch for them, but had a conversation with the bartender about the greek pizza's shortcomings. Lastly, on the items to avoid list is the vegetarian wrap, which is bland and flavorless.

On the upside, I've tried a couple of the burgers, my favorite from description and experience is the alamo burger, which features hot peppers and pepper jack cheese. I was not as happy with the spats burger which comes with a very thick layer of sauteed onions, recommended for the onion lover only.

As a pub. the place has a mix of corner hangout, college bar and sports bar feel. Televisions abound, typically showing whatever big game relevant to New England tastes is on. Staff is generally friendly and there is ample room for larger parties.

It doesn't beat out my favorite pub/restaurant of all time in terms of consistent food quality, but in terms of price, atmosphere and staff, its the best I've found in Providence so far, such that I visit regularly.

Price Range: $10-$15

Recommended? Mostly, stick with a burger, one of the pasta dishes or the nachos.

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Angkor

Angkor
333 Wickenden Street
Providence, RI 02903



Photo via flickr/uglyagnes.

I was surprised when i walked in and thought I'd been mislead by the sign outside the door. The menu contents were almost indistinguishable from a Thai restaurant. Red, green and yellow curries were on offer, as well as Pad Thai and Tom Yum soup. The waiter indicated that the similarity is probably related to the historical relationship of Thailand and Cambodia when the Cambodian Empire ruled Thailand. When asked about the signature dishes of the restaurant, he recommended either the Street Noodle of the soup.

Since I wasn't starving, I opted to have just the noodle dish with shrimp, though almost any other protein choice was available. While I waited for dinner to arrive I enjoyed the complimentary pot of tea. Street Noodle turned out to be a very Pad Thai like dish, based on a wide noodle with broccoli, snow peas and carrots mixed in. As with a well prepared Pad Thai, the dish was relatively neutral in flavor and served with a dish of a very good, slightly spicy, sweet, vinegary sauce.

I passed on the complimentary dessert that was offered. While all reports would indicate that durian would be exactly to my taste with a smooth, custardy texture and flavor, it also, unfortunately, has an odor that to western noses tends to be very off-putting. The waiter described it as old gym socks. My recollection is that it is akin to the smell of the gingko berries on the sidewalk in the fall. Oddly enough, my waiter also offered that the scent of cheese has a similar unsettling affect on the palates of his parents, who were presumably Cambodian.

Seating is a bit crowded at the front of the space, though tables further in offered better layout where you don't feel like you're sitting in a hallway or staring at a wall. They also have an upstairs dining room, presumably for larger parties.

Dinners cost around $10, though some of the seasonal fish dishes were going for $20 on the night that I was there. I'll be heading back again and reporting further on their signature soup as well as their curries.

Price Range: $10-$20 for entrees

Recommended? Requires more study

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Nice Slice

Nice Slice
267 Thayer Street
Providence, RI 02906

Nice slice is a small pizzeria (seating for about 10 insides). Tables are tall with stools, making for a very dynamic and cozy experience. In warmer weather, Nice Slice also offers outdoor seating. As a testament to the quality of the pizza, my dining companion, who is very dubious of anything whole wheat, had 2 slices of the pepperoni pizza and went back for a third. For myself, I saw 2 interesting looking pizzas behind the glass and ordered by saying 1 of that and one of that, not bothering to figure out what I had ordered until it was on a plate and I was eating it.

Cranberries. I knew when I ordered it that it had feta and cranberries, what I did't notice was the spinach and almonds. The whole cranberries gave the pizza a tart aspect. Think of it as a veggie pizza for someone who wants a spinach salad. A very different slice of pizza that while not outstanding in any dimension, unique enough to warrant having, especially when bored with the typical veggie pizza.

My second slice turned out to be the BBQ Steak and Bacon. As the name implies, shaved bbq'd steak and crisp bacon on the same thin wheat crust with a sweet, smokey barbecue sauce. This pizza was excellent and reminded me of a hamburger at my all time favorite pub. An excellent choice.

The restaurant also has a guide on their menu to suggest good options for vegetarian and vegan diners. Slices run 2.25 and up and whole pizzas are also available. Lunch for the two of us (4 slices of pizza and soda) was a little over $13.. Also on offer are the full line of Boylans soda's. They also offer some form of ice cream dessert, but since I was after a light lunch.

Price Range: under $10 for a meal

Recommended? Definitely!

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Food with a Philosophy

Local 121
121 Washington Street, Providence , RI , 02903

Local 121 is an upscale restaurant in the heart of downtown Providence which tries to serve locally harvested food and drink. Locally is somewhat loosely defined, essentially consisting of all of New England for produce and meats, and ranging much further afield for the winelist. One rarity for the restaurant business is they are open about where they obtain some of their ingredients. Check the Local resources page of their website and you'll find a long list of vendors, what they produce and where they are located.

Meals are not the typical oversized plate of food served in other restaurants, though also not dainty. The salad of mixed greens at $9 was enough for a meal after splitting an appetizer for my dining companion. Entrees cost from $15 to $30 dollars and appetizers generally under $10. The menu includes several seafood entrees, befitting the Ocean State, as well as a variety of meats, quail, a burger and vegetarian options.

I had the stuffed quahog special for an appetizer and selected the Five Rivers Merlot, which is listed as Organic and Sustainable from the California Central Coast. The appetizer was very good, a trio of medium-sized stuffed quahogs with sausage. Atop each was a dolop of a citrus cream or aioli which complemented the filling very well. The second best stuffie I've ever had, not overly bread filled and with the added dimension of a bit of sausage in the stuffing..

For dinner I chose one of the evenings other specials, a free form ravioli filled with butternut squash and served with a sauteed mushrooms. The ravioli was served as a single large dumpling with the filling be extremely smooth, slightly sweet and very tasty. It worked very well with the earthy tones from the mushrooms and the light sauce.

The final course was a scoop of house made ginger ice cream. Not strongly ginger flavored, but with small pieces of candied ginger throughout, a very nice, light finish to the meal.

Overall, a very good meal, though with the full gamut of a appetizer and dessert, not an inexpensive meal. Highly recommended for any occasion where an upscale dining experience is desired. And the bonus of eating locally sourced ingredients.

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La Creperie

La Creperie
82 Fones Alley, Providence, RI 02906

La Creperie is a very tiny hole in the wall sort of place on a back alley of Providence's East Side. I found it quite by accident over New Years when they had a sign sitting out on Thayer Street. To find them, turn left on the alley beside the Au Bon Pain across from the Tunnel on Thayer St. Nothing on the menu is over $6, and most items are just under $5.

I stopped in knowing that I only needed a light meal to make up for a less than complete meal at home. I opted to have the "Rita" from the savory crepe menu. A large, perfectly cooked crepe was delivered to me filled with sauteed spinach, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and feta cheese. It completely filled the 8" paper plate and is quite a value for the price. I found that the mix and quantity of the filling was excellent with the feta providing the strong center to the flavor complemented by the bite of the onion and the tartness of the tomatoes.

Other savory options include the equivalent of a Monte Christo, 3 cheese, chicken and cheese, apple and brie. I didn't have room to consider a second crepe from the sweet menu, though I was seriously tempted by the nutella as well as th nutella and banana filled. La Creperie also offers Belgian waffles with an assortment of toppings, smoothies and wraps.

This place is light on comforts, with seating for only about 10 to 12 patrons including the counter. Plastic utensils and a water cooler are placed next to the large front window. The walls are decorated with various "coffee house" type paintings, as well as a 6 foot panel of the Paris skyline. Taken together, the place has a definite artist community vibe. The last crepe I had was in a Paris park and was filled with banana and nutella making its difficult to compare the experience with the small store, heavy music (with some CD skipping fun).

I intend to go back and have more of these lovely little bundles of goodness. While I set out for a light meal, a single crepe can easily be a complete meal. If you want to have a desert crepe, bring a friend and split a savory one. Who knows, perhaps this will become a regular haunt.

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Cuban Revolution

Cuban Revolution
50 Aborn Street, Providence, RI

On this visit I had set out to compare the World Famous Cuban Sandwich to one of my favorite restaurant's take on the Cuban sandwich. At $7.00, the experience at Cuban Revolution was a smaller, but excellent sandwich that was easily as good and possibly a slight bit better than my comparator, the Fatheads Bay Of Pigs headwich. Served witha side of banana chips, this was an excellent choice. The sandwich was excellent as served and worked very well with a squirt of the mildly spicy vinegar based hot sauce available on the table.

For desert I selected the Tres Leche Cake, having heard many good things about the cooking, texture and flavors of a traditional tres leche. What I received which was a dry white cake with a very open, spongelike texture and an excellent tres leche icing. Served in a pool of sauce, which the cake absorbed readily, this was a very good desert at $4.25.

The restaurant also offers traditional beverages, which I did not avail myself of -- I had to save room for beer later in the evening at Trinity Brewhouse. On a previous visit, I had the Ropa Sampler which was good, but I don't think that it was a fantastic dish, with which assessment a dining companion on this trip agreed.

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Spice

Spice
110 Waterman Street, Providence, RI.


Spice is a Thai restaurant in the East Side of Providence, 1 block from Thayer Street. Situated between a smoke shop and a Subway sandwich shop and slightly below street level, it's easy to overlook what looks to be a sandwich counter through the large front window. After entering, however, being greeted by a pair of hostesses and led past the large front counter area to a 20 table dining room adjacent to the kitchen.

For first course I selected Tom Yum soup with shrimp. The portion size was very generous for the $3.75, with probably a 1.5 to 2 cup bowl of spicy broth with mushrooms, green onion and a few shrimp. This was my favorite dish of the evening.

For the main course I had a dish that I am very familiar with and can cook myself with a high degree of success, Green Curry. Uniquely, I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've seen green and red peppers used in an curry. I've become used to the inclusion of green beans as well as the substitution of peas for the tiny green eggplants used in Thailand. The kitchen also made the easy substitution of eggplant (aubergine) for the golf ball sized green eggplant traditionally used. I found the dish to be too sweet and not in any way spicy, though still enjoyable.

While they were out of desert on my preferred item, Mangoes with Sticky Rice, they did have my second choice, Crispy Fried Bananas, served with vanilla ice cream. A unique twist to this dessert item, though not particularly authentic, is wrapping the bananas in layers of what appeared to be philo dough though it may have been layers of spring roll wrappers. The flavor of the banana was excellent. I suspect that these were made ahead and kept chilled or frozen as the bananas were still cold when served. The wrapped bananas may solve the problem of the bananas disintegrating in a wok, but they also make the dish more difficult to eat since the wraps were tough to cut with the desert spoon. My other complaint is that there wasn't much banana compared to the two scoops of ice cream. At $5, while the ice cream was probably the most costly ingredient, I'd much rather have had more fried banana and less dough and ice cream.

The dinner items run $10.95 in general and come in a generous portion which can easily serve 2 based on my own and the plates of the diners around me. I must admit to committing what is probably a crime by not having Thai Iced Tea, instead having a $2 pot of green tea. I also noticed that the traditional condiments were not provided with plates of Pad Thai.

Taken together, I'd recommend the soup and service, but would suggest trying one of the other curries if searching for a traditional spicy curry.

[UPDATE: 1/27/08] - After reheating my leftovers, it would seem that there is indeed some spice to the green curry, it just didn't compare to the spice of the Tom Yum. Still a little sweet for my taste and only mildly spicy, but tasty. If you don't like overly spicy, possibly a good choice without resorting to the traditional noodle dishes.

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