Providence

Bouchard Restaurant & Inn, Newport, 5/27/22

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exterior – 505 Thames Street, Newport, RI, 02840

Bouchard Restaurant has been in business over 20 years and also has a few rooms/suites to stay in.  They have a parking area but you need to go into the restaurant and get a pass to place in your car before parking there.  They have a dress requirement that is on their website as well as reminded about when they call to confirm your reservation.  No jeans, t-shirts, flip-flops, etc but I saw no enforcement of that whatsoever.  There were many casually dressed people in the dining room that were obviously regulars due to their rapport with the staff.  There were also ‘dressed-up’ people there but this was only the first odd bit of this place.  They have a full bar which is located adjacent to the check in desk.  Further inside is a medium to small dining area with small white cloth covered tables with full drape underneath.  Lighting is lowered, there is music in the background, carpet is on the floor and the ceiling is low.   They offer a tasting  menu which is 5 courses at the second seating.  Most courses have choices, some with an upcharge.  The food was average at best but the service was awful.  Slow and inattentive, it aggravated me and probably affected the way I perceived the food.  The captain spent little time with many tables and concentrated on the ones he knew.  It’s a fine line to walk, but it bothers me to see tables sit for 20 minutes with their menus still in their hands and staff carrying on conversations neglecting their job. Continue reading →

Flo’s Clam Shack, Middletown, RI, 5/27/22

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entrance – 4 Wave Ave, Middletown, RI 02842

Flo’s Clam Shack was recommended by one of the servers at the previous night’s dinner.  It has been serving clams since 1936 in Newport, RI.   They are known for their fried clams.  It’s a 2 story place and filled with brick-a-brack.  The building has been hit by at least 5 hurricanes and continues to rebuild. They are open seasonally and closed at the threat of a hurricane.  The place is a little hard to find but they do have a parking lot in back.  They tout their fresh seafood but mostly all I tasted was filler and fried coating.  We tried a number of clam preparations but none of them would ever call me to come back and eat here again. Continue reading →

Gracie’s, Providence, 5/26/22

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exterior – 194 Washington Street, Providence, RI., 02903

Gracie’s is a medium sized place in downtown Providence with Matt Varga as chef.  There is no valet or assigned lot, so allow some extra time if you need to hunt for street parking.  In addition to the nice sized white cloth covered table they had a number of booth like seats around the perimeter.  Large windows to the street make up one wall of the dining room and they are heavily tinted which darkens the room quite a bit.  Patterned cut outs are on some of the windows and gauzy drapes hang between some of the perimeter tables.  There are a few tables outside.  The wood floor is opposite the high dark ceiling with hammered copper inserts in some of the wood columns and booth dividers.   The view out the window is of the street that is mostly filled with a bank building and its sign.  They offer an a la carte menu as well as 2 tasting menus of 5 or 7 courses.  Optional wine pairings are available and they have a full bar.  We had pre-ordered the 7 course tasting and ordered our own wine.  They promised to email and menu but never did.  It is a good place anyway. Continue reading →

Tricycle Ice Cream, Providence, 5/26/22

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building – 70 Battey St., Providence, RI., 02903

Tricycle Ice Cream opened in 2014 selling ice cream out of a 3 wheeled     vehicle at markets and such.  The storefront opened in Jan. 2019.  They were inspired by childhood memories and wanted to craft amazing ice cream sandwiched between excellent cookies.  They have regularly changing flavors and combinations ready made at the storefront.  There is a patio next to the building with picnic tables where you can enjoy your treats.  As you enter the small place there are counters you could eat at also.  At the counter you order and pick up your treats and then you just have to wait a few minutes for them to thaw enough to eat.  They now also offer fruit push pops made of sorbet and ice cream filled ‘tacos’ that are made with cone shells.  It is worth a stop if you are in the area. Continue reading →

Modern Diner, Pawtucket, RI, 5/26/22

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exterior – 364 East Ave., Pawtucket, RI

The Modern Diner was chosen to be the first diner in the nation to be accepted on the National Register for Historic Places.  It is a Sterling Streamliner, manufactured in the late 1930’s and early 40’s and one of 2 still in operation.  They serve breakfast and lunch daily with a ton of specials posted on the walls.    There is a counter with stools and a number of booths for 1 – 4 people.  A back room was added but sitting in the front gives you the real feel of the place.  The curved ceiling and shiny surfaces have the diner feel you’d miss in the addition.  The once silver roof is now red and marked with a “Modern Diner” sign that really makes you want to go in the place.  They do have a parking lot next to it.  Service was friendly and efficient.  I would go again if I’m in the area, not as much for the food as for the ambiance. Continue reading →

Al Forno, Providence, 5/25/22

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exterior –  577 South Water Street, Providence, RI

Al Forno Restaurant was opened in 1980 by Johanne Killeen and George Germon to use New England’s farms and waters to produce renditions of Italian food.   Al Forno means “from the oven”  and they use wood burning ovens and open flame grills to incorporate that concept into their dishes.  It is where the concept of grilled pizza was first used, which is served as an appetizer.  It’s a larger place with a dedicated parking lot.  Inside there are 2 floors for eating and a bar area that also serves food.  Small white cloth covered tables are quickly turned for the constant flow of people.  The downstairs room we were in had a wall of windows to the parking lot with the opposite wall’s windows being mirrored.  The lighting is lowered and no music was in the background.   Service was very friendly but not well coordinated.  Restaurants need to learn that if you provide very small tables you can’t bring too many dishes to the table at the same time.  Our pizza came out first following the bread bowl and then quickly followed by clams.  Food was piled to an uncomfortable mess.  I asked the server to slow down a bit and then it was 30 minutes after we finished that before anything else came.  It was good food but timing can really make me less fond of a place. Continue reading →

Olneyville New York System, Providence, 5/25/22

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exterior – 18 Plainfield St., Providence, RI

Olneyville New York System was opened in the 1946 by Anthony Stevens and his son Nicholas after emigrating to Brooklyn from Greece in 1920.   They ran a candy shop in NY then opened a restaurant serving hot wieners and a small lunch menu when the family moved to Rhode Island.  The original restaurant at Olneyville Square moved in 1953 to its present location on Plainfield Street and then was open 24 hours a day.  In 1981 they opened a second location in Cranston and to this day the Stevens family operates both restaurants.  The compact place has 2 rows of small booth seats in bright yellow and orange next to a row of counter stools that run the length of the place.  You ordered as you entered where you can see the wieners roasting on the griddle.  They have some other options but this place is about hot wieners ‘all the way’.  Staff were very friendly and super efficient.  It’s worth a visit. Continue reading →

Providence (update), Los Angeles, 6/1/19

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exterior
exterior

It’s been 3 years since we visited Providence.  Since that time Michelin has issued a new California guide that reinstated the previous rank of Providence as a 2 Michelin star restaurant.  Also the restaurant has redone the dining space.  The new gray walls are in place of the patterned ones but are still decorated with the white flowers and the ‘netting material’ continues to cover the ceiling.  They retained an elegance in the room with a double white table cloth covering the large tables that are moderately spaced.  The bench seating is now covered with leather and dark velvet mated on the other side with comfortable chairs. Music plays in the background and service is friendly and very attentive.  They offer 3 tasting menus with optional pairings, additional options (oysters, caviar, uni, and spot prawns) and a full bar.  We chose the Chef’s tasting menu and ordered our own wines.  It was an excellent meal – full of wonderful flavors and textures.    This place gets 2 strong thumbs up from me.  Pacing started rapidly and then slowed down a bit.  Portion control was great. Continue reading →

Providence, Los Angeles, 7/18/16

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Exterior
Exterior

This is a second visit to Providence and it hasn’t lost its touch – it’s a lovely dining experience. You can see why Michelin awarded it 2 stars when they covered the LA area. The service is top rate and friendly. There were some similarities to last year’s menu but overall it was a new set of tastes and some different takes on ones we saw last year.  A different table gave me a better feel for the dining room and although it still feels “dated” it also felt quite comfortable.  Most of the guests were dressed well but it’s LA and you’ll still find sneakers and t-shirts. They offered a seasonal tasting menu, one for DineLA week and a chef’s tasting menu which we opted for, all with optional supplements. Continue reading →

Providence, Los Angeles, 7/27/15

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A semi large place with a really dated interior that had some reviews of “too old school” but I found it excellent. The table set up was minimal but service was exceptionally nice. The acoustics allowed you to hear the buzz of the other patrons but still have a conversation with your table mate. They do offer a special 4 course tasting menu in the summer but we opted for the Chef’s menu tasting which is a 3+ hour experience. Continue reading →