Jenkins's Profile
Ivy Tavern open? - Providence
Interesting. I also heard a rumor it was sold and the new owner was apparently keeping it the same but might be having problems transferring the liquor license. Considering the amount of money lost each week it is closed that sounds kinda crazy.
PVD/RI * May '12 * Open/Closed/Coming Soon
I feel your pain, Dave. However, I felt the former owner failed in his attempt to make make a kind of Italian fusion menu. Most dishes I had were just strange or slightly off. So although I would have prefered something interesting here, being nearbye I will visit now and again if they do their dishes well at reasonable prices with a good atmosphere. We shall see.
Ivy Tavern open? - Providence
The Ivy closed for "renovations" a couple weeks ago but whenever I went by there did not appear to be anything being done to it. I called yesterday and their number was disconnected. Does anyone know what is up?
PVD/RI * May '12 * Open/Closed/Coming Soon
Edwards has opened on Charles Street in North Providence. It replaces the recently closed Encore. I've yet to try Edwards and can find nothing on the internet.
Providence restaurant rec for bf's birthday
Red Fez is good but not at all romantic. The Dorrance, Baccaro upstairs, Parkside, Broadway Bistro, Local 121 (can't vouch for this one personally but reviews have gotten better since I went a couple years ago and the interior is gorgeous). Different price points and atmospheres but all good in their own way.
Recommendation in Providence for affordable restaurant
I will second the Broadway Bistro rec. If it's a weekend night I recommend getting reservations. Loie Fullers is another solid option for a reasonable price point and good, creative food. But BB is my first choice.
New Year's Eve in Providence
We did Laiterie NYE last year. The first seating went long, so we probably had to wait 20-25 minutes as they wrapped up. But they made the wait worthwhile as they walked around with tasty treats and free drinks. The meal itself was very tasty. Recommended.
Kitchenbar - Providence
Good to hear you had a better experience. There are not many mid-price casual places on the East Side so hopefully they kill the soft rock and add a couple taps. I notice an unusual amount of young parents with toddlers for what is basically a small bar (the Ivy) , so obviously there is a need for a place like this. Which also reminds me I need to hit Trinity again sometime. Went there a few times when I first moved to Providence but thought there beers were underwhelming but by now maybe I'd be a fan.
Kitchenbar - Providence
Had hopes this place might turn into an alternative to the Ivy now and again for a place with a good bar and solid, inexpensive food. But I just could not get past the awful 70's soft rock playing on the sound system (along with it being too bright in there), and them having no beers on tap. After one beer I just left, didn't even try the food.
Waterman Grille in Providence- Sunday night steal
Highly recommend hitting Waterman Grille on Sunday nights. They have a prixe fixe special Sunday's for $50 per couple that includes 3 courses and a bottle of wine! I started with the squash/pumpin bisque and it was very tasty. Main course was a steak with onion strings and some type of squash/pumpkin side dish. Steak was perfectly medium as requested and a good cut of beef. The sides were very good. To boot, the place was hopping - I'd feared on a Sunday night it would be empty. No - it's not in the league of La Laiterie, Broadway Bistro or Cook and Brown but for the price point it is highly recommended.
-----
La Laiterie
184-188 Wayland Avenue, Providence, RI 02906
Waterman Grille
4 Richmond Square, Providence, RI 02906
Broadway Bistro
205 Broadway, Providence, RI 02903
PVD/RI * October * Open/Closed/Coming Soon
No shocker Twist closed. They were not bad - but in Providence there is just too much good competition to get by being average.
PVD/RI * October * Open/Closed/Coming Soon
Hmmmm, interesting design and concept for a restaurant.
PVD/RI * October * Open/Closed/Coming Soon
On Hope Street (Hope Village neighborhood) across from Blaze is a sign for "Kitchenbar". I googled the name but didn't come up with much. It is not open yet.
Romantic Waterfront Restaurant in Providence Area?
Depends on how much water your will settle for. Cafe Nuovo, Waterman Grille come to mind but neither has an ocean view, just the river or bay.
-----
Waterman Grille
4 Richmond Square, Providence, RI 02906
Cafe Nuovo
1 Citizens Plz Ste 1B, Providence, RI 02903
What's the sushi scene in Providence?
Haruki East seems to be very good, at least according to my sushi loving friends. I like it too, but am no connoisseur.
-----
Haruki East
172 Wayland Ave, Providence, RI 02906
Providence recommendations
Broadway Bistro.
-----
Broadway Bistro
205 Broadway, Providence, RI 02903
This Saturday night in Providence, RI
Maybe the Hi-Hat - although I have not been in a long time, it is definitely loungy and has jazz type music playing.
Breakfast / Dinner in Providence RI
Lots and lots of threads on this topic if you do a search - so I will give you a very short list:
Breakfast - Nicks on Broadway , Julians
Dinner - Bacaro (upscale Italian), Broadway Bistro (neighborhood bistro), Cook and Brown (upscale neighborhood bistro), Ivy Tavern (hole in the wall pub).
-----
Ivy Tavern
758 Hope St, Providence, RI 02906
Bacaro Restaurant
262 S Water St, Providence, RI 02903
Broadway Bistro
205 Broadway, Providence, RI 02903
Lunch around Pawtucket and Central Falls
La Arepa on Smithfield Ave. in Pawtucket is very tasty Venezuelan food.
-----
La Arepa
574 Smithfield Ave, Pawtucket, RI 02860
Cafe Noir - Providence
Went to Cafe Noir Saturday night. Mixed bag, mostly good. The good - fig and prosciutto salad (perfectly dressed, prosciutto was fine, however they only gave me 1/2 of a fig), 1/2 roast chicken dish was super moist and tasty. The bad - my mushroom fettucine was dry and tasteless. Really wish I had sent it back. Oh well. Given all of that, however, I would go again. Prices were reasonable and the faux casual Parisian bistro feel is done well.
-----
Cafe Noir
125 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02903
Unique Eateries in Providence, RI...
I am absolutely NOT a fan of Cuban Revolution. They manage to consistently screw up the most basic dish - the cuban sandwich - by not pressing it long enough so it does not come out crispy and hot. Their other food tastes like it came off a Cisco truck, not fresh or authentic. However, if you go in more for the vibe and drinks you will be ok. Just know it is very mediocre food. Gracies I like a lot - excellent food and service. Pricey, though. I have maybe been 4 or 5 times total, though.
-----
The Cuban Revolution
194 Washington St, Providence, RI 02903
Julians Providence review
So I went back to Julians for the first time in about a year. Unfortunately it remains the same as before. I know lots of people love it - and want to - the creative beer selections and overall vibe and energy of the place rock. But the food - ugh. Oh ya and I am talking strickly dinnerhere - had the breakfast once and it was very good. I tried to order something that seemed rather safe - housemade portuguese pork sausage, saurkraut and fries. The sausages had the strangest texture (not holding together well and getting crumbly), the saurkraut was more like bland coleslaw and the fries were decent. So yet again I leave wishing they could make good food to go along with everything else...
-----
Julian's
318 Broadway, Providence, RI 02909
White Horse Tavern - Newport
I had read some very mixed reviews of the White Horse Tavern in Newport, so went with some trepidation. However, both my wife and I had an excellent experience. The service was good, and the food even better. I got the pan seared scallops with risoto and she got the beef wellington. Sure, each dish was probably about $5 more than it should have been, but you are paying for the atmosphere and history of the place as well. Plus, they have a section on the menu of cheaper entrees if you want to keep the price down (i.e. steak frites for $19 I think).
-----
White Horse Tavern Marlborough
26 Marlborough St, Newport, RI 02840
Worst of Rhode Island
Their breakfast rocks. I think there dinner entrees can be strange and misguided attempts at creativity that just turn out tasting unusual, though.
Providence-Downcity-Kitchen Nightmares
Went there last night to try out the new menu. It is smaller, but considering they couldn't handle the breadth of the old one, maybe concentrating on a few items done well is a better idea. I had the cubano sandwich with fries. The sandwich was nice and crispy as it should be (I won't go to Cuban Revolution anymore because they can't even seem to do the very simple task of property pressing a cuban sandwich, it always comes out just barely warm). I would have liked a tad more mustard on it, but otherwise I would absolutely order it again. The sweet potato fries were excellent. My wife got the chicken with cous cous. Sounds boring, but it was spot on. The chicken breast was pan seared and came out nice and moist (I assume they brined it). The cous cous with crandberry and walnuts had lots of flavor and the green beans were still a little crisp. We started with the squash soup and it too was very tasty. The only downside to the night was the group next to us got calamari and said it was under done.
Providence - help us branch out
Been to Bacaro twice, sat at the bar, and really enjoyed it. The pasta dish with mushrooms was so unique and so good - highly recommended! Last time there my wife and I split the Southern Italy Salumanera (sp?) plate and then split the pasta mushroom dish and could not have been happier.
-----
Bacaro Restaurant
262 S Water St, Providence, RI 02903
Providence - help us branch out
I am a very big fan of Broadway Bistro. La Laiterie is also very good (a bit less casual and more expensive than BB), Red Stripe has a bigger menu than BB but I think that results in the dishes never been amazing, just good to very good.
-----
La Laiterie
184-188 Wayland Avenue, Providence, RI 02906
Red Stripe
465 Angell St, Providence, RI 02906
Broadway Bistro
205 Broadway, Providence, RI 02903
Any reviews on Mosaic Latin American Bistro in (West End) Providence?
I went there for lunch, sat at the bar and had an excellent sandwich, great service, an interesting beer and some rather greasy home made potato chips. I will definitely be going back.
Bacaro, Providence
I'd read mostly good, but somewhat mixed reviews of Bacaro. I've gone twice now and been very impressed. Both times we dined in the downstairs bar area. Most recently, we had a salumeria plate as an appetizer - basically a mix of southern italian meats, cheeses, nuts, honey, jam, olives. It was fabulous. We then spit the pasta with mushroom dish - superb! One of the most unique and tasty pasta dishes I have had. We will be adding Bacaro to our rotation for sure.
-----
Bacaro Restaurant
262 S Water St, Providence, RI 02903
