Lola's Cantina

Waterside Cantina

Lola’s opened this summer in what should be a great location on South Water Street.  Unfortunately it follows a host of excellent restaurants that have not been able to make a go of it in this location: Grappa, Moda, Kurrents, Blue.  I can’t imagine why restaurants don’t thrive in this waterside spot, next to the Hot Club and down the street from AL FORNO, but it would be great if Lola’s could do it.  


The night we were there, the city of Providence was celebrating its anniversary and we couldn't have found a prettier spot for fireworks.  On summer evenings, Lola's has one of the few spots in Providence where you can actually sit right by the water and eat.   As the city darkens, the views are 
absolutely beautiful.

There are not too many local Mexican restaurants that would be lovely for dinner.  Many of the others are great Tacqueria’s, authentic and sensational, but dinner would be over in twenty minutes and this is different.  There is a definite vibe here.  Lola's is sexy and upbeat looking, clearly aiming for the young group, with a colorful decor and a happening feeling.  A row of colorful bras hang from cow horns on the ceiling rafters and there are messages on the mirrors.  The whole idea is to have some fun.

For starters, the margaritas are first rate - no sour mix here - and the menu offers a range of dishes from Tinga Tostadas to marinated roast chicken.  The chips were fresh, the salsa was spicy and tomato laden and the guac was great.  The burritos were too massive to handle, but the Tostadas, with the black beans and spicy chicken, were packed with great flavor.  Though they are billed as an appetizer, they made a  more than adequate meal.  The fajitas are terrific too.  They offer four options for fajitas and the one here is the chicken version.  It is served with fresh tortillas, pico de gallo, chimichurri sauce and sour cream.  Hard to fail with all those great flavors.
All the waitstaff is young and upbeat.  The surroundings are hip and appealing.   Friendly service, handsome dining room, sexy ambiance...I hope it lasts.  When we left, we notice that the parking lots at the Hot Club and Al Forno were packed fender to fender and our little place was lonely.  I hope you give it a try.  It won't break your wallet and you will surely have a good dinner and a relaxing time.

Lola's Cantina

525 South Water Street

Providence

401 383 0220

lolascantina.com

Parkside

Great for Waterfire and just about anytime

Walking into Parkside last night, which has just reopened after a four month hiatus, it felt as though we were in Manhattan.  This place on South Main Street in Providence oozes sophistication.  It is as busy as a popular place in a city of six million might be, but here we are in little old Rhode Island.  Parkside has been run by the capable hands of Steve and Donna Davenport for fifteen years.  They have just refitted the place from electrical to interior decoration after a fire in the building that houses them forced them to close down. And now the place looks elegant, with gray walls, great art, nice banquettes and an ever popular bar.

The visual star is the giant iron French rotisserie that lights up the wall midway through the restaurant space.  Tonight it featured a suckling pig.  I knew what I was having for dinner.  The rotisserie is always working, whether it be crisping chickens or ducks, lamb or whatever the chef has locally sourced and  fancies.  In this case, it was a White Farm organic pig, which was served in a thick, thick slice over roasted brussel sprouts, pearl onions, fingerling potatoes, and lardons.  The dish was finished with a dijon herb mustard sauce which pulled it all together and made it and it sing.  My dining partner was delighted with his Basque shellfish stew which had littlenecks, mussels, calamari and octopus in a light tomato broth.  There were so many other tempting items on the menu that it would take many visits to sample all that piqued my curiosity. Many of them are new to the menu, but loyalists will laud the return of such culinary gems as the sage and veal agnolotti and the ever popular crab cakes.  The dessert menu also is laden with tempting crepes, tartes, brulees and lava cake.
The wine selections are quite good, although most of the wine is above $8.50 per glass.  The service is friendly and informed,  and it seems as though everyone worked hard to please each diner.

Only complaint is the noise level, which, given the crowds, is disconcertingly high.  I can't say it seems to bother anyone much though, because so many of the customers are regulars and everyone seems to be buzzed about being there.  Speaking of buzzed, that bar is and has always been packed, even way back when it was Amsterdam's and Buddy sat there many a night.







Parkside
76 South Main Street
Providence RI  02903
401 331 0003
www.parksideprovidence.com

Red Stripe

Brasserie in Wayland Square

Red Stripe has survived the change of ownership and is still a reliable and good place to eat.  When local culinary star Jaime D'Oliviera opened it, he hoped it would be the template for a franchise and there is a second Red Stripe in Narragansett.    But life has a way of happening and Jaime sold it, along with his premier restaurant Mills Tavern, a year or two back to the Perlmans of Ocean State Job Lot.  There was a big question mark about how it would all play out.  But the Perlmans have stuck to the concept and the restaurant has not suffered.


The menu here is classic French brasserie.  Is is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and is generally very busy.  It is a handsome joint, with black and white tile floors, a big long open kitchen, dark red walls and attractive appointments like locally created decorative tiles and a giant yawning lion.

Red Stripe was an instant and overwhelming success, with patrons literally spilling out the doors and a line of eager diners waiting in the wings.  It was packed at lunch and at dinner.  I love to hit it for lunch and all winter long I will opt for their onion soup, which has yet to be bested anywhere.  During the summer months, there are three of four salads that make a happy alternative.

It may not be the "restaurant du moment" any longer, but everyone on the East Side of Providence knows they can count on Red Stripe for a good meal in a pleasing space.  They will also probably see a few friends scattered around the dining room.   Just about everything on the menu is appealing: grilled cheese sandwich, Croque Madame, Moules Frites.  Those moules come in ten variations from Portuguese to classic French and those Frites are out of this world.  Crisp, thin, salty and addictive.


The dinner options include lavender scented chicken cooked under a brick, fish and chips, sesame crusted tuna, steak frites and way, way more.  Children are more than welcome and have their own menu and crayons to draw with on the white paper tablecloth covers.  Desserts change seasonally with a pumpkin brulee in the fall, a molten chocolate cake all the time, and several pies and tartes.

Those fries!

The prices at Red Stripe are akin to Chili's, but you are getting way more bang for your buck.  The ambiance is sophisticated, the food is very well prepared and the evening feels far more special than a chain restaurant.  And...you can make a reservation.

Red Stripe
465 Angell Street
Providence RI  02906
401 437 6950
redstriperestaurants.com

Chilangos

Sopas and Tostadas


Having a family that has lived in the Southwest for more than forty years, I have had a long love affair with Mexican food.  The simple flavors of tomato and onion, cilantro and avocados, never lose their appeal for me.  I can chow down on the heavy Tex-Mex stuff with the next guy, but I truly appreciate authentic Mexican food that does the same job in a much lighter way.  Chilangos is my go-to place for Mexican food and my favorite by a long shot.  It is not around the corner from where I live, but I head there repeatedly and often, and nearly had a breakdown when they closed down this summer with no information about when and if they would reopen.  Needing my fix, I hit a number of other good spots, but nothing has won my heart away from Chilangos.

For starters, they make the best guacamole around. Loaded with onions and cilantro, fresh tomatoes and lime, it is consistently sensational.  Each table is presented with chips and salsa as soon as the diners sit down.The salsa is very good, but also very hot.  After a few chips, the faint of tastebud fall aside and only the asbestos tongued eaters keep nibbling.   But when the guacamole arrives, there is a whir of hands and attempted politeness as we descend on the bowl, trying not to knock each others' hand out of the way.  We see the bottom of that bowl pretty quickly.





We all have our favorite orders and mine is the Tinga Tostada, which is shredded chicken in a hot (not really) sauce that is served on a crisp corn tortilla with black beans, shredded lettuce, queso fresco and crema.  It never fails to please with the great texture, and marvelous flavors.  My friend Nicky will not leave without her sopa with chorizo and potatoes. A sopa is like a thicker corn tortilla and the chorizo is very good at Chilangos.  The menu is filled with predictable items, burritos, fajitas, tacos and more, each of which is served with simplicity and care.  Tacos can be ordered with a variety of fillings, like chorizo, or lean steak, or chicken and they come with their own pico de gallo and lime and plenty of cilantro.  An especially good dish is the Enchiladas verdes, which is bursting with freshness, although again, not for the faint of tastebud.  If you are up for the spicy stuff and your friend is not, a hamburger is also an option.  The service is excellent and our waitress, Anna, like most of the staff, has been at Chilangos for as long as I have frequented it.

Chilangos is a cute little place with colorful walls and saddles for barstools.  It is so inexpensive that I always give a 40% tip.  Margaritas are sold by the pitcherful and there are plenty of excellent tequilas to sample.  Chilangos is open except Tuesday night and all of Wednesday, but there have been a number of times when we have driven there for lunch and the place is dark despite a posted opening of 11 am.  I don't know what to say about that because it is a royal pain when it happens, but the truth is, I will keep returning and being transported down Mexico way.





Chilangos Taqueria
447 Manton Avenue
Providence RI  02909
401 383 4877

nicks on Broadway

Nick is really Derek

Nicks on Broadway would have to make anyone's Top Ten List. With its sleek hip look and its mix of wonderful looking urban patrons, its fun to walk in the door.  The place always seems to have a happy din, the service is terrific, so I'm already upbeat before my appetizer arrives.  Somehow, I feel cool to be here.  And then the food shows up and I know I'd go to Nicks even if it was in a hole in the wall, which it actually once was.

The owner is Derek Wagner and he is a dedicated chef who adds imagination and skill to his very local ingredients.  He has a hand in everything about this place, in fact he wouldn't serve a wine that didn't go with his food or a packaged ingredient.   The thing I most respect about Derek is that he has paced himself, waiting to leave his tiny opening dining spot, until he could have just what he wanted.  He had plenty of accolades, local and national, but he didn't let it go to his head.  He saved his money and energy, moved up the road, designed his space the way he wanted and reopened.  The loyal followers went with him and many, many more besides.

He supports local farmers and local soda bottlers like Yacht Club Soda.  No Diet Coke here (this I miss at lunch).  I love the way the menu offers tasty components served either as a sandwich or a salad at lunch.  I love his charcuterie, which he makes from various meats like wild boar, and which is "sit up and appreciate" fare,  or his Baffoni chicken, always reinterpreted in a way that makes you forget what you loved the last time.  He can make black beans better than anyone else and when he adds his local tomato salsa and avocado crema, I actually find myself eating every bite of what first seemed a huge amount.

If you can get in, Nicks is worth the wait at breakfast. Lunch somehow seems manageable and they take reservations at dinner. Nicks is a favorite among Providence chefs. The menu changes seasonally and whatever your choice, beef, fish, veggies, it will be served in a way that makes you lick your lips and congratulate yourself on your good fortune for being there. His desserts are always simple yet accomplished. They might include a pound cake with fresh berries and lemon crema, or a panna cotta, or a chocolate sampling, but they are often better than desserts that have been labored over for hours.  I can almost always skip dessert, but at Nicks, I never do.

Nicks on Broadway
500 Broadway
Providence RI  02909
401 421 0286
nicksonbroadway.com

Al Forno

Little could be nicer on the planet than a lovely summer night sitting across from my beautiful daughter in the lush garden patio at Al Forno.   When she visits from California and knows she can pick a free dinner out, the choice is Al Forno.  Because where else on the planet can you get a better pizza, and that is just the beginning.  My veal chop was huge and perfectly cooked and her baked pasta with four cheeses was as perfect as she remembered.  The Fall offering of baked pasta with pumpkin and pancetta is sublime.

When I first moved to Providence from NYC in 1980, I was disheartened, to say the least, at the dearth of good food available at local restaurants.  There were plenty of spots with oyster crackers and the de riguer tray of three pickled items, but nothing to really excite the palate.  And then, bibbidibobbidiboom, Al Forno opened in a tiny spot on Steeple Street and I was over the moon.  Every dish that came out of the kitchen was fresh and blasted with flavor: the tomato sauce on the rosemary chicken was deep and dense, the rosemary went up your nose, the crisp pototoes underneath offered a different texture and a satisfying roundness to the meal.

Now,  thirty years later, New Rivers occupies that tiny Steeple Street spot (and maintains an equal standard of excellence), and Al Forno occupies a lovely old brick building with two floors for dining.  Each floor has its own sensual appeal (George just can't get it wrong when it comes to colors and design), and outside sits the  hidden garden.  And Al Forno is the most famous restaurant in Providence, of national  and international renown.   Not only is the food superb, the waitstaff well informed,  but the menu is heavenly.  The rosemary chicken is long gone (although the recipe is still available from their cookbook, Cucina Simpatica), but there are plenty of tempting choices that will astonish with their flavor and use of fresh local ingredients.  Desserts are also created with care.  They require ordering ahead as each tempting tart is made to order.

The secret here is the simplicity of the cooking.  Nothing is overladen with ingredients,. Instead the chosen ingredients shine through the style of preparation.    Al Forno is pricey, but there is no mystery why.  Their attention to detail and informed approach to food will keep them on top of the food scene for as long as they choose to stay.

Al Forno
527 South Main Street
Providence, RI  02903
401 273 9760
alforno.com



Rosemary Chicken
From Cucina Simpatica

1 lb red Maine or California potatoes
4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup canned chopped tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 double breasts of chicken, 8-10 ounces each, skin on
4 large onions, peeled, halved vertically, sliced lengthwise
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 scallions, cut thinly on a diagonal

Preheat oven to 500 degrees
Cut each potato into 6 lengthwise wedges.  In a large baking dish, toss the potatoes with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil/ 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup tomatoes, and the pepper
Roast the potatoes until tender, 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally so the tomatoes do not burn.
About ten minutes before the tomatoes are cooked , melt one tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet.  Over high heat, brown the chicken breasts 2 at a time, and remove them to a warm plate.  In the same skillet, brown the onion over high heat in two batches, scraping up any bits of chicken.
Cover the cooked potatoes with the onion and the chicken breasts and sprinkle with the remaining salt.  Top the chicken breasts with the remaining tomatoes, the rosemary, and the remaining butter.
Roast for 15 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.  Remove from oven and rest for five minutes.  Garnish with parsley and scallion.

AvenueN

Off Broadway

Right out of the gate, I am defying my blog title and choosing a restaurant in proximate Rumford.  It is only over the river and down the road and it is well worth the trip.  Avenue N is the culmination of Nick Rabar’s ten years executing the chefdom at Chow Fun Food Group, which includes XO, 10 PRIME Steak and Sushi, Luxe, Rick’s Roadhouse, Chinese Laundry, and more.  Not for nothing, Nick took it all in, made it all work, and hosted a TV show along the way.  He is a great chef in his own right with a degree from the Culinary Institute and experience in many NYC/Boston/Providence and Avenue N is the fruition of that experience and talent.  Moreover Avenue N is his idea of what a restaurant needs to do: provide very good food in a very nice place at very reasonable prices.  

Short on space, but long on appeal, the restaurant is located at 20 Newman Avenue, just off Broadway about two miles from the East Side.The menu changes seasonally, the bartender consistently mixes superb concoctions, the place hops and the food delivers.  On the downside, it’s pretty loud (for an old lady) and the chairs aren’t too forgiving, but despite that I’ll brave it again and again for the perfectly cooked steak on a Jarlsburg potato croquette with a red onion Cabernet Jam and watercress sauce, the sensual soups and the interesting salads.  The truth is I could happily become a regular at this bistro.  The Fall menu features a bone in pork chop with parsnip puree, dates, Applewood bacon, and chanterelles.  

Dessert at AvenueN was originally just cookies and milk, but lately, Nick has expanded those choices.  The dessert menu now rotates a few different items each week, all of which look very tempting.


It is worth mentioning that AvenueN is already so successful that the Rabars are expanding into the space next door.  This,  I am assured, is being designed with the aim of creating a quieter space.

Pork chop with parsnip puree

AvenueN american kitchen

29 Newman Avenue

Rumford, RI

401 270 AVEN

401 270 2836 www.avenuenamericankitchen.com 

Grilled Hanger Steak entree

Grilled All Natural Hanger Steak, Horseradish Potato Croquette, Red Onion - Cabernet Jam, Watercress Sauce

Makes: 4 Portions

Hanger Steak:

4ea.    8oz Hanger Steaks, All Natural (Wholefoods)

2oz     Dijon Mustard

4oz     Worcestershire Sauce

2oz.    Soy Sauce

1oz.    Apple Cider Vinegar

1oz.    Honey

Mix wet ingredients together, marinate steaks for 4 hours or overnight. 

Onion Jam:

4ea.    Red Onion

1cup    Cabernet Sauvignon

1cup    Soy Sauce

1cup    Balsamic Vinegar

1teas   Salt

In a large saute pan, cook onions until caramelized. Add red wine, reduce until evaporated, add soy, reduce until evaporated, add balsamic reduce until evaporated, season with salt. (Jam should not have any excess liquid left)

Watercress Sauce:

1/2 cup    Mayonnaise

1/2 cup    Sour Cream

1tsp.        Chopped Shallots

1bunch     Watercress

1.5ea.       Lemons, freshly juiced

1Tablesp   Dijon Mustard

1pinch       Salt

In a food processor, pulse the watercress (stems removed) with the dijon, lemon, salt and shallots. Puree until green, add mayonnaise & sour cream.

Horseradish Potato Croquette

4ea.         Idaho Potatoes, peeled and boiled until soft

1.5 cups   Swiss Cheese, Grated

3T           Prepared Horseradish

3ea.         Egg Yolks

1/8 cup    Flour

2T            Salt

1/8cup      Chopped Chives

2T            Parmesan Reggiano

Breading:

1pint flour

1pint eggs whipped

1pint fine panko bread crumbs

Strain potatoes once boiled and drain thoroughly. While hot, add swiss cheese, horseradish, salt and parmesan, mash by hand until smooth, then fold in egg yolks and flour, cool. Form cool potato mix into croquettes and bread first using flour, then egg, then panko.

Assembly

Grill Hanger steaks to desired temperature. Pan Sear croquettes in butter until golden brown. Serve steak atop the croquette with cool watercress sauce and warm onion jam.

524

Tiverton Delight
I'd heard some rumblings about this place and mentioned it to Little Compton friends who have few dining options.  When they raved, I followed them down and tried it.  Soooooo good.  Restaurant 524 at 524 Main Road in Tiverton gets 524 points out a possible 530.  I am leaving out the last six points on general principle, although nothing was lacking on a busy Friday night.  Lovely service, totally appealing menu, and competitive eating...meaning each of us felt we had the best dinner.

524 is French, with really perfect onion soup, a buttery and memorable caramelized onion and goat cheese tart, a non-French pesto pizza that was notable for standing out among already great appetizers. For entrees, the duck battled out with a sirloin, but the lamb chops seemed to be the favorite.  Another tempting entree was the Statler chicken breast, served over a pancetta and butternut squash risotto with a rosemary wine demiglace.

Statler Chicken

The desserts looked wonderful, but not one of us, who cleaned the plates like locusts clean corncobs, had room for an after dinner mint.  Chef Ryan was kind enough to supply a recipe, however, for his Chocolate Mousse, which follows this entry.  Dinner for two, with plenty of wine, was about $100.

 Chef Ryan Keough might have wanted an out of the way countryside bistro, but in three months they have already had to expand.  Fortunately they take reservations, because I am sure that even in the winter months they will be full.  This being RI, however, diners willing to wait until 8:00 onwards,will have no trouble getting a table, because the tried and true have already eaten and headed to bed.

Restaurant 524
524 Main Road Tiverton RI
401 625 1100
restaurant524@yahoo.com

Mousse au Chocolat

Serves 6  5-ounce portions

5 large egg yolks

2 shots hot espresso coffee

2 tbsp vanilla sugar*

8 oz dark chocolate, melted

Meringue

4 large egg whites

1/4 sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

Whipped cream for garnish

1. Beat the yolks with the espresso and vanilla sugar until a mousse-like foam is achieved, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the melted chocalate. Set aside while preparing the meringue.

2. In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites to a thick foam (you can do this with a whisk or in a mixing machine) and add the sugar gradually while still beating. Continue to whipe after all the sugar is added until you have a soft, glossy meringue, about 5 mintues. Fold the meringue into the chocolate micture in two or three additions, just until it is evenly blended. (The meringue will deflate a little as you work, but adding it in parts helps keep it as light as possible.) Fold in the 3/4 cup of whipped cream.

3. Immediately spoon or pipe the mousse mixture into molds ( stemmed glasses such as brandy snifters or wine glasses, custard cups, or souffle dishes are all good options). Chill the mousse at least 3 hours before serving. Spoon or pipe a dollop or rosette of the whipped cream on top of each mousse.

Temple-Downtown

Temple at the Temple

Temple-Downtown opened to great fanfare when the long vacant Masonic Temple was fully restored and opened as the sparkling new Renaissance Hotel.  The downstairs restaurant was sexy looking with a sweeping black marble staircase, a handsome bar and a big dining room underlooking the State House.  (The restaurant is slightly subterranean, but all the windows open onto the glorious edifice.)  Temple really started out with an emphasis on the bar, perfect cosmopolitan atmosphere and perfect Cosmopolitans. The Bar is still a scene, with a whole pig roasted every Friday night as complimentary appetizers for bar customers.    But the restaurant sort of disappeared from the radar.

New management and a terrific chef are working hard to bring it back into your line of vision.  They brought in Alice Waters' Cafe Chef to consult on the menu and the result is a Mediterranean flavor which runs the full spectrum from Morocco to Greece, including Italy and Spain.  They source as many ingredients locally as possible, which is reflected in the quality of the meals.

I have eaten lunch and dinner at Temple four times now, and each time I have found something different and delightful.  A flatbread with taleggio, pumpkin, sage and house cured pancetta was seasonal, salty, earthy and fabulous.  The lamb tagine at dinner was fragrant and satisfied the sweet and savory tastebuds with apricots, orange zest, almonds and lamb.  A CaldoVerde soup with chorizo and kale was hearty and intriguing.

The prices are fair and certainly not over the top.  The service here is friendly and informed, the parking is free, and the place is remarkably convenient to Waterfire, the Mall, downtown, and home.


Caldo Verde
8 portions

1/4 cup olive oil, plus 4 Tablespoons
1 yellow onion, large, diced
2 cloves garlic
1/4 lb Spanish Chorizo
3 potatoes, medium sized, peeled and sliced
6 Cups Water
3/4 lbs Black Kale, finely shredded
2 Tspns salt
Ground Pepper to taste

Sweat onion in oil over low heat until tender, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic and potatoes and saute for a few minutes over moderately high heat, stirring frequently.  Add water, salt, cover and simmer until potatoes are soft.  Mash potatoes lightly with spoon.  Add sliced chorizo and cook for about 5 milnutes.  Add kale and stir well, simmer uncovered for  3-5 minutes.  Do not overcook the greens.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with grilled bread.