Chez Pascal in Providence

Susie and I splurged recently on a Kermit Lynch wine dinner at Chez Pascal. It was a wonderful evening of delicious wines matched by equally delicious food, put on by the brilliant folks at Kermit Lynch. An importer of incredibly wonderful wines at a relatively decent price, Kermit Lynch has been one of those marques you find and never let go: you just know the product he selects and brings over here will be delicious and of good value; his organization has been a resource for us since we lived in Michigan.

During dinner we actually sat next to an Eisenhower, although she claimed that her branch of the family was very distant from the former President. There was really no resemblance, but still. . .

Unfortunately, the poor lighting and my mediocre photographic technique doesn't even begin to accurately depict the scrumptious food but I think you'll get the idea:

seared scallop with celery root, apple and saffron butter

beef short rib, white sweet potato gratin

pear custard gratin with bleu cheese

Chez Pascal

hake and fennel

Located on the East side of Providence, at the top of Hope Street and almost in Pawtucket is one of the city's better eateries -- and one of the growing number of reasons to forget about eating on Federal Hill.

Chez Pascal, under Matt and Kristin Gennuso not only provides a consistently tasty menu, but they source locally and Matt, like a few other Providence chefs, is a serious dabbler in charcuterie. Whether it's sausages from the Hewtin food truck cruising around town or from their imaginative wurst bar or sitting down to a relaxing dinner (which we did recently), you can't go wrong with these folks.

 But don't come to Chez Pascal for greens or salad alone; while delicious, its the protein that they're noted for so don't hesitate to go for the whatever Matt has prepared that day. I had the pork of thre day, prepared three ways on a nice portion of potato gratin. Deeeelicious indeed!

 Parking is street only but there's usually plenty to go around. Dinner with wine can be a bit pricey -- so if you're thinking budget, opt for the wurst bar and drink the house wines. Great value there!

por three ways on a potato gratin

Some great dinners out in Providence but beware of the high-priced drinks

This past spring we've returned to Ama's, Cook and Brown, Broadway Bistro and, just last week, Chez Pascal where we both enjoyed the bistro menu. Any of these will serve delectable food just about any day of the week, with fairly consistently good service. But I suppose if we had to rank them would be BB, Ama's, Chez Pascal and C & B, in that order -- the best value in our mind still is BB with Ama's following a close second (although their menus are radically different). Also, the last time we at C & B we felt the aperitifs were a bit steep (comparatively speaking.

And speaking of steep, it would appear that the local "cocktail culture" here in greater Providence is sliding out of control. We recently had an aperitif at Loie Fuller, right across the street from our condo. We like to pop over there from time-to-time, mainly for an early evening drink, saving their menu for Sunday Brunch (incredible food).

Anyway, we ordered what was a custom drink consisting of Campari and dry Vermouth topped off with a splash of prosecco, in a champagne flute for $14 apiece! The better cocktail value is still to be found at The Avery -- also in our neighborhood -- with the added benefit of letting you walk 30m across the street for dinner at Ama's.

Now THAT's value.

Bacaro and Chez Pascal

Providence is a food town. If you’re not from here you can, of course, find yourself eating someplace where your food dollar (or euro) buys less than it should. (Think Atwell’s Avenue.) Anyway, we have really never had a bad meal in this city, and in fact the meals generally are way above average. Getting value for your dollar is the true test.

Take Bacaro and Chez Pascal as two shining examples of exceptional value. (photo below, interior of Chez Pascal.)

Bacaro is located smack on the river just before it heads into Narragansett Bay – the views are nice if you get a window seat, but the interior space is equally inviting and open to some spectacular people watching. Susie had eaten there with the rest of Gracie’s staff for their Christmas party last year but this was my first experience and we can give this place two very big thumbs up.

We decided almost at the last minute to go to Bacaro. A colleague at work had raved it about their pizza last Thursday and on Friday I had the good sense to make reservations for Friday evening. The restaurant’s automated reservation system worked well – and although we arrived a few minutes late we were quickly seated upstairs.

Along with the regular dining menu and wine list we were given a little pencil (like you might find at a miniature golf course) and a cheese and cold meats menu – much like a tapas menu. Everything comes from their own “salumi e formaggi” counter on the main level (the bar and casual dining area). I had an olive selection and an incredibly delicious cacciocavallo cheese plate – perfect for a starter. Susie ordered the Caesar Salad.

For the main course Susie ordered the spiced pumpkin pizza and I had the ditali in tomato sauce with veal meatballs. Needless to say (but I’m going to say it anyway) the food was wonderful. The crust on the pizza was perfect (rumor has it the chef had started out at Al Forno’s), the flavors enchanting – and I do not like anything remotely connected with pumpkin. But I liked this pizza. My ditali was cooked just right and the sauce rich without being heavy and the meatballs juicy and full of smooth veal flavor.

Bacaro’s has a very nice wine list, bent largely toward Italy, with prices being generally what you would see and expect in Providence. Which is to say I’d like to see lower wine prices here, particularly by the glass prices, but there’s just too much money to be made in alcohol.

The service was attentive and friendly, the staff overall managed a nice balance of being there when you needed.

Saturday Susan came home from work with news that Chez Pascal would be holding a local artists sale Sunday – along with a raffle to benefit the Rhode Island Food Bank. They would also have their mobile hot dog van (“Hewtin’s Dogs”) right outside to provide hot food since the restaurant would normally be closed Sunday mornings and afternoons. Chef Matt Gennuso makes his own dogs and sausages and has the tastiest condiment’s you’ve ever lathered onto a bun.

If you’ve never eaten at Chez Pascal this place needs to be on the top of your list. Owners Matt Gennuso and his wife Kristin operate the back and front of the house respectively. These two young people are incredibly hard working and exceptionally talented. Their food is Rhode Island fresh with a large twist of France thrown in for good measure. And Matt does his own charcuterie to boot. You won’t find a more pleasant person working the front of any restaurant than Kristin – her kindness just permeates the room.

Susie and I arrived around 1pm, ordered a couple of Mimosas and strolled the artist booths – we also bought a couple of raffle tickets. After checking out the art we sat at the bar (see photo above), I went outside and got us a pair of sausages, which we devoured in short order.

What a way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Bacaro
262 South Water Street
Providence, RI
Phone: 401-751-3700
http://www.bacarorestaurant.net/home.html

Chez Pascal
960 Hope Street
Providence, RI
Phone: 401-421-4422
http://www.chez-pascal.com/

Chez Pascal's Rooftop BBQ

This past Sunday morning promised rain and certainly delivered humidity -- but by late afternoon the weather had turned overcast, with a hint of breeze. This made it ideal for an outdoor BBQ on the top of the Peerless Building in downtown Providence. (photo below: Susie's brother Dick and Susie)

The Peerless is one of the many old buildings "downcity" lovingly preserved and harboring condos instead of offices and workshops. And its rooftop garden, while not open to the public, is open to providing some pretty imaginative events. Gracie's uses a large plot of the roof for its own herb and vegetable garden, providing its customers with plenty of locally produced, homegrown tomatoes, peppers, edible flowers and the like. Today its a BBQ and wine tasting.

Chef Joe Hafner from Gracie's checking on his garden -- and enjoying the wine:


Matt Gennuso, his wife Kristen who run Chez Pascal on Hope Street teamed up with Leigh Ranucci and the staff at Eno's wine shop on Westminster Street, located right in the Peerless, to turn an ordinarily quiet, lazy Sunday afternoon in July into one fun and tasty affair.

Joe Hafner and Matt Gennuso, part of a small group of Providence chefs who are imaginative, dynamic and as-far-from-stodgy-as-you-can-get:

Chez Pascal provided the food, grilled sausage sandwiches with plenty of sides while Eno provided a tasting of wines from the Beaujolais province of France. Susie and I were joined by Dick and Dorothy and we met up with Andrea and her mom. The food was scrumptious, the wines just right, perfect for the day and for the food -- and clearly a good time was had by all.

You should have been there.

Chez Pascal and Restaurant Weeks

Well, it's that glorious time of the year in Providence when many of the local area restaurants, or "eateries," take the plunge and turn European for two weeks. That's right, they offer prix fixe menus, also known as formule in France, where the customer pays a flat rate for three courses.

Now, some of our better restaurants have made the switch to offering permanent prix-fixe menus already -- Gracie's, Nick's, New Rivers and Chez Pascal. But during "restaurant weeks" each restaurant (theoretically) puts together a special menu to attract new diners or bring old regulars back.

(In case you were wondering, it used to be called "restaurant week," like the programs in Boston, New York City. But they liked it so much here in Providence they added an extra week a couple of years ago.)

Now, we've had the three-course "bistro" menu at New Rivers and we've also done the three-course menu at Gracie's. We thought it was time to try the formule at Chez Pascal -- home of one of the best French bistro menus this side of the Bay of Biscay.

Let me say right from the start that Matt Gennuso not only knows what he's doing he seems to actually enjoy doing it for you. (Matt and his wife Kristin run this very incredible operation and are typical of the city's best chef-owners: young, imaginative, dynamic and passionate about food.)

If you've not been to this part of Providence you're in for a treat: it's quiet, very green and, like the restaurant itself, downright cozy.

Inside -- there is outdoor seating in season -- inside you'll find an ample bar, and plenty of tables in two different rooms. While the seating style is definitely French it is blessedly devoid of the uncomfortable proximity (you know, where the folks next to you are so close they can swipe their spoons in your soup). At Chez Pascal you feel like you want to just sit back, relax and take your time enjoying your meal.

The service was friendly without being annoying and our server, Regina was professional, and helpful with just the right degree of attentiveness. she seemed to know instinctively when it was time to pop by the table to check on things. nicely done.

Susie and I both had the "golden zucchini potage with rock shrimp" and it was delicious. A large bowl packed with fresh vegetables cooked to perfection in a scrumptious broth and the four shrimps were equally fresh and flavorful.

For the second course Susie had the grilled tri-tips of beef with a shoestring potato gratin and I had the pork loin with a blue cheese potato tart. Both were perfectly prepared and presented well -- but the proof, as they say is in the pudding. And here both dishes were jammed with flavors. My pork was sweet and tender and Susie's beef was tender and mouth-melting. The plates were scattered with nice-dice of vegetables which went a long way to help pick up the various juices.

For the dessert course Susie had the lemon souffle with blueberry compote and I had the mascarpone dome in a strawberry soup. Again that word comes to mind: incredible.

Oh, and the portions are generous and you will walk away from the table feeling not only sated but that you got your money's worth in the bargain.

All this food for $60 bucks or €43!

We did spring for two glasses of Lillet over ice when we sat down and a half bottle of a red Sancerre with dinner, which added a bit of a heft to the bill. But really, we had no choice.

It's France.

Chez Pascal

Located in the tony eastern side of Providence, just a stone's throw from Swan Point cemetery where H. P. Lovecraft rests, Chez Pascal is an inviting and a place to rest your weary soul while eating great food in the bargain. If this all sounds a bit too good to be true, well it's not.

We drove the 10 minutes from the west end to the east side and parked on a sidestreet just around the corner from the restaurant. We walked inside and were immediately greeted by a women who seemed genuinely glad to see us. It was like we had come home.

We were shown a table near the bar and asked if we would perhaps rather sit in the next room where it might be a bit quieter. We obviously look like the quiet types. We said yes and were soon lingering and chatting over two glasses of chilled Lillet with lime.

The food is billed as French bistro style and from what little we know of that "style" of food Chez Pascal has it down to a science -- or rather an art.


For starters Susie had the soup special, which was a "rustic" soup of beans, chicken and vegetable sin an incredible rich broth. I had the flamiche - a torte of potatoes, sauerkraut and raclette cheese with their house made pork and fennel sausage accompanied by a sweet and spicy mustard sauce.

Known for their house pates and charcuterie, they also butcher their own whole pig out of which comes their sausage and, as I would soon experience, their pork "specials."

For the main course Susie had the Arctic Char and I had the pork "of the day": braised pork meatballs with a stew of fennel and onion, pork belly and leg of pork with soft polenta with Hannabell cheese. Accompanied by local greens and a Dijon sauce.

The portions are very large so be forewarned. But the prices are reasonable: dinner with aperitifs and a half bottle of red Sancerre came to $140 with tip. Service was good and the ambiance is wonderful.

Speaking of wines their wine selection is primarily French and plenty of good values to be had. Ask your server for suggestions.

Two very big thumbs up for us. We will definitely go back if for no other reason than to try their bistro menu: three courses for $30 per person. Served Tuesday through Thursday, the menu changes every week.

Chez Pascal
960 Hope Street
Providence, 02906
401.421.4422
You can find them one at: http://www.chez-pascal.com/