Tini's

Tini's is the latest concept from George Germon and Johanne Kileen, owners of Al Forno in Providence, and one of the driving forces behind the city's incredibly successful food revolution.

Quick review: space a bit cramped, the starters were quite good (ask for the french fries' sauces on the side), service friendly but sloppy, and the electronic menu we found discomfiting and tiresome after the first ten minutes.

Long-winded review: Wedged between Gracie's at one corner and Bravo bistro on the other Tini's is tiny to be sure. Arranged like a sushi bar, you sit in a horseshoe around the central aisle which is both the bar and serving area. Nice, short but sweet wine list with several offerings by the glass. Reasonable prices. Reminiscent of Parisian bistros where the only menu is on a chalkboard on a wall or freestanding, Tini's menu is on an electronic chalkboard, a TV mounted high up on one wall.

In fact, this rather awkward menu is just one of several uncomfortable things we experienced there last evening. Certainly it is a cool idea -- but if you are sitting on one side of the bar you have to turn and crane your neck upwards in order to see the menu -- and even from our vantage point on the other side we soon discovered that if you wanted to read something specific on the menu you had to sit and wait for it to scroll around again (and again and again). We thought just having a printed menu to supplement the TV concept would have made our lives a bit simpler.

Anyway, we arrived early -- probably a little before six -- and easily found two stools at the bar. (There are narrow seating pads located beneath the two large front windows.)

We ordered two drinks, "The Vespa," but without the gin, so it was the Nino Franco "Faive" prosecco and campari. The bartender ran out of campari after barely pouring one drink but went ahead and poured the prosecco anyway, saying she would "add the campari in later" -- which she did by splashing in just a bit of the aperitivo when the new bottle arrived. That was sloppy enough and so was the fact they charged us for the gin but when we brought it to their attention there was a flurry of confusion over how to resolve this. We just waived it and said to forget it.

We eventually ordered two apps: Susie got the gruyere fondue and I got the french fries. The food was delicious, although if you are uncertain how you feel about mayo and hot sauce on your french fries then by all means ask for the sauces on the side.

Overall, we give it a thumbs up but with one or two qualifications. The folks behind the bar were nice kids but the service was slipshod, and while the TV concept is cool give us a printed menu too.

Tini's
200 Washington Street
providence
401.383.3400

Loie Fuller

After a long drive to and from south central Vermont on Saturday we were in no mood to cook at home when we got back to Providence. So we walked across the street to Loie Fuller for dinner.

Now we had eaten there once before a few months back and had been disappointed -- somewhat in the food but mainly in the owner's attitude.

Well it is under new ownership and we give it a big thumbs up.

The place was packed -- as it usually is -- but we were given a table for two straightaway, one of the last open spaces in the cozy dining room.

For starters I ordered the potato raclette (with cornichons as it turned out) and Susie had the Israeli couscous with mushrooms. For our main course Susie ordered the sole filet with pureed potato an brussels sprouts and I had the veggie pot pie with winter root vegetables.

Both courses were delicious and well-priced (mid-teens for the entrees). Wines by the glass and by the bottle were also well-priced and seemed to be good value. We each had a glass of the Macon-Lugny chardonnay for 8 bucks apiece and the bottle went for I believe $26 -- retail is in the low teens. Not bad.

We will not only go back for dinner occasionally but hope to make it a point of refuge and just sit at the bar and have a glass of wine before dinner at home.

I'd suggest calling for reservations, particularly for three or more.

Loie Fuller
1455 Westminster Street
Providence
401.273.4375

Girl Scouts of Rhode Island

Gracie's, a replay

I posted some of these images earlier this year -- but this, please note, is an entirely different "twist."

By the way, you can create stuff like this with your images at anmoto.com.

Tini's is open

The much-awaited new restaurant by George Germon and Johanne Kileen, is open at last. Located on Westminster street, directly across from Tinity Rep, which is housed in the gorgeous Emery Majestic Theater, Tini's (as in the back half of Martini's) is wedged between Bravo Bustro at one corner and Gracie's at the other. While the space is incredibly small, in fact tiny, the interior is slick, modern and apparently the menu is presented via HiDef TV. Seating is at the bar only, very sush-like.

I hope to have a more reliable report soon.

Nick's on Broadway

Sunday morning -- the place is packed (as usual) and the wait is more than a half hour (as usual). but it's only a three block walk from our home and the food is terrific so we stand in line and enjoy the loudness (sort of), the smells (assuredly) and the people watching.

We eventually get two seats at the counter -- our preference in fact -- give our order to the pleasant young woman standing across the counter from us and apparently oblivious to the chaos behind her, and commence to fuel ourselves up for the rest of the day.

Susie orders a half-order of French toast, one egg and crispy bacon. I get the bacon n' cheese (cheddar) omelet, wheat toast and a half order of pancakes. Look, you go to Nick's ya gotta splurge -- no half way there when it comes to food, no sirreee.

Delicious as always. The wait is nothing compared to the great food at the other end.

Lucky Garden on Smith Street

It's been some weeks since I posted here. In fact, not since early August, I'm sorry to say. Anyway, we have eaten some pretty good in Paris in the interim -- and after we returned we had delicious pizza at Fellini's (again) and another scrumptious Sunday brunch at Nick's on Broadway (again) and a delectable dinner at Broadway Bistro (again). As you can see by my broad array of positive adjectives, it was all good food as usual and well worth your time and trouble not to mention your hard-earned bucks.

So in the spirit of going back to places we've been before, Friday I had the good fortune to join with the folks of the Johnson & Wales University Web Team and visit Lucky Garden on Smith Street for a lunch of epic proportions.