Olga's Cup and Saucer

A dining fixture in Providence for more than a quarter of a century, Olga's Cup and Saucer, known locally as simply "Olga's," has become an icon (along with Seven Stars) for those seeking fresh bread and a tasty sandwich.

But I draw the line at their soup.

Over the past several months I've tried three of their soups, the last one just yesterday: a disappointing Navy Bean. Basically a mediocre tomato vegetable, the beans, less navy than coast guard, were smallish, a bit too firm to the bite and not worth the time or trouble it took to prepare, order or eat it.

So stick with the panini's, the tuna melt, the salads or whatever, but steer clear of the soups.

Cook and Brown in Providence

It's been too long since I've updated this blog -- primarily because we tend to eat at the same wonderful places right here in Providence, and you've heard most of those details all before. But I wanted to share our latest dining adventure: a very nice new restaurant opened about 8 months ago on the East Side, right across the street from one of our favorite places, Chez Pascal.

Called Cook and Brown (no, I don't know why), you can skip Atwell's Avenue,  this place needs to go right to the top of your list of places to eat next.

We had an early dinner and were probably the second table seated for the evening. By the time we left, at nearly 8pm, the bar was shoulder to shoulder and the restaurant was packed, each table full to capacity.

Ambience -- a magical word in today's dining experience -- was cozy, and the small dining space had a comfortable neighborhood feel. and indeed, one senses that lots of the folks dining that evening were locals.

Service (Kandace with a "K") was friendly,  straightforward, and attentive without being invasive, striking just the right balance we thought.

Food was delicious, filling and creative without being contrived. I had Hubbard squash soup with chicken confit and pumpkin seed and Susie had the swordfish salad. Yes, we thought it sounded strange, too, but the flavor was so good you couldn't wait for the next bite. For our entree (or plat in French) Susie had the John Dory (not him personally just his fish), on a bed of small white beans and veggies, and I had the Cuban sandwich with a side of their home frites. Outstanding in every way. Portions were just right and so our second meal at Cook & Brown proved just as wonderful experience as our first.

We can't wait to try their Sunday dinner, one seating. . .  See ya there!

Olga's for lunch, Broadway Bistro and New Rivers for Dinner

Since the turn of the new year we've been to Olga's twice for lunch. It's located just a block from where I work in Providence, on the corner of Richmond and Point Streets, and a great place to meet up with Susie and family when they breeze through the city (like our niece Rachel did recently, along with her boyfriend Steve).

The sandwiches are delicious and always freshly made with Olga's incredible bread. The tortilla-corn soup we had recently, though, was a bit on the mediocre side but I'm eager to try their chili.

Broadway Bistro is always a favorite of ours and we enjoy Pat Lowney's scrumptious comfort food: his incredible short ribs n grits app is a meal until itself and a bargain, to be sure. He still lacks a solid wine list but what he does offer is OK -- and of course there are NO desserts.

Susie and I spent last Friday at New Rivers, celebrating my dad's 100th birthday. We were impressed by the newly remodeled space and found the use of glass on one side and mirrors on the other imaginative. Bruce's wine list is one of the best in the city with plenty of value to be found. We ordered a steak for my dad -- he was a very picky eater -- and toasted his memory, never forgetting that in a very real sense he started us on this particular part of our journey together.

Thanks pop!

Susie's Peanut Butter Graham Gateau at Gracie's

This is just one of Susie's most recent "winter menu" deserts at Gracie's in Providence:

This consists of a peanut butter grahm cracker cake cake with a layer of peanut butter spread and a layer of chocolate glaze, topped with candied peanuts and a peanut graham cocoa nib florentine, sitting on a bed of chocolate sauce, graham cracker crumble and paired with a caramelized banana ice cream.

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/

Sunday Brunch at Loie Fuller

Providence is a food town and good, even great food is easy to stumble across. But there are few restaurants in the city or the state for that matter, with the look and feel of Loie Fuller.

Named after an American dancer who made her name and fortune in Paris, Loie Fuller (she was called "Louie" as a child but dropped the "u" when she moved abroad) is decorated, indeed styled inside and out, in the very traditional art nouveau style favored in Paris in the late 19th century. While some of the interior artwork smacks a bit of New Age, the woodwork is incredibly well-done, and feel of this place is at once homey and artsy at the same time.

Since we live right across the street, we often drop by for an aperitif but haven't eaten here for some months (the food has been inconsistent). The restaurant changed hands within the past year and is now operated by the former chef and his partner so now it's a very hands-on operation.

Anyway, we had heard good things about their new brunch (Sunday 10am-3pm) and wanted to give it a try.

We arrived around 11am and were the first ones seated. Service was friendly, attentive and pleasant.

The brunch menu is very limited but the items available spot on: poached eggs, omelet, beignets, French toast. While we sipped a pair of Mimosas we scanned down the small menu cards.

Susie ordered the omelet and I opted for the poached eggs with a side of hash browns. Both came with a delicious green salad with a mustard dressing reminiscent of meals we've eaten in Paris. The food was quite good although the hash browns were a bit odd: they consisted of two round thick patties of shredded potatoes that had apparently been deep fried and as a result were quite greasy with a heavy flavor of fried oil. I would not order them again.

By the time we left quite a few folks had come in. Four young men came in and were seated at a table next to us -- they sat there with their hats on while they discussed the food options at MacDonald's. Naturally.

To get a feel for the place visit them online; they have a nice 3D tour to give you a good view of the wonderful interior. But be warned you will have a hard time reading the wine list -- the font is a too cute and the size too small for the web.

Loie Fuller's
1455 Westminster Street
Providence, RI
401-273-4375
www.loiefullers.com

Red Stripe on the East side of Providence

We returned safely from the notorious East side of Providence. Last evening we made a foray out into the wilds of the Wayland Square Area, a hotbed of urban chic and infamous for its overpriced land and trendy shops with names like "Runcible Spoon" -- "Runcible"?! A land where the Obama stickers on Volvo wagons are as prevalent as the boutique ice creams in the local grocery stores.

This also happens to be a land where you can find some very good food.

After a quick stop at Whole Foods (hey, just for bananas; we skipped the boutique ice creams) Susie and I parked the car on the street -- a risk I know on the East side -- and walked over to La Laiterie to (1) see if we could grab a table for dinner and (2) see if Susie could get her flexi-molds back from Matt Jennings. (He's the Matt part of the incredible Matt and Kate team that have turned the Farmstead Cheese shop and La Laterie cafe into two of the best reasons to head to the East Side for dinner.)

Since the wait was 30-40 minutes and nary a place to hang out in sight -- Susie opted to get her molds back another time -- we strolled over to Red Stripe, almost around the corner (well, two corners at least). We had had a drink her once before (while waiting for a table at La Laiterie no less) and thought we would give the place a chance.

The joint was, as they say, jumpin' -- a wee bit noisy but within reason. Anyway we opted to sit at the bar, which when you first walk in appears to be something like a quarter of a mile long. The bartender was friendly, candid (about the food, we didn't inquire about anything personal) and with a genuine smile at the ready for everyone.

We started with two glasses of Campari avec soda and ordered the calamari app. The drinks were generous and nicely done; the calamari, on the other hand, was tough, chewy, rubber-like, with almost dry casings. It was, to say the least, quite unappealing -- frankly it was "yucky."

We sent it back -- no replacement thank you -- and awaited the main course.

Here we were not disappointed: Susie got the cod loin wrapped in proscuitto on a bed of brown lentils; I went for the "steak frites." Both dishes were generously portioned and very tasty; my hanger steak was quite tender and Susie's cod was scrumptious.

The dessert menu lacked anything to tempt us -- fairly standard creme brulee, hot fudge sundae, that sort of thing.

Overall: very good service, friendly and attentive; reasonable prices, but off-balanced food.

Yeah, I'd say we should've waited for the table at La Laterie.

Red Stripe
465 Angell Street
Providence, RI 02906
401-437-6950 (for reservations)