Sophia's Tuscan Grill

We went there recently on a special wine tasting dinner so the menu we sampled wasn't typical of the usual fare.

Still. . . The food was uneven: the risotto a bit too overdone for my palate although the sauce was very tasty. The mock Bolognese was flavorful good but some at the table thought the pappardelle (handmade we were told) was a bit too al dente.

 The fish course, salmon supposedly with a pistachio crust was in a delicious butter sauce although none of us could locate any pistachios.

Another course was a crispy Tuscan pork belly which we thought far too large a portion and fairly bland in flavor -- and what was the "Tuscan" thing? That word is abused and overused in today's American restaurant marketing and I'm afraid Sophia's is no exception.

The cheese course was "imported" gorgonzola (there's domestic I suppose) with figs on homemade fig jam. The figs were delicious as was the jam but we thought the gorgonzola was more like a neutral goat cheese than anything else -- it completely lacked any "blue" flavor at all. The dessert was a bland cannoli -- typical old-guard Italo-American cuisine and not in keeping with the chef's marketing of his place as "new twists on Italian favorites."

The service was friendly, to be sure. The noise level, however, was unpleasant, the lighting not terribly attractive and the seating, for me at any rate was quite uncomfortable and they did nothing to resolve that (we were a special group for the evening, with assigned seating).

Lastly, the wines were, by-and-large quite good -- although our table agreed that the Lambrusco was devoid of any character and the Amarone thin and lacking the raisiny body so typical of those incredible wines.

If you want food in an Italian style go to Bacaro's or Al Forno. I'd skip this place.

Oh, and sorry about the photography -- terrible lighting.

lemon risotto with scallop

salmon in a butter sauce

mock bolognese with homemade Papardelle

Brunch at Nick's on Broadway

Some things never change it seems, and in the case of brunch at Nick's on Broadway that's an incredibly wonderful thing.

A week ago today we returned to Nick's for the first time since our return from Paris. We thought we'd beat the crowd and get there right at 8am when the doors opened but when we turned the corner we found ourselves waiting in line. Yes, indeed, some things never change.

But the line moved quickly -- and while waiting we struck up a conversation with a fascinating young man, also, coincidentally, named Nick. Before long we were seated at the counter, sipping coffee waiting for our food.

As always, the food and service was worth the wait: Susie got one of Derek's great sandwiches and I opted for the "special plus," which consisted of home fries, wheat toast, two poached eggs and their homemade sausage. Deeeelicious!

Broadway Bistro - dark and noisy but still good food

ribs 'n grits - yeah!

Dinner at Andrea's House

After a gorgeous day here in Providence, part of which we spent on the East Bay Bike Path taking in the budding of early spring, we had a lovely dinner at the home of a colleague.

The tasty food was matched only by the lively conversation.

Nami on Federal Hill in Providence

Smack in the middle of Italian Federal Hill Nami is a very cool space to have a special dinner with a loved one or share a meal with friends.

Recently opened on Atwells Avenue, this is a place to sit, relax have a glass of prosecco or, if you're adventurous, a cocktail made with hot or cold sake.

After being seated around a hibachi table -- you can choose to sit at a traditional table if you're not in to the tableside schtick -- we relaxed over a glass of sparkling wine in tall bud vases. They were so good we had a second round. Not long after we ordered drinks three young men, friends as it turned out, were also seated at our table. They were clearly locals and it was fascinating to see three seemingly stereotypical Federal Hill types love this place before the evening was out.

vegetable tempura appetizer

First up for us were the apps:  the vegetable tempura and beef Nagamaki rolls for appetizers. Both were scrumptious and the beef especially was very different  with a wonderful glazing sauce. Together they made for a very nice contrast: the crunchy smooth flavor of the veggies with the lusciousness of the beef.

no, really, I'm awake!

Beef Nagamaki appetizer

Miso soup, that and a small green salad comes with the Hibachi dinner

The hibachi portion of the evening was the real treat though.

We hadn't eaten this style for many years and over the wine we chatted about past experiences, our minds flooding back to the first time at a Benihana in Bethesda, Maryland and a favorite hibachi restaurant in Roanoke, Virginia. So, I ordered the filet and Susie had the mix of chicken and salmon; all with fried rice which was prepared right at the table as well.

Earlier in the day I happened to mention to my wife earlier that I wanted beef for my 65th birthday and since I also love Asian cuisine, especially Japanese and Chinese, the hibachi was the best of both worlds. (and frankly, I really wouldn't have wanted a traditional beef meal with heavy sides and even heavier sauces.) 

The food was perfectly prepared, flavors spot on and the chef artistic and playful, shooting sake into the mouths of several other diners around our table, flipping shrimp in my direction to catch, that kind of thing. The hibachi portions were certainly enough for dinner so be prepared to take some home if you opt for an app or two.

making the fried rice

filet mignon

salmon

Oh, and on our way out the hostess-owner suggested that since we loved the Nagamaki rolls, next time (and there will be a next time to be sure) we should try the Crusted Salmon on the main menu. If I can stay away from the hibachi. . . 

Our server was very nice, friendly, helpful and around when we needed her and understanding of our privacy when we did not.

They have valet parking but when we go to Atwells we park on a side street and walk a block or two.

The Grange on Providence's West Side

Well, you've got to take a little bit of the bad with a whole lot of the good, I suppose.

Four of us met up at the new vegetarian restaurant on Providence's West Side last evening. The service was, in a word, great. Not pushy friendly but the kind of witty charm that I'd want my daughter to have (if I had a daughter).

The drinks were fine -- although the Eddy has, we all thought, a more sophisticated grasp of what a true cocktail should be.

Our food arrived in a timely fashion, although business picked up considerably after we arrived. I had the Korean BBQ tacos and two of us had pomme frites. Another had the noodles, my wife had the scallion pancakes with sweet potato crostini, and a fourth had the soup special of the day (scrumptious cauliflower puree). All of us readily agreed that the food was delicious, well-prepared and nicely presented. to repeat, the menu is all vegetarian.

The atmosphere is funky with a corner near the front devoted to swings, small couches of the sort you'd see in someone's sunroom, that sort of thing, all making for a warm feeling, a welcoming touch to be sure.

The single negative vibe for the evening was the noise level.

As more people come in for dinner the noise level increased significantly, abetted by the background music playing -- a phenomenon we all remarked on. Why do so many restaurants play music in the background when you can't really make out who's singing/playing what because the rest of the place is so noisy? Odd we thought.

Oh, and parking is on a very busy street so be prepared to hunt around for a spot.

noodle

pomme frites

Korean BBQ tacos

sweet potato crostini

scallion pancakes

Olga's Cup and Sauce, Autumn Cafe, and Fancheezical Food Truck

Waiting at Olga's

tuna salad

more waiting

Havarti melt with Black Forest ham

Autumn Cafe on Benefit Street - "if pigs could fly" . . . turkey and ham with Havarti cheese all nicely melted under the broiler

deeeelicious!

Fancheezical food truck on Weybosset Street. . .

Crazy corn cup -- roasted corn, crema mexican cheese,  bacon and avocado