Yes, the title is a bit misleading. “What’s your favorite Providence restaurant?” is probably the wrong question to ask this group if you want a succinct answer. We really can’t pin down one favorite Providence Restaurant. This little city has one of the top culinary arts schools in the country, and is regularly ranked as a food destination. Wether you are eating at one of the great food trucks, or enjoying some of the best Central American food in New England, Providence is a dream location for adventurous palates. 

Enough Already! Tell me about the best Providence Restaurants! 

Just like the first post on this subject, these listings are in no particular order. In fact, they are not even geographically grouped. Why not? Because Providence is small enough that if you just look for downtown restaurants, you might miss out on some great eats close by. Besides, isn’t an adventure part of the joy of a good meal?

The Favorite Providence Restaurant List

Chez Pascal, at 960 Hope Street, is known for being the wurst. The Wurst Kitchen serves house made sausages and cured meats at their walk-up window. The indoor section of Chez Pascal features seasonal and local ingredients to create dishes cooked in the style of a classic French restaurant.

Kitchen, at 94 Carpenter St. is small, cozy, and a staff favorite “for their amazing corned beef hash and perfectly poached eggs.” Kitchen is only open for brunch, and has about a dozen seats, so plan accordingly. 

Abyssinia Restaurant, at 333 Wickenden Street, is unique in Providence; as far as we know, this is the only Ethiopian restaurant until you get to Boston. If you haven’t experienced the fun of eating Ethiopian food, you really should give Abysinnia a try. Instead of forks or spoons, Ethiopian cuisine is eaten with a spongy, sour bread called injera. Don’t wear your fancy dress clothes. 

Tallulah’s Taqueria, at 146 Ives St, in Fox Point is one of our go to spots for a casual summer evening outdoor dinner.  The Tallulah’s menu is simple, but delicious. 

Mi Ranchito, at 1516 Westminster St. is “super small, but the food is out of this world. I highly recommend the garnachas.”

Rasoi is technically in Pawtucket, but it’s just over the line, so we’re calling that close enough. Rasoi is refined and flavorful Indian food. They regularly host cooking classes, as well. The menu is consistent, as is the food, and they are able to accommodate vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets. 

Birch is Gracie’s neighbor on Washington St. in downtown (200 Washington to be exact). Heidi Sukle and Chef Benjamin Sukle run this 18 seat restaurant known for seasonal ingredients and exacting preparations. They are also one of the few high-end restaurants that are open on Sunday and Monday. 

Figidini Wood Fire Eatery is Ellie’s neighbor, at 67 Washington St. Figidini has the distinction of being the only restaurant in Rhode Island to cook exclusively with wood fire. They serve a traditional Neapolitan pizza, as well as a variety of local and seasonal dishes that are grilled in the open kitchen. 

Do you have a favorite Providence Restaurant that we missed?

Certainly, this is an incomplete list, but if you are looking for a new place to eat in Providence, we can offer these suggestions as great places to eat. What would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments. 

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Star Chef Evan Mallett

Editors Note: This Event is postponed due to a schedule conflict. We will keep you posted on a new date as soon as we can confirm. 

Chef Evan Mallett and Chef Matt Varga – Photo by JWessel Photography

Star Chef Evan Mallett – Photo by JWessel Photography

Join Us and Star Chef Evan Mallett On April 20

Star Chef events include a cocktail reception with passed canapes, a five-course seated tasting menu, and wine pairings. Reservations are required, as seating is limited. Tickets for this very special dinner are $125 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity. Contact tenneal@graciesprov.com or call 401.272.7811 to reserve your seat at the table.

Passed Canapes – Photo by JWessel Photography

Planning – Photo by JWessel Photography

Photo by JWessel Photography

Photo by JWessel Photography

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We work with food. A lot. We are pulling weeds from the rooftop garden in June, harvesting mushrooms in September, curing bacon weekly, and scaling fresh fish nightly. Putting energy into this is what we love, and we hope to share that love with every dish and every treat that leaves our kitchen. We also love to visit other restaurants, and enjoy the creativity and passion that our colleagues share with their guests.

Sharing the joy of food, and guiding people to great restaurants is one of the benefits of our work. There is such a great feeling when someone has thoroughly enjoyed a restaurant you suggested to them. The Providence restaurant community is filled with wonderful and delicious destinations, but which Providence restaurant is our favorite?

Is there a Providence restaurant that I MUST try?

We put this question to our staff at Ellie’s Bakery, and at Gracie’s. Everyone named at least two restaurants, and a few of us had trouble slowing down even after naming five or six. To quote Ellie’s manager Ashley, “Can I go on forever?” 

This is hardly an exhaustive list of many of the great places to eat, and the food trucks are absent from this list – we’ll have that in a later post. This sample “favorite Providence restaurant” list is in no particular order, but almost every place listed was mentioned by several people. 

The Favorite Providence Restaurant List:

El Rancho Grande, located at 311 Plainfield St. is renowned for their mole sauce, and for Chef Maria’s “amazing, authentic, from the soul meals…and tequila. Their margarita is the best ever, made with fresh lime juice.” El Rancho Grande is small, intimate, and delicious. 

Los Andes, at 903 Chalkstone Ave, is the place to go for Peruvian food. “I love the ceviche appetizer and the paella! And the beef heart! And the Pisco Sours! The service is amazing, the portions are huge, and the prices are good.” They also have a few outdoor tables, which make for a lovely summer evening of a slow meal, and watching the neighborhood go by. 

Apsara is easy to miss. It is at 716 Public St., just off Elmwood Ave. in South Providence. It is tiny, and tucked into a triangular, corner lot, but well worth the search. “I love that the menu covers northern thai/lao homestyle cooking.” “The menu is filled with gems, and it’s BYOB.” This is the kind of place where you can talk to your neighbors at the next table, and enjoy a social dinner. 

Andino’s Italian Restaurant in the heart of Federal Hill, at 171 Atwells Ave. has “awesome Italian food. Their sauce is almost as good as mine. I love their veal parmesan and seasonal squash flowers. They have a great, friendly staff – especially the bartender, Stephanie.” (ed. note – we love Andino’s, but we’ve never met an Italian cook who will admit that any restaurant is better than their home cooking. I think “almost as good as mine” is the highest compliment possible under these circumstances.) 

North, at 3 Luongo Memorial Square, is a favorite for the “inventive, personable, and fun” food, plus you can eat with chopsticks. The dining area is tiny, and the wait on a weekend night can be pretty long. This isn’t as bad as you might think, though. Once you put your name on the waiting list, they give you a beeper, and you can head across the street to The Avery for a drink. The staff at North, will page you when your table is ready. 

Broadway Bistro is at 205 Broadway. Gracie’s bartender Kristi loves their “Ribs & Grits!! Small, local/seasonal menu, they have Crabbies ginger beer, dim lighting, Ribs & Grits, friendly, west side, and outside seating. The garlic oil they give you with bread (this is one of the places I will actually eat bread before dinner) and did I mention the Ribs & Grits?!?! One of my go to spots on my off time.” 

Thee Red Fez, in downtown Providence, is part bar, part restaurant, and completely delicious. Their menu changes regularly, but the Old Bay seasoned fries with spiced aioli, are a mainstay, and with good reason. The beer list is reasonably sized and reasonably priced, they don’t skimp on the mixed drinks, and their menu is vegetarian friendly. There is nothing fancy about the Fez, but that pub comfort food and a good pint is good for the soul. They also play some great music. The Fez is located at 

AS220(food) is also downtown, on Empire St. Like the Fez, this is a multi-faceted space. It is part eatery, part bar, part art space, and part performance space. “I love AS220(food) because of the atmosphere, and the healthy options on their menu.” You won’t here any commercial music in this bar/art/food space, but there is no shortage of local and small touring bands on the playlist. Come for dinner, stay for a drink, then enjoy a show in the performance space. 

What is your favorite Providence Restaurant?

These are some of our favorites, and we will have more in the next blog post. Have you eaten at any of these restaurants? Do you have a favorite that we didn’t mention here? Let us know in the comments. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to go get some lunch! 

The post Which Providence Restaurant Is Our Favorite? Part 1 first appeared on Gracie's Providence.

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If you have looked at the menus or websites for many high end restaurants, you have probably noticed that most of them offer a tasting menu. For the adventurous, ordering dinner without regard to what might arrive to your table could be great. Even for the less curious, most restaurants can accommodate allergies or a dietary preference and still offer a tasting menu. However, ordering dinner at a restaurant, and not knowing in advance what you might be eating, is taking a big leap of faith. This is especially true if you have never dined at a restaurant. Hopefully, we can shed some light on the question, “What is a tasting menu?”

As the name implies, a tasting menu is a selection of several dishes, usually in a series of 5, 7, or up to 10 courses. At Gracie’s, we offer a 5 and 7-course tasting menu. These courses change weekly, and are often based on seasonality, and what is available from our local vendors. The portions of each dish are smaller than a regular entree, but are quite filling when you consider that the tasting menu is, in essence, several smaller portioned entrees, and also includes complimentary bread.

Focaccia and Honey Beer Bread – photo by JWessel Photography

What is a Tasting Menu AND What Does It Look Like?

You’ve made the decision to try the tasting menu. Great! Now what? Assuming you have ordered the 7-course tasting menu, your dinner will start with a cold dish – usually a salad, though this can vary quite a bit. This week, our starter is a dish of Nantucket Bay Scallops, with persimmon, breakfast radish, orange, watercress, and sorrel.

photo by JWessel photography

The second course is a pasta or soup. Pictured here is Parsnip soup, with marcona almond angolotti, whipped maple, asian pear, and pancetta.

photo by JWessel Photography

Photo by JWessel Photography

Photo by JWessel Photography

The third course in the 7-course tasting is Foie Gras. Here we have Hudson Valley Foie Gras, with sesame crust, soy glazed carrot, beet pickled ginger, rice crackers, and trumpet mushrooms. In the 5-course tasting, this course is omitted, and your next dish would be a fish entree.

Photo by JWessel Photography

For the fourth course in the 7-course tasting menu, fish is served. Here we have local Monkfish, with  house-cured bacon, sweet potato, braised red cabbage, and cabbage sprouts.

Photo by JWessel Photography

Following your fish entree, a meat dish will arrive at your table. Pictured here is venison, with juniper, salsify, apple, crispy wild rice, squash, and brussel sprouts.

Photo by JWessel Photography

In the 7-course tasting menu, the meat is followed by a cheese plate, then dessert. In a 5-course tasting menu, you go from meat, straight to dessert. Here we have Angelito Mousse with sunflower seed crust, molasses candied black currants, carrot cake, and carrot sherbet.

Photo by JWessel Photography

The tasting menu can also be paired with wines that are chosen to complement the flavors on your plate. At Gracie’s, we also offer a vegetarian tasting menu, and can work with you to accommodate allergies or dietary preferences. So if someone asks, what is a tasting menu? Now you know, and I don’t know about you, but I am feeling a bit hungry. Join us at Gracie’s for dinner Tuesdays through Saturdays by calling 401.272.7811 to reserve your seat at the table.

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“You’ve got time, guys. Make sure it’s nice.” The heirloom tomatoes go on the plate first, followed by freshly sliced avocado. The pattern continues for a stacked salad of lightly seasoned tomato and avocado, topped with pickled onion and fresh, green mint. The tomatoes – bright red, green with red sunbursts, and light orange – are fresh from Little City Farm, Four Town Farm, and Schartner’s. Chef Matt also picked some of the tomatoes this morning from Gracie’s rooftop garden, several stories above downtown Providence. “Somebody’s gonna hold, and somebody’s gonna drop.”

Preparing the dish

Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Salad

As the kitchen staff puts the final touches on the salad, the wait staff is upstairs clearing tables of the first course. Kristie is at the bar, opening wine for the second course while Stephen is delivering freshly polished wine glasses, six at a time, to each table. At the wait station, between the kitchen and dining area, Jessie is filling silver star-shaped trays with forks. It is 7:45. “Let’s start running food, please.”

With the salad out, the wait staff has enough time to survey the dining room. Alan tells me they “want to make sure everyone has water in their glasses, everything they need, and are having a nice dinner.” Even with this interval, there is not much down time. Kristie is behind the bar making simple syrup, Steph and Travis are polishing wine glasses and silverware for the next course, and the rest of the wait staff is attending to the dining room.

Polishing wine glasses

For the wait staff, this sequence continues throughout the meal: prepping dishes, clearing tables, resetting tables, filling water and wine glasses, and delivering each new course. The trick is in timing and pacing, making sure the night moves efficiently and smoothly. There are big changes for the kitchen staff, though. The hot courses require a more intricate level of speed and precision- there is time to make each dish beautiful, but accuracy is key here.

Concentration

Blackbird Farm Angus Beef

The kitchen is divided into two sections: an outer ring lining the wall, and an inner rectangle filled with a worktable. The outer ring, facing the wall, includes the cold prep area, where, on most nights, salads and deserts are made and plated. To the left of that, along the back wall and the far wall, is a line of ovens, twelve gas burners, a flat top grill, and shelves with dozens of well worn pots and fry pans in a variety of sizes. The rest of the outer ring consists of space for used dishes, a dish sink, dishwasher, a hand washing sink, and a space for clean dishes. The steam rises continuously from the consistent flow of plates, glasses, and silverware making the journey through the cleaning cycle.

In the middle of the floor, surrounded by the ovens, pans, and sinks, is a large wooden work table. It looks like a cutting board that just happens to be the size of an extra large dining room table, and tall enough to work while standing. With the steam from the dish area, fire from most of the gas burners, the heat of the flat top, and the hot lamps that help light this workspace, the temperature in the kitchen reaches 93 degrees.

Even so, the 10 cooks standing at three sides of the table are barely breaking a sweat. It is time to plate and serve the next course. Just like the salad dishes, there is a specific order to follow, and even specific placement; “We need to see the ginger; that’s why it’s going on the left.” The ginger follows the sauce, meat, arroz, gravy, and garden lettuce. Chef Bruce Tillinghast examines the first plate, waving his hand from the plate to his nose to appraise the aroma. Ellen Slattery, the owner of Gracie’s, is the last in line; she inspects each plate, and wipes any trace of sauce splashes.

Smoked Trout with Black Quinoa, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Quail Egg, Crispy Shallots, and Chili Sauce

Slow Braised Beef Short Rib with Sauteed Rice, Shiso, Pickled Ginger, and Squash Puree

As the last course goes out, Ellen looks over the guest list one last time to ensure that everyone is served. Chef Bruce looks at her, asking, “Are we clear?” “We’re clear.” Chef Bruce looks around at the Gracie’s staff, and says a heartfelt, and simple, “thank you.” With this Star Chefs Dinner almost over, the kitchen staff at Gracie’s enjoys a toast of wine in honor of Chef Bruce. They will spend the next two hours cleaning, then go home. Tomorrow is Tuesday, and they will all be in early to get ready for dinner.

Coconut Tuile Cones with Passion Fruit Ice Cream, Tropical Fruits, and Chocolate Crumble

All photos by JWessel Photography.

The post Behind the Scenes: Star Chef Dinner Part 2 first appeared on Gracie's Providence.

The post Behind the Scenes: Star Chef Dinner Part 2 appeared first on Gracie's Providence.

photo by JWessel Photography

Tillinghast grew up in a family that loved to cook, and his grandmother’s Griswold cast iron fry pan is still one of his favorite kitchen tools. Along with cooking, he says “color has always been an important element in my life, beginning with the big Crayola box that took the rainbow to new heights.” He attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where he received his BFA in Graphics in 1968.

From 1970- 1972, Tillinghast taught art in the Providence Public Schools, then moved to Lake Tahoe, working as a waiter and “tableside cook” at Harrah’s. In 1979, he attended the Modern Gourmet Cooking School, where Madeleine Kamman “opened the door to flavors for me and I found when cooking I think about putting flavor elements together the same way I think I have always thought about using color combinations.”

Photo by JWessel Photography

In 1990, Tillinghast and his late wife, Pat, opened New Rivers Restaurant. Local chefs often credit the couple for initiating the local and seasonal food movement in Providence, but he credits Kamman with the inspiration. “She taught us to use ingredients that grow together because they work together.” In truth, this is not a big leap from his appreciation of Bauhaus artist Josef Albers and his work with adjacent colors. “Whether dealing with food or color, there is always that delicate balance…and energy involved.”

This is the balance and energy we are excited to bring to Gracie’s on Monday, August 11, 2014. Chef Tillinghast will preside over a seated five-course tasting menu, with wine paired by The Savory Grape. This is also a rare opportunity to enjoy Chef Bruce’s menu; he sold New Rivers to a long-term employees Beau and Elizabeth Vestal in 2012.

Make your reservation by emailing Keira Langan at keira@graciesprov.com, or by calling Gracie’s at (401) 272-7811.

Photo by JWessel

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Art Culinaire is published quarterly as a hard cover celebration of artfully crafted foods and culinary talent. Issue 111 dedicates ten pages of full-color photographs and recipes to Chef Varga’s dishes. Even though Varga says he is “not that interesting of a person,” his use of local and vibrant ingredients contradicts his modesty.

photo courtesy of Art Culinaire

The recipes in this edition highlight Varga’s appreciation for local ingredients, including Nantucket Bay Scallops, Narragansett Littleneck Clams, Blackbird Farm Eggs, and flowers and vegetables from Gracie’s rooftop garden.

Chef Varga and his team bring this international acclaim to Providence every Tuesday through Saturday at Gracie’s in Downcity Providence.

Photo courtesy of Art Culinaire

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The Star Chef Series gives us the opportunity to turn over our kitchen to our colleagues and friends, to share ideas, and to appreciate what some of our favorite chefs are working on. It is a refreshing experience to collaborate with others in the food community in order to create great menus for each event. However, the best reward from these dinners is sharing an evening of delicious food and wine with you!

Our first 2014 Star Chef dinner was held on March 24th, 2014. We were honored to welcome Chef Evan Mallet, Owner and Chef of Black Trumpet Bistro in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This was his fifth appearance at Gracie’s as part of our Star Chef Series. In 2011, and again this year, Evan was named as a James Beard semi-finalist for Best Chef, Northeast. He is actively involved in the food community, and sits on the boards of Chefs Collaborative, Slow Food Seacoast, and the Heirloom Harvest Project, an initiative to join farmers, chefs and educators to identify and restore a food system native to the Greater New Hampshire Seacoast. Here is the menu from Chef Evan Mallet’s dinner:

Passed Hors d’ oeuvres

bay scallop, tomato vinegar, candy cap mushroom oil

potato sausage, creme fraiche, mustard caviar

ricotta cheese cornets, soft herbs, honey

chermoula chicken kebab, fresh coriander, harissa ketchup

Menu

cauliflower tempura, tahini aioli, green chickpea vinaigrette, Lebanese mint

berbere bison tartare, pickled quail egg, watercress, rooibos onion jam

golden tilefish, wild things broth, lardons, sorrel risotto, morel conserva

Intermezzo

bee balm, walnut bitters?

warm terrine of socca and lamb sugo, roasted peppers, black olive, absinthe tomato cream

fried avocado ice cream, banana flan, toasted coconut, cashew cheese

Our next Star Chef Series dinner will be on Monday, June 9, 2014 at 6 p.m. Chef Michael Ginor, of Lola, in Great Neck, New York will join us for this five-course dinner, paired with wine from The Savory Grape. Chef Ginor has won numerous awards, including the 1996 Award for Excellence from the James Beard Foundation. We hope you will join us for a wonderful evening of food, wine, and friendship. For reservations, contact Keira at keira@graciesprov.com, or call Gracie’s at (401) 272-7811.

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Photo by JWessel Photography

What is your name?

Cameron Heins

What is your job at Gracie’s, and how long have you worked here?

I currently work on the fish station prepping & plating.

What do you like the most about working here?

Learning something new everyday! The people are amazing and fun to be around.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Outside of work I like to run, play guitar, and participate in other outdoor activities such as rock climbing or camping.

Anything else fabulous, funny, or interesting you’d like to add?

I have a golden retriever named Tess.

I currently am studying Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University.

My favorite thing to make at Gracie’s is the homemade pasta.

The post Meet the Gracie’s Team: Cameron first appeared on Gracie's Providence.

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