Ten years ago, downtown Providence was a different place. Many of the great restaurants and shops did not yet exist, and some of our favorites have since left. Gracie’s originally opened on Federal Hill, but opportunity knocked, and we moved into a great location across the street from the spectacular Trinity Repertory Company. Working in downtown Providence came with challenges and opportunities. We’ve seen a lot of changes in the last decade. But as we celebrate our downtown location’s ten-year restaurant anniversary, it is a delight to see many of our neighborhood restaurants bustling night after night. It is encouraging to see so many independently owned shops opening their doors, and at the same time, The Dunkin Donuts center plays host to hockey tournaments and world tour concerts. 

The restaurant business is a tricky one, and so often is subject to the economy, weather, fluctuating food prices, and even the whims of culinary fashions. It’s no secret that many new restaurants close within five years or less for any combination of reasons. Sometimes, though, you get lucky. Hard work, dedication, and a love for what you do come together with people who appreciate what you do. In that respect, we’ve been pretty lucky. 

In the last ten years, we have learned a lot – way more than we could possibly fit into a single blog post. We have also met some wonderful people – again, way more than we could possibly fit into a single blog post. As we celebrate our ten-year downtown restaurant anniversary, we know that we are fortunate to have met and worked with so many wonderful people. 

Sharing a Meal – photo by JWessel Photography

We have restaurant guests who have eaten with us regularly since we opened. We have some guests that we see every year on their anniversary. We have had movie stars and sports stars at our tables, and we have had young couples celebrating a first date. We’ve been honored to host weddings, graduation dinners, and birthday parties. 

Our kitchen has been graced with so many chefs, from Johnson & Wales interns, to our own regular staff, to guest Star Chefs from Maria Helm Sinskey to Ciril Hitz to Celina Tio and so many others. We really can’t begin to express how honored we are to host so many amazing, talented people. 

Current Executive Chef Matthew Varga was featured in Art Culinaire: The International Magazine in Good Taste. We’ve won the AAA four-diamond award four years in a row, and Executive Pastry Chef Melissa Denmark was named a Rising Star by the online culinary magazine Star Chefs. We’ve been able to partner with No Kid Hungry: Share Our Strength to work toward ending childhood hunger in America, and we’ve donated and walked many miles for the March of Dimes. 

In the front of the house, we’ve learned about Wine and Food pairings, how to share the joy of a tasting menu with new guests, and gone through more than a fair share of wine glasses. We’ve watched some of our staff graduate high school AND college, and some we’ve seen move across this great country to follow their dreams. We’ve managed to have some fun, too. Perhaps maybe too much?

This is supposed to be our Front of the House Manager.

 We’ve worked with so many dedicated and caring vendors, local farms, fishers, dairies, artisans, breweries, wineries, and distilleries, many of whom have been part of our team for years. We’ve shared our favorite Providence restaurants with you, and we’re even going on a Mediterranean cruise in October. 

And we owe it all to you. We love what we do, but we wouldn’t be here without each and every person who supports us. From the farmers that spend countless hours raising the best corn, or staying up all night caring for a newborn calf, to the men and women on the Rhode Island coast pulling in fresh seafood, to the guys who makes sure we have all the linens and dish detergent we need, this is a team effort.

Most of all, though, we wouldn’t be here without you. Whether you enjoy a meal with us on a special occasion, or just because, we couldn’t do what we do without your willingness to try new things with us, to taste new ingredients or an unusual wine. For you, we are incredibly thankful. Thank you for helping us make this ten-year anniversary the start of the next decade. 

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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. 

The post Our Favorite Providence Restaurant: Part 2 first appeared on Gracie's Providence.

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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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