works in the French tradition but isn’t dogmatic about it. The variety of house-made pâtés and charcuterie is unusually large, from a root vegetable terrine to the pork and fennel sausage. Pascal always offers a “local pork of the day” dish, but it also caters to non-meat-eaters with a vegetarian tasting menu that often features lentil ragout with roasted sugar pumpkin. Winning desserts have included pear upside-down cake with Great Hill blue cheese and walnuts, caramel sauce, and crème fraiche. Reserve well ahead.
960 Hope St. (at 9th St.). www.chez-pascal.com. 401/421-4422. Main courses $25–$31. Mon–Thurs 5:30–9:30pm, Fri–Sat 5:30–10pm. RIPTA bus line 1.
Garden Grille VEGETARIAN Animal-free meals are not so easy to find as you might expect in this college town, but a long-time favorite is this small restaurant a few steps across the town line into Pawtucket. Go for the food, not the atmosphere, which is non-existent and somewhat cramped. But the menu has something for almost every food preference: gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, Kosher—and when possible, the vegetables come from local farms. Along with the expected quesadillas, stir-fry bowls, and veggie burgers, you’ll see seitan mushroom burgers, tofu BLTs with avocado or egg, pastrami seitan Reubens, and vegan mac ’n’ cheese. Meat-lovers will never miss the meat in Garden Grille’s tamales, stuffed full of mushrooms and sweet potatoes, with walnuts, quinoa polenta, wilted greens, and cumin-scented tomatoes.
big Tastes Hide in little Rhody
You’d think that, in an age of instant communication, no flavorful food tidbit would stay unknown for long. Regional specialties often become national staples—think Buffalo wings, Carolina blooming onions, Texas burritos. But Rhode Island’s food specialties remain mysteriously secret. Even residents of neighboring states are in the dark about a lot of them. So while you’re visiting, be sure to check out some of the following:
Stuffies: These come in as many versions as there are cooks. At Flo’s Clam Shack (p. 431), in Newport, big quahog clams are chopped up with hot and sweet peppers and bread crumbs, packed inside the two shell halves, and shut, the whole held together by a rubber band and baked.
Rhode Island clam chowder: This is a potato, onion, and clam (often quahog) soup of clear broth. It’s neither cream-based (such as the well-known New England chowder) nor tomato-based (such as Manhattan chowder).
Coffee milk and cabinets: Obligatory Rhody beverages. Coffee milk is made with milk and sweet coffee syrup (available in any Rhode Island grocery store). Cabinets are what most of the rest of America calls a milkshake (and some parts of New England call a frappe): milk, ice cream, and flavorings such as chocolate syrup.
Johnnycakes: Also spelled jonnycakes, these are breakfast fodder. Sometimes they’re as thin as crepes, sometimes as thick as griddlecakes. Their primary ingredient is cornmeal. Honey is a common topping.
New York System Wieners: These have only a passing acquaintance with Big Apple franks. In Rhode Island, the wieners are served on soft steamed buns and topped (usually) with a chili-type meat sauce, minced sweet onion, and mustard. Try them from Olneyville New York System, 2014 recipient of the James Beard Foundation America’s Classics Award (two Providence locations; see www.olneyvillenewyorksystem.com).
727 East Ave. (at Lafayette St.), Pawtucket. www.gardengrilleri.com. 401/726-2826. No reservations. Main courses $9–15. Mon–Sat 11am–10pm, Sun 11am–9pm. RIPTA bus line 1.
Gracie’s NEW AMERICAN Pin lights in the ceiling hint at the night sky, and white tablecloths and well-spaced tables carry out the romantic theme. The menu changes seasonally, but the first course might be house-made potato gnocchi or crispy veal sweetbreads with wild leeks. Carnivores will be more than sated by the lamb duo with bok choy, green garlic panisse, and beech mushrooms. Prix-fixe menus of three, five, seven, and nine courses are available with appropriate wine pairings.
194 Washington St. (1 block from Empire St.). www.graciesprov.com. 401/272-7811. Reservations advised. Main courses $26–$39; 3-course prix fixe $50. Tues–Sat 5–10pm.
Siena ITALIAN Federal Hill’s days as a tomato gravy and pizza destination are fading, replaced by upbeat, contemporary chefs and owners who value quality and are alert to trends. Promising “Tuscan Soul Food,” Siena draws all ages (including an occasional shrieking child). Waitstaff is patient and more knowledgeable and attentive than average. Antipasti and thin, wood-grilled, upscale pizzas may distract your attention from the rest of the card, but give full consideration to the pollo al diavolo, chicken breasts with an herb and hot red pepper rub; and the aragosta cioppino, a San Francisco fish stew of lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, swordfish, and calamari in a spicy broth.
238 Atwells Ave. www.siena.com. 401/521-3311. Reservations advised. Main courses $15–$29. Mon–Thurs 5–10pm; Fri 5–11pm; Sat 4:30–11pm; Sun 3–9pm. RIPTA bus 92.
Providence Entertainment & Nightlife
This being a college town, there is no end of music options. A good source of information is www.goprovidence.com, which publishes a calendar of events and nightlife.
The Performing Arts
Big-ticket touring musicals on the order of Hamilton are showcased at the Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St. (www.ppacri.org; 401/421-ARTS [2787]). At the Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington St. (www.trinityrep.com; 401/351-4242), works by Shakespeare, and adaptations such as Marcus Gardley’s Black Odyssey, share the stage with the revival of classics like Little Shop of Horrors.
The Dunkin’ Donuts Center, 1 La Salle Square (www.dunkindonutscenter.com; 401/331-6700), hosts big-name performers, monster truck events, and NCAA basketball games.
Opera Providence (www.operaprovidence.org; 401/524-1638) stages productions at a variety of locations, including Blithewold (p. 440) in Bristol and Hopkins Square Park in Providence. The Rhode Island Philharmonic, 67 Waterman Ave., East Providence (www.ri-philharmonic.org; 401/248-7000) puts on one or two concerts a month from September through May, often at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium (1 Avenue of the Arts in Providence).
