Restaurants

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New York Quick List

Bo Ssäm @ Momofuku

It was a busy weekend, but here’s the gastronomic sequence:

1. Petrossian. Coffee & Orange Brioche. Much fawning over caviar.

2. Roasting Plant Coffee. Espresso and own-made Ding Dong (michele only).

3. Kin Shop. Spicy Duck Laab, Duck Breast Roti, Grilled Trigger fish. Roasted bone marrow.

4. Fedora. Martinis and Manhattans

5. Bakehouse. Coffee and Short Rib Hash

6. Kava. Espresso.

7. Magnolia. Cupcake (michele only)

8. Red Farm. Not open 😦

9. Momofuku Ssam bar. Bo Ssam. Vieux Carre.

10. Think Coffee. Espresso.

11. Arthur’s Tavern. Beer.

12. Joe’s. Slice of pizza, eaten outside in Father Demo Square.

13. The Breslin – curried lentils and poached eggs. thrice-cooked chips,

14. Stumptown. Espresso.

15. Eataly. Fresh bread and mozzarella for the train ride, spicy salumi.

Espresso, in order of preference:

1) Kava

2) Stumptown

3) Think Coffee

4) Roasting Plant

5) Petrossian

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Stanley’s Hamburgers: a step back in time

Stanley's burger comes topped with onions and pickles.

If you’d like to step back to an anachronistic time when Bobby Vinton songs played on the radio but trans fats were a thing of the past, then Stanley’s in Central Falls is the place for you.

The cheddar cheese fries -- although I personally liked them better plain.

I have to admit, I’ve had a better burger. Nonetheless, Stanley’s most certainly wins on character. The neon menu, metal ceiling fans, red and white vinyl booths, and Casey Kasem’s 1974 top 40 playing in the background (literally) form an ambiance that is not to be missed.

The burgers are topped with pickles and caramelized onions (unless requested otherwise), and they have a selection of fries like no other (dirty fries, chili cheese fries, Quebec-style fries, cheddar fries). We also tried their ham and bean soup — I think the secret ingredient, as Marge Simpson would say, is salt. And just so you know, a “small” means large and a “large” means obscene. To top it off, do what I did, and get a coffee shake with your meal.

Stanley’s
535 Dexter St.
Central Falls, RI
www.stanleyshamburgers.com

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Ama’s Bento Boxes

The bento box at Ama's.

There’s only one thing I like more than pictures on the menu (which Ama’s doesn’t have), and that’s an assortment of dishes to taste. As we reviewed the menu, our waitress informed us that their bento boxes take some time to come out since each dish is prepared to order. Consequently, there was no question what I wanted — food worth waiting for.

Tucked on a side street in the West End of Providence, Ama’s is not your ordinary Japanese restaurant — there is no sushi and no maki. What you will find, however, is perfectly prepared chicken yakatori, edamame stuffed yuba, panko-crusted fish with a wasabi ginger mayonnaise, impeccably seasoned udon noodle soup, paper-thin mushroom gyoza, and enough sake to wash it all down.

Ama’s

3 Luongo Memorial Square
Providence, RI 02903

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A Perfect Cortado

My Cortado

A perfect cortado–a shot of espresso or two with a matching volume of steamed milk–can be found the excellent Flan Y Ajo. Here you can also find a Spanish pinball machine, a quiet place for an excellent lunch, and a worthy replacement for Farmstead Downcity.

Flan y Ajo
225A Westminster St
Providence, RIwww.flanyajo.com

Another perfect Cortado?

Blue State Coffee
300 Thayer St
Providence, RI

At Blue State, if you can, order the cortado to stay–not to go. The glass makes a big difference.

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Where to Find Rhode Island’s Past: A Top Ten List

Jerry and Rose take the bus to Foxwoods Casino when they're in Rhode Island.

My step-mother’s parents, Rose and Jerry (aka Bubbie and Zadie), retired to Florida over 17 years ago. Every year, they return to Rhode Island — the state in which they were born, raised their children, and lived most of their lives.

Of course, they come to visit family, but their journey has also become a pilgrimage to their old favorite restaurants and sights. Their carefully culled picks have nothing to do with hot spots that may rise and fall from the Best of Rhode Island lists. Instead, these are the places that have persisted through the generations and have come to represent a moment in time in Rhode Island.

1. At Twin Oaks in Cranston, they always order the baked stuffed shrimp. They say the shrimp are “scrawny” in Florida compared with the five jumbo shrimps at Twin Oaks. But it’s the stuffing they crave. They also like that when you order a cocktail, like a Black Russian, you get “a drink and a half.” Other favorites here include the house salad dressing and the homemade chocolate pudding.

2. Florida may be the “Sunshine State,” but Rhode Island is still the “Ocean State.” Every year, they plan a beach day at either Narragansett Town Beach or Sand Hill Cove (Roger Wheeler). They love the way the land gradually slopes out to the ocean rather than the abrupt way the land drops at the Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale beaches. (Although they admit the Gulf waters on the west coast of Florida are warm, and the beaches have a more gradual dip.) Still, nothing is better than sitting on the sea wall in Narragansett as the sun is rising or setting. Clam cakes and chowder (which they call chowda) are a must at either Aunt Carrie’s, Champlin’s, or George’s of Galilee.

3. At Crow’s Nest in Warwick, they enjoy the lobster salad sandwiches and their sugar-free blueberry pie.

4. Chello’s by the water in Warwick is a must for the Jim Dandy Burger and the banana berry pie, served only in season.

5. Their trip to Rhode Island is not complete without a Conway Bus day trip to Foxwood Casinos in Connecticut. For 24 dollars a ticket, you get bus service to and from the hotel along with food and gambling vouchers. They give you more in vouchers than the price of the ticket expecting that visitors will wind up spending more gambling. But for Rose and Jerry, it’s a deal.

6. They adore the chocolate walnut ice cream from Brickley’s in Narragansett on route 1A. You can also get Brickley’s in Wickford served in the former Ryan’s market.

7. They love to quench their thirst on a hot beach day with a classic Del’s lemonade. Now with locations in over a dozen states, Del’s started in Cranston. Rose still remembers the owner, Mr. Delucia.

8. They love events like the East Greenwich Main Street stroll; concerts in Wickford and Cranston’s Garden City; and tours in Newport, RI and Mystic, Connecticut.

9. They can’t resist the coffee “cabinets” from Newport Creamery.

10. And no trip is complete without some Walt’s roast beef sandwiches.

Twin Oaks (since 1933)
100 Sabra Street
Cranston, RI
www.twinoaksrest.com

Aunt Carrie’s Seafood (since 1920)
1240 Ocean Road
Narragansett, RI
www.auntcarriesri.com

Champlin’s Seafood (since 1932)
See previous post

George’s of Galilee (since 1948)
250 Sand Hill Cove Road
Narragansett, RI
www.georgesofgalilee.com

Crow’s Nest (since 1966)
288 Arnolds Neck Drive
Warwick, RI
www.crowsnestri.com

Chelo’s on the Waterfront (since 1955)
1 Masthead Drive
Warwick, RI
www.chelos.com

Foxwoods Resort Casinos (since 1986)
www.foxwoods.com

Brickley’s (since 1995)
See previous post.

Del’s Lemonade (since 1948)
www.dels.com

Newport Creamery (since 1940)
See previous post.

Walt’s Roast Beef (since 1957)
www.waltsroastbeef.net

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Champlin’s Seafood: Lobster Rolls, Clam Cakes, and Seafood to Go

A lobster roll at Champlin's.

In my experience, there are no two lobster rolls created equally.  Sometimes they have mayo, sometimes they have butter, and other times, neither. I’m willing to try them all, but I only like a few.

In Rhode Island, my favorite remains Flo’s Clam Shack, which makes the plainest lobster roll I’ve ever had — unadorned lobster meat on a hot dog bun with lettuce. You can add the mayo yourself (I don’t).  Knowing that dessert at Frosty Freez is not far away, makes it even better.

Recently, I tried the lobster roll at Champlin’s Seafood, where they mix the lobster meat with mayo and celery. Of course, you can’t beat the location — as my out-of-town friends gazed at the boats in the water at Galilee, they said, “This is exactly what you think of when you think of New England.” I also had them order one of my local favorites — clam cakes (think hushpuppies with clams mixed in) — which were a huge hit as well.

As a local, perhaps my favorite part of Champlin’s is the seafood store downstairs, where you can buy fresh scallops, tuna, swordfish, shrimp, etc. to cook at home. And if you pick up some fresh-picked corn at a farm on your way home, you’ll really have the perfect summer meal.

Flo’s Clam Shack
4 Wave Ave
Middletown, RI

Park Avenue
Portsmouth, RI 02871
www.flosclamshack.net

Champlin’s Seafood
256 Great Island Road
Narragansett, RI
www.champlins.com

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Soban Korean Eatery

Bibimbap at Soban

Over the past two years, we’ve been impressed with some of the Korean food in the Providence area, including Sun and Moon in East Providence and, of course, Mama Kim’s Korean BBQ food truck, which serves up some tasty pork sandwiches. So when we learned that the owners of Juniper had opened Soban, a Korean eatery, on Thayer Street — we were among the first patrons on opening night.

Mama Kim's Korean BBQ often parks on Thayer Street.

It’s hard to judge a restaurant on its first night — they wound up with a full house and dozens of take-out orders so they were obviously a bit overwhelmed. So I’ll forgive them any service mishaps for now.

We ordered the steamed pork and chive dumplings, made with thin, fresh dough and a well-composed filling. For the main dish, I ordered the Bibimbap — a classic Korean dish served in a hot stone pot with meat, vegetables, and rice topped with a cracked egg which cooks as you mix it together (along with spicy chili paste to your liking). Geoff ordered the spicy tofu stew made with soft, fresh tofu that melts in your mouth simmered with shrimps with the heads still on in a spicy chili broth. I skipped the shrimp, but tasted the tofu. Soft, fresh tofu is a rare find and nothing like the rubbery cubes you find in more commercial miso soup.

For Madeline, we had ordered Duboki, chewy strips of rice (imagine grains of rice larger than your fingers) in a sweet and hot chili sauce with onions, carrots and fish cake. It was delicious as well, although by the time it finally arrived, Madeline was fast asleep in the stroller. Fortunately, it makes a great breakfast the next day as well.

Soban
272 Thayer St
Providence, RI

Mama Kim’s Korean BBQ
www.mamakims.us

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Angkor’s Nam Yaa: Medicine Soup

Ah, a bowl of Nam Yaa soup...

After spending what seemed like an eternity shut in my house with a fever and cold, the only thing to motivate me out of bed was a craving for the Nam Yaa soup at Angkor Restaurant. They deliver, but I find somehow it tastes better there.

According to the menu, my Cambodian Nam Yaa soup contains herbs, lemongrass, ginger, galangal, garlic, and kaffir lime leaves, but all I taste is a perfect balance of sweet, salty and spicy — and that steaming soup (which they call medicine soup) cures me, at least momentarily. They do have other dishes on the menu — chicken satay, hot basil in lemongrass sauce, pineapple fried rice, street noodles with coconut sauce, among others.  But I’ve been here at least half a dozen times, and no matter what I get, I also get the Nam Yaa.

Their new location on Traverse Street (around the corner from their old spot) is tiny, but the waitress told us that the owner will be able to own the building instead of rent, which I was glad to hear since that means they’ll be sticking around.

Angkor Restaurant
10 Traverse St
Providence, RI
(401) 383-2227

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Rasoi: South Indian Cuisine in Pawtucket

Chef Sanjiv Dhar from Rasoi (stop #3 on the Rhody Food Tours: Immigrant Cuisines of Providence).

When I miss New York after reading that there is a fancy new yakiniku place around the corner from our old apartment, Michele takes me to Rasoi. I remember that Indian food was lousy in the West Village. And South Indian food? Forget it.

The Thali at Rasoi.

Not in Providence. There are several great South Indian places nearby, and Rasoi is one of them. Upon every visit, I order Thali — but I never have the same meal twice. Six or 7 small bowls surround a mound of rice, and tonight the bowls were filled with spinach and homemade cheese (Saag Paneer); yellow lentil stew; a thick, sweet sambar; red-roasted cauliflower; homemade yogurt; a sweet potato curry; and a little dessert.

As an aside, I should mention the mixed pickle at Rasoi. For me, mixed pickle is the corned beef hash of the Indian restaurant world — it’s a barometer of how good the food is. The mixed pickle here is a delicious mixture of pickled lemon, peas, and bitter melon — and it’s tender (I don’t like that hardened lemon skin in most store-bought Indian pickles).

The traditional Indian dishes here are great too. The simple Chicken Tikka is delicious, with a crisp shell and fresh herbs instead of the more common red pellicle-crust that covers it after a bake in the tandoor. Their version of Biryani combines a sweet and savory assortment of whole spices. And a bowl of their Idli Sambar is as good for dinner as I imagine it’d be for breakfast in India.

Rasoi Restaurant
727 East Ave # 6
Pawtucket, RI 02860-6184
(401) 728-5500
www.rasoi-restaurant.com

Rhody Food Tours
http://rhodyfoodtours.com/tours/