Providence

by

Kennedy Plaza Ice Skating: How Young is Too Young?

A reason to love Providence: city skating without the crowds at Kennedy Plaza.


The other night after dinner, Geoff wanted to show Madeline the ice skaters at Kennedy Plaza. Her enthusiasm didn’t disappoint: she was ready to get on the ice right then and there. Much to her chagrin (try explaining to a two-year-old that you’ll do something tomorrow instead), we decided to come back when we were all a bit more rested, and it was light out.

I wasn’t sure exactly how old you had to be to ice skate. It seemed to me she’d need the double bladed bob skates so I called around to local sports stores but no one had them. But we had promised so I called the rink at Kennedy Plaza and asked them what was the smallest size skates they had: toddler eight. So I figured she was old enough to skate after all since that’s the same size as her winter boots.

She only made it around the ice a few times and then was ready for lunch. One more time around and she was ready for a nap. But while we were out there, we passed another eager toddler also age two making his rounds.

So if you think your child is too young to ice skate perhaps think again. Can they walk? If so they might pick it up faster than you.

Public Skating in Kennedy Plaza
aka Bank of America City Center
Providence, RI
www.providenceskating.com

by

Pho Paradise: Vietnamese Bánh Mì & Phở Noodle Soups

The vegetarian Phở is packed with crunchy vegetables and layered with tasty tofu and noodles.

With its neon sign and strip mall parking, Phở Paradise might easily be missed as you’re cruising down Broad Street. But this unassuming restaurant happens to be one of the few Providence restaurants where you can find a tasty Bánh Mì, an east-meets-west sandwich that perfectly combines Vietnamese ingredients on a French-style baguette.

Last night, we stopped in for some Phở, Vietnamese noodle soup. But first we tried some terrific appetizers — I loved the Gỏi Cuốn Chay (aka vegetarian summer rolls which you’ll find on the vegetarian menu) a tightly-wrapped roll of crispy shredded lettuce, mint, vermicelli and tofu in thin rice paper. Geoff thought their scallion pancakes rivaled his favorites at Mary Chung, and their Bánh Xèo, Vietnamese crepe which packed baby shrimps, chicken and bean sprouts with a sweet and spicy sauce could make a meal in itself.

As for the Phở, we tried three kinds — beef, chicken and vegetable — and all were delicious, although my personal favorite was the vegetable which is made with a vegetarian base and packed with crunchy, flavorful carrots, zucchini, baby corn, peppers, celery, peppers and broccoli and layered with noodles and fresh and soft fried tofu. If you hate winter as much as I do, this might be just the cure.

Pho Paradise
337 Broad Street
Providence, RI, 02907

by

AS220: Power of the Arts

Tasty potato leek soup for a good cause at AS220.

With live/work spaces for artists (two vacancies opening this spring) along with their existing repertoire of workshops, studios, galleries, and labs, AS220 is more than a local nonprofit — it is a force to be reckoned with.

They even have a restaurant, but clearly this is no ordinary restaurant. The menu consists of an eclectic mix of dishes from a variety of cultures with ingredients derived from local farms and food artisans. Although they are known for their vegetarian and vegan options, they have plenty of dishes for carnivores as well. (They aim, after all, for inclusion). They even provide six month training positions at the restaurant for local teenagers.

If the city is to be judged by its Creativity Index, then things certainly are looking up for Providence, thanks largely to AS220.

by

Show me the pancakes: a search for Rhode Island’s best

The Gold Standard: My beloved pancakes from the Deluxe Town Diner in Watertown, Massachusetts. Photo by möca.


Why is it that I’m always reading blog posts and newspaper articles about great breakfast places that turn out to be subpar? Surely, I am not the only pancake purist in Rhode Island. After having eagerly gone from diner to hotspot and back again in my quest for Rhode Island’s best pancakes, I’ve decided I am going about this all wrong. When I discovered the best pancakes near Boston, I discovered them not through a blog (if those even existed then) nor through a magazine or newspaper article, but through an accountant friend who happened to live in the area and really liked pancakes.

Here I am with my Deluxe Town Diner pancakes.

Here’s how I know that the Deluxe Town Diner in Watertown, Massachusetts has amazing pancakes: it is the only thing I order there. That’s not to say I haven’t been tempted by tuna melts, homemade stews with fresh (not frozen) vegetables, and burgers with sweet potato fries. But the pancakes made with sour cream and buttermilk are just too good: they rise to thick height and remain fluffy, perfectly browned, made the size of your plate in a stack of three (or two if you so choose, but you’ll be sorry), and smeared with butter with a side of real maple syrup.

I know Rhode Island is the smallest state, but I refuse to shrink my expectations accordingly. So, fellow citizens, I beg of you: show me the (amazingly good) pancakes. Post a comment with your local favorite, and I promise to go, eat and report back.

Surely Not Rhode Island’s Best Pancakes List
(or the places I’ve tried so far)

Note: My criteria for the perfect pancake includes: 1) fluffy texture; 2) neither too wet nor too dry; 3) excellent flavor, more specifically a well-orchestrated recipe of ingredients that culminate in a caramelized flavor balancing salty and sweet; 4) made and served with real butter; and 5) served with real maple syrup.

Despite a wonderful old-fashioned diner atmosphere amidst the strip malls, you won't find the best pancakes at Star Diner.

Atlantic Grille
Middletown, RI
Why not? One of the RI Monthly reader’s choices for best breakfasts, this is truthfully the only place I can stand to eat pancakes on Aquidneck Island. Yet they are no match for the perfect pancake (decent flavor, but not fluffy enough) and fail to provide real maple syrup.

Corner Café
Newport, RI
Why not? Such a cute little spot, but they use margarine — a deal-breaker in my opinion.

Eddie & Sons Diner
Providence, RI
Why not? Here you’ll find decent pancakes (although too light indicated not enough caramelizing butter, sugar, salt), but nothing spectacular, and the diner lacks real maple syrup.

Gary’s Handy Lunch
Newport, RI
Why not? Although I love this place for its atmosphere and enjoy their thin old-fashioned french toast, their pancakes are thin and mealy.

IHOP (The International House of Pancakes)
Middletown, RI
Why not? There is no better option when you absolutely need pancakes at 1 am and are too lazy to make them (yes, it’s happened to me). But, let’s face it, as good as they may taste at that moment, we all know that IHOP is not the real deal.

Louie’s
Providence, RI
Why not? Generally their pancakes have fairly good flavor, although they are always too flat and light. Plus they lack consistency: a few times, the pancakes were metallic, which Geoff says is an indicator of too much baking powder. They serve them with real butter but artificial maple syrup.

Mel’s Diner
East Providence, RI
Why not? According to Providence Journal’s food writer Gail Ciampa, these are “some of the best pancakes around.” No way. Slathered with margarine, these pancakes were bound to lose. They were the right color and thickness, but ultimately too gummy with the wrong flavor.

Modern Diner
Pawtucket, RI
Why not? Their pancakes had great texture (just a tad wet) and were quite fluffy, yet the flavor was wrong — not sweet nor salty enough.

Nick’s on Broadway
Providence, RI
Why not? In general, breakfast here was terrific, but the pancakes sadly not so. Cinnamon in the batter definitely doesn’t fit the bill.

Oatley’s Restaurant
North Kingston, RI
Why not? I had high hopes here with the homemade breads and muffins, but ultimately the pancakes missed on both flavor and fluffiness.

Star Diner
Rumford, RI
Why not? Pancakes were greasy and burnt. By the taste, I highly doubt they were made with butter in the batter or on the griddle. And they don’t serve maple syrup.

T’s Restaurant
Why not? Pancakes were dense and dry with lousy flavor. They’re also served with a butter ‘blend’ (aka margarine), blanketed with powdered sugar, and a side of phony syrup — need I say more?

Top Photo Credit: möca

by

Big Nazo at Bright Night

A performance of Big Nazo.

I love that Providence has its own nonconformist version of First Night. Unlike First Night, Bright Night is not alcohol free but it maintains the mission of kicking off the New Year as an arts celebration incorporating theater, music, arts and films. This year marked its seventh year with events at over a dozen venues in Providence, along with a mini-WaterFire lighting.

We decided to see a live show by Big Nazo, an international performance group that happens to reside here in Providence and makes large-as-life (and larger) puppets, masks and other creatures. The 6:30 pm event at Lupo’s attracted quite a number of families with kids ranging from a few-months-old and up, yet it was a thin enough crowd that everyone easily could enjoy an unobstructed view. The performance itself was, well, weird, a kind of bizarre ride through a wonderfully twisted imagination. Picture a giant horse that removes his mask to become an enormous old white man to remove his mask to become a small-headed dog to remove his mask to become a gloved hand to then reveal his true identity as a mad scientist and your MC for the evening. And that was only the opening. Not surprisingly, Madeline was perfectly riveted and never budged from the front row seat she secured for herself. And she’s been talking about it ever since.

Pass by the windows of Big Nazo on Eddy Street in Providence to see a sample of the weird characters that comprise Big Nazo.

Big Nazo!
60 Eddy St
Providence, RI
www.bignazo.com

Bright Night
www.brightnight.org

by

Butcher Shop Café & Deli

Plenty of seats and a tasty breakfast awaits at the Butcher Shop.

When Geoff accidentally left for Boston with the car keys this morning, I decided to walk Madeline to school which is 1.5 miles from our house. It doesn’t sound so bad, and it only took about 25 minutes. But having to turn around and come back home seconds later for the same journey with no breakfast and no caffeine was definitely not a good thing. So I decided to stop on my way home at Butcher Shop Café & Deli. I’ve passed this place four times every school day in the car, but never stopped. Today, it appeared to me like a mirage in the desert — oh please let there be egg sandwiches. Yatzee! I’m not sure that after my 2 miles of walking I could accurately judge (cardboard might have tasted good), but I’m pretty sure it was the best egg sandwich I’ve ever eaten. It wasn’t oozy as some, but the bacon was crisp and meaty and the egg on the well-done side — just the way I like it. How did they know?

The best egg sandwich ever, or maybe I was just really hungry.

It’s the perfect neighborhood joint — they’ve got a mini-grocery on one side where you can buy meats, breads, dairy and then a little café on the other where you can order breakfast and lunch to stay or go. They have an extensive catering menu and take plenty of holiday orders. The sandwich menu looks quite serious including what they call Dave’s famous hamburgers and the world’s best tuna, egg and chicken salads. It seems it might be worth walking to school more often.

Butcher Shop Café & Deli
157 Elmgrove Avenue
Providence, RI
www.elmgrovedeli.com

by

Seven Stars Bakery

Seven Stars Bakery

The plethora of breads and sweets at Seven Stars Bakery.

The olive bread at Seven Stars Bakery comes damn close to matching the fougasse from Bread & Roses in Paris, which is no easy feat. But that’s not all. Seven Stars Bakery offers a stunning assortment of breads, pasteries, cookies, and muffins — all baked fresh daily. For lunch, they offer a few sandwiches made on their artisan breads like ham and cheese on a buttered baguette — also very Parisian. I’ve fallen for their cinnamon twists (twisted dough rolled in cinnamon sugar), rich fudge brownies that look like little cakes, and crisp gingerbread star cookies. I haven’t tried everything, although I’m working on it.

Seven Stars Bakery
www.sevenstarsbakery.com

820 Hope Street
Providence, RI 02906

342 Broadway
Providence RI 02909

Rumford Center
20 Newman Avenue
East Providence, RI 02916

Also at the Winter Farmers’ Market Saturdays in Pawtucket, RI

by

Hewtin’s Dogs Mobile: Gourmet Food Truck

Locals line up at Hewtin's Dog Mobile at the Roger Williams Memorial Park.

I am usually not the biggest fan of food conceived in a truck, but I have to make an exception for Hewtin’s Dogs Mobile. This gourmet food truck, created by the owners of Chez Pascal, serves up a tasty on-the-go lunch. Emblazoned with their motto, “If it ain’t in a casing, then it’s not worth tasting,” the truck can be found at Roger Williams National Memorial Park and the Pawtucket Winter Farmers’ Market (see below for times). The menu features freshly made soups, sandwiches and sausages — such as a hand-smoked ham with gruyere and apple compote on foccacia and brined pork belly with sunny side up egg sandwich. Of course, you can also opt for a plain old cheeseburger or hot dog (a Grote & Weigel), but even those exceed their ordinary names. Not surprisingly, even their condiments are homemade.

And if you need a little something sweet after your meal, get one of their wonderful chocolate chocolate chip cookies — soft on the inside and crisp on the outside.

Hewtin’s Dogs Mobile
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
North Main Street alongside the Roger Williams National Memorial Park
Providence, RI

Saturdays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm — during the Pawtucket Winter Farmers’ Market
Hope Artiste Village
1005 Main St
Pawtucket, RI

www.chez-pascal.com/HewtinsDogsMobile.htm

by

Nathan Bishop Middle School

The renovated library at Nathan Bishop Middle School.


Formerly classified as a “school in need of improvement,” Nathan Bishop Middle School seemed a hopeless case just a few years ago. Declining enrollments and lagging scores provoked Superintendent Donnie Evans to announce its closure in 2006. But the Providence East Side community drew together in a network of support which eventually led to a 35 million dollar renovation and subsequent reopening of the school this year with a class of approximately 250 sixth graders.

This evening, the East Side public school hosted an open house with congratulatory speeches from Mayor David N. Cicilline, Providence Councilman Cliff Wood, a current student and former alum. Then neighbors and visitors took to the halls to explore past rows of shiny maroon lockers into their state-of-the-art science lab; art room; basketball courts; library packed with books and rows of new Dell computers; renovated historic theater; and classrooms equipped with smart boards.

Although it’ll be nearly a decade until my daughter enters the sixth grade, it was quite inspiring to see my city taking on the renovation of a school. Hopefully, there are more to come.

Nathan Bishop Middle School
www.providenceschools.org/schools/middle-schools/bishop.aspx

East Side Public Education Coalition
http://www.eastsideed.org/

Councilman Cliff Wood
www.councilmancliff.com

Other Articles:

Renovation makes Nathan Bishop the school of choice

A second life for Nathan Bishop Middle School

by

Nick’s on Broadway: Great Brunch

nicks

In my continued search for the Rhode Island equivalent to the world’s best pancakes, we decided to pick a place for brunch this morning.  One of our readers had recommended Nick’s on Broadway, which sounded great from the reviews.  At 9:30 am this morning, there was already a substantial wait, although that’s not such a bad thing on a warm, sunny day.  After about 30 minutes, they offered us three counter seats together where we directly faced the open kitchen.  I love this.  Not only can you see the action, but you can scope out all the dishes and decide what looks good.

g-brunch

Geoff's breakfast: sliced ham and Eggs Benedict.

In my continued search for the Rhode Island equivalent to the world’s best pancakes, we decided to pick a place for brunch this morning. One of our readers had recommended Nick’s on Broadway, which sounded great from the reviews.

Although I had planned on pancakes, I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist getting something that came with what appeared to be the best-looking hash browns ever.  Luckily Madeline always wants pancakes, so we ordered her a short stack (in the shape of Micky Mouse) so I could try them too, and I chose a bacon and cheese omelet with an english muffin and hash browns.  It turned out to be an excellent choice.  The omelet had been perfectly cooked (not runny yet no traces of brown), and the hash browns were as good as they looked: a mix of regular and sweet cut potatoes sauteed with red onions.  As for the pancakes, they were just okay.  It seems they put cinnamon in their batter, a strange choice in my opinion.  Madeline didn’t mind, but I, well, you know.  We’ll be back, but the quest for the best pancakes must continue.


Nick’s on Broadway
500 Broadway
Providence, RI 02909
www.nicksonbroadway.com