casual restaurants

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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/

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Harry’s Bar & Burger: It’s Twins!

Two burgers are definitely better than one.

Two aren’t always better than one, except as it turns out, in the case of hamburgers. The recently opened Harry’s Bar & Burger grills up freshly ground certified Hereford beef burgers and serves them on toasted potato rolls with their own special sauce and a variety of your choice of toppings. The novelty here is that rather than one large burger, you get two “sliders” or mini burgers, which makes for an absolutely sublime balance of burger, bun and toppings. My personal favorite is the Harry’s Classic Cheese, but there are plenty of choices for all sensibilities. You’ll also want to order a side of their thin crispy fries, and if you still need more calories (sometimes I do), a homemade milkshake.

Since it opened, I’ve been here about a half a dozen times, and I’ve never been disappointed. The service is efficient; the food is excellent; and they’ve got walls covered with chalkboard paint so Madeline can draw on them while we wait for our food. I simply couldn’t ask for more.

Harry’s Bar & Burger
121 North Main Street
Providence, RI
www.harrysbarburger.com

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Rue de L’Espoir: Perfect Popovers

Note: Sadly, Rue de L’Espoir has closed.

A basket of homemade popovers and cinnamon buns awaits you when you arrive.

Although Rue de L’Espoir has received mixed reviews, I was surprised to see no one mentioned what I believe may be their show-stopper: homemade popovers.

I haven’t visited for dinner yet (too many restaurants, too little time) but on our latest brunch outing I found Rue de L’Espoir offers a nice brunch in a cozy atmosphere.  Admittedly it’s not perfect — the omelets, for example, had too much brown on them to be considered a proper French omelet.  And although the pancakes were tasty, they were no match for my personal favorite.  But they served homemade corn muffins with raspberry jam, fresh cinnamon rolls, and, most importantly, deliciously light and airy homemade popovers.

If you’ve never eaten a popover, you may not appreciate the significance of my finding amazing popovers.  When made correctly, it’s basically a giant cream puff without the cream.  And if, like me, you’ve never attempted to make a popover, you might not realize just how difficult it is to achieve a dough that yields a golden brown crust atop a few layers of soft dough covering mostly a giant pocket of air.  But I know a good thing when I eat it, and the popovers at Rue De L’Espoir will not disappoint.

Rue De L’Espoir
99 Hope Street
Providence, RI
www.therue.com

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The Duck & Bunny: A Snuggery

The Duck and Bunny posts their cupcake menu daily.

When I spotted the silhouette sign of The Duck & Bunny hanging along Wickenden Street, I decided to stop in as soon as I could.  Today, I discovered the dollhouse charm that lay within — gray and white striped walls, glass chandeliers, white tufted seats.  They serve a selection of tea sandwiches (cucumber with herb butter, turkey with dried cranberry, tuna with apple, sundried tomato cream, and smoked salmon with dill cream) along with mini cupcakes on a tiered cake stand. Even the list of beers on tap (which includes Dogfish Head) rests within a little white Victorian frame.  The husband-and-wife proprietors, Daniel and Jessica Becker call their café/teahouse/bar/restaurant a “snuggery.” And thanks to Jessica Becker’s elegant design, it works — whether you sit at their Parisian marble tables or a few chairs by the fire or some stools along the bar.

A carrot cupcake.

Since we had already eaten (delicious) Cambodian soup at Angkor across the street, we had to save the savory dishes for another day. Instead we ordered a few cupcakes to try — Carrot, Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffle, and Date-Nut Spice, along with some teas, a “drinking chocolate” for Madeline, and an espresso for Geoff. The soft cakes pack some rich flavor and come in both mini and regular sizes.

Although The Duck & Bunny only opened five weeks ago, nearly every seat was filled when we arrived. The earnest waitstaff struggled to keep up with the clearly unexpected demand, but they had a sense of humor about it — and I’m certainly willing to give them a few extra weeks to smooth out the service. Especially since I need to try those tea sandwiches…

Duck & Bunny
312 Wickenden Street
Providence, RI
www.theduckandbunny.com

A tea service steeps behind the almond poundcakes.

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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

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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

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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