2512 replies to this topic

[Frankie811]

Check previous posts!

[runawayjim]

must not have been this thread that i saw yun nan.  i'll try the other places...

anyways, to go back to an older discussion in this thread... what classifies a place as "mid-range"?  i might be thinking differently than others, but in that whole mid-range discussion, i saw very little mention of restaurants that were not on the east side.  i rarely venture to the east side, mainly because parking can be a nightmare and there's just too many people (i'm not into going to a place because of its scene, which seems to be the deal with a lot of the east side restaurants).

[Frankie811]

Does anyone know if the New Yorker weiner joint on Washington St next to the new Gracie's has closed? I go by in the morning and the lights, which are usually on, are off.

[AriPVD]

We're renovating the space right now.  The New Yorker will either reopen or you'll see another tenant there soon.

[Frankie811]

AriPVD, on Oct 24 2005, 10:27 AM, said:

We're renovating the space right now.  The New Yorker will either reopen or you'll see another tenant there soon.

Thanks. It was one of the few, if not the only place downcity for breakfast. The cops loved it.

[Frankie811]

http://www.mediterra...lobe5_15_04.htm

[Cotuit]

Bravo, the restaurant set to take over the Kestral/Empire location has a sign up announcing they will open in November. Perhaps I'll finally get to eat in this space, I was fixing to go to Kestral for the first time when I found out they closed. The paper was down off the front windows and it looks quite nice inside.

[Garris]

Well, the Phoenix "Best of" list is out, including for restaurants.  While the editors' list is a silly mix of topics seemingly designed to spur advertising dollars like, "Best texture dance in a dish" and "Best reason to take it slow," the readers' choice list is more straightforward.  Phoenix readers, in all, seem to have good judgement in my opinion.  It certainly beats other cities chain heavy "Best of" lists which often read, "Best Italian: Olive Garden, Best Mexican: Chipotle, Best Chinese: Le Ann Chin's, etc, etc."  

Without further ado, here is the Phoenix readers' choices (with my editorializations in italics):

READERS' PICKS - FOOD

Best New Restaurant: RED STRIPE
- Good call...  It's excellent.
Best Chinese Restaurant: LUKE'S INN
- In Warren I believe.  I've never been...  Anyone else?
Best Vietnamese Restaurant: APSARA
- It rules the category
Best Thai Restaurant: PAKARANG
- Waaaay off in my mind...  It's fusion at best.  My vote goes for Sawaddee or Thai Star
Best Italian Restaurant: MEDITERRANEO
- I haven't been blown away by any Italian here, so this is as good a choice as any for me...
Best Mexican Restaurant: CHILANGOS
- I've never been...
Best Middle Eastern Restaurant: EAST SIDE POCKET
- The Brown student voting influence?  Not exactly a huge category here...
Best Spanish Restaurant: SPAIN
- Excellent restaurant, although, correct me if I'm wrong, isn't this a category of one?
Best Vegetarian Restaurant: GARDEN GRILLE
- Again, not a huge category, but Garden Grille is outstanding...
Best Korean Restaurant: CAFE YUNI
- Great to see this little gem get some recognition.  A good choice.
Best Japanese Restaurant: NEW JAPAN
- We're both blessed and cursed with very good, if not really outstanding, Japanese choices.  My choice is Sakura, but New Japan is a worthy selection as well...
Best French Restaurant: POT AU FEU
Best Indian Restaurant: BEYONDINDIA / INDIA
- The Phoenix readership, like with Parakang, appears to love fusion.  "India" is fine Indian themed food, but nothing beats Bombay Club on Federal Hill for me...
Best Burger: JAKE'S BAR & GRILLE
Best Burrito: GORDITO BURRITO
Best BYOB Restaurant: PINELLI'S GOURMET DELI
- Ok, I've really got to get to this place!
Best Late Night Restaurant: WES' RIB HOUSE
Best Place for Dessert: PASTICHE
Best Seafood Restaurant: BIG FISH
- Gotta disagree with this one.  My Big Fish experience was far from great...  Great atmosphere and decor, though...
Best Greasy Spoon: ROD'S GRILL
- Between this and Luke's Inn, looks like I need to go to Warren for a day...
Best Romantic Restaurant: NEW RIVERS AMERICAN BISTRO
- I was just thinking there aren't a lot of really "romantic" restaurants around.  I guess New Rivers (which is outstanding) has close quarters and lighting to fit the bill, but if this is as romantic as Prov gets, that's pretty sad...
Best Brewpub: TRINITY BREWHOUSE
- Are there any others?
Best Pizza: SAX'S STEAK & PIZZA
- WHOA!!!  Where did this one come from?  I mean, their pizza is cheap and "OK," but mediocre at best.  Just to make sure I wasn't missing anything, I went back recently and just don't get it...  There are so many more interesting choices.  Maybe the other places split the vote??
Best Ice Cream Parlor: MAXIMILLIAN'S ICE CREAM CAFE
- The King, although Gray's in Little Compton is great too...
Best Barbecue: LJ'S BBQ
- Spot on...
Best Coffee Shop: THE COFFEE EXCHANGE

Ok everyone, have at this list!!!

- Garris

Edited by Garris, 01 November 2005 - 03:29 PM.

[Frankie811]

Sax's has the best steak sandwiches around, but not their pizza,

[Cotuit]

Best Seafood Restaurant: BIG FISH
- Gotta disagree with this one.  My Big Fish experience was far from great...  Great atmosphere and decor, though...

Uhm, Hemmenway's??? Even McCormack is better than Big Fish, as a seafood restaurant, atmosphere-wise, Big Fish edges out McCormack but doesn't beat Hemmenway's. You'd think Rhode Islanders would have better taste in seafood, maybe The Phoenix's readership is showing it's colour in this one, Hemmenway's skews a bit older.

Best Romantic Restaurant: NEW RIVERS AMERICAN BISTRO
- I was just thinking there aren't a lot of really "romantic" restaurants around.  I guess New Rivers (which is outstanding) has close quarters and lighting to fit the bill, but if this is as romantic as Prov gets, that's pretty sad...

Parkside is a good choice for romantic. I haven't been to New Rivers so I can't say if Parkside is better.

Best Brewpub: TRINITY BREWHOUSE
- Are there any others?

Union Station, but Trinity is superior.

Best Coffee Shop: THE COFFEE EXCHANGE

Isn't it always? I wonder if Coffee Exchange will ever be de-throwned. A good challenge for someplace Downcity.

[runawayjim]

not that i'd call it the best, but i'm surprised caserta's didn't get best pizza...

as for the seafood, there's a lot of people in providence who don't know good seafood (mainly because they come from out of state for college and don't really like seafood).  although i have yet to try big fish or hemmenways (mainly because when i think seafood, i don't think city... so aunt carrie's it is...)

garris, have you had cassarino's?  it's really good and the price is perfect.  it's some of the best italian i've had.

maybe more full-time residents need to start voting in these polls...

[Frankie811]

runawayjim, on Nov 1 2005, 05:33 PM, said:

maybe more full-time residents need to start voting in these polls...

There's a J&W dorm across from Sax's, so that's probably where that came from. And how many of these businesses vote for themselves. SEVERAL TIMES!  

[Liamlunchtray]

Cotuit, on Nov 1 2005, 05:23 PM, said:

Best Coffee Shop: THE COFFEE EXCHANGE

Isn't it always? I wonder if Coffee Exchange will ever be de-throwned. A good challenge for someplace Downcity.

I've never quite understood the lure of the Coffee Exchange. I have always found their Coffee to be ok, but not fantastic and their baked goods kind of mediocre. I would take White Electric or 7stars over the Coffee Exchange any day of the week...

[Garris]

runawayjim, on Nov 1 2005, 04:33 PM, said:

garris, have you had cassarino's?  it's really good and the price is perfect.  it's some of the best italian i've had.

I have, actually.  I think of them as a low price, big portion type of place.  Quality is very good, though.  My local favorite Italian has been Pizzico on Hope.  

I grew up as one of the few non-Italians and non-Irish in an area that was heavily Italian and Irish with lots of fantastic Italian restaurants, often owned by expatriots.  So this is a cuisine type I tend not to eat out at very often, since that's often what I have when I visit my parents at home...  

Frankie811, on Nov 1 2005, 04:40 PM, said:

There's a J&W dorm across from Sax's...

Ah, so maybe that explains it.  The list has been, according to some, very Prov College heavy in the past, with names like Thai Star, LaSalle's Bakery, and local PC pizza places making the cut.

Actually, I think this list is somewhat disappointingly organized.  Where are key, important categories like best bakery, best deli, best tapas, best breakfast, best brunch, and best bagels?  Most other lists will often split best sushi and best japanese.  Why there are best Spanish, best BYOB, and best burrito categories is a bit of a mystery to me.  If you're going to make best burrito its own entry, you should also be splitting dim sum from Chinese and have a category for both as well.  

The editors' list was an enormous opportunity wasted.  Instead of the foo-foo, silly categories they invented, where are the hard hitting opinions that you want knowledgable food editors of a major metro's alternative weekly weighing in on?  Where are these categories?

- Best/worst Prov restaurant trends?
- Best new chef?
- Best overall chef?
- Best owner?
- Most consistent restaurant?
- Most original cuisine?
- Best authentic ethnic?
- Most improved?
- Most downhill?
- Best single dish?
- Best value?

Not a peep on any of those in the Phoenix.  Compare this to what Dara Moskowitz does in the Twin Cities alternative weekly "City Pages" (check the comprehensiveness and editorals behind their best of vs our amateur hour one at http://www.citypages...5/restaurants/).  

- Garris

[runawayjim]

Garris, on Nov 1 2005, 06:31 PM, said:

I have, actually.  I think of them as a low price, big portion type of place.  Quality is very good, though.  My local favorite Italian has been Pizzico on Hope.  

I grew up as one of the few non-Italians and non-Irish in an area that was heavily Italian and Irish with lots of fantastic Italian restaurants, often owned by expatriots.  So this is a cuisine type I tend not to eat out at very often, since that's often what I have when I visit my parents at home...  

The list has been, according to some, very Prov College heavy in the past, with names like Thai Star, LaSalle's Bakery, and local PC pizza places making the cut.

the best pizza in the city, in my opinion, is one of the local PC joints... i've raved about it before, i'll do it again... rocco's on admiral st (on the corner of river ave).  it's new york style pizza and very good.  i grew up near new haven, so i've had some of the world's best pizza at my disposal for most of my life.  coming here, i hadn't had a pizza that i would consider really good until i rocco's opened.  they also make great subs.

as for the italian food, i have yet to really try anywhere else, mainly because cassarino's is so good and the price is so low and the portions so big... that's the way italian food was meant to be... i also have heard that mediterraneo isn't all that great.

how's al forno on south main?  what are the prices like there?  i'm thinking about taking my girlfriend there for our anniversary... but if it's not really that great, i'll probably just do cassarino's.  

[Frankie811]

runawayjim, on Nov 1 2005, 05:41 PM, said:

how's al forno on south main?  what are the prices like there?  i'm thinking about taking my girlfriend there for our anniversary... but if it's not really that great, i'll probably just do cassarino's.  

I've read that people come from CA just to eat there. Their pizza is wood fire cooked.

[Garris]

runawayjim, on Nov 1 2005, 05:41 PM, said:

i've raved about it before, i'll do it again... rocco's on admiral st (on the corner of river ave).

Will go soon...

runawayjim, on Nov 1 2005, 05:41 PM, said:

how's al forno on south main?  what are the prices like there?  i'm thinking about taking my girlfriend there for our anniversary...

I really enjoyed Al Forno, but am not the biggest fan of California style cuisine (which itself is a fusion of French and Italian...  Thing Wolfgang Puck).  Adesso on Thayer also does this style of cuisine for far less money...  

Frankly, for an anniversay, I'd choose one of the following:

- Gatehouse: My number one choice.  Every meal there I've had was special, and the view is wonderful.  Get reservations at a window seat.

- Mill's Tavern: A sure thing for outstanding food and great atmosphere...

- Gracie's: Across from the Trinity Rep, the price is quite reasonable for upscale dining, but the food and service feel like something 2-3x the price...

- Garris

[Frankie811]

runawayjim, on Nov 1 2005, 05:41 PM, said:

how's al forno on south main?  what are the prices like there?  i'm thinking about taking my girlfriend there for our anniversary... but if it's not really that great, i'll probably just do cassarino's.  

Some reviews


http://www.tripadvis...ode_Island.html


http://www.tripadvis...ode_Island.html

[Cotuit]

Liamlunchtray, on Nov 1 2005, 05:23 PM, said:

I've never quite understood the lure of the Coffee Exchange. I have always found their Coffee to be ok, but not fantastic and their baked goods kind of mediocre. I would take White Electric or 7stars over the Coffee Exchange any day of the week...

I think when you're talking about "Best Coffeehouse" ambience is as important as quality of coffee and baked goods. Though Coffee Exchange loses points on ambience with me. The way the tables are scattered all over makes it rather uncomfortable, and at peak times there's such a crowd in there that you don't feel you'd want to stay. That said, I think their iced coffee is the best in the city (even if it's so-so when it's hot). When I used to work in Davol Square I'd take the trolley to Brook pick up an iced coffee at Coffee Exchange then head over the Point Street Bridge. There would be me, in January, 12 degrees, half a foot of snow on the ground, wind howling off the bay, walking over the bridge with a cigarette in one hand, and an iced coffee in the other.

Cafe Zog beats Coffee Exchange in my book in ambiance, though it's too expensive. They make a white chocolate mocha that's awesome though.

Olga's gets the ambiance award for outdoor dining, their garden is actually a great place to enjoy a coffee on a brisk fall day as much as it is for lunch on a warm summer day.

White Electric exudes attitude that turns me off. Everytime I've gone in there I've had to stand around while the staff takes their sweet time to wait on me. I get the distinct feeling that since I'm not a regular they can't be bothered.

[Liamlunchtray]

Cotuit, on Nov 1 2005, 11:26 PM, said:

White Electric exudes attitude that turns me off. Everytime I've gone in there I've had to stand around while the staff takes their sweet time to wait on me. I get the distinct feeling that since I'm not a regular they can't be bothered.

My wife actually feels the same way about White Electric. I havent ever gotten that vibe there, which is odd because Im certainly not a regular. I really like the ambiance there. I think its a great space and not overly cramped like Coffee Exchange.

The places I really liked were Fellini's when it was 1/2 pizza place and 1/2 cafe. They were open very late and it was always a lot of fun after a night out, and Peaberry's (where Antonios/Gordito Burrito are now). Peaberrys didnt have exceptional coffee, but it was large with enough room to relax and enough people coming through to have some great people watching going on. At one point they occupied that space, the Creperie space across the street, and had a location in University Heights. A little cafe empire.

Liam