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Restaurant in Peerless

AriPVD

By AriPVD
in Providence

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Garris Town

Garris

Posted
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i disagree. it does not have to be a unique destination restaurant with some sort of wacky hook that brings people in from far and wide. It has to be a restaurant where people who LIVE downtown eat at. It has to be a restaurant that people who WORK downtown eat at, and it has to be a restaurant that people who VISIT downtown eat at.

... and of similar mind:

The real target market for Downcity has to be the residents of Downcity and the nearby areas (Fed Hill, College Hill, Smith Hill...) and those suburban people who get it.

I guess that's where I get worried... Are there enough of those people to support what will be targeted as a neighborhood restaurant first and foremost? If it's an average, homey Italian or New American, why would someone in a nearby, well established, existing neighborhood (Fed Hill, College Hill, etc) go there when they have ample amounts of their own of all of the above already? Can the future restaurant survive by being a "more of the same" place whose only other niche is being a Downcity hangout first and foremost?

If so, then fantastic! I'll be the first to celebrate the self-sustaining nature of the reborn Providence downtown. I'm an example of a city resident who doesn't live downtown and, when I do go, I tend to go for more unique things (PPAC, Trinity, Mall, skating, VMA, concerts, photography opportunities, meetings, etc). I consider Gracies, Bravo, and Cuban unique, actually. Each offers a spin, an atmosphere, or a cuisine that you can't find elsewhere in the city. Same for Tazza and the Black Rep. But I rarely go to New Japan, for example, because I've got 4 Japanese restaurants between Wayland Sq and there that do the same thing (and better, mostly).

As that city resident, I was wishing that there would be something a bit more alluring to draw me to Westminster dining. This is what I was talking about with Cotuit yesterday. There's only going to be one or two dining spots on Westminster, why shouldn't they bit a tiny bit special? I have no problem with the concept Ari posted, I just know in advance that I just wouldn't go there that often because that place is all over. It's Red Stripe here in Wayland, it's Z-Bar in Wickenden, it's 3 Steeple on College Hill, it's Blaze in Summit... Why go to the one on Westminster unless I'm there for something else already? And I don't consider a tapas place, an ethiopian place, a funky-healthy pizza place, etc to be "a wacky hook" but, like Jerry was saying, just something I can't find in abundance everywhere else in the metro.

Again, if the Downcity neighborhood hangout model works, I'll be the first to cheer and skip down the street with joy. But I personally, for me and me alone, as well as for all of Providence, was just wishing for something a little more special for a special spot.

- Garris

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runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

Posted
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... and of similar mind:

I guess that's where I get worried... Are there enough of those people to support what will be targeted as a neighborhood restaurant first and foremost? If it's an average, homey Italian or New American, why would someone in a nearby, well established, existing neighborhood (Fed Hill, College Hill, etc) go there when they have ample amounts of their own of all of the above already? Can the future restaurant survive by being a "more of the same" place whose only other niche is being a Downcity hangout first and foremost?

If so, then fantastic! I'll be the first to celebrate the self-sustaining nature of the reborn Providence downtown. I'm an example of a city resident who doesn't live downtown and, when I do go, I tend to go for more unique things (PPAC, Trinity, Mall, skating, VMA, concerts, photography opportunities, meetings, etc). I consider Gracies, Bravo, and Cuban unique, actually. Each offers a spin, an atmosphere, or a cuisine that you can't find elsewhere in the city. Same for Tazza and the Black Rep. But I rarely go to New Japan, for example, because I've got 4 Japanese restaurants between Wayland Sq and there that do the same thing (and better, mostly).

As that city resident, I was wishing that there would be something a bit more alluring to draw me to Westminster dining. This is what I was talking about with Cotuit yesterday. There's only going to be one or two dining spots on Westminster, why shouldn't they bit a tiny bit special. And I don't consider a tapas place, an ethiopian place, a funky-healthy pizza place, etc to be "a wacky hook" but, like Jerry was saying, just something I can't find in abundance everywhere else in the metro.

Again, if the neighborhood hangout model works, I'll be the first to cheer. But I was just wishing for something a little more special.

new american and italian are overdone... but something that's got a bit of everything, that does it good is what i was thinknig. does fed hill have anything like that? maybe i'm thinking something like paragon. i know people from PC who would go there all the time if they had the money. i'm thinking somethign along those lines with less expensive options as well as the mid-range options. maybe like a tazza meets paragon meets [insert good burger/sandwich place here].

i was about to suggest johnny rockets (especially if they do the song and dance routine), but i forgot about the one on thayer.

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Garris Town

Garris

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Oh, BTW, "Newport Cafe" is what most (if not all) of the "Newport Cremeries" will become. It's the slightly more "upscale, aspirational" face of the brand. The ProJo, I think, had an article about this about a year or two ago (I was wondering what was taking them so long to role this out...).

- Garris

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Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

Posted
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I guess that's where I get worried... Are there enough of those people to support what will be targeted as a neighborhood restaurant first and foremost?

I think there has to be and if their isn't regardless of what goes where, Downcity is going to fail.

In order for Downcity to work, those of us who live in the city because we want to be in a city have to go into the city. I truly believe you have to write off about 80% of Rhode Island's population right off the top. Sad but true, Americans, regardless of what New Urbanists may try to be selling, don't like (or at least think they don't like) cities. I think the reason people from Summit and College Hill and Fox Point and Federal Hill and Armory... are going to go Downcity over what is offered close to home is because they want to be in the city. *I* live in Providence because I want to be able to walk to this urban core and enjoy the amenities, and though there are plenty of dining options for me up here on the Hill, I much prefer to eat at Bravo or Cilantro, because I enjoy being Downcity. You could have a free fellatio store Downcity, if people don't want to come Downcity, it will fail.

Regardless of what goes where, the critical mass has to be built to make Downcity an attractive vibrant urban core to those of us who were attracted to Providence to begin with for its urbanity.

The question of why people would go downtown when they have what they need in the outer neighborhoods begs the question, why do people in Brooklyn and Queens go to Manhattan, why do people in Jamaica Plain and Brighton go to Back Bay, why to people in the equivilent areas of Chicago or SF or Miami go to the equivilent areas of those cities? Yes, yes, there's a vast difference in scale, but our diminutive scale should make it even easier (I hung out in Midtown Manhattan, the Meat Packing District, Alphabet City even though they were almost an hour by subway from my home in Queens).

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ruchele Hamlet

ruchele

Posted
Posted

that would be someone else's department. But, as a woman i can tell you that the idea of having a complete stranger provide that service, even free, isn't that appealing to me. Perhaps i am in the minority...

Yeah, gross. But what about the Pink Taco Restaurant from Albequerque? Maybe a Providence franchise?

You want refried beans with that?

(Did I just cross the line?)

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xine Whistle-Stop

xine

Posted
Posted

Ok, I was going to suggest a Sausage Emporium, but in light of the current thread it might be misinterpreted!

Seriously, there are so many underrepresented cuisines here...I can't stand the thought of another $40 steakhouse and we're getting a dozen more. My wishlist would mostly be something in the affordable range (entrees under $18) and unique.

Two ideas, on top of the excellent tapas and Ethiopian suggestions:

German Beer Garden - Perhaps yet another brewpub but not necessarily. Focus could be sausage, schnitzel and group seating - like you see in the upper Midwest. Pittsburgh has a great one next to the Heinz factory (Penn Brewery) and it's in a very crowded, old, dense urban setting.

Noodle shop / pho - Good for lunch crowd as well as dinner!

There's a good one in Cranston but that's too far away. :-)

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runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

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Posted

Ok, I was going to suggest a Sausage Emporium, but in light of the current thread it might be misinterpreted!

Seriously, there are so many underrepresented cuisines here...I can't stand the thought of another $40 steakhouse and we're getting a dozen more. My wishlist would mostly be something in the affordable range (entrees under $18) and unique.

Two ideas, on top of the excellent tapas and Ethiopian suggestions:

German Beer Garden - Perhaps yet another brewpub but not necessarily. Focus could be sausage, schnitzel and group seating - like you see in the upper Midwest. Pittsburgh has a great one next to the Heinz factory (Penn Brewery) and it's in a very crowded, old, dense urban setting.

Noodle shop / pho - Good for lunch crowd as well as dinner!

There's a good one in Cranston but that's too far away. :-)

there's nothing better in this world than sausage and beer. mmmmmmm...

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Garris Town

Garris

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Posted

Seriously, there are so many underrepresented cuisines here...

Absolutely. For a city of Providence's size, culinary vibrancy, and progressive collegiate culture, there are many interesting ethnic holes that I'm surprised exist. We need, close to the core, one of or some more of the following:

- Ethiopian/African

- Tapas

- Serious, none hole in the wall Chinese/Thai/Vietnamese (although Mumu addresses some of this on The Hill)

- High end sushi

- Middle Eastern

- German/Russian/Eastern European

- Moroccan

- Jewish/NY Deli

- Modern Asian noodle shop

- Greek

Far from "experimental" or "wacky," these are established niche dining options in many cities. I guess that's why, with such gaps, I really can't get excited about more New Americans, Italians, or Steakhouses (OK, maybe I can get excited about steakhouses since none of ours are that great).

If we had one of each of these, we would have an almost complete culinary scene, and one of the most amazing ranges of options for a city of Providence's size.

- Garris

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riari Whistle-Stop

riari

Posted
Posted

Another idea inspired by noodle shop...

Instead of a Pho Pasteur type of place, how about a Republic sort of place?

http://www.thinknoodles.com/

This place is soooo good and reasonably priced. The Union Sq-NYC spot is not unlike Peerless--high ceilinged cavernous place. It's pretty loud and fast-moving inside. Long picnic-table seating, seats at a bar, some tables. And the noodles are so good. You go back again and again. Wasn't that a requirement?

A London version of this (and Dublin and Dubai and Sydney...) is wagamama. http://www.wagamama.com/ Looks like they could use a US location!

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Magellan98 Whistle-Stop

Magellan98

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Posted

Awesome idea. i eat there all the time. Its cheap enough to visit mutiple times in a week and it could easily serve both the lunch and dinner crowd and students!

Another idea inspired by noodle shop...

Instead of a Pho Pasteur type of place, how about a Republic sort of place?

http://www.thinknoodles.com/

This place is soooo good and reasonably priced. The Union Sq-NYC spot is not unlike Peerless--high ceilinged cavernous place. It's pretty loud and fast-moving inside. Long picnic-table seating, seats at a bar, some tables. And the noodles are so good. You go back again and again. Wasn't that a requirement?

A London version of this (and Dublin and Dubai and Sydney...) is wagamama. http://www.wagamama.com/ Looks like they could use a US location!

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Citydweller Unincorporated Area

Citydweller

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Posted

Flying Star in albuquerque was started by locals and they have 5 or more locations now (started with just ice cream and baked goods). You stand in a line for your order (organic burgers, great soups and stews, ethnic dishes etc) get your drinks and go to a table and then they deliver your order to the table. Open 6-midnight (tho the nearby Frontier is open 24/7). They also have a nice newstand in the cafe and you are allowed to resd the mags for free. http://www.flyingstarcafe.com/locations.htm

Another place that is similar in Peoria (come on, if Peoria can do it...) is One World Cafe. Morning noon and night, great etnic foods, great hangout. http://www.flyingstarcafe.com/locations.htm

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