Small Bites

The Duck & Bunny.

2010-05-12T12:22:00.002-04:00

312 Wickenden Street

Providence, RI 02903

401. 270. 3300

The Duck & Bunny is a snuggery. And no, owners Jessica and Daniel didn't make up the word, but they've certainly made their new restaurant live up to its meaning: a cosy and comfortable place. Part bar, part tea shop, the Duck & Bunny is nothing if it isn't cozy and just a little bit fancy, too.

Full disclosure: I visited the snuggery for the first time a few weeks ago, but the end of the semester meant that I didn't have a moment to write about it before now. Busy or no, I wouldn't dream of leaving Providence for the summer without writing about the tastiest small bites of all. I'm talking about cupcakes, and at the Duck & Bunny they're all made in-house by Johnson & Wales pastry chefs. When possible, the chefs integrate local flavorings, like those used in the buttermilk honey glazed cupcake with lavender buttercream frosting that I gobbled a few weeks ago.

Daniel and Jessica source their food through Farm Fresh RI, which provides restaurants with weekly emails and lists of available ingredients from local farms. According to Jessica, the process couldn't be easier. Want local honey? Check out the Farm Fresh list, and if it's there, it's yours. On a chilly spring day like this one, hurry to the Duck & Bunny for a little local treat and hot cuppa.

Apsara Palace

2010-05-03T06:59:00.001-04:00

Apsara Palace
783B Hope Street
Providence, RI 02906
401.831.4722

It's hard to walk down Hope Street on the East Side of Providence without getting hungry. Just a few blocks from Not Just Snacks and Ivy Tavern is Apsara Palace, a pan Asian restaurant which serves up Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, and Chinese cuisine. As you can imagine, covering cuisine from such a vast area of the world requires a hearty, expansive menu.

After having lived in Thailand and eaten my way through Southeast Asia during a year long fellowship, one of the things I most miss back at home is the food of the region. I crave the juicy mangoes, spicy curries, and peanuty dishes I'd eaten at street side markets. I'm often hard pressed to find a Thai restaurant able to capture those uniquely tangy flavors.

So when I arrived at Apsara Palace on a bustling Saturday night, I didn't have the heart to leaf through the pages and pages of rice and noodle dishes. Bracing myself in advance to be disappointed, I ordered the hard-to-ruin and unimaginative staple of American Southeast Asian cuisine-Pad Thai. In Thailand Pad Thai is often sold by vendors on the street in a giant metal wok that quickly cooks multiple helpings in one batch. Vendors have an array of condiments so you can make the noodles your own-hot sauce, fish sauce, peanuts, and lime help with the customization. While the dish is enjoyed as a snack or a meal by Thais, it is not by any means viewed as the nation's signature dish.

But Apsara Palace's delicious sweet, sour, and salty Pad Thai may just have renewed my faith in American Thai restaurants. Squeezing the lime over my noodles generously covered in chopped peanuts brought back memories of crowded streets abuzz with activity-motorbikes whizzing by, late night street vendors hawking fruit, and friends gossiping over steaming bowls of soup after a long day. I hope on my next visit to Apsara Palace I'll be brave enough to really explore their vast menu.

Ivy Tavern

2010-04-27T23:20:00.003-04:00

Ivy Tavern
758 Hope Street

Providence, RI
401.421.3888

The Ivy Tavern is the best kind of neighborhood pub - one with great food that is genuinely welcoming to all, locals and non-locals alike. Located on the East Side of Providence in what is colloquially referred to as "Hope Village," the small storefront is easy to pass by, but tables in this small establishment are worth the wait if need be.

Ivy Tavern is known for its hamburgers and garlic fries, but before ordering our pub grub we focused in on the beer list. For a small neighborhood establishment, Ivy Tavern offers a, while limited, impressive selection of brews. My dining partner and I opted for two favorites from the bottled list: Chimay Red (Belgium) and Allagash White (Maine).

Since Ivy Tavern has been recognized as having "the best burger" for multiple years, we decided to try two varieties: the traditional cheeseburger and the "Accidential Purist," an innovative homemade veggie burger. For a minimal additional charge, we were able to upgrade our side (choice of fries, coleslaw, or pasta salad) to the Ivy Tavern's infamous garlic fries. In addition to burgers and sandwiches, Ivy Tavern also offers a tempting assortment of appetizers and entrees.

Both burgers were exceptional. Perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The garlic fries were addictive and numerous enough to take home and enjoy the next day (they reheat well on a pizza stone in the toaster oven).

Our waitress was extremely friendly and happy to tell us the story behind this unassuming neighborhood gem. The owner, Dave, opened the tavern seven years ago after moving to Providence from Block Island. He had run a successful place there and brought his clientele with him to the East Side. Ivy Tavern has developed a reputation as a great neighborhood bar with huge portions, great burgers, and friendly, loyal staff. Ivy Tavern does great business even in bad weather when locals opt for a night out within walking distance.

On your next trip up Hope Street, definitely stop in to Ivy Tavern for good pub grub and an "everybody knows your name" atmosphere.

Chimay Red and Allagash White.

"Accidental Purist" - a veggie burger with grilled apples, caramelized onions, brie, tomato marmalade, and mesclun - and garlic fries

Cheeseburger with garlic fries

Burger

Truck Farm Recap

2010-04-23T17:45:00.002-04:00

truck farm by night....

and by day...

Welp, they made it! On Monday night, Curt Ellis and Ian Cheney managed to find their way through the back roads of Connecticut and Rhode island for an evening spent at Brown. Huge thanks to everyone who came out. We were thrilled to see so many new and familiar faces in the crowd! Check out our flickr stream for more photos of the event. And in case you're wondering, Curt and Ian made every stop on their tour, with only a few hiccups along the way! I don't know about you, but I'm thinking that's nothing short of a miracle.

The Liberty Elm Diner

2010-04-18T14:39:00.002-04:00

The Liberty Elm Diner

777 Elmwood Avenue

Providence, RI

401.467.0777

Sometimes after a long week the only thing that will make me feel better and get me geared up for another one, is a Sunday morning breakfast out on the town. When I was little, my family would sometimes go to a local diner on weekend mornings and my sisters and I would fill up on hot chocolate with whipped cream before our short stacks had even arrived. These days, I'm a little more concerned with actually leaving room for breakfast, but hot chocolate or no, these weekend meals are just as much a special treat.

After seeing Jen's post featuring the The Liberty Elm last week, I couldn't help myself but to try it out this weekend. Besides, this women-owned diner is housed in a 1947 Worcester Lunch Car* and with all this talk about Food on the Move having my breakfast cooked up in a vintage lunch car seemed like a must.

The diner serves its fair share of eggs and bacon, but it isn't your average greasy spoon. Liberty Elm supports the use of local and regional products and you can rest assured that you'll be eating happy eggs with your preservative-free bacon. My own breakfast was a crust-less quiche made with Narragansett Creamery herb and garlic Angelito cheese and Allen Farms pea greens and it was every bit as delicious as it sounds. Locally roasted New Harvest Coffee was the perfect accompiament to the eggs, but the real treat was the freshly squeezed orange juice made with Liberty Elm's brand new juicer, happily cranking out fresh juice at the rate of 24 oranges per minute.

If you're searching for a traditional Rhode Island treat, then it's the Johnny Cakes you're after. They're made with Kenyon's Gristmill White Cornmeal from Usquepaugh and drizzled with real New England maple syrup. And if you're feeling especially hungry for locally-sourced goodness, be sure to check out this week's Earth Dinner, a prix fixe all-local farm-to-diner menu being served on April 22. See details, here.

*If there are any other history nuts out there, you might be pleased to know that in January of this year, the Liberty Elm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can read more about the Diner's History, here.

Truck Farm

2010-04-12T11:07:00.014-04:00

Ever seen a farm on wheels? Well, if you haven't yet, you'll have your chance soon enough! On April 19, filmmakers Curt Ellis and Ian Cheney of King Corn and The Greening of Southie will be wending their way to Providence, urban farm in tow. Last spring, using green-roof technology, lightweight soil and heirloom seeds, they transformed their vintage Dodge into a traveling 12-member CSA. Ian and Curt planted seeds, parked the truck on a Brooklyn street, and waited for the sun and rain to work their charms.

Truck Farm's story has been told everywhere from NPR to The Washing Post to Japanese morning TV. And now it's coming to Providence. Ian and Curt are using the farm to explore the burgeoning movement of urban agriculture. Part public art, part media phenomenon, part film, Truck Farm is a vibrant symbol of how growing and eating well can be fun.

At 8:00 on the evening of April 19, Ian and Curt will speak about the importance of local and sustainable agriculture and share segments of their work-in-progress film, Truck Farm. The event will be held in Salomon Center, DeCiccio Family Auditorium on Brown University's campus. The event is free and open to the public and we envision the evening as being one where Rhode Islanders from all walks of life will come together to learn about the thrills and pitfalls of planting gardens where you least expect them.

The event is being held in conjunction with Food on the Move: America's Traveling Tastes, a collaborative exhibit between Brown University's M.A. program in public humanities and the Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum. The exhibit opens to the public on April 16. And, if Truck Farm isn't Food on the Move, we're not sure what is.

Special thanks to all of our sponsors:

The John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage
Whole Foods Markets
The Brown University Sustainable Food Initiative
ecoRI
The Center for Environmental Studies - Brown University
Brown Dining Services
emPOWER

Haruki East

2010-04-08T07:15:00.001-04:00

Haruki East
172 Wayland Ave.
Providence, RI 02906
(401) 831-1150

The first day of spring break should be savored. For me that meant a lazy morning of catching up-with chores, correspondence, and on sleep. It also meant a chance to try out the lunch special at Haruki East (which thankfully lasts until 3pm for the ultra lazy), a Japanese restaurant only two blocks from my apartment.

I'd never been to Haruki before, though Rhode Island is home to three Haruki Restaurants. The manager on duty told me that the Cranston restaurant is known for offering "authentic" Japanese dishes, while my neighborhood Haruki offers Japanese fare "with an American kick." I appreciated this insight, though I don't think someone like myself- whose Japanese culinary experience has mostly come in the form of supermarket sushi, droopy rice rolls found smashed between plastic- would be able to tell the difference.

Haruki's lunchtime special offered a variety of meals, perfect for the cash-strapped and indecisive graduate student looking for a lunch out. Most meals come with a small bowl of salty miso soup (mostly broth with tofu, scallion, and seaweed bits). Looking for maximum food variety, I opted for the bento box, a popular Japanese lunch meal that comes in a segemented box with room for several different food items. Unlike the family style of eating at my favorite Southeast and South Asian restaurants, I received my own box of food-no need to share. The largest portion consisted of tempura (battered and fried) seasonal vegetables with a dipping sauce. The box also included gyoza (fried crimped dumplings), a hearty rice roll, fruit, and sesame green beans. My dining partner opted for the Wayland Maki sushi roll with shrimp tempura and seaweed (sans caviar). The manager on duty told us that Haruki East's sushi chefs have been working their magic for over a decade-but wouldn't go into more detail, stating that their techniques and ingredients are top secret.

Unlike other lunch specials, the meal left me pleasantly full, but not over stuffed. Haruki's bamboo painted walls offered a welcome and relaxing change to my normal Saturday routine, and a chance to taste many different Japanese foods in one sitting. The perfect way to start my break.

Elea's Restaurant

2010-04-05T11:16:00.001-04:00

Elea’s Restaurant

711 Broad Street

Providence, RI 02907-1481

866.367.7120

Elea’s is named after founder and owner Eleanor Gaye, a Liberian who settled in Rhode Island in the 1980s to escape the civil war in her homeland. Gaye’s first business venture here was a grocery store that specialized in Liberian food stuffs. Many of her customers weren’t Liberian but wanted to use the store’s products to prepare Liberian cuisine. In response, Gaye began offering prepared dishes and eventually opened Elea’s as a full-fledged restaurant in 1996. Citing the difficulty for immigrants to get small-business loans, Gaye funded the restaurant from her personal savings and initially ran the restaurant all by herself. Unsurprisingly, many of Elea’s diners are Liberian expatriates in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. They come not just to eat but also to catch up on news from Liberia.

When Gaye started the restaurant, she also sought to attract people from other Rhode Island communities. For a month, she gave out free samples, which helped to draw people unfamiliar with West African dishes.

Although Elea’s has a standard menu, there are also many daily specials. During my visit, a customer asked hopefully if fried gizzards were on the day’s menu. Vegetarians have options as well but, for strict herbivores, it’s best to check if a meat stock was used in preparing a dish. It’s easy to create a full meal with jollof rice and a combination of various side dishes. Sides of eggplant and fried peppers are on frequent rotation while spinach, kidney beans, fried okra, okra sauce, and cassava leaf are regular menu items. While we waited in line together, a regular customer enthusiastically recommended that I try the fried peppers on my next visit. This time, I ordered jollof rice, a mildly flavored dish of seasoned rice with vegetables, which paired nicely with a side of spicy collard greens.

{Jollof Rice}

{Collard Greens}

Gaye’s hard work has paid off. Elea’s is a thriving restaurant, and Gaye now has several employees to assist her in feeding the steady flow of customers.

Julian's.

2010-04-01T11:10:00.001-04:00

Julian's

318 Broadway

Providence, RI 02902

401.861.1770

"Handmade with love and imagination," is the tagline that folks at Julian's best like to describe their style. I sat down a few weeks ago with manager Brian Oakley to dig a little deeper. As a recent transplant from North Carolina, I had nearly fallen off my chair the first time I ate at Julian's and saw the menu's promise of fried house pickles. Delighted, I quickly scanned the menu for shrimp and grits. And while my desire was met on that particular night with a special of shrimp and beet infused grits, Julian's doesn't resign itself to only southern cooking. Chef Mike Nice explains that his inspiration comes from all over the place and that having developed a trusting following, he has the freedom to experiment with different flavors and culinary traditions. The menu reflects the variety of influences with dishes ranging from naan white pizza with white potato-leek sauce, watercress, oyster mushrooms, mozzarella, and balsamic reduction, to a pesto-tofu scramble, to a tempeh sausage cassoulet.

Julian's is perhaps best known for its brunch offerings and Star Wars figurines, but lately its dinner menu has been getting special attention, too. Monthly Beer Dinners have been selling out within hours, eager customers craving the dinners that pair an assortment of beers with six courses of carefully selected menu items that bring out the best of the brews' flavors.

But even though Julian's offers customers an impressive international beer list and a range of dishes with influences from Asia to France, the restaurant hopes to serve foods that come from places a little closer to home. And their committment to handmade comes out in the dinners they prepare using goods from local sources. Poultry is delivered from local poultry company Antonelli's on Atwells Avenue and last summer Julian's paired with local chefs in RAFT's heirloom vegetable grow-out. Getting supplies from local farms is standard practice for Julian's. Farmers like Catherine of Red Planet Vegetables, drop by the restaurant on a weekly basis, offering up the week's garden favorites for the chefs to incorporate into nightly specials. Julian's doesn't even have a walk-in refrigerator, so they can guarantee you're getting only the freshest ingredients. And condiments from ketchup to mayo are all house-made.

As for the atmosphere inside the restaurant, it somehow manages to be equal parts cozy and frenetic: neon road signs paired with a giant hanging whisk and rotating displays of works by local artists all contribute to the scene. And Julian's latest over-sized acquistion? An English double-decker bus--soon to be outfitted with a kitchen. Now we're talking about food on the move...

Fresh: the Movie

2010-03-30T08:52:00.004-04:00

tonight's screening has been postponed to 4/27 due to the rain. stay dry!

What are you up to tonight? I'm headed down to Local 121 for a whole evening dedicated to good food. Local 121, one the forerunners in the Providence restaurant scene, is known for serving food that is not only delicious but also locally sourced. They'll be serving a buffet of local treats and screening Ana Sofia Joanes's Fresh, a film that celebrates the people responsible for re-thinking our food system. Doors open at 6:00 and the film will begin at 7:00. Tickets are $12.00. Hope to see you there!

FOO(D) at AS220

2010-03-29T12:04:00.000-04:00

FOO(D) at AS220
115 Empire Street
Providence, RI
401-831-FOOD (3663)

I must admit I sometimes forget that food can be art, but I was reminded by a recent visit to FOO(d), the restaurant at AS220, a non-profit community art space, here in Providence, dedicated to supporting local artists. In line with the mission of AS220, FOO(d) supports local New England farmers, using locally grown ingredients to create a variety of delicious and affordable dishes. (I'd say this is a site for Erin to visit, too. Who knew? Cheap and locally sourced!) Money spent in the restaurant goes into AS220's programming, supporting the creative community. I spoke with Guy Michaud, the manager and head chef, who described the restaurant as a conduit between food artists and the artists working and presenting at AS220.

Struck by the delightfully diverse menu, I wanted to know how Guy chooses which dishes to offer. Guy explained that the menu is seasonal and determined by what produce is available from local farmers that season. After conversing with farmers and learning about the available ingredients, Guy creates his dishes, and chef Justin Earsing creates a "mirror menu," making all the options (except the pork empanadas) vegan-friendly. It is very important to Guy and Justin that everyone entering FOO(d) feels comfortable and has no trouble finding something to eat, regardless of food allergies or restrictions. And with so many dishes under $10, my friends and I were excited to dig into the wide variety of options!

{Of course, I had the mac and cheese with broccoli and bread crumbs - yum!}

{A more health-conscious friend had the spinach salad with goat cheese, radish and almonds}

{I plan to try this one next: grilled cheddar cheese with garlic spinach on olive bread}

And though not photographed here, I must mention the always delicious empanada with pulled pork, roasted sweet potato and carmelized onion, which I just had to split with a friend despite being rather full from the large portion of mac and cheese. Having tried the empanada before, I now have trouble going to FOO(d) and not ordering it.

Between the fun and funky atmosphere and the yummy, locally sourced and CHEAP food, I find myself returning to FOO(d) at AS220 again and again.

Many thanks to Lucia for the fabulous photographs!

Not Just Snacks

2010-03-25T09:02:00.001-04:00

Not Just Snacks

833 Hope St

Providence, RI 02906

(401) 831-1150

"Food is a very personal thing. You want to eat somewhere that someone you know well has told you about," Mohammad Islam, owner of Not Just Snacks told me recently. To Islam having a meal is about trust-though customers may not know him personally, when they walk into his restaurant they are putting their stomachs in his hands-and trusting that they won't wake up the next day with a bellyache. Or heartburn.

Islam came to Rhode Island in 1998 from Bangladesh. A year later he opened his store, Not Just Spices, located on upper Hope Street on the East Side of Providence. The shop catered (and still does) to a largely South Asian community, carrying spices and prepared foods from the subcontinent. Two years later in 2001, when the restaurant across the street became vacant, Islam opened a second business, Not Just Snacks. Unlike the shop, Islam's restaurant Not Just Snacks is popular with the college hill community, many of whom return frequently hoping to enjoy tastes from past travels to South Asia.

Mr. Islam tries to create as "authentic an experience as possible", making sure he serves the same food to his customers as he eats in his own home. Meals are served on metal "thalis" simple plates and small bowls filled with chutneys, yogurt, and sauces-distinctively of the region. A traditional tandori oven in the kitchen helps ensure that Islam's Naan, a fluffy crisp bread, is baked to perfection.

I arrived for the first time to Not Just Snacks overly hungry-and bordering on cranky. Luckily a fast arriving appetizer- the ever popular samosa (a fried triangle filled almost to bursting with potatoes, onions, peas, and coriander accompanied by spicy sweet chutneys for dipping) helped to tide me over until the rest of the meal arrived. And arrive it did. Turns out my eyes may have been bigger than my stomach, as the table filled with palak (spinach) paneer (a ricotta cheese/tofuish blend commonly found in Indian curries), a Mughal inspired chicken Biryani dish (a slow cooked rice and meat dish seasoned with chili, cardamom, cinnamon, garlic, onions, ginger and mint leaves), and baskets of Naan. Islam also made sure that I had a mango lassi (yogurt drink) to soothe my out-of-practice tongue. Honey ginger naan- a special creation of Not Just Snacks inspired by a traditional Indian dessert- also helped balance the spiciness of my meal. My one regret is that I didn't save room for the piles of milky, sugary, fried sweets that Not Just Snacks is known for. Guess I have an excuse for a return visit.

La Lupita

2010-03-23T08:49:00.000-04:00

La Lupita

1950 Westminster Street

Providence, RI 02909

401.331.2444

Neon signs entice passers-by with the promise of tortas, burritos, tacos, and other Mexican dishes. Just inside the door are shelves filled with Mexican food staples and spices for customers who want to make Mexican cuisine at home. For the rest of us, there are plenty of menu options, including several vegetarian dishes. I got the cheese quesadilla and vegetarian taco, both with “everything.” The flavor and texture of each of the ingredients—shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, refried beans, sliced avocado, mild cheese—are distinctive, yet complement the dish as a whole. To wash it all down, I bypass the American sodas in favor of a bottle of Jarritos. Jarritos is a Mexican brand of soft drinks, and La Lupita has a well-stocked refrigerator of the brightly colored beverages in flavors of tamarind, mandarin, mango or fruit punch.

{Jarritos Tutifruti}

{Veggie taco}

Simple, fresh ingredients are one of the trademarks for Jaime and Amelia Blancas, the husband and wife owners who opened the restaurant 7 years ago. Amelia prefers to let the freshness do the work rather than overwhelming the palate with too many spices. However, there are condiments— red salsa, green salsa, peppers, and limes— for those who prefer their food with more heat or adornment.

{Cheese quesadilla}

The Blancas focus on making the types of dishes that would be served in Mexican homes. During my visit, a Mexican transplant to Providence explained that La Lupita is one of the few places in Rhode Island where he can get food like he remembers from home. The restaurant is a regular stop for local Mexicans and other Providence residents who appreciate home-style Mexican cuisine.

{La Lupita interior}

La Lupita is proof that fast food can also be fresh and flavorful food.

Perro Salado [Newport, R.I.]

2010-03-18T10:00:00.002-04:00

Perro Salado
19 Charles Street
Newport, RI 02840

Perro Salado ("salty dog", in Spanish) is truly one of my favorite spots in Rhode Island. Tucked away in an 18th century cape in downtown Newport, the restaurant serves up many surprises in addition to delicious drinks and dishes.

During my most recent visit, I had the chance to chat briefly with manager Daisy Maher, who has been working at the restaurant since its opening in July 2007. When I asked Daisy about the restaurant's origins, she told me that the idea came from two individuals who loved Mexican food and tequila, and most importantly, found the "quirkiness and history" of the building irresistible.

{A view from outside Perro Salado}

This quirkiness is featured in every aspect of the dining experience, from the French greeting on the front door to the old liquor bottles that serve as water pitchers. In talking to Daisy, I learned that the owners not only oversee food and service, but also did all the interior design, from window treatments to tiled fireplaces, by hand. Daisy described the restaurant as "very much a DIY", and emphasized the importance of creating ambiance and comfort in the restaurant. In this way, the owners dine with all their guests, making for a wonderfully unique dining experience.

{Hand Tiled Fireplace}

The quirkiness doesn't stop with interior design and ambiance. The Perro Salado menu features a variety of dishes which Daisy described as "Mexican Fusion." Some of the items on the menu, especially the taquieras (voted best in R.I. in 2008 according to Rhode Island Monthly), are in the spirit of authentic Mexican street food. Adding to the uniqueness of the menu is the owners' diligent effort to support local businesses in buying foods. During the summer, the restaurant features a Market Salad which is made entirely from local, seasonal vegetables.

{Perro Salado's Famous Fish Tacos}

Dining at Perro Salado is truly an experience. Beyond the great drinks and delicious food, the restaurant has a warm, romantic atmosphere. It's just one of those places where you can't help but leave in a better mood than you came in with--and return to as soon as possible.

Kafé Lila.

2010-03-15T09:26:00.007-04:00

Kafe Lila

250 Main Street

Pawtucket, RI 02806

401.305.3050

Kafé Lila is one of my very favorite weekend spots. When I moved to Providence from North Carolina in August, I immediately began the hunt for my favorite coffee shop. I found it in Kafé Lila, and I haven't looked back. Not only is the place cozy and quiet, it also serves up really good locally sourced food.

A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to sit down for a chat with owner Karen Pace. As most good ideas are apt to do, the idea for Kafé Lila began with ice cream. A few years ago Karen, a trained textile artist, began making ice cream and selling it out of a bicycle cart. Once the ice cream business took off, Karen decided to open up a storefront and found herself a place in Pawtucket's Grant Building. Three years later, the café's still in full force, and Karen's still churning out ice cream, all of which is made using Rhody Fresh milk and in flavors that only a genius could dream up--blueberry ginger, vegan coconut chili, local quince, olive oil, organic coffee--the list goes on, and I promise you, you'll want to try them all.

{The view from inside the Grant Building}.

But more than offering delicious varieties of homemade ice cream, Kafé Lila keeps you well fed and caffeinated. Karen tries to use as many locally sourced whole foods in her cafe as possible. With the help of Schartner Farm's frozen vegetables, Kafé Lila feels summery even in the wintertime. In growing season, vegetables from Red Planet Vegetables and Southside Community Land Trust's gardens also wend their way to Pawtucket. And it's the tomato jam served on top of Kafé Lila's signature frittata (made, of course, with eggs from Rhody Fresh) that keeps me coming back for more.

{Frittata with tomato jam}.

{Kafé Lila's sweet treats}.

Beyond serving up local foods to hungry customers, Karen has plans in the works to continue with her goal of educational outreach--starting up a series of edible gardening classes and cooking instruction that focuses on making good meals using simple ingredients. In the meantime, a morning stop into Kafé Lila will leave you feeling like you just spent an hour in your grandmother's living room--if, of course your grandmother's living room is the sort where you can find sweet treats, warm coffee, plush vintage furniture, and homemade ice cream.

{Mid-century furniture finds from Rocket to Mars in Providence}.

Trinity Brewhouse

2010-03-11T21:57:00.012-05:00

Trinity Brewhouse Restaurant & Brewery
186 Fountain Street
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 453-BEER

Friendly bartender Ethan has been working for restaurant owner Josh Miller for over 30 years. We chatted on a rainy Thursday evening as I enjoyed a delicious pint of a Belgian Amber Ale. Trinity opened about fifteen years ago. Providence was in need of a brewpub, Union Station Brewery had opened about a year before. But when it opened Trinity differentiated itself as a non-corporate, locally owned restaurant and brewery. While the start-up costs were high, once it established itself, the cost of beer production decreased (until more recently when the costs of hops and barely skyrocketed), allowing Trinity to pass on the low costs to patrons (22 oz. beer is still less than $5!!). Trinity's brews have become so popular that a few years ago Trinity Beer Company was formed, selling bottled beer throughout southern New England. While the bottled beer is brewed in Pawcatuck, CT, all of the pints served at the Brewhouse are brewed onsite, no other beers are sold.

Trinity has brewed 50-70 beers in the last fifteen years. The beers on tap are constantly changing, with an innovative brewmaster crafting new creations and bringing back old favorites. Owner Josh Miller has gone from celebrated restaurateur (currently owning Trinity and Local 121) to state senator. In a city like Providence it's amazing there aren't more breweries like Trinity. But when you have one with such great food and beer, do you really need more?

{Trinity Chopped Salad & Belgian Amber Ale}

{Seafood Chowder & Kolsch}

Angkor Restaurant

2010-03-10T09:00:00.003-05:00

Angkor Restaurant

333 Wickenden St

Providence, RI 02903

(401) 383-2227

On the East Side of Providence, a fold-out sign on Wickenden Street promises a passer-byer, "Authentic Cambodian Cuisine" at Angkor Restaurant. Though I've walked by the sign numerous times, I'd never stopped-mostly because I wasn't sure what I'd find inside. Unlike Cambodia's neighbors, Thailand and Vietnam, many Americans do not associate this Southeast Asian nation with distinctive and flavorful curries, rice dishes, and soups. Instead its contemporary history of genocide overshadows a rich culture and heritage.

But thanks to friendly owner Chutema, diners at Angkor Restaurant are able to experience the many layers of history that shape Cambodia today, from Hindu and Buddhist art which adorns the walls (inspired by images found on temples of the ancient Khmer empire, the restaurant's namesake), to stories that capture the realities of the Killing Fields. Chutema and his family, like many Cambodians in the 1970s-1980s, were resettled in Rhode Island after escaping Pol Pot's regime. Luckily, their culture and recipes also escaped cultural annihilation by the Khmer Rouge, brought to America by Chutema's late mother-in-law, Bopha Kem. Before escaping Cambodia, Bopha Kem recorded her aunt's recipes from when she worked in the kitchen of a royal palace in Northwest Cambodia. Today these recipes serve as the foundation for Angkor's food, though Chutema has adapted the menu to meet the tastes of the Brown and RISD students and faculty who frequent the restaurant. Chutema leaves the kitchen often to talk to diners and share his family's story- though he makes sure not to share the secrets behind his tasty dishes, which Johnson & Wales student have tried unsuccessfully to get out of him.

Based on Chutema's recommendation, I started with Angkor's signature dish, Medicine Soup, or Nam Yaa, which he described as "chicken soup on stereoids." This perfectly spicy noodle soup is touted for its delicious healing power, relying on a combination of herbs, lemon grass, ginger, galangal, garlic, karffir, limeleaves, chicken and shrimp for its unique flavor. Luckily I brought along an equally enthusiastic dining partner to help me try two more dishes, including fresh spring rolls and an overflowing platter of Banh Hoi, a Vietnamese put-it-together-yourself-dish of rice noodles, fresh lettuce, mint cucumbers, tofu and vegetables, bean sprouts and peanut dipping sauce. After scrapping our plates clean, we left Angkor with a new appreciation of the cultural power of recipes and the spices of Southeast Asia.

Stanley's Famous Hamburgers

2010-03-08T13:00:00.004-05:00

Stanley's

371 Richmond Street

Providence, RI

(401) 270-9292

There's always room for milkshakes and fries! So after samples and stories with Rhody Food Tours at the Providence Athanaeum (check out Erin's post) we headed to Stanley's in Providence's Jewelry District for their famous stanleyburgers and some Quebec fries (what they call "poutine" in Quebec or "disco fries" in New Jersey, my home state).

{Stanley's Quebec Fries}

Stanley's menu tells us that "in 1932, a Polish immigrant named Stanley F. Kryla had a dream: to make an honest, affordable hamburger." Stanley opened his restaurant in Central Falls during the Great Depression, offering fine and affordable comfort food. Stanley's dream lives on with a new owner since 1987, Gregory Raheb, and has expanded to include more selection on the menu and this second location in Providence.

{Stanley's Chocolate Milkshake}

Though we couldn't speak with Stanley himself, our server sometimes tells the late-night drunk crowd that he is Stanley. We were happy to learn about some of his experiences having worked there for almost a year. He shared with us the favorite item on the menu - the famous stanleyburgers served with grilled onions and pickles, which people often order in 2's or 3's as they are small, tasty and cheap (only $1.99). The chili cheese fries are the favorite among the late-night drunk crowd. (Stanley's in Providence stays open until 2am Thursday-Saturday.) Our server had recently stopped eating beef and pork, so the menu of edible options was shortened. Luckily, Stanley's serves a "bomb" veggie burger that he enjoys.

{Stanleyburger and fries}

Having sampled many disco fries in New Jersey, discovering these gravy drenched fries covered in melted mozzarella here at Stanley's in Providence was a perfect way to kick off my search for delicious and cheap Rhode Island diners and dives.

A Rhody Food Tour.

2010-03-05T10:57:00.001-05:00

After a few weeks of planning the details of Small Bites, we decided to kick things off with a group visit to the Providence Athenaeum. Doesn't sound like a typical choice for folks looking for a bite to eat, does it? Well, while on a typical evening delights to be found there are of a decidedly more literary bent, last Friday night, they were purely of the culinary variety. The Athenaeum hosted a veritable culinary extravaganza as part of its Friday night salon series and featured Mike Ritz of Rhody Food Tours along with chefs and owners from four different Providence restaurants.

As founder of Rhody Food Tours, Mike Ritz plays tour guide, sharing with tour-goers some of the best of what Rhode Island cuisine has to offer, in places where you might least expect to find it. On Friday night, Mike shared the stories behind his Immigrant Cuisines of Greater Providence Tour, and brought along chefs Sanjiv Dhar from Kabob & Curry and Rasoi restaurants, Maria Meza and her son Joaquin from El Rancho Grande, and Kazu Kondo from Ebisu. Guests were invited to munch on samples while listening to the stories behind the restaurants from the chefs themselves, all of whom bring culinary traditions from across the globe to Providence.

As for us, we couldn't have been happier. Delicious food, stories to go along with it, and four restaurants we'll be sure to hit up soon!

{Tamales and Flauta from El Rancho Grande}

{Gyoza from Ebisu}

{Quesadilla's from El Rancho Grande}

{Samosas from Kabob & Curry}

Update: On March 13, March 27, April 3, and April 24, Rhody Food Tours will be hosting Immigrant Cuisines Part II! Email Tours@RhodyFoodTours.com for more information.

Welcome!

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Hello, and welcome to Small Bites--a blog about the spices and stories of local restaurants in the smallest state! Small Bites is a collaborative effort, co-authored by a team of students from Brown's Public Humanities Program. The idea for this project began during research for the exhibit Food on the Move, a collaboration between the Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum and the Public Humanities Program at Brown University. In the exhibit, we explore the history of eating while traveling on different modes of transportation. While our exhibit is focused on meals consumed on the move, our research for it started to make us think about the food that we eat locally, right here in Rhode Island's favorite restaurants. Just like in the exhibit, it was the stories behind these meals that most interested us: Who prepares the food we eat? Where do the recipes come from? What do the ingredients mean to the people who use them? What does eating mean in different cultures and how is it adapted to the American context? Where is the food we eat raised and grown? These questions serve as the basis for Small Bites.

Thanks for reading!

Shana

2010-02-23T09:40:00.010-05:00

Shana can be found scouring Rhode Island for the best local Asian eateries. Her appreciation of the continent's cuisine arose out of her past work experience in South and Southeast Asia, where she provided support to grassroots women's rights organizations. From the sweet and savory chutneys of India to the piercing chilies of Thailand, Shana's tongue has never been the same. After many failed attempts to recreate her favorite dishes at home, Small Bites lets Shana leave the food preparation to the experts. Follow her trail of rice and turmeric as Shana scopes out the stories and history behind Rhode Island's Asian dining.

Contact Shana.

Erin

2010-02-23T09:30:00.052-05:00

Erin's the woman behind the design of the website here at Small Bites. But in addition to making sure that everything's running smoothly on the blog, Erin can be found ducking into local restaurants who source their food from nearby places.

Having gotten her first taste of the sustainable farming world during her work on the outreach campaign for her brother-in-law's film, King Corn, Erin has become a local food devotee. Here at Small Bites, Erin's interested in finding the restaurants serving up locally sourced foods and in getting the stories of the places and people who supply these fresh goods to local restaurants.

Contact Erin.

Krystal

2010-02-23T09:30:00.050-05:00

An avid baker, Krystal hates to cook. This has made her exceedingly grateful to the friends and family who have embraced her persnickety eating habits to keep her fed with dishes from their homelands. Continuing with this tradition of eating homestyle meals made from recipes from around the world, she will be sampling vegetarian fare at local ethnic restaurants.

Contact Krystal.

Sara

2010-02-23T09:30:00.040-05:00

Sara has lived in Providence for seven years on and off since 2000. Over that time, she has been fortunate to enjoy Rhode Island's plentiful and diverse culinary delights. She considers herself an avid foodie, but is an "equal opportunity eater" - from fine dining to cheap eats. Sara travels near and far for authentic ethnic food and regional specialties, borrowing her mother's mantra: "let's go places and eat things."

Sara particularly likes restaurants where the menu and beer list are of equal quality. For this project she'll seek out the stories behind notable Providence pubs that serve food.

Contact Sara.

Adrian

2010-02-23T09:30:00.037-05:00

Adrian's appreciation for fried food and mac and cheese make her the perfect girl to seek out Providence's best cheap spots and dives. A picky eater since she was a child, Adrian prefers diners and cafes with plenty of choice on the menu. Even so, Adrian's palette is growing everyday as she continually discovers new foods from asparagus to hummus to empanadas, and she looks forward to more (cheap!) discoveries.

Contact Adrian.

Kaitlynne

2010-02-23T09:30:00.033-05:00

As a native Rhode Islander from a family who lacks motivation and skill to cook, Kaitlynne has sat at many tables in various restaurants throughout the smallest state. Growing up in Westerly, Kaitlynne's primary experience is with many of the restaurants in southern Rhode Island, though she's definitely looking to broaden her horizons.

For the blog, Kaitlynne will be traveling to eateries outside Providence city limits, bringing you stories from all corners of little Rhody.

Contact Kaitlynne