[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
 |
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
|
|
|
12.27.2001 13:56
A perfect 10
10 Prime Steak & Sushi tops the list of restaurants Meridith Ford visited this year.
BY MERIDITH FORD
Journal Restaurant Reviewer
PROVIDENCE
-- Every year at about this time, I'm asked to compile a list of the restaurants I've reviewed in the last year and come up with the bests among them.
This year the task is harder than usual. Providence -- and Rhode Island -- continue to thrive as restaurant and food meccas. More and more of our restaurants -- Al Forno, Empire, Neath's, to name just a few -- are garnering national attention.
Another noteworthy phenomenon is that mid-range restaurants (where entree prices fall between $10 and $20) are thriving, and are offering extremely well-prepared food. And unlike much of the rest of the country, chain restaurants, while making headway, haven't taken over in the Ocean State.
Other notables: Barbecue is starting to be big in Little Rhody -- and good barbecue, too. Ethnic restaurants of all kinds -- from soul food to sushi -- are popping up all over the state. Desserts are becoming an actual course on many restaurants menus, instead of just an afterthought.
After the catastrophic events of Sept. 11, gathering around the table -- whether it be your own or someone else's -- means more now than ever. Food brings us together, reminding us of our traditions and who we are.
So go ahead -- eat, enjoy, rejoice.
Here are my picks for 2001:
Best restaurant: 10 Prime Steak & Sushi. Wonderful, wacky -- another addition to the restaurant scene from owners John Elkhay and Richard and Cheryl Bready. It's fun, funky and original; reading the menu of innovative takes on old standbys such as "death by butter" mashed potatoes and bacon-wrapped filet mignon makes my mouth water.
Best fits-like-a-comfortable-old-jacket-and-Providence-wouldn't-be-the-same-without-it: New Rivers. It doesn't get much better than this, folks. Bruce Tillinghast is as classy an act as it gets -- and so is his restaurant. The eclectic menu is one of the most diverse in the state, with influences from Portugal, Italy, Asia and the Middle East, all lovingly prepared and presented in the warmest of atmospheres.
Best mid-scale restaurant: This was the toughest to pick, because I went to so many excellent restaurants in this category. Taking everything into consideration, though -- warmth, atmosphere, authencicity, service and of course, good food -- my chef's toque is off to Mamma Luisa's in Newport. Mamma's Bolognese favorites are excellently prepared and deftly delivered to the table.
A close second: Hotpoint in Bristol. Chef-owner Jim Reardon's offerings are what American bistro food is all about: Uncomplicated, yet innovative -- and layered with flavor.
Best entree: New Rivers' cornmeal-encrusted soft-shell crab (in season) with a corn-filled, cumin-laced spoon bread and chipotle aioli.
Best appetizer: A tie between Raphael Bar-Risto's pan-seared blue crab cakes with roasted corn relish and New Rivers' native littlenecks with sun-dried tomatoes, tendrils of squid, roasted julienned peppers and onions.
Best dessert: Restaurant Bouchard's Grand Marnier souffle, hot from the oven and drizzled with rich, velvety creme Anglaise (a custard sauce). When I die, this dessert will be in my version of heaven (where I will eat it unabashedly, without gaining any weight).
Best side dishes: the heaping portion of buttery rich "death by butter" potatoes at 10 Prime Steak & Sushi.
Best wine list: the extensive, eclectic offerings at New Rivers.
Best service: Restaurant Bouchard in Newport. The waitstaff here define what fine service should be.
Best French: Restaurant Bouchard. Albert Bouchard's offerings are heaven on a plate, from start to finish.
Best bathroom: the blue-tiled, sound-infused digs at 10 Prime Steak & Sushi. I love powdering my nose to the sounds of screams from a roller coaster ride.
Best atmosphere: Mediterraneo. Between the breezy sidewalk tables and the good - looking waiters, I'm hard pressed to find anything wrong here. It's a reminder that life is sweet.
Cutest waiters: Mediterraneo (was there ever any doubt)?
Cutest valets: Providence Oyster Bar.
Best ethnic food: I'm addicted to the fried chicken and collard greens at Miss Fannie's Soul Food Kitchen. The coconut cake isn't too shabby, either.
Best barbecue: A tough choice, but Becky's Real B.B.Q. in Middletown could stand up to anything I've tasted in the South. L.J.'s is worth a taste, too.
Best bartenders: Parkside Rotisserie & Bar. Not only are they good, they're funny, too.
Best well-kept secret: The well-prepared bistro fare at Z Bar & Grille.
Best chain: Johnny Rockets. The hamburgers are to die for. Ditto the shakes.
Best drinks: 10 Steak & Sushi's mojitos. I don't care if they are a girlie drink, they're yummy.
Best reason to drive to Stonington, Conn.: Noah's Restaurant.
Best reason to drive to Fairhaven, Mass.: Margaret's.
Best Asian: The authenticity of the soups and other eats at HONS (House of Noodles).
Best sushi: The multitude of offerings at 10 Steak & Sushi.
Best place to meet after work for appetizers and drinks: Raphael Bar-Risto.
Best view: The Lobster Pot in Bristol.
Best place to drink vodka, while splurging on the best pita bread and hummus, ever: Restaurant La Camelia in East Providence.
Best breakfast pastries: Fiddlehead Cafe & Bakery in Wakefield.
Best meal for under $10: The authetic Guatemalan and Mexican dishes at Maya-Azteca.
Place I would feel most comfortable taking my 4-year-old and still get a really good meal: The Italian favorites at LaRosa in Rumford.
Most ambitious pickles: L.J.'s B.B.Q. Okay, so they aren't my grandmother's candy slices, but how many other Rhode Island restaurants are making their own pickles?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
Printer-Friendly Version
