[Pigging by Wilfrid: September 17, 2017]
First time in Providence. A travel delay meant a ten-minute late arrival for a reservation at Birch, the sleek counter-only (but not tasting menu-only) restaurant from Heidi and Benjamin Sukle, who also run the more casual Oberlin.
Squash, lemon verbena, pine
Great service: mostly good to very good food. Mood lighting, so the photos are what they are. It's vegetarian-, but not especially vegan-friendly.
Four courses, three choices in each, $55: bread and butter extra. The style and price-point are reminiscent of Contra, but I found the food here much more direct and satisfying.
Raw lobster, nasturtium, unripe blueberry, dill
The raw lobster dish, and the rock crab with almond, green peppercorns and mustard, which were my first two courses, were the highlights of the evening. Despite being hidden at the bottom of deep bowls, the portions of shellfish were generous, and the quality high.
Grilled cabbage and sweet potato, caramelised sauerkraut, apple broth
A fancy but still hearty take on bubble-and-squeak, I'd have been happy with the lightly grilled cabbage if I'd been eating an all-vegetable menu. But I ordered the Rohan duck; slightly underdone, of course, but with reasonably tender flesh. Demerit: the skin was a lovely color but not crisp.
Not your traditional cheese course: a near-liquid serving of fresh cheese under a crumbly crust powerfully infused with onion syrup. And some blueberries with marigold and marjoram.
When I next visit, I'll be considering the lively Italian restaurants along Atwells Avenue, where a small plaza really does feel like a European square. This time, as a change of pace from Birch, our second dinner took us to Julian's, a popular neighborhood bar with a long and curious menu (BBQ-vegetarian?).
A board of vegetable apps, of which the spicy tomato jam was simply outstanding. Bottle it and sell it. Then I walked into a vast serving of corned beef, red cabbage and potatoes which took most of the following day to digest.
Lunch shout-outs to Geoff's Superlative Sandwiches, in the university neighborhood, where I chose a hot roast beef and coleslaw from the longest (sandwich) menu I've ever seen--maybe a sixth of it pictured here.
And Sydney Providence, a cafe with very tidy food.
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