A Snuggery with Delectable Fare

There are few eateries here in Providence, Rhode Island that I enjoy going to as much as I do the Duck and Bunny Snuggery on Wickenden Street.  True to its namesake “snuggery”, which means a cozy and comfortable place, the restaurant exudes warmth and charm.  Housed in an early nineteenth century, two story clapboard house, the rooms are decorated with ornate chandeliers, cozy high-back armchairs, coffee tables and café tables. Early American landscape art deck the walls and the shear curtains draping the windows create a home away from home atmosphere. Alfresco dining surrounded by lush foliage and sheltered by towering trees is also available on a rustic brick patio behind the house.

 

Offered within the confines of this homey atmosphere is a menu of delicious, wafer-thin crepes wrapped around an assortment of mouthwatering combinations such as the Miss Harriet with a sweet and savory filling of Brie cheese and tender morsels of pear or The Rachel & Monica teeming with one of my favorites, a mélange of steamed spinach, rich goat cheese and tangy sundried tomatoes plus other delicious assemblages of fruit, cheese, meats and vegetables nestled in perfectly prepared crepes.  

Along with this tantalizing assortment of crepes there are hearty green salads that include a strawberry and grilled pear salad over a bed of crisp mixed greens with a sweet balsamic glaze dressing, a baby spinach salad with apples, toasted pecans and crumbled blue cheese tossed in a cider vinaigrette to name just two. For more traditional fare there is an Artisanal Cheese Plate of assorted aged Vermont cheddar and other domestic cheeses, a Charcuterie Plate of savory cured meats and sausages, tea sandwiches and more. 

For dessert lovers the Duck and Bunny will satiate your sweet-tooth cravings with their decadent dessert crepes. Some examples of these offerings are a Banana Split crepe, a Strawberry Sundae crepe or the Little Jed filled with apple compote and topped with rich vanilla ice cream, walnuts and finished with a lacing of creamy caramel syrup.

Inside one of the cozy rooms or outside on the patio the Duck and Bunny coddles your senses with delicious food and a healthy portion of home-away-from-home charm. 

The Duck and Bunny Snuggery

312 Wickenden St. 

Providence, RI 02903

(401) 270-3300

www.theduckandbunny.com

Perfect Mussels

 A hearty helping of steamed mussels nestled in a bowl of savory broth is one of my favorite meals when dining out. I have enjoyed this succulent repast in restaurants in San Diego, New York City, Boston and other cities whenever possible.  In Paris I usually find my way to one of the many Léon de Bruxelles locations or a local bistro that has it on its menu.   After enjoying many, many such delicious bowlfuls of these tender morsels of the sea I can safely say that I have now found perfectly prepared mussels in Providence, Rhode Island. 

To achieve their optimum taste consistency mussels should be steamed in wine or broth to the point of “just cooked”, or about medium rare.  Cooking them beyond this point toughens the mussels and they become chewy; losing the delicate juices that otherwise titillates our palates.   Prepared to the point of “near-done” they are always moist and tender, transforming a simple bowl of unpretentious seafood into a memorable taste experience. 

Steamed PEI Mussels

Without exceptions, one of the finest examples of perfectly prepared mussels is thankfully right here in Providence Rhode Island at the Waterman Grille. I have relished their offering of steamed mussels on several occasions now.  Each and every time they are cooked to absolute perfection—tender and juicy!  Not only are their mussels a delight to savor, the presentation is as appealing as they are delicious.  Carefully arranged on a white oval platter, the black shells with their shimmering morsels exposed lay waiting to be savored. Topped with grilled herb bread to absorb the succulent white wine-butter broth, the Waterman Grille’s steamed mussels are a joy to behold.   

Chef Kevin

This is not to say that only the steamed mussels at the Waterman Grille are perfectly prepared.  Quite the contrary; their crispy calamari, tender Hanger Steak, the flavor-rich Waterman Burger and all of their offerings are always consistently prepared to perfection and presented in an attractive, appetizing fashion.  Our many visits to the Waterman Grille have spoiled us to the point that we now expect perfection every time we dine there and we have never been disappointed.

Waterman Grille

Four Richmond Square

Providence, RI 02906

 (401) 521-9229

www.watermangrille.com

 

McBride’s Irish Pub - An Unexpected Culinary Delight

Every so often I am treated to superb food from an unexpected source.  In this instance the surprisingly great fare was in an Irish Pub in our new home city of Providence, Rhode Island. Over the years I have enjoyed very good basic food in Irish Pubs, English Pubs and in bars without a particular theme. That is what tickled me so; a culinary delight from such a surprising source. Go figure, a bowl of steamed mussels in an Irish Pub that were better than any I enjoyed in Paris, where moules and frites (mussels and fries) have become a national obsession.   They were also better than any mussels I have cooked myself using fresh mussels purchased in a mercat in Barcelona Spain. Such is my regard for the exceptional quality of the steamed mussels I savored in McBride’s Irish Pub on Wayland Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island.

After driving for five days from Amado Arizona to Providence Rhode Island, Linda and I found ourselves in a very familiar situation, tired and hungry.  We unpacked the car, left our belongings in boxes strewn all over the floor in our apartment and went searching for food in our new neighborhood.  After passing up several more trendy places to eat such as a sushi bar and a gourmet cheese shop  serving an assortment of savory delicacies we strolled into McBride’s for a pint of draft beer and some basic pub fare.   Linda chose the grilled salmon and I could not resist trying mussels, steamed in white wine and herbs.  Our decision to have our first meal in our new neighborhood at McBride’s was quickly rewarded.  Linda’s salmon was cooked to perfection, firm on the outside and moist and tender on the inside, served over a bed of crisp salad greens.  My steamed mussels were plump and tender with a taste of the sea in every bite—simply the best mussels I ever had.

 McBride’s is not your ordinary Irish Pub as far as food is concerned.  Their menu includes such creative offerings as Lamb Sliders, three juicy ground lamb patties brushed with a delicious fig sauce, lettuce and tomatoes served individually on small hamburger buns or their Irish Nachos, a tasty mélange of house-made chips (small wedges of fried pita bread) covered with a generous portion of ground lamb, topped with melted Irish Cheddar Cheese, sour cream and spring onions.  There is also an assortment of thin crusted individual size pizzas and other inspired recipes to compliment such standard pub fare as Shepherd’s Pie, Corned Beef and Cabbage and more.  Befitting any fine Irish Pub there is a large assortment of beers and ales on tap and in bottles from all over the world to satisfy the most discriminating beer drinker.

Go figure, the best steamed mussels I ever had are in an Irish Pub in Providence Rhode Island.