A Rare Evening of Leisurely Dining

   Somewhere and somehow the art of long leisurely dining with friends has slipped into the abyss of “it used to be…” or “remember when we…” category in our lives.  Why? I really cannot say.  However, I was recently reminded of the multiple pleasures of such long and leisurely dinners at a friend’s home the other evening.  It has been far too long since Linda and I have enjoyed such impeccably prepared cuisine amid lively conversation that extended long into the night.  Hopefully, this missive will entice or inspire others to have similar evenings with their friends.

   Our dinner started with a serving of homemade terrine de foie gras paired with a 1985 Chateau Segur.  Savoring a homemade terrine de foie gras or a 1985 Bordeaux are in and of themselves rare epicurean treats. The twenty nine years that this wine waited to emerge from the bottle softened its bold tannins to complement the foie’s delicate flavors while still possessing enough body to coalesce with the foie gras’ rich gel.  If this was all that we had for the entire evening I would still be singing the praises of a terrine de foie gras made personally  by our host and be wistfully recalling the taste sensations of a twenty-nine year old wine.  But this was only a prelude to what developed into five hours of dining, sipping wine and the telling of European travel adventures.

   After the foie, we savored a wedge of a leek tart brimming with chunks of charred leeks drizzled with a red wine reduction.  Immediately following the tart we served ourselves a  helping of fresh-made fish stew consisting of shrimp, salmon, tilapia, catfish and some diced sweet potatoes bathed in a thick, savory pink broth, topped off with freshly steamed clams that were prepared just minutes before we filled our bowls with the fish stew. For this course I contributed a 2012 Sancerre made by Lucien Crochet.  Although I found this wine to be somewhat acidic and lacking in the finesse that I expect from a Sancerre it thankfully did not prevent us from relishing each mouthful of an extraordinarily flavor-rich medley of fish and seafood.

   Then, in a most European fashion we followed our fish stew with a bountiful green salad that was laced with goat cheese and a vinaigrette dressing made from a very well-aged mother of vinegar.  For the grand finale to our gastronomical feast we ended our evening of culinary decadence with still more decadence, a bowl of fresh-made, creamy smooth lemon mousse with blueberries that we washed down with a glass of sparkling Prosecco.

   

   And so we came to the end of our unhurried culinary extravaganza.  But the Proustian memory of the luscious foie, charred leeks, braised fish and steamed clams plus the scrumptious lemon mousse will stay with us as joyful reminders of this incredible dining experience.

Lucia’s Italian Restaurant…One of a Kind

     Something rare and wonderful happened in Newport Rhode Island the other day; we lunched in a privately owned and operated restaurant. In a popular tourist area such as Newport, there are a growing number of chain and restaurant groups to choose from. As this number increases there seems to be less and less owner/operated options.  Consequently, we are gradually being deprived of the pleasure of dining in a restaurant where the owner is attentively watching over the dining room or better still, in the kitchen impressing us with his or her culinary skills. Hence, my delight in discovering Lucia Tacchi’s Italian restaurant and pizzeria in Newport Rhode Island.

     This moderately priced restaurant lived up to all of my expectations for warm and friendly service, plus an assortment of mouthwatering fare. Their lunch menu includes Croissant agli Spinaci, a jumbo croissant stuffed with mushrooms and creamed spinach laced with tangy, grated parmesan cheese or Croissant al Pollo e Pesto, a croissant filled with tender slices of chicken, fresh mozzarella cheese and a succulent pesto sauce, topped with mixed greens, to name just two of the sandwiches.  Pasta lovers, such as yours truly, will not be disappointed with Lucia’s offerings of Spaghetti alla Carbonara, spaghetti tossed in a rich blend of eggs, Pancetta (Italian bacon), cream and Parmesan cheese, one of my favorites, or Farfalle al Ragu' Bolognese, bow-tie pasta covered with the quintessential hearty, northern Italian meat sauce. Other lunch items include large and small pizzas with an assortment of tasty topping combinations, plus salads, an antipasto with cured meats and cheeses and more Italian favorites to choose from.  Their dinner menu also includes ravioli, tagliatelle and penne and other types of pasta with flavor rich sauces plus a wide range of delicious chicken and veal offerings.

     Linda’s lunch, a crispy, thin crusted pizza, topped with a generous helping of fresh-made tomato sauce, rich mozzarella cheese and thin slices of fresh cut eggplant was perfectly prepared. My dish of penne rigata pasta tossed in a savory combination of thick tomato sauce, chunks of slightly piquant ground sausage meat and tender morsels of green pepper titillated my palate with a wonderful array of taste sensations.  Adding to our luncheon repast was a pleasant, medium dry rosé from Provence that I selected from their moderately priced wine menu.  Linda concluded her lunch with one of their house-made desserts; to quote her it was scrumptious! Unfortunately neither one of us can remember the dessert’s name but the memory of the creamy mélange, similar to tiramisu in taste but richer in texture and the hints of hazelnut and cocoa flavors still linger.    

     In a world of formulated restaurant sameness, Lucia Tacchi’s Italian restaurant and pizzeria is a welcomed refuge from the humdrum, homogenized offerings of most group and chain restaurants —plus delicious food and the personal attention of the owner herself, Lucia Tacchi.

Lucia Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria

186B-190B Thames Street

Newport, RI 02840

401.846.4477

401.847.6355

www.luciarestaurant.com

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

 

Hollywood in Virginia

Just for the fun of it let us see if anyone can guess what city or state this restaurant is located in from the offerings on their menu:

●Blackened Tilapia with pineapple salsa ● Fried Oysters

● Bubba’s Shrimp Creole

 ● Fried Catfish

If your choice was New Orleans or Louisiana it would be logical but unfortunately not correct.  I will offer up some more menu items that may help:

●Coco Loco Chicken● Black Beans and Rice

● White Bean Chicken Chili Nachos

 ●Chipotle Wrap

The restaurant has to be located in the southwest, maybe New Mexico…right? Sorry, wrong answer.  Two more menu items and then I will stop:  

●Catfish Matrimony

● Hollywood’s Famous Crab Cakes

Give up?

     These enticing dishes that one would expect to find in restaurants in Louisiana or the Southwest are served in Hollywood’s Restaurant and Bakery in Roanoke Virginia.  Along with other Louisiana and Southwestern inspired recipes, this delightful bustling eatery also serves such mouthwatering southern fare as tender, meat falling off the bone baby backed ribs basted in a flavorful North Carolina barbecue sauce.  There is also Molasses and Coffee Pork Chops, Grit Cakes laced with a creamy roasted jalapeno pepper sauce  and Lone Star Chicken, a tender grilled chicken breast topped with savory house-made honey ginger barbecue sauce and a plethora of other  tempting dishes too numerous to mention.

      We went to Hollywood’s Restaurant and Bakery at the recommendation of the desk clerk at the Hampton Inn in Roanoke Virginia, where we stayed the night in-route from Arizona to Rhode Island.  With so many appetizing entrees to choose from we hardly knew what to order.  After painfully eliminating a whole host of tantalizing possibilities Linda opted for the Fried Oysters and I ordered the Catfish Matrimony.  We were not disappointed.  Our choices were every bit as good as we could have hoped for.  Linda’s generous portion of fried oysters was cooked to perfection.  Each plump oyster was batter coated, deep fried to the point of crunchy on the outside and warm and tender in the center.  My Catfish Matrimony was a scrumptious medley of tender pan-fried slices of catfish covered in a velvety smooth pink sauce loaded with tasty slices of Andouille sausages and shrimp. 

      Rarely have we been treated to such fine creative fare in what can only be described as a friendly “local” restaurant.  It is no wonder that Hollywood’s Restaurant and Bakery is jam packed every night with local residents and visitors.  If your travels take you to Roanoke Virginia, stop in and say hello to Mark “Hollywood” Henderson or Chris Henderson, the friendly owners of Hollywood’s Restaurant and Bakery in Roanoke Virginia!

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. 

Part Three - Éclairs, Tarts and Ice Cream…Oh My!

      Our final quest for the “best…in Paris” is the holy grail of desserts—ice cream.  At its best ice cream is a silky smooth, joyful marriage of milk, cream, sugar and eggs with other natural flavorings such as vanilla beans, chocolate, fresh fruit or nuts; then lovingly stirred and reduced in temperature to varying degrees of consistency.  In a city renowned for opulent desserts ice cream is the pinnacle of its culinary decadence— the higher the fat content the richer and smoother the taste sensation.
     Pascal Le Glacier’s ice cream is described by Paris Notes as “nothing short of spectacular”. Located in the charming upscale section of Passy, the western most section of Paris within the city limits, we again started our journey on foot.  Walking past the Eifel Tower, the Champs-Elysèe and the Palais de Chaillot we finally came to Pascal Le Glacier on 17 Rue Bois-le-Vent, nearly 7 kilometers (4 miles) from our flat on rue Petit Pont.  Much to our surprise and dismay Pascal Combette’s highly touted ice cream parlor was closed for vacation!  Not to be thwarted for a taste of the best ice cream in Paris we trudged back to our flat, consoled ourselves with a glass of wine and forged a new plan.  After sorting through the myriad of reviews on the internet we created list of ice cream makers highly touted by others. 

    

For three days we walked to points north, south, east and west tasting a variety of creamy mélanges that others deemed the “the best ice cream in Paris” on the internet.  Thankfully, we finally discovered La Maison Berthillon on the Isle Saint Louis.  No sooner did we taste a mouthful of their luscious mango ice cream we knew we found what we were looking for— the best ice cream in Paris!  Each mouthful delighted our taste buds with the richness of milk, cream, sugar and eggs.  As we savored the creamy smooth texture of their glacer la crème, flavored with tender morsels of ripe mango, the disappointment of Pascal Le Glacier being closed after such a long walk evanesced into the sunset.  Our quest for the best ice cream in Paris was now fulfilled on the picturesque Isle Saint Louis with one scoop of Berthillon’s scrumptious ice cream.