Restaurant Week ~ Providence

Dirty Martini - Capital Grille, Providence

Providence, RI is well-known for it's wonderful restaurants.  Winter restaurant week took place in January and some of the restaurants actually offered their specials for several weeks, through the end of the month. 

I was able to visit Capital Grille and Circe for two amazing dinners.  A high school friend and I had dinner at the Capital Grille.  The prix fix restaurant menu offered an appetizer, entree and dessert.  I had a caesar salad, filet mignon with creme brûlée for dessert.  Pat had the wedge salad, the filet and creme brûlée.  We each chose a different side and split them, (Sam's mashed potatoes and french beans with heirloom tomatoes).  The meal was outstanding and the service was fantastic.  My new favorite drink is a dirty martini and Capital Grille did not disappoint.  It was the best dirty martini I had had so far, although I must admit a couple of other restaurants were very close.

The following week, my cousin Nancy and I visited Circe.  I had been dying to try this restaurant for a while.  Service was outstanding, our waiter was funny, flirty and was an absolute doll.  I had already known what I was going to order as a friend had gone the week before.  Nancy and I both ordered the short rib arancini with an au poivre sauce for our appetizer.  To be quite honest, I don't know why Circe does not offer this as a regular menu choice.  It was hands down one of the most delicious dishes we have ever had.  We both ordered the filet dinner.  The filet was fantastic, Nancy's was a little undercooked, but the kitchen promptly cooked it a little more and regarnished it.  We were thrilled with our dinner.  For dessert, I chose the chocolate lava cake. I thought I died and went to heaven!  Nancy got the bread pudding and was very pleased with her choice.  Kudos also to Circe for their dirty martini.  So smooth, perfection.  To this date, Circe served, hands down, the BEST dirty martini I have ever had.  I was so impressed I recommended Circe to another friend who went with her husband on the very last day of restaurant week.  They were totally blown away by the quality of the food and service, (ordering the same choices I ordered a few days prior).  

Short Rib Arancini - Circe Restaurant

Filet over Fried Polenta - Circe Restaurant

There are many, many great restaurants in Providence and you can't go wrong at either the Capital Grille or Circe.  Next time you're in Providence, be sure to check one out!

Chocolate Sushi

Chocolate Sushi?  Oh yeah...  

Now to clarify, there is no fish.  This dessert is a creative take on sushi and for an admittedly 'not a big dessert person', I am utterly in love with this tasty sweet concoction.

My husband took me to Jamestown for dinner at Simpatico Jamestown, recently renovated and under new management (formerly Trattoria Simpatico).   All of our food was delicious, but when our server listed the desert options, Chocolate Sushi piqued my curiosity.

The 'rice' is actually coconut which circles the rich, chocolate center.  Carmelized banana and fresh berries with whipped cream garnish the 'sushi'.  It was rich, decadent and delicious.  I absolutely must go back soon for more.

Located on Narragansett Avenue in Jamestown, Simpatico is a short walk to the harbor and the beautiful views of the Pell Bridge (formerly the Newport Bridge).   This restaurant is most definitely worth a visit if in the Rhode Island area, but be sure to call for reservations.  And don't forget to try the chocolate sushi!

Red Robin Restaurant in Millbury, Massachusetts ~ Going the Extra Mile for Food Allergies

Given the difficulties we have encountered with the boys' food allergies, it is an absolute thrill when we find a place that can feed our sons.   On our drive home from the Higgins Museum in Worcester, my husband made what was supposed to be a short pitstop at the Red Robin restaurant in Millbury, Massachusetts.  A quick restroom break, a snack for us and we’d be on our way home.  As usual, the boys had eaten sandwiches and snacks that I had packed for the day due to their food allergy issues. 

When I informed the hostess we didn’t need kids menus because of the food allergies, she asked what specific allergies and handed me several ‘food allergy menus’.  I was shocked.  While I know some restaurants do accommodate gluten free customers and can generally deal with a seafood or nut allergy, the combination of dairy, egg and nuts has been almost impossible to deal with.  Many times when we go out and mention the allergies, the servers and managers don’t even attempt to try and accommodate, they just let the kids eat the food I bring with us. 

After a lengthy conversation with Jim, the manager on duty, we ordered salads, burgers and fries for the boys.  They couldn't eat the buns as there were eggs in them, however, next time we eat here, Jim said we were welcome to bring our own buns.  The boys ate two hamburger plates each and a nice big garden salad with Italian dressing.  Jim was in the kitchen to make sure the proper precautions were taken to avoid any cross-contamination risk. 

Food allergies have become so much more common and it is reasonable to assume that restaurants would want to be able to serve this clientele, but many don't.  Given the risks, I don't really blame them.  But Red Robin in Millbury certainly goes the extra mile.  Our waitress told us she had several families that come in on  a regular basis and they have mentioned that no other restaurants in that area make the accommodations that Red Robin makes. 

   

It is such a joy to be able to go out and be able to grab a bite to eat with the boys. We all love burgers and the menu at Red Robin is quite extensive.  We are looking forward to visiting Red Robin again in the very near future.

Tea at the Plaza

We visited the Plaza Hotel during our December weekend in New York.   There were the mandatory photos by the Christmas tree.  The boys were in awe of the gorgeous Palm Court.  My husband and I hadn't been to the Plaza since 1999 and due to the busy holiday weekend that year, we were unable to sit down or even make reservations for tea.   This time we were able to make a reservation for 3:45 p.m.  When we mentioned our sons would not be eating due to their food allergies, the manager who was standing at the reservation podium said the kitchen would be able to make the boys a fruit plate with no cross contamination issue.  Had we arrived during the lunch time, he assured us that the Plaza could safely prepare several items on the lunch menu as well.  (We will try it on a future trip).  

The Palm Court

I chose the Fitzgerald Tea for the Ages which included curried lobster salad, local apple deviled quail egg salad, smoked salmon, wild sturgeon, roasted turkey sandwich, and a pomegranate chutney cucumber sandwich.  There were scones and a desert plate with an assortment of sweet treats.   My husband's New Yorker featured a selection which included a roast beef sandwich that looked delicious!  We added the optional glass of champagne for an extra $22.00, and when asked which tea we would like, my choice was the only one with a surcharge!   The Madame Butterfly Jasmine Green Tea was absolutely divine and well worth the extra $8.00.  And I most definitely took advantage of the free refill!   My son David only eats pineapple and strawberries, so the chefs made a lovely plate for him with just those two fruits.  Mikey's plate was gorgeous and even included fresh figs which he adores.  

We enjoyed the elegant atmosphere and drank in the opulent decor in the beautiful Palm Court on this lovely relaxing Sunday at the Plaza. And after, walked out to snow flurries coming down over Fifth Avenue as the doorman vacuumed the sidewalk!   

Gemma in East Village NYC ~ A Leap of Faith

(photo credit - theboweryhotel.com)

The Wine Room

Kudos to Gemma located in the Bowery Hotel in the East Village of Manhattan.  We happened upon it while walking around during our Thanksgiving weekend in New York City and enjoyed a scrumptious Sunday brunch.  After our meal, we were chatting with Sam, one of the waiters, about our sons’ food allergies.  Reed, the manager on duty, joined the conversation, confident in the fact that the restaurant would most definitely be able to accommodate our sons' dairy, egg and nut allergies.  After speaking at length to Reed and Sam, we agreed to have dinner the following Saturday for Mikey’s birthday when we returned to Manhattan.  Our sons just don't eat out in restaurants because of the number of foods they are allergic too as well as the cross-contamination issues.  And an Italian restaurant with cheese and butter!  This was truly a major leap of faith!

We did make reservations for dinner the following week.  Friends from Cooperstown were in the city and planned to meet us at Gemma for dinner.  We requested Sam as our server.  Billy was the manager working this particular evening and he sat with us and again discussed our concerns with the allergy and cross-contamination issues.  While we waited for our friends George, Tina and Aidan to join us, we ordered for the boys.  They shared a huge plate of sautéed green beans, mushrooms and roasted potatos, followed by spaghetti with plain marinara sauce.  I ordered a French martini (or possibly 3).  Armed with epi-pens just in case, my husband and I watched the kids devour their veggies, then dig into their plates of spaghetti.  For desert they had the dairy, egg and nut free cupcakes that I made a day earlier.

The boys loved their sautéed veggies and roasted potatoes.

When David and Mikey were done, they played on their iPad while the rest of us enjoyed a leisurely dinner and some drinks.  The food was delectable and the drinks were fantastic.  Sam was attentive to our every need from start to finish. He also was a good sport, posing for a couple of photos at the end of our meal.

Carpaccio Di Manzo 

Saltimbocca Alla Romana veal cutlet topped with proscuitto di parma and sage with sauteed wild mushrooms.

Torta Di Cioccolato warm chocolate cake with vanilla gelato.

Sam our waiter with Mikey, the birthday boy!

And for one night, I didn’t have to cook.  At all…

 xoxo 

Scrambled Eggs Please...And Kindly Hold the Flies...

Alex & Ika is a "recommended" area restaurant to visit while in Cooperstown. As a matter of fact, we had been treated to brunch by friends at this restaurant in early December, 2012.  The food was very good, service was good, but we almost choked when we saw the bill for mimosas, coffee, juice, fries and eggs for 5.  $189.00 before tip.  

Check shows an order for Floridian (*Special Order - scrambled)

$7.00 glass of juice

However, we did enjoy the food, so we decided to treat our friends to brunch on our September trip. The only redeeming thing about this visit was our waitress.  She was great.  Unfortunately, everything else was a total disappointment.

We specifically came in for Sunday brunch. Upon walking into Alex and Ika’s, we were promptly seated and presented with dirty menus, littered with cruddy dried pieces of food on them.  There was an overwhelming number of flies in the building.  Another party of 5 or 6 women at a table next to us were also complaining about the dozens of flies flying around.   At this point, we really should have walked out. 

The brunch menus from last year were replaced by a single card on each table with 4 entrees to choose from, 3 poached egg dishes, one Florentine-ish dish, stained as well. 

Dirty, stained menu card on the table.

As my husband does not eat poached eggs, he requested the Floridian eggs benedict, but with scrambled instead of poached eggs.  This exact request was accommodated in December.  (And shown in the photo above of the bill).

The waitress took our orders and immediately the owner, Ika, came over to tell my husband they ‘would not’ do scrambled eggs.  He asked why, it was done for us previously.  Her answer was that they only do it their way.   He could have something else from the menu.  Again, at this point, we should have walked out.  Our friends would have left too, but my husband knew everyone was hungry and he just ordered a BLT on wheat.  Our friends and I  ordered our Floridian eggs benedict and two orders of fingerlings (fries with aioli dipping sauce) to share.  When our order came, the chef had forgotten to make the fingerlings and my husband’s sandwich was on rye bread, not wheat.  They rushed the fingerlings, which were a small portion of fries that were presented to us undercooked and soaked in grease at $9.00 per order.  They were awful. 

We literally had to cover our food and silverware with napkins so the flies would not land on them.  I can only imagine how many flies were in the open kitchen if there were literally dozens buzzing around the dining room.  Additionally, as we sat, we looked around and noticed the walls were filthy and scratched up and we even saw cobwebs around the ceiling areas.  Inexcusable. 

After the check was paid and we left, my husband stopped to speak with Ika.  He said, ‘You know there is an overwhelming amount of flies in here.”  She replied, “yes I know”. She said they had some sort of machines to kill them (which obviously weren’t working).  She admitted that the other table complained as well.    My husband said that he had been in business for over 25 years, and usually businesses try to cater to their customers.  She curtly replied, “No, we don’t do that.”  Are you kidding me?   My husband asked for a substitution of scrambled eggs on a check that was over $100 for breakfast for 4.  As a former waitress, I did not see this as an unreasonable request, AND it had been accommodated in the past.  Customer service is clearly not a priority in Alex & Ika Restaurant.  Ika could care less.  Nor is cleanliness a priority as is evident by just looking around (and seeing what’s flying around). 

From the time I worked my first job at McDonalds, to working in retail clothing stores, to waitressing at both pizza joints as well as a fine dining restaurant, customer service was always drilled into my head.  “The customer is always right,”  the managers and/or owners would say.   And while I do not 100% agree with that statement, the bottom line is that businesses need to make their best attempt to cater to the customer.  Within reason.  And when this basic principle of customer service is so blatently disregarded, in a more 'exclusive' restaurant as Alex and Ika claims to be, I truly am shocked.

We visit the Cooperstown area 2-3 times per year and I can guarantee you that we will never eat at Alex & Ika again.