No need to feel let down by the end of beach season. Prime dining-out season is here. It's time to catch up with friends over dinner or have a date night while the kids do homework.
Downtown Providence has two restaurants, one brand new and one that opened this summer. Both are worth the trip.
I have some recent favorite places to share. A couple are small and intimate with limited menus. I enjoy that vibe and maybe you do, too.
Could a road trip be in order? No doubt you have neighborhood favs to visit, but perhaps you want to head off to a seaside town like Newport for a nice fall dinner. There's nothing like ocean air to make you hungry. If an experience is what you desire, Narragansett's your choice. An apple-picking pairing could be fun, too.
Let's fire up those taste buds.
Nana's is a restaurant with an all-day café with great coffee selections. They also make lunch and dinner that offers one of the best pizzas in Rhode Island. It's a delicious pizza with crispy sourdough crust, bright sauce and perfect cheese. They also make doughnuts - the best doughnuts, served hot and for dinner. I can't say enough about every bite and sip in Nana's.
Naturally, leavened dough using sustainable local New England grains is at the heart of what they do at Nana's at 82 High St., Westerly, (401) 213-3911, nanasri.com. The organic bakery is an outpost of Nana's Mystic, a Connecticut restaurant that was among Esquire magazine's Best New Restaurants in 2021.
James Wayman is executive chef and a partner at Nana's. He's also a founding partner and creative director of Moromi Shoyu, a small-batch fermentation company. His sourdough makes a special pizza with layers of flavor that come from developing the crust.
Bonus: They do a grass-fed smash burger. Everything here is very on trend with the best foods. They also serve some unique wines.
CHOP is a hybrid, a restaurant and a training center. That doesn't make it anything less than a great place to enjoy a coffee or a salad or sandwich for lunch. From Classic Cubanos to Korean Cauliflower sandwiches to a Green Goddess "Caesar," the menu hits all the right notes. Breakfast can be simple, with a croissant or breakfast sandwich or fancy, with Shakshuka or a Smoked Salmon Scramble.
CHOP stands for Culinary Hub of Providence, and it comes from the Genesis Center and its mission to train new immigrants to Rhode Island. It opened in late June on the first floor of the Providence Public Library at 211 Washington St., (401) 429-2450, culinaryhubPVD.com. The vibe is all bookish and cozy, the mission honorable and worthy.
For now, the café is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for brunch and lunch. They will probably introduce dinner this fall. They not only have a coffee bar, but a full liquor license and seats at a long bar.
You just can't go wrong at Mother Pizzeria, where the pies are baked in a Marra Forni Neapolitan-style pizza oven. This casual dining spot hits all the right notes, with perfect cocktails, interesting wines, fun small plates and perfect pizzas.
It's from Kevin O'Donnell (Giusto), Lauren Schaefer and Kyle Stamps, located at 49 Long Wharf Mall in Newport, (401) 324-5500, motherpizzeria.com. It's named after the starter or "Mother" used in sourdough baking. That's what makes the pizza crust so great. It's layered with flavor, crisp and delicious.
You can pop in for pizza and one of the seasonal cocktails or a beer. You can also enjoy the snack menu, which has an Italian flair. And the menu offers treasures from the sea, including Cod Croquettes. Selections change regularly.
Bonus: Mother's will be in the new Providence food hall, Track 15, coming next spring.
Brand new alert: Cielito Mexican Kitchen just opened in Providence. It's a full-service restaurant from the owners of Tuxpan Taqueria, the delicious Central Fall hole-in-the-wall that garnered a James Beard Foundation nomination for Best New Restaurant, a national category. Diego Alcantar and his family are bringing traditional cuisine from their home state of Michoacán, Mexico, to Providence.
Dine in the personalized space and start with one of the stellar cocktails, including their delicious and well-balanced Mariposa Margarita. It has butterfly pea powder added to give it a pleasing violet hue. An Oaxacan Old Fashioned has smoky notes from an artisanal mezcal.
My favorite dishes were the Esquites (a dish of local corn spiced with chili powder and mixed with cotja cheese) and the Quesadilla de Campo. That quesadilla is stuffed with squash blossoms that are stuffed with cheese. The green salsa makes it. Other dishes include shrimp empanadas, Enchiladas Verdes and Chuleta de Puerco (seared and smoked pork chop). There are two dulce de leches on the menu, one of which is milk chocolate.
They are serving lunch and dinner at at 186 Union St., Providence, (401) 563-7026, on Instagram.
Scott and Adrienne Kirmil's newest spot is where Celtica Public House once stood at 85 Long Wharf Mall in Newport, (401) 324-7356, thequenchernewport.com. They are the folks behind other Newport, Middletown and Providence spots, including The Wharf, Diego's and Wharf Fishhouse. They are also part of the family that owns Rejects Beer Co. They've invested in The Quencher to create a cozy first floor and an epic deck with views of Newport Harbor.
The menu has satisfying comfort food, from roasted chicken wings to burgers and sandwiches to pizza. There's an Italian tone with appetizers, including a Lasagna Dip, Polpette meatballs and classic parms. The drinks are tempting and include a basil gimlet that shines on the deck.
Narragansett has a food hall that offers four different cuisine concepts in open kitchen stalls, two bars and a barrel of fun with live entertainment. You can dine on ramen dishes, Mexican food, pizza, smash burgers or barbecue sandwiches. Order ahead for takeout, or grab a seat and eat there. You order at each stall.
Bonus: Outside dining features mounted televisions for sports viewing. Fire pits and heaters extend the season. There are booths outside, too, and a sound system allows game play-by-play to be heard. Think Patriots games and more enjoyed in comfort. Head to the former railway station at 145 Boon St., Narragansett, (401) 742-4698, boonstreetmarket.com.
Xaco Taco. the Providence Mexican cantina, added brunch service this summer at at 370 Richmond St., Providence, (401) 228-8286, xacotacori.com. It's worth a look and a taste. The menu includes a satisfying Chilaquiles Verdes with spicy salsa verde perking up two sunny-side eggs. There's also a kids breakfast with scrambled eggs, home fries and tortillas. Horchata French Toast is made with Seven Stars Bakery challah and Rumchata custard.
The drink menu for brunch includes a Smoked Horchata made with mezcal, and a Coffee Margarita that will wake you up. They also have a zero-proof cocktail of Spicy Pineapple Mint.
Bonus: There's outdoor space. Even inside there's room for large parties, should you find yourself looking to gather a group of friends.
Anglophiles only have a few places to enjoy a proper afternoon tea. That's why you don't want to squander the chance to have tea and savories at Val's English Tea and Pie Shop in Greenville. Afternoon Tea comes with three tiers of delights. There's an assortment of finger sandwiches; one of her savory pies such as sausage; warm scones served with butter and jam; and a daily selection of sweets and tarts in dainty sizes. Reservations are a must at 466 Putnam Pike, Greenville, (401) 618-5537, valsenglishteashop.com.
Bonus: Val's is in prime apple picking territory, so why not combine the two? There are three nearby pick-your-own apple spots, starting with Steere Orchard at 150 Austin Ave., Greenville. (401) 949-1456, steereorchard.com. There's Appleland Orchard, also in Greenville, at 135 Smith Ave., (401) 949-3690, applelandorchardri.com. They have apple cider doughnuts, too. Take a short ride to Jaswell's Farm at 50 Swan Road, Smithfield, (401) 231-9043, jaswellsfarm.com. Don't miss their candied apples.
An oldie but goodie (but not that old, since it opened in 2018), and still a delight, is Vanda Cucina, 1 Centerville Rd, Warwick, (401) 921-3144, vandacucina.com. Executive chef Gina Pezza's excellent menu was built from owner Dino Passaretta's memory of his mother's cooking. The dishes are familiar to many Italian-Americans - pork chops with polenta cakes, gnocchi, veal Milanese and Malfadine aglio e olio. But they are elevated in Pezza's kitchen. Her Bucatini Amatriciana, with roasted tomatoes, guaniciale (cured pork jowl), pecorino Romano and fresh basil with a touch of Calabrian chili, is a comforting signature dish. Olive oil cake is the perfect ending.
Natale's Deli, 2708 South County Trail, East Greenwich, is a family-owned deli. But come Friday nights, dinner is served. Their specials will tempt you in so many ways, from iconic Stuffies to trendy Fish Tacos. The menu changes weekly and is posted on Facebook and Instagram ahead of time, so you can even order takeout. Or you can dine in and enjoy drinks from their full bar. They even have drink specials, like a recent Bailey's Irish Cream martini.
There are always starters, such as calamari, and desserts including red velvet cake, carrot cake and tiramisu. Recent soup offerings included Pasta Fagioli, chili, chicken escarole and clam chowder. There are plenty of Italian specialties, from Chicken Cutlet Arrabbiata to Meatball & Ricotta eggrolls.