St. Pat's 5k in Providence, RI

On Saturday, at 11:15am, the gunshot went off as 4,000 runners/walkers hit the pavement for the Annual St. Pat's 5k down Smith Street.

As a resident of the Smith Hill neighborhood since 2003, it was nice to run amongst the businesses and neighborhoods I pass every day.  It was also nice because the entire length of Smith Street was closed to traffic!  

People lined up along the route to cheer us on --dressed in green, drinking Guinness' in front of Patrick's Pub and camped out in chairs with their family, friends, kids and pets to watch the event.   I saw the Douglas Massachusetts High School Band and Color guard set up on one side street, as well as the Providence Drum and Bugle Corps dressed to the nines in their kilts.

Me and Sarah--our McFadden's "Team"

                                     

My official Chip time was 31:20 for 3.1 miles, my Gunshot time was 32:50.  Not too Shabby!   Finished off the race with a few Guinness at the After Party at McFadden's!

Next Race?   Cox Races on May 1st..who's with me?!

Parkside Chicken

B decided that she did not want to celebrate her Birthday this year.  Pish Posh...you have to celebrate your birthday!   I told her she and I would go out to dinner.

Secretly I called a few of our friends to meet us out for dinner.

Me: B where would you like to go out to dinner

B: Um, I don't know..where do you think?

Me: It's your birthday, you decide.  What are you in the mood for?

B: Chicken.

Me: OK, I'll take care of reservations and pick you up at your house 645pm tomorrow.

B: Sounds good, see you then!

So my search begins.  I RARELY order chicken out at restaurants as I am a decent cook and can  make chicken a million ways at home.   Until this Chicken request, I have never realized how few chicken dishes are on Providence Restaurant Menus!!!   I searched and searched and searched..and finally found a restaurant with 4 Chicken dishes to choose from!   Parkside!

So 6 of us gathered for dinner for Bethany's birthday, (4 of us ordered a chicken dish--mine was spicy cashew chicken over sweet potato fries...yummoooo) B was surprised the other girls were there too, and I think in the end she was happy she chose to celebrate her birthday after all.  Plus, it was a free chicken dinner as we all chipped in for her dish.  

The server was absent at first, but once we started joking with him and giving him a hard time he opened up.  We also discovered he builds things that go "boom." After some digging, he divulged that he builds guns.  We informed him that guns go "bang."  Hahah...girls nights out are fun :)

Parkside: A

Tokyo

sushi...Mmmm...love it....

sushi is difficult...you can't just get it anywhere, and me, I have to be in the mood to eat sushi.   sushi can also be expensive, and if you follow my blog, you know me, I like to be thrifty when it comes to eating out!  Tokyo isn't known for its spectacular service, or its ambiance.  

Tokyo is my go to sushi spot.    AND!! Now that they are on restaurant.com....I will be more frequently in the mood for sushi ;)

My brother and I decided to catch up over sushi last night.....he was very irritated by the booth we were sat in because it was crooked (I think it was crooked because the building itself, floor and all is crooked) but nonetheless he was irritated....I was irritated that I forgot my bottle of BYOWine on the counter in my kitchen...grr

As I put the Restaurant.com certificate on the table (like the instructions say--I am a rule follower by fault)--my brother swiftly wisks away the cert and says "Don't show that to them yet, we'll get even worse service!!"

geez...I mean really how bad can the service get?! (disclaimer, this is the only restaurant I will repeatedly return to despite the bad service).

After an appetizer of Edamame, we ordered an assortment of rolls:
Tango Roll
Rainbow Roll
Crazy Roll
California Roll
Philly Roll
Dragon Roll

I would have given better descriptions of each roll, but even I myself couldn't rename all the ingredients,  all I know is that they are delish. Trying to look up the menu online (which doesn't exist on their website, because they don't have a website) this was the best I could find, and short of flipping my laptop over -- these menus are posted online upside down: http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/41/451644/restaurant/East-Side/Tokyo-Providence

Once the server came to clear our plates and drop our check, well he got that Restaurant.com certificate....and he snickered through his teeth.  Hey buddy, guess what, if you don't like getting people into your restaurant and using them, then cancel your Restaurant.com subscription!!!

sushi: A+
service: D+

I will return though :)

Cafe Dolce Villa

Now, my last experience at Cafe Dolce Villa was excellent...so excellent I submitted my blog post to www.theprovidencelife.com and won a $50 gift certificate to 1149!

It's unfortunate to say that on my girls night out dinner to Dolce Villa last night, our service was less than satisfying.

Lots of times when people go out to dinner, its more likely than not to catch up.   I had not seen my dear friend B since November, before the Crazy Holiday party season began and I worked day, night, and weekends from Thanksgiving til Christmas and then some in January!

We had planned to get drinks at Lili Marlene's, but upon picking B up we both decided that we were hungry and since we were already headed to the hill, why not Dolce Villa.

As we sat down, we were chatty Cathy's and the server kept coming over to us to take our order, obviously if you see that your guests still have their menus in hand and are in deep conversation, they have not looked at the novel of a menu to decide on dinner.  Grrr!!    

We ordered a bottle of wine, which the server opened and then placed on the table for us to "serve ourselves."  Really?!

The really awesome server I had (from my last Dolce Villa blog) was waiting on a table across from us and I secretly wanted to run up to her and say "please take our table, pretty please"  she was so awesome last time, she could seriously be the trainer of all trainers to teach servers in the industry how to treat their guests.  She probably also makes bank because she is just so damn good at her job.   I digress.

Anyway, we finally are ready to order, and start with the Bruschetta.  B orders Gnocchi, even though she has had a cold and can't taste a thing!  I ordered the Eggplant Rollitini Appetizer as my meal.

Food was delish, service was dreadful!

Cafe Dolce Villa: B-  (B for boo)

Mediocre Mills

I have ALWAYS wanted to go to Mills Tavern! When I saw that Mills was participating in Winter Restaurant Week 2011, I dubbed it date night!

We arrived and the hostess did not have our reservation, which wasn't a big deal because it was a Thursday, and not too busy at that point.  We later found out that whoever took the reservation, wrote it in their book for the next night.   (Strike One)

We were showed to our table which was next to the front window, near the bar.  The atmosphere in Mills is awesome...old, dark wood, great ambiance.

Since it was Restaurant week, we selected our choices from the Restaurant Week Menu: 

Course One

Choose One

POINT JUDITH CALAMARI

with RAS EL HANOUT,HARISSA,ARUGULA and TZATZIKI

WILD WHITE WATER MUSSELS DU JOUR 

Course Two

Choose One

RICOTTA and SPINACH STUFFED GNOCCHI

with FRESH BABY SPINACH and WILD MUSHROOMS IN A ROASTED GARLIC

and PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE

GRILLED PETITE FILET 

with BACON MARMALADE and MELTED LEEK HORSERADISH CREAM SAUCE

Course Three

Choose One

PORTUGUESE BREAD PUDDING

with MADERIA CARAMEL, CURRENTS AND CHANTILLY CREAM

BLACK MISSION FIG CREME BRULEE

with STRAWBERRY-ROSEMARY SORBET, CANDIED WALNUTS AND OATMEAL CINNAMON CRISP

As the waitress was opening our bottle of wine and telling us about the specials for the evening, I could smell the cigarette smoke on her breath, not too appetizing, to say the least (Strike two)

The appetizers were delicious, the gnocchi was delicious, however the filet was most disappointing.   It was like a little hamburger patty on a plate about an inch wider than the patty.  I asked for it to be cooked medium rare, and it was cooked medium well...boo (Strike Three).  Dessert was mediocre as well.

Overall a disappointing visit to Mills, which is unfortunate as I was so excited to dine there.    We'll see if they get another try come Restaurant Week again, as there are just too many other untapped restaurants in Rhode Island I've yet to get to! 

Mediocre Mills: C-

Capital Grille

So, as to take FULL advantage of the Winter Providence Restaurant Week, I've jammed packed my schedule with reservations at some of Providence's finest.

Today, I enjoyed a "working lunch" at the Capital Grille with some lovely ladies from the Multiple Sclerosis Organization, the March of Dimes and the Rhode Island Convention Center.  Way to network AND eat right :)

Capital Grille's lunch menu is absolutely too good to be true (lucky for me it isn't!)  I think between the 7 of us ladies, we tried all the options, except for the Roasted Half Chicken (my first choice)
because they were out.

The Grille was slammed packed, you could tell the servers were a bit "in the weeds."  It took our server a bit longer than should have to approach our table and greet us.    We were all so happy to get out of our offices, I don't think it really was a big deal that we waited a bit longer.

So for $12.95 ($17 each after tax and tip!) we dined on the following:

Course One

Choose One 

Field Greens,Spring Vegetables with Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette

Clam Chowder 

Course Two

Dry Aged Sirloin Salad with Gorgonzola Vinaigrette

The Grille’s Signature Cheeseburger with Truffle Fries

Seared Citrus Glazed Salmon

Roasted Half Chicken 

Course Three

Choose One

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake

The Capital Grille Handcrafted Ice Cream

Chef’s Seasonal Sorbet 

While I am not a huge fan of dining at the Capital Grille for dinner, as I think it gets a bit too loud in there, dining there for Lunch was fabulous.  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Capital Grille: A

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

Mmm....Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, need I say more?!  You'll  never have a more amazing Filet Mignon than at Ruth's Chris...In an attempt to be able to dine our frequently, I often use Groupons, Restaurant.com and other various coupons or gift certificates.    During Restaurant Week, a visit to Ruth's Chris as an ABSOLUTE MUST!  

My Boyfriend's mother has always wanted to dine at Ruth's so she treated us to dinner.   :)

Course One

Choose One 

Louisiana Seafood Gumbo

Steak House Salad with House Vinaigrette 

Course Two

Choose One

Filet 

The most tender cut of corn-fed Midwestern beef 

Broiled expertly to melt-in-your-mouth 

NY Strip 

A favorite of many steak connoisseurs. This USDA Prime 

Cut has a full-bodied texture that is slightly firmer than a Ribeye 

Sizzlin’ Blue Crab Cakes 

Three Jumbo lump crab cakes served sizzling with lemon butter 

Marinated Chicken 

Broiled Chicken Breast marinated in garlic and herbs 

Your choice of one of the following personal side items:

Creamed Spinach

Garlic Mashed Potatoes 

Course Three

Duo of Berries & Cream and Chocolate Mousse Cup 

I opted for the Salad (though I tasted the gumbo and it was delish), Filet and we all shared the sides.....my Filet was melt in your mouth perfection, I am salivating at the thought of having to wait until July for it again!     My boyfriends mother said that her steak was the best steak she has ever eaten.  

Ruth's Chris  A+ (we'll be back in July!)

Posted by Missie Rose at Wednesday, January 26, 2011 

CAV

For our one year "dating" anniversary, we decided to dine at CAV.  I had heard a million and one good things about CAV, and was anxious to see what all the fuss was about.

We arrived for our 7pm Reservation, it's a little tricky to find as it is located in the Jewelry district and located below a mill of loft apartments.  It appears to be a cute little area which I'm sure will be so nice to hang out  when the weather is warm.

The host showed us to our table, which was a little cramped on the dining room floor.  Each table is a different shape, different style, different chairs.  All the tables had original table cloths with glass over them to create a colorful atmosphere.

CAV is packed wall to wall with decorations which are available for purchase.  It's sort of a mix between an antique shop and an eastern asian, bohemian feel.   Very different, very cool, very interesting.  I had a hard time concentrating on our "date" as my eyes couldnt help but wonder around!

We started with:

Crostini with a mélange of wild mushrooms sautéed with wine, fresh herbs and a concasse of fresh plum tomatoes.  For Two $9.95 

and

Coconut Shrimp:  Large Shrimps with Thai Chile Dip $5.00  (is there such a thing as ShrimpS? Isn't shrimp plural already?!)

Both appetizers were delicious, the two of us were fighting over who could get more mushrooms on our forks!

Our Dinner entrée selections: 

His: Risotto with Wild mushrooms (Porcini, Portabellos, Shitakis and more) in a white truffle oil sauce with Sage flower $20.95  (more mushrooms!)

Mine: Fresh cut pasta, rolled and filled with chicken, spinach, walnut and cheese mousse served with a shallot cream sauce with sundried tomatoes and Parmesan Crisp Flower $16.95   Ahhhh-Mazzzzzz-ingggg omg....delish...I need to get myself a homemade pasta maker and try to re-create this dish at home!

We were too full for dessert, and opted to finish our wine instead :) 

The server was excellent, everything was excellent...I love a restaurant where every aspect deserves an A+

Next visit to CAV will definitely be for Brunch 

Served Saturdays 10am and Sundays 10:30am

Fred & Steve's at Twin River

My Boyfriends Holiday Party was at Fred & Steve's this year.     We started the evening with open bar drinks in the main entrance of the restaurant, and shortly thereafter were lead into the back private room for dinner.

As a Sales & Events Coordinator myself for a well known Providence Restaurant, I am always interested in seeing how other private events are run.  

There was a table of place cards setup as we entered with our names and our dinner choices.    I do that myself for plated dinner parties, but most of the time, I am given the meal choices by the party host, and the party guests are able to choose that night as they walk in a place card of their dinner choice and are to put their card at their seat.  Makes it much easier for the party host as they do not have to track down what people would like for dinner ahead of time, and for servers and runners to know where to place down a dinner plate if people are still mingling around the bar while dinner is (trying) to be served.

The private room looks as though during normal business hours it is part of the main dining room, with bench seating built in around two sides of the square room, and an arrangement of two tops pushed together, with round tables of various sizes in the middle of the room.  Our table was a long dining room like table that fit 8 people, so we sat with 3 other couples from his department.

Staff was very efficient in refilling drinks, delivering meals and clearing plates...good job!   The food was excellent, my choice--Filet...of course...how can you pass up a free Filet?!   Dessert looked more promising on paper than it did on my plate "smores pie" sounded like a good idea, but when put to fruition, not so much.  Oh well....can't win'em all!

Fred & Steve's: A

Andreas & Byblos

My Boss was in town from Charlotte, so after a long day of work, we decided to go out for some food and drink and entertainment.

We decided on dinner at Andreas...one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Providence.  I always get the Garden Souvlaki, no matter how hard I try to deviate and try another menu option, I always order the Garden Souvlaki!


We started with their Melitzanosalata appetizer:
This dip is a classic Greek appetizer, and our
variation combines our fresh baked eggplant
blended with roasted garlic, red peppers & mixed
herbs.  Served with our fresh, locally baked pita
bread. $7.25



My Choice: Garden Souvlaki $7.99
Organic baby spinach tossed with vine-ripened
tomato & mushrooms, topped with Swiss and
American cheese, served with cucumber sauc


My Boss chose: Andreas Signature Salad $8.99
Vine-ripened Roma tomatoes, capers, crumbled
Feta cheese, fresh artichoke hearts, Spanish onion
& Kalamata olives hand-tossed and drizzled with our
own Balsamic vinaigrette.

After dinner and a few drinks of red wine, we headed across the street to Byblos, a Hookah bar to visit a friend who was Bartending.      As the evening progressed and we had a few more drinks of wine, we opted to try Hookah.....it was interesting, we were given the grape flavor as that's what our friend suggested as the best tasting Hookah.  

All in all a good night out on the town :)   Thank you Providence.

Publick House (Boston, MA)

Publick House

Made the trek up to Boston (well technically Brookline, MA) to have a very belated birthday Dinner with Miss Britt....

She chose the Publick House on Beacon Street....

(thanks for the pic Britt!)

http://www.eatgoodfooddrinkbetterbeer.com/

I of course chose the most expensive, most alcoholic beer you could find on the menu, called total viscosity. It was delish, tasted a lot like wine, I wasn't drinking it fast enough for Britt and half way through my glass she took it from me to finish it. As for the rest of my beer choices, I allowed our server to make some suggestions based on my love of Guinness, Blue Moon and Sam Seasonal.

Brittany had a few La Chouffe, (8,5%) Brasserie d’Achouffe, Achouffe, Bel, and I sampled one myself.. Not sure what else I tried, but nonetheless, they were delish :)

For our meal Brittany chose: a heaping pot of p.e.i. mussels steamed in house-made fish stock served with grilled bread and small house Belgian frites; Pot 4: Smuttnose IPA, red curry, lime

I chose a Reuben Panini: in-house corned beef & sauerkraut, swiss cheese, russian dressing, dark rye.

Food was good, Beer was good, Company was good..all and all a good night with a visit to the cube to top it all off! Very cute :)

Everyman

Everyman is located in the American Locomotive Works newly refinished mill buildings on Valley Street in Providence, RI.  This is actually a hop, skip and a jump away from my house...How convenient for me :)

They recently joined the Restaurant.com family where you can print off a $25 gift certificate to use when you spend $50.  

We decided to go there on an off night when we didn't have any food in the house, nor the motivation to grocery shop, and/or cook.  

I opted for their Appetizer Mac and Cheese dish $5.50, with a side of Sweet Potato Fries $3.50 and a Brooklyn Lager (Healthy, I know!)

My better half chose the Baked Scallops with Marinated Grapefruit and Citrus Beurre Blanc, served with
his choice of potato and vegetable or pasta    $15.95

Needless to say, we didn't hit the $50 mark to use our Restaurant.com gift certificate, so we'll save it for another visit to Everyman :)

http://www.everymanri.com/
555 Valley StreetProvidence, RI 02908(401) 751-3630 ‎

Wicked Bad Bar and Grille

Myself and my co-workers attend the Twin River Bar Expo, and after taste testing a concoction of coconut, dark beer, chai alcohol, margarita martini samples....we desperately needed some food to fill our bellies!

We entered Wicked Good Bar and Grill (who should immediately change their name to Wicked bad awful terrible Bar and Grill) and told the hostess we had reservations for 12 people.   She said our reservation was not ready and we'd have to wait (OK, so much for reservations).  We asked if we could sit at the bar, and she said "well I don't really think there is any room at the bar"  as a bartender myself, the more the merrier...2, 3 people deep...bring it.    

As we made our way into the bar, miraculously 6 people all in a row on barstools got up!  Wow! Room for us! yay!   We told the bartender that the hostess was telling people there wasn't any room at the bar....I think it was only right of us to tell her that the hostess is impacting her tips!  We all had a(nother) beer or two while waiting for our table.

From then on, dinner spiraled terribly out of control.   Orders were wrong, some peoples food didn't come out till much later than others.

It's unfortunate we had such a bad experience, as the food was really tasty, but the personalities of the staff and the general demeanor of the place left a bad taste in my mouth.

Wicked BAD Bar and Grill: F

Cuban Revolution

As I've mentioned in other postings, I like to stay in my "neighborhood" when dining out....I know Rhode Island is small, but yes, I am a true Rhode Islander, and driving to Warwick sometimes is just too far! 


Another Valley Street treat is Cuban Revolution...located below the Rising Sun Mill Lofts, the restaurant itself is anything but lofty.    Again, we had in our pockets, a Restaurant.com gift certificate...spend $35 and get $25 off..you just can't beat it.

I always start with a Modelo Negra.....but when I'm feeling extra fruity their raspberry mojitos are delish!  Mmmm....Then I proceed by ordering a large array of tapas. 

CUBAN SAMPLER 12

NACHOS w sour cream and guac 8

beans, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, jalapenos

I am still on the hunt for the best nachos in the city...one of these days I am going to put together a Nacho bar crawl!!

MADUROS 4

ripe sweet plantains with sour cream

OMG Melt in your mouth deliciousness!

CHICKEN QUESADILLA 7

with onions, peppers, cheddar, guacamole

CROSTINI CON HUMMUS 4

hummus on toast, diced tomato, jack cheese

SO Mad they took the black bean dip off the menu :(

SWEET POTATO CHE FRIES 5

crunchy and sprinkled with adobo

GAMBAS AL AJILLO 8

three jumbo garlic shrimp with chipotle dip

CHORIZO AND SHRIMP 9

with sherry, garlic and spicy red pepper

EMPANADAS 4

beef | spinach and cheese | portobello mushroom and asiago | chicken

That usually does the trick....definitely always leave Cuban Revolution feeling fully satisfied :)

Cuban Revolution: A

Eleven Forty Nine--East Greenwich

1149

I recently submitted my review of Cafe Dolce Vita to www.theprovidencelife.com as one of Providence's best Al Fresco Dining spots. Lucky me, the Providence Life chose my review as their winner, and I received a $50 Gift Certificate to 1149! Whooo hooo :)

I dubbed this past Saturday night as "Date Night" and MB and I made 8pm reservations for Dinner at 1149 in East Greenwich.

We arrived around 7pm and sat at the bar for drinks and apps prior to dinner. We both decided on a fancy cosmo style drink to start...mine was a Pomegranate Cosmo, and MB a Strawberry Smash. Followed by an order of Calamari with Pepper Relish and Chipotle Scallion Mayo, and the Grilled Trio of Beef Tenderloin, Chicken and Shrimp. The bartender service was less than good. It took anyone way too long to even greet us once we seated ourselves, and they were basically non-existent the entire time we sat there.

We were then shown to our seats, a 4top against the back wall, white linens and comfy plus leather high back chairs. Our 2nd round of drinks consisted of Red Sangria, which arrived in these huge goblets and were delishhhhh....

Our server Brett was very "military-esq" in his greeting, speaking and dealings...(we later asked him and indeed, he is in the military...the Coast Guard stationed at Quonset).

I ordered the Pork Tenderloin Special served with Acorn Squash and a Raspberry compote...Mmmm...Absolutely Delish, and MB ordered...can you guess? Bingo...Chicken and Pasta.....Shocker! Haha...it was Cavallari pasta with Chicken in a tomato basil sauce....tasted good as well, but why am I gonna order chicken and pasta when I can make it and eat it at home for about $3! (MB claims he can't cook chicken!)

We finished our dinner experience with a sampling of "Cheesecake Lollypops" which were 4 bites of cheesecake on lollypop sticks arranged on a plate with caramel sauce and brown sugar. Just enough to satisfy that sweet tooth despite being sooo full!

1149 receives a B+....our entire bill came to $100 for 4 drinks, 2 apps, 2 entrees and a shared dessert...not too shabby considering $50 of that was on TheProvidenceLife.com. Thank you very much :) Hopefully 1149 will consider joining Restaurant.com!

Texas Roadhouse

Advertising Yum!

So, upon my return from my cousins wedding in Florida on Monday, I had to go and re-collect my poochies from their respective dog sitters. (3 dogs, 3 different dog sitters).

MB and I were driving along RT 6/10 to get to Cranston to pick up Brandy Boi....we had plans to grab a quick bite on the way

As a Sales and Marketing Major from University of Delaware, I have always been fascinated with advertising, and the ability for an ad (print, billboard, radio..etc) to actually MOVE you to buy the product it was advertising....I mean, how many times have you driven by a Dunkin

Donuts billboard? (btw, billboard ads cost an average of $8,000 for 3 months)

Do you really need a Dunkin billboard to drive you to get your ice coffee? No, there is a Dunk on every corner in RI and you're gonna go there to get your daily caffeine fix anyway!

As we were driving on Rt 6/10 there was a Billboard for Texas Roadhouse: 20 meals under $10.......Errrrrrrrr.....Pull over! So we quickly exited the highway and made our way to Texas Roadhouse.

As I had never eaten there before I have heard nothing but how awesome their fresh bread is. The hostess grabbed us a basket of bread from under the heat lamps as she showed us to our seats. I'll give the bread a "C" in the realm of restaurant bread rolls.....although the maple butter was delish...how can you go wrong with maple butter?

And the best part about the Billboard advertising, is though we planned on going in for 2 meals under $10, we both ended up choosing dishes that cost more than $10!

Bens had Sirloin Steak and BBQ Chicken and I had a half slab of FALL-OFF-THE-BONE RIBS

"Our "blue ribbon" winning ribs are slow cooked with a unique blend of seasonings and signature BBQ Sauce. Available in half slab or full slab."

Each of our dinners were served with a choice of two sides.

I chose house salad--yummo with cheese and hard boiled egg..light ranch dressing..delish and a Baked Potato (loaded with butter and sour cream...Mmm).MB had the house salad and a Sweet Potato.

All in all BRAVO to Texas Roadhouse's Advertising Team..not only did they "drive" us in there for a meal under $10, they achieved the ultimate advertising goal of making more $$!

Texas Roadhouse Received an A..We'll definitely be back..

Oh and our server, Jack Black's long lost twin, Matt, he was good too....good as servers go...not fabulous, but did his job...he received a 20% tip.