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Restaurant Reviews

3 Steeple Street

More than a gravitational attraction
Given its location, 3 Steeple Street has an edge in being successful.

By BILL RODRIGUEZ | May 07, 2008

Hospitality from south of the border
A recent experience at one of the city’s Latin-American restaurants left me with the distinct impression that if I don’t hurry up and learn Spanish, I’m going to be out of the loop.

By JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ | April 30, 2008

Fluke

A place that succeeds by design
When the young woman welcomed us to Fluke — the new restaurant where Le Bistro used to be — she said, “The rest of us are upstairs — would you like to join us?”

By JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ | April 16, 2008

Gesualdi’s

Goodness by the gallon
It surprises me every time.

By BILL RODRIGUEZ | April 09, 2008

Macera’s

An exceptional Italian on the down-low
Rhode Island’s restaurant scene is peppered with low-key, phenomenal Italian spots, particularly within the city of Cranston.

By CHRIS CONTI | March 26, 2008

Loie Fuller’s

The Left Bank meets the West Side
The bistro Loie Fuller’s, like its namesake, manages to be demure and flamboyant at the same time.

By BILL RODRIGUEZ | March 12, 2008

Cheeky Monkey

Still swinging
When Cheeky Monkey folded up in Newport at the end of 2006, many of us wondered how such a creative venture could disappear.

By JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ | March 05, 2008

Temple Downtown

No secret handshake required
When plans were made to convert the abandoned shell of the Masonic Temple into the upscale Renaissance Hotel, what chance was there that a restaurant in the basement would be, well, adorably funky?

By BILL RODRIGUEZ | February 27, 2008

Thai Orchid

A smile-inducing flower of a place
The most recent to come our way is Thai Orchid, and its small dining room (14 seats) should in no way undersell the quality of its food.

By JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ | February 20, 2008

Sogno

Al dente ma non troppo
Sogno certainly has the atmosphere right, starting with the sign outside, which looks like it was scratched out by a large quill pen dipped in burgundy ink.

By BILL RODRIGUEZ | February 13, 2008

DownCity

Dressed up and still homey
I’m one of those Rhode Islanders who remembers DownCity when it was more like the “diner” that used to be part of its name.

By JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ | February 06, 2008

McCormick + Schmick’s Seafood

Where familiar dishes don't get old
There are trickier culinary specialties out there — preparing fugu comes to mind, since a death or two from blowfish nerve poison can affect a place’s Chowhound rating.

By BILL RODRIGUEZ | January 30, 2008

Shelter Harbor Inn

An intimate destination
Ask southern Rhode Islanders where they take out-of-town visitors who want old-fashioned New England dishes in an old-fashioned setting.

By JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ | January 23, 2008

Anthony’s Seafood

Friendly prices and high quality
The recommendations of several friends for a seafood eatery caught my attention with their descriptions of thin-battered fish and chips.

By JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ | January 16, 2008

Tony Papa's

Holding court in Knightsville
Cranston, and particularly Knightsville, is an obvious culinary epicenter for Italian cuisine.

By CHRIS CONTI | January 09, 2008

Eleven Forty Nine

This one's a keeper
For many years, a Rhode Island tradition has played out in which a prominent Warwick location has continually morphed into different restaurants, like in a fever dream of Walter Potenza.

By BILL RODRIGUEZ | January 02, 2008

The Barn

A cool, imaginative start to the day
Over the years, I’d heard about the Barn but never managed to get there before the closed sign flipped.

By BILL RODRIGUEZ | December 26, 2007

Tortilla Flats

No fuss and plenty of fun
Some first impressions last for years, and I’m happy to report that we’ve finally overcome them to appreciate Tortilla Flats on its own terms.

By JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ | December 19, 2007

The Pump House

Bargains and coziness galore
Perched next to Rocky Brook Pond, the stone-walled Pump House restaurant — a retired pumping station for South Kingstown — has been an attractive eatery for three decades.

By BILL RODRIGUEZ | December 12, 2007