Joe's American Bar and Grill - @@@

Last Monday the 21st, my coworker and I went to Joe's due to both curiousity and convenience.  Driving to work Monday morning, the restaurant was spotted while waiting for the stoplight to get to the freeway.  It is also extremely close to the hotel and I could probably see it if I looked out the window now.

The simplest way to describe Joe's is to name off a common mall restaurant and picture that except with chandeliers (upscale?).  Applebees, TGIFridays, Ruby Tuesdays, etc except the theme here is obviously America.  I remarked during dinner that the server had to wear a not-too-sweet American flag tie as part of the theme.  Clearly I am not anti-American, but no lie American flag ties are ugly. 

Since I had to drop off my car rental, dinner was a little later.  Being always hungry, spinach and artichoke dip was ordered immediately as an appetizer.  Very interestingly, as dipping items were the normal tortilla chips, pita chips, but also carrots and celery?!?  Since I like carrots, I had to try it with the dip, which I can only assume is what it is for.  I would not recommend it.  The refrigerated carrots did not go well with the dip that came straight from the oven.  Too much of a contrast.  The tortilla and pita chips also seemed stale, but it was saved by using the free bread provided as opposed to anything that was provided with the dish.

For my main course, I ordered the ribs.  They were spectacularly average.  Nothing special, just decent food.  The baby back ribs were again very tender, leading me to think they were only finished on the grill.  The full rack here did seem larger than the rack at Outback, so that was a plus.  The sauce was ok as well.  Sides were broccoli and fries, which as you can guess were average.  It was steamed broccoli so pretty straightforward and did not have anything special added (the menu said garlic but that was marginal at best).  The fries were somewhat crispy and thicker-cut.

As if that wasn't enough, we decided to get a dessert as well.  I forget exactly what it was called, but it was a large slice of ice cream cake piled high with whipped cream.  The crust was Oreo crumbs and the body of the cake was coffee ice cream.  Drizzled with chocolate sauce, it was a favorite at the table.  The best way I can describe it is chocolate mud pie.

As you can guess from the theme of this post, this restaurant was average at best.  Nothing spectacular, just a regular place to get food as you shop or stay close downtown.  Though rated a 3 of 5, I would equate it to the Outback 3 rating as opposed to the Andino's 3 rating.  In closing, I noticed an odd menu description ...the "Joe's Prime Rib Challenge".  This was described as a double cut of prime rib (24 oz) served on the bone.  My main complaint here is: whats the challenge?  It did not indicate anything special you could win if you finished it or a name on the wall or something like that.  That is not exciting.  Oh well, not that I should try it, but I am confident that I would have dominated it regardless.



ribs, fries, and broccoli.  also notice leftover carrots from spinach and artichoke dip




mud pie desert - pretty good

 148 Providence Pl
Providence, RI 02903

Madeira - @@@@

Last Wednesday March 16th (wow, that's what dual March Madnesses do to you), I went to a local Portuguese restaurant called Madeira on the recommendation from a local coworker who overheard my conversation about wanting to try Portuguese food.  I was told it has bold flavors and offers big portions of meat...yes!!  She also described a dish that has steak topped with ham and eggs...sign me up!

When we walked in, I noticed the restaurant was rather empty.  This is never a good sign for a restaurant, however it was not during peak dining hours and there were many different dining rooms available.  We were promptly seated and the entertaining server gave us a rundown of the menu.  He was a classic old-world style waiter that put up with our interesting comments and jokes.

I have heard that Portuguese food uses a lot of sausages so I definitely wanted to try that out.  So I ordered the "Chourico `a Bombeiro", the flame grilled Portuguese sausage.  When it came out, it was definitely on fire.  Sadly I did not get a picture of this huge link of sausage that was ablaze.  It reminded me of the Greek presentation of flaming cheese that is common in Detroit, except this was much better - Opa!!  The skin was nice and crisp, and presented a great snap when you bite into it.  The inside was seasoned with really good spices and was still juicy.  A great way to start the meal that paired well with the full loaves of bread.  Yes that is correct...loaves of bread.  There were no 5 slices of bread to start with where you have to fight with your fellow diners to see who gets another slice; they had 5 or so mini-loaves that were the equivalent of 25 slices.  They certainly start you out right!

For the entree, I was debating between the shish kabobs and the Bife `a Casa, the aforementioned steak with ham and eggs.  In the end, the curiousity won out and I went with the recommended Bife `a Casa.  I ordered it medium rare and it came out perfect.  It was sirlion steak, and was very tender.  The addition of a ham slice and over-medium eggs provided interesting flavors to the steak.  It was also plated with a wine reduction sauce (not very wine-y which was great) and seasoned with garlic and other spices.  The portion was large and very flavorful.  Usually I find sirlion to be rather flavorless due to the lack of fat marbling (similar to filet), but with the strong spices, garlic, and ham and eggs, it was superb.  Since the steak was cooked accurately, it still remained tender and picked up the surrounding flavors.  Additionally the meal comes with vegetables, rice, and Portuguese fries.  Who does 2 starches at dinner??  The Portuguese thats who.  I do not recall anything spectacular about the 3 sides other than the good crispiness of the Portuguese fries.  They are essentially large, thick cut potato chips that have been fried up.  Very good.

As for the shish kabobs?  My coworker ordered those and they were served in a very unique way.  They were served on a large skewer that was supported by a free standing holder.  The best way I can describe it is the large skewers at Brazilian bbq's that are supported upright at the table.  Very dramatic.  As for the flavor, I tried one of them and they were seasoned simply with salt and pepper.  Since I had it at the end, it was not that warm but was still tender.  Though ordered medium rare, they were more a medium to medium well but this could have been due to the carry-over cooking.  Overall I am glad I went with the Bife `a Casa.

This is one of the first times that I can remember having specific Portuguese food.  I think it is a great find and I would definitely recommend/come back here.  The "restaurant busy" stereotype did not apply here.  I think the only thing stopping me from giving it a 5 out of 5 is the lack of experience with this type of cuisine.  I may have to revisit this review depending on other Portuguese restaurants that I try, but this is certainly a high benchmark to start with.

Bife `a Casa - Pan-seared sirloin steak topped with a slice of ham & fried egg in a garlic, red wine & mild spices sauce (their words, not mine)

288 Warren Ave
East Providence, RI 02914

Cuban Revolution, #2 - @@@

Tuesday I went to Cuban Revolution again.  It was a late work day and most of us were pretty tired so knowing that Cuban Revolution is open late, I went there.  As an added bonus, I was able to find TruTV which was broadcasting the "first round" of the NCAA games.  Thanks to Chris as I was able to call him and find out that it is channel 57 for Cox Cable.

Again I started with a dozen hot wings, as I was just able to get in by the 10 pm cutoff time for the 20 cent wings.  Fried and seasoned similarly to last time, my only complaint was that I had 2 drummies and 10 wings.  Then again that could be a positive for others.

For my entree, I ordered the Havana Pork which was described as marinated pork served over rice and black beans topped with lettuce and tomatoes.  It also comes with Cuban bread and fried plantains.  I somehow did not imagine what I was presented, as I was thinking the pork would be slices as opposed to chopped.  Overall the pork tasted fine, although the "garlic citrus mojo" seasoning was not that strong.  The rice and beans were standard and the crunchy vegetables were an interesting touch on the dish.  It was basically a Chipotle burrito minus the wrap.  That sounds negative because I don't like Chipotle, but it was better in the sense that I could control how much of each item I had per bite, thus no whole bites of black beans.  There was also a good amount of pork so that helped with the item control.  The Cuban bread was noticeably less salty than last time and the plantains were again fried perfectly with the slight crispiness on the outside and the softness inside.

I struggled with this rating as this was the first restaurant where I have blogged about twice.  I decided to rate the meal as opposed to the overall spot, which is why this review is a 3 of 5 versus the previous 4 of 5.  I felt that this meal was not as good as the last one, however I would clearly go there again.  Slightly confusing and if anyone has better ideas I am open to them.

 

Cuban Revolution
50 Aborn St
Providence, RI 02903

Fire & Ice - @@@@

Monday was another solid day of travel/work so needless to say I was pretty hungry by the time we went to dinner.  Luckily for me, we chose Fire & Ice, a Mongolian BBQ-type place right by the hotel.  The dinner selection choice is an interesting dynamic because its a combination of different people and different tastes to consider.  Usually a selection of restaurants is "brainstormed",  the choice narrowed to a top 2 and a restaurant is selected from the 2 remaining.  Tonight the final 2 were Fire & Ice and Luxe Burger Bar.

Fire & Ice is a raw, self-service restaurant where you pick out the ingredients and present them to a cook who uses a large, circular flat-top grill to cook your food.  Basically it's an unlimited create your own stir-fry.  At places like this, I already have a blueprint of my meal laid out.  First is the beef and broccoli, then a white sauce chicken with tofu, and finally another beef and broccoli dish.

Tonight it started out similarly.  I got the beef tenderloin mixed with broccoli, however I noticed they had pre-mixed sauces.  Instead of my typical soy/teriyaki combination, I used a sweeter, friut-based teriyaki and szechuan sauce for saltiness.  It still tasted the same, however the lack of soy sauce as an option was particularly confusing.  After that course, I went with the chicken with tofu, egg and broccoli.  While they were cooking it, I noticed they also had bread buns available for different types of food combinations.  This was very exciting as I could now concoct non-Asian themed courses.  I proceeded to cook up 2 more selections - both philly cheesesteak styled sandwiches.  I also added in bacon grilled on the flat-top as well for a little bonus.  I used the shaved steak and a combination of swiss and american cheeses to produce a very respectable cheesesteak.  Though not authentic, it was still very good and the option to create them is a definite plus.

A feature I really liked was the variety of items that you could use.  In addition to the standard steak, chicken, and veggies, they also had hamburger patties, bacon, and ribs.  They also had 2 items I like to have at the table as side dishes, pineapple chunks and mandarin oranges at the salad bar.  Some may think this is strange, however my long-held theory is that you have to have a certain amount of sweetness during the meal to continue eating salty foods.  Thus the pineapple and oranges work out great to offset the saltiness of the stir-frys.  Strangely enough I did not see any type of pork selections other than sausages and ribs.

I give this restaurant a 4 of 5 for the selection, friendliness of cooks (he gave me a good recommendation for next time with the olive oil tenderlion for the steak sandwich), and the food.  Ultimately the food creation is up to you, and I feel that I was able to put together some rather good combinations.  Perhaps the restaurant concept deserves the 4 and not the actual establishment, but I had an enjoyable time nevertheless.  In fact, I think I scared my coworker slightly by the amount of food consumed, as she was done with her meal halfway through my chicken course.  She did sort of encourage me to get the 2nd cheesesteak, so it wasn't that bad.  We basically shut the place down as my cheesesteak was the last customer order of the night.  It was a great time and recommended for a large group of people since you are free to select and create what you want.

first course - beef and broccoli

Fire & Ice
48 Providence Pl
Providence, RI 02903

D&L Snack Shop - @@@

Last Friday I took a trip to Chicago to visit some friends.  There was a birthday gathering Friday and a St Patty's day celebration on Saturday.  Driving in Friday, I went directly to Late Bar where Derek was hanging out.  This bar is open and serves until 5, hence the name.  We left around 2 and decided to get something to eat.  A few blocks away was D&L Snack Shop, a 24-hour establishment.

Walking in, I immediately felt the grease in the air comparable to Blimpy Burgers in Ann Arbor.  There are around 15 bar seats (and that may be generous) encircling a flat top grill where they cook all of their food.  The place looks like it was transplanted from an earlier era where nothing seems to be modern.  This includes their prices.  The two dishes ordered were a total of $13 or something like that.

I ordered the hamburger on the advice of a regular customer who had just ordered one.  He ordered a single and said that to finish a double you would have to be "really hungry".  He may have underestimated me??  Naturally I ordered the double cheeseburger.  As mentioned before, the seating area surrounded the cooking area.  The cook plopped 2 large ground beef balls on the flat top and formed patties that were weighted down by a hamburger press.  After a few minutes the patties were flipped and a nice dark crust was formed on the bottom.  A few minutes later, I was served the double cheeseburger with fresh cut fries.  The double cheeseburger was indeed pretty large and tasted very good.  The thick patties were "seasoned" only by the griddle it seemed, and along with the grease from the ground beef combined for a juicy hamburger.  The standard american cheese was melted well, which is a must for any good cheeseburger.  There was sadly no mayonnaise, as it was one of the many items they were out of.  This clearly did not matter much since I still finished the whole thing.  The fries were ok, but I prefer thinner, crispier fries.  Though in the fryer for at least 8 minutes, they were still soft on the inside.  Perhaps Derek is right that air gives fried items their crispiness??  Can anyone confirm?? 

All in all, this is a great late-night spot after a long night out and I would recommend it.  I would've given it a 4, however in the middle of eating they started cleaning the cooking area.  I dont mind sweeping and scrubbing, but they were using a very strong cleansing liquid that was rather unpleasant.  We also got a nice demonstration of emptying the oil fryer.  I do realize they have to clean sometime (and it was probably 3 or 4 am), but I had to deduct 1 due to the smell.  With that said, I give this a 3 of 5 and if you do go, remember you will probably be smelling like grease for the rest of the night.

FYI - I had to try some of the beef right away, it did not come like that!

D&L Snack Shop

3407 W Belmont Ave

Chicago, IL  60618

Michigan vs Tennessee

tourney time!!!!  testing new toy here

Cuban Revolution - @@@@

On Wednesday, I walked to Cuban Revolution which is 6 or so blocks from the hotel.  As some other teammates went out for a team dinner, I tried to find something a little different to try.  This was unsuccessful.  Since it was the first day of lent, I think some local, smaller restaurants closed early.  Prior to settling on Cuban Revolution, I was going to try a Korean or Caribbean restaurant. 

I had been to Cuban Revolution in the past and thought it was average primarily due to the usage of salt.  Everything was salty, especially the bread that came with my meal.  This time was different.

As an appetizer, I ordered a dozen hot wings.  They were good in their own right as they were breaded, then fried, and finished with a hot sauce blend from Frank's Red Hot.  Then add in the fact that they were 20 cents each and you have a winner! 

For dinner, I had their "worlds best Cuban sandwich".  I have had a decent amount of Cuban sandwiches in the past, and I think this one was really up there with the best.  I get mine without the pickles, but the flavor was still really good.  A big plus was the bread they used.  Usually when a sandwich is pressed it comes out really thin, but this time the bread stood up and still had some volume.  Sandwich construction was also optimal as I could taste all the components: roast pork, ham, swiss, mayonaise, and mustard.  The proportions worked and nothing overpowered another.  The swiss was melted well throughout and the meats tasted great.  I also had a side of fried plantains which were also really good.  They were not overly sweet and were fried just right.  Interestingly they come with a side of sour cream which I usually dont use.

Overall this meal was really enjoyable and I give it a 4 of 5.  I particularly enjoy the fact that they are open late since I eat later than most and they are walkable from the hotel.  I will definitely be back.



Good sandwich construction.  Notice bread height.  Fried plantains in the back too



Union Station Brewery - @@

Last Tuesday was team night so we all went out as a big group to Union Station Brewery.  The restaurant is convienently located right below my hotel so I am familiar with it and have been there in the past.  It is interesting to go out with different coworkers as opposed to the normal group.

Since it was a team social event, I ordered one of the house beers, the Golden Spike.  I think it was an IPA with a good bite to it.  I always enjoy a beer, however I now order it only on team nights since I would not drink it with dinners at home.  Slightly strange, but it keeps the meals a little more normal.

Prior to dinner, I decided to take the initiative and order the smoked chicken nachos.  These were actually pretty good and the chicken really did taste smoked.  Doubtful that they smoked it in-house, however the flavor did carry through which is even more impressive considering the meat per chip ratio is pretty small.

For my entree, I ordered the hanger steak with mashed potatoes, broccoli, and fried onion straws.  I have ordered this meal before, did not care for it, yet still ordered it again.  The primary reason I did not enjoy it was the red wine reduction sauce drizzled on the steak and potatoes.  It was too concentrated of a wine taste for me.  Additionally the steak was not cooked medium rare which makes it tough and chewy.  It was more medium so it wasn't extremely harsh, but still tougher than I like.  The potatoes, steamed broccoli, and fried onion straws were all average, with nothing standing out to me.

As a special bonus, one of my coworkers ordered a breaded, boneless chicken breast.  When it came out, it was noticably raw in the middle.  Not just a little sliver was raw, but at least a third of the inside was pink.  Needless to say, he returned it yet ordered his replacement meal of a burger medium rare.  Tempting fate again I guess.

A desert was ordered for the table which was a brownie with vanilla ice cream.  This was not unique other than the oats that were in the brownie.  This gave it an odd texture that I would best describe as eating peanut skins when you eat peanuts.  Its the part of the peanut that gets your mouth really dry and in your teeth...not that good.

Overall, I give this meal a 2 of 5.  There was nothing special about it and the raw chicken pushed it to a 2.  Due to the proximity of the restaurant to the hotel, there is a good chance I will be back regardless of my preference.  Hopefully I will remember this meal and order something other than the hanger steak!

Cheesecake Factory - @@@

Monday's are generally long days so I had no overwhelming food interest.  It worked out great since my coworker eagerly suggested the Cheesecake Factory.  It's close, convenient, and consistent.

Upon arriving, I scanned their book-like menu looking for something to catch my eye.  I will admit that many of their dishes do not really inspire me.  The Asian-influenced dishes I generally shy away from due to my normal rice-eating diet, Italian due to the amount of Italian restaurants here, and typical avoidance of burgers at restaurants.  I think the desert-y name confuses me and I can't figure out what entree's they specialize in.  I ended up ordering the chicken and biscuits, which was essentially a chicken pot pie filling topped with biscuits over a bed of mashed potatoes.  The dish was good, however I do wish that there was more filling since I finished the gravy part with biscuits still on the plate.  Unfortunately I forgot my camera in the car so there is no picture.

I did not order desert, which according to some is "sacrilege".  Clearly at a place called Cheesecake Factory, you know they specialize in cheesecake.  I do however feel spoiled by the fact that I stay right across the street from it so theoretically I could go there often.  I have had their cheesecake plenty of times and it is always good.  But with the combination of late eating and large portions, some sort of rational thought had to be utilized.

I give my meal here a 3 of 5.  There was nothing that stood out, just a consistent meal.  I will definitely be back but not simply for the food but rather the convenience and hopefully the desert.

PHL dinner - @@

Due to a late flight booking, I was on a different airplane route this week.  So on Thursday night I found myself with the unenviable position of a connecting flight through Philadelphia.  PHL is notorious for delays and did not disappoint by holding up my inbound flight (PHL traffic control would not let us take off from PVD?!?)

During the layover, I ventured around the airport looking for dinner.  Needing something rather quick, I passed the sit-down fare of Chickie and Pete's and Legal Sea Food.  Finding the food court between terminals B and C, I ordered a cheesesteak and smoothie.  The cheesesteak ("wiz without") was flavorless, lacking salt and grease.  The sandwich construction was suboptimal, placing the wiz on the bottom and the steak on top.  By putting the wiz on top of the steak, the flavor would run through the meat as opposed to it sitting as a pile of chees at the bottom.  I attempted to boost the flavor with mayonnaise, however that still failed.  The strawberry and banana smoothie was similarly bland.  I ordered the dairy version which the cashier said was better, however it tasted artificial.  Strawberry flavor was definitely lacking and I did not get the texture of seeds.  Perhaps real strawberries were not used??

All told, the PHL dining experience was a 2 of 5.  While I cannot set the bar too high (it is an airport afterall), I felt the items lacked basic flavor.  Next time I will go to the Chick-fil-a.

no noticeable cheese shown due to sandwich construction

hoops vs state

amazing...a season sweep!!!  props to Gary Moeller front row seat.  dancing in the tournament??

Lucky Garden - @@@@@

I was working late on Wednesday and most of the team already had dinner plans, so I was left to myself for dinner.  No problem, I will go to a Chinese restaurant that I have been to in the past.  For me, this is what differentiates a 4 and a 5 restaurant.  From a RI perspective, this restaurant is no where close to where I was or where I was going, however a "favorite restaurant" is one that you will go out of your way for.  That is what Lucky Garden is.

Lucky Garden is a non-descript Chinese restaurant in North Providence that I discovered on Yelp about 4 years ago.  It serves mainly Cantonese food, however on this trip I didn't even look at the menu.  As I walked in, I simply ordered my food and sat down.

I ordered a peppered beef dish (not pepper beef), Chinese broccoli, and rice.  This beef dish is one of the few Chinese phrases I know and am clearly unable to translate it to English.  It is beef tenderloin served sizzling in a clay bowl with onions, peppers, and a thick, heavily peppered brown sauce.  The sauce thickens as it bubbles and seems to soak into the tenderloin, giving a rich peppery flavor to what I consider to be a blander cut of beef.  It is amazing and they make it really well here.  The side was Chinese broccoli sauteed with garlic, oil, and cooking wine.  Again cooked extremely well, the broccoli still had a snap but was tender enough to bite into.

I have ordered this exact combination before, and it still is amazing.  The consistency is what helps make my meal great as I am never dissatisfied.  I give it a 5 out of 5 as it is one of my favorites in the area.  It also gets a second photo as an added bonus.  The only items not finished at the end of the meal were the onions and peppers.  I would recommend this place to try if one is in the mood for some good Chinese.

amazing plate - notice heavy use of black pepper

Outback Steakhouse - @@@

Dinner on Tuesday was at Outback near work.  I won't go too in-depth with this post since I am guessing most people know of/frequent it.

I ordered bbq baby back ribs with garlic mashed and a side salad with a server recommended tangy tomato dressing.  All parts of the meal were average, which for me is fine for this type of restaurant.  The ribs were very tender, leading me to believe they were boiled/steamed/baked then finished on a grill.  I prefer a little more bite, but with the baby backs they were fine.  Salad dressing was good and something I normally do not order, so I can add that to my collection of dressings.  I would order it again.

Overall, the restaurant was consistent which is what I expected.  Though I gave it the same 3 out of 5 rating as Andino's, I would prefer to go to the local establishments more often than not.  Sliding scale here I guess...

Andino's - @@@

Dinner on Monday was at Andino's in Providence in historic Federal Hill.  This area is home to many Italian restaurants and Atwells Ave (the central street) is historically known to be frequented by the mob.  Very Italian.

Andino's was a smaller restaurant, but we were able to get our party of 7 a window side seat due to reservations.  Although a little cramped due to the odd circle-square table combination, we all were able to settle in just fine.  After ordering a Ketel One/tonic, we then ordered a large sampler appetizer.  It had fried calamari, clams casino, roasted red peppers, and some other shellfish dish.  Though I am not a seafood eater, I did try the calamari (decent fried item since it was fried) and one of the shellfish (don't know if it was the clams casino or what I think was oyster rockefeller).  I did not like the clam/oyster.  The roasted red pepper was decent for me not being a pepper fan.  Also my drink seemed suspiciously like Absolut/tonic since that is what another diner ordered - the drink was kind of harsh.  Sadly the bread was what seemed to be basic white bread with non-soft butter.

For my main entree, I ordered the veal chop topped with roasted red peppers, broccoli rabe, gorganzola cheese, and black olives (which I ordered without) cooked medium-rare.  It was then drizzled with olive oil and served over choice of pasta (I chose linguini).  Allegedly it was a huge dish according to my coworkers who seemed amazed that I finished it all.  The veal chop was cooked fairly precisely (perhaps a tad overcooked) but still had good flavor, although at the end the strong gorganzola prevented me from eating all of the cheese.  The rabe tasted great especially mixed with the olive oil.
No desert was ordered.

Overall the food was good and the portions large which I always like.  However the unimpressive bread/cold butter combination was pretty poor for an Italian restaurant.  Combined with my bias for Italian restaurants, I would give this a 3 out of 5.

yes there is a veal chop buried under there