3 New East Side Restaurant Finds
Friday, February 04, 2011
Providence is a great incubator for new restaurants. Lucky residents this season can look forward to three more wonderful places. They may have just opened but are already making serious waves in the Ocean State.
Fox Point Gem: McCurdy’s Junction House
Serving plenty of “The food you want to eat but don’t have time to make,” McCurdy’s has already become a hit amongst Fox Pointers and others in the know. Serving a seasonal menu of home-cooked classics like meatloaf and portablla sandwiches as well as more elaborate entrees like shrimp, chourico and chicken paella and acorn squash stuffed with caramelized apples and walnuts with a maple syrup drizzle. McCurdy’s deserves high marks for its devotion to delicious vegetarian and vegan fare. Meatless Monday never tasted so good. With almost the entire menu running between eight and ten dollars, McCurdy’s is making seriously tasty and affordable food down on the corner of Ives and Wickenden. 79 Ives St, Providence, 228-3883. Sun 2-9pm, Mon/Wed/Thurs 11am-11pm, Fri/Sat 'til 12:30am, closed Tuesdays.
On the Waterfront: RISD Artisan Events Café
Forget pizza and burgers, this art school owned café is putting out major cuisine in a great environment. The walls are splashed with rotating installations of RISD student work while chandeliers made from antique spoons shine light down on the bar (I said bar, and it is incredibly affordable). Pop in for a featured snack like crispy fried pickles with chipotle sauce or fresh baked pretzel bites with dipping sauces. If you are feeling a bit hungrier try one of the generous entrees. A tandoori chicken sandwich with mango sauce demands attention while the fresh fish taco is sure to bring a crowd back for seconds. It still gets better; Thursdays and Fridays from 4:30-6 enjoy any entrée on the menu with a glass of house wine or a Narragansett beer for only $8. Cheap and delicious, I’m there! 345 South Water St, Providence, 709-8600. Mon-Fri lunch, Thurs/Fri Pub night with dinner menu.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTCentral Falls Export: La Sorpresa 2
The best reason to drive to CF - for the freshest, cheapest and hugest empanadas - just became a reason to head up East Avenue to the Pawtucket/Providence border. In the space across from the Modern Diner, La Sorpresa has opened its second restaurant and the place is bright and cheery and stocked with all the Colombian specialties aficianados love about the original. Where else can a couple have dinner (three enormous empanads, a side of LS's rib-sticking potato and sausage mix, fresh salsa and two sodas)... for less than $9? Right here. Take the feast to go, or enjoy the spruced up dining area. You'll be back. I know I will. East Ave, Pawtucket. No phone yet. Just head to the Modern Diner and look across the street.
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