Gavin’s Pub: Upscale Pub Opens on Providence Waterfront

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Sean DeBobes, GoLocalProv Dining Critic

The Providence waterfront is quickly filling up these days with new bars and restaurants, but with high quality food and a unique style, Gavin’s Pub, which has just opened across Water Street from the Whiskey Republic and Lola's, is sure to have its own following in no time. I recently stopped in to speak with some of the staff and try some of their high-end pub fare.

The concept is the brain child of owner Jeff Tahlmore, a JWU and French Culinary Institute graduate, who focused his efforts on cuisine and cultural iconography. The walls are splashed with 1940’s style pin-up murals painted by Ian Gaudreau while the custom furniture, bar and general décor are filled with distressed leather, sheet metal and riveting - reminiscent of WWII aviation.

Pub fare rebooted

Diners can expect to see familiar pub fare –  if only in name. Chef Michael Iannotti and Tahlmore strive to find the best local ingredients to prepare in their scratch kitchen. All sauces, dressings and salsas are made fresh daily to ensure peak flavor.

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The house-made vegetable roll was an instant favorite for me. Chef sautéd julienned jicama, chayote, carrot, shitake and leeks to extract natural sugars before wrapping in tortilla and sending to the fryer. The fried flour tortilla adds great texture to this flavorful dish, while a roasted chipotle and red pepper beurre monté with cilantro provided a perfect subtle heat to finish.

Oxtail chili that sets a new standard

For the epicurean carnivore I must suggest the Oxtail Chili. This dish is born from three days of thoughtful labor. Slow roasting oxtails and separating out the useable morsels is a true act of culinary etiquette. Chef blended this with a mix of Ancho, Serrano, Habanero, Chipotle and the famous Naga Bhut Jolokia (known as the ghost pepper, insanely hot with 350K-1M on the Scoville heat scale) for a heated merger that moves all over the palate. If I could pick just one chili to dine on for the next decade… I may have found it right here on the waterfront of Providence.

Gavin’s has certainly led me to rethink the term pub fare, and I can’t wait until they add an entrée section to the menu (Tahlmore tells me the smoker is on the way).

Gavin’s Pub, 520 Water St, Providence. Open for dinner daily.

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