Providence Restaurant Weeks is Back for Summer
Check out our top picks for the dining event that takes place July 9-22 with more than sixty participating restaurants.
Many local restaurants are back from taking a quick (and much deserved) July 4th holiday break. Hopefully the staff are well rested before launching into the epic two weeks that is Providence Restaurant Weeks. The seasonal dining event is taking place July 9-22 with more than sixty participating restaurants offering specials for lunch and/or dinner, with some offering prix fixe menus. They may also be serving up breakfast, signature cocktails and more. Diners can find all the deals at providencerestaurantweeks.com.
Kristen Adamo, president and CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau (PWCVB), hopes the food-focused week will bring more visitors to the Creative Capital. “Providence Restaurant Weeks showcases dozens of nationally-recognized restaurants throughout the state while making their best dishes extremely accessible,” she says. “As leisure travel continues to pick up momentum and locals continue to support small businesses, this is the perfect opportunity for everyone to get a taste of the region’s world-class dining scene.”
And if you know me, you know I love a good scene where I can get all dressed up for an upscale dinner. The rooftop Blu Violet restaurant at the Aloft Hotel in Providence fits the bill, as does Bellini in the Beatrice Hotel. I think I’ve become a regular at Bellini thanks to its always impeccable service, lovely cocktails and divine cuisine. The $30 three-course lunch will allow me to try more of the menu at a minimal cost. The heirloom tomato and burrata salad is one of my favorite dishes on the menu as well as the grilled vegetable platter (I prefer to eat light in the summer!). I’d go for the chicken Pizzaiola or pan-seared salmon as my entrée with vanilla meringue or tiramisu for dessert. I swear I’ll go back to the office after that.
One of my favorite late-night spots, Courtland Club, is also offering pizza and a bottle of wine for $40. Sarto is also opening early for dinner with specials that include crispy pork belly, smoked mushroom cacio e pepe and seared salmon with $5 spritzes to drink. And just FYI, Double Barrel Steak by David Burke also jumped in on Providence Restaurant Week, offering a prix-fixe dinner for only $45 a person. Now is your chance to try it!
Some other staff picks include:
Associate Editor Lauren Clem: “I would take advantage of the lunch and dessert specials at Ellie’s. I’ve stopped in for a quick coffee or to meet up with a friend several times, and I’ve always wanted to go back when I have time to sample the lunch items and French pastries behind the bakery case. Plus, I love that they offer late-night desserts now. For lunch, I’d get the Ellie’s grilled cheese with roasted asparagus, Gruyere and red onion marmalade and pair it with dressed greens and a chocolate bouchon. Later on, I’d make sure to return for the dessert bar and order an espresso martini with the strawberry semifreddo with vanilla oat crumble and fennel seed pizzelle. And of course, I’d have to take some macarons to go, even if they’re not the Restaurant Weeks menu. They’re hard to resist!”
Digital Editor Kaitlyn Murray: “Blu Violet Roof Bar! I’ve been meaning to go for ages so I think this will finally be the push I need to follow through. Plus, the options for all three courses on the prix fixe menu sound delish (though I’m mostly in it for the beef and chicken thigh skewers and the griddled pound cake).”
Managing Editor Dana Laverty: “I’m looking forward to visiting Ellie’s … I’m such a fan of their — and Gracie’s — sophisticated offerings and friendly service. The $18 lunch special comes with a sandwich (the Ellie’s grilled cheese with roasted asparagus, Gruyere and red onion marmalade on sourdough, sounds divine), with fries or dressed greens and dessert, a chocolate bouchon or cookie (oatmeal chip, lime glaze or chocolate peanut butter). Magnifique!!”
Special Editions Editor Kerri Tallman: “I’ll have to go with Moonshine Alley — not just because I haven’t been there yet and this gives me an excuse to visit, but every option is calling my name. The mouthwatering fried pickles got my attention immediately but your choice of moonshine chicken or shrimp served in a spicy butter and garlic sauce will be devoured in minutes, rest assured.”
Editorial Assistant Edelinda Baptista: “I’ll visit Harry’s Bar and Burger for a boozy Oreo milkshake to pair with some classic sliders. They have half-priced sliders every day from 3-5 p.m. Boss, can I leave early today? [Yay for summer Fridays!]”
Read on for a sampling of some more of the best deals:
Bellini is offering a three-course lunch option for $30 with a choice of an endive, pear, avocado and Pecorino salad; Umbrian lentil salad; clams Veneziana or polpettine to start, followed by a main course choice of pappardelle “alla Bellini,” pan-seared salmon, organic chicken pizzaiola or the Bellini cheeseburger. For dessert, it’s profiteroles, chocolate mousse or vanilla meringue.
A summer pasta dish with a Bellini at Bellini in Providence. Photo by Angel Tucker.
At the Capital Grille, dinner costs $46 per person (not including tax or gratuity), and includes a choice between two salads; wedge with bleu cheese and smoked bacon or field greens salad with Parmesan vinaigrette. Then guests can choose between an eight-ounce filet, a bone-in dry aged NY strip, roasted chicken breast or seared citrus glazed salmon (grilled jumbo shrimp, Maine lobster tail, sliced filet mignon and double cut lamb rib chops are also available for an additional cost), served with sides of Sam’s mashed potatoes or creamed spinach, and dessert of flourless chocolate espresso cake, cheesecake or strawberries with vanilla bean cream Anglaise.
Gracie’s is offering its five-course tasting menu for $85 per person (normally $110).
Hemenway’s is plating a three-course pre-fixe meal for $39.95 that includes many choices in each section of the menu. Go for the baked oysters with lobster sherry cream, spinach and herb breadcrumbs or grapefruit and quinoa fennel salad before an entree choice of a 1.25-pound baked stuffed lobster, roasted skate wing or frilled kohlrabi. Dessert involves a choice of banana bread pudding, vanilla cheesecake or a flourless chocolate torte.
Metacom Kitchen is offering a three-course meal for $35 per person that includes first course choices of smoked carrot, a duck charcuterie plate or shrimp and coconut broth; second course choices include mushroom Bolognese with red wine bucatini, kurobuta pork belly or roasted zucchini, followed by mango yogurt ice cream or chocolate carpaccio for dessert.
Moonshine Alley is joining the Providence Restaurant ranks with a $25 per person southern-style menu. The opening acts include sweet potato bisque, hush puppies and Tennessee cob salad, while the headliners feature a Nashville hot chicken sandwich, chicken pot pie and moonshine shrimp. Close out the ‘show’ with an encore of either the skillet cookie or the bourbon bread pudding.
Narragansett Brewery is enticing snackers with a $29.95 deal that includes a jumbo charcuterie pretzel board for two and a pair of draft beers.
Nicks on Broadway has deals for every meal of the day. For $25 per person, guests can take advantage of their Providence Restaurant Weeks brunch, lunch and snack offerings from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The dinner menu is available from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for $45 per person. Prices are exclusive of tax, gratuity and additional food and beverages.
Brunch at Nicks on Broadway. Photo by Jamie Coelho.
Providence Oyster Bar’s newest location in East Greenwich is showing off their chops with two three-course menus. For $23.95 per person, the lunch menu offers your choice of oyster on the half shell, New England clam chowder, wasabi and ginger calamari or Caesar salad for a starter, baked cod, shrimp tacos, bacon and bleu cheese burger, linguini with clam sauce, surf and turf maki roll or grilled salmon or swordfish for an entree; and tiramisu or chocolate cake for dessert. The $39.95 per person dinner menu features the same starters mentioned above; entrees like cajun shrimp pasta, cod bianco, baked stuffed shrimp six-ounce petit filet and more; plus desserts like tiramisu and chocolate layer cake.
Sarto is back with great prices for some of their most delicious offerings. Start with cider-braised pork belly for $14 or mushroom arancini for $12 and follow with seared cod served with braised beans, cavalo nero and nduja butter for $26 or grilled pork Tenderloin served with braised radicchio, squash puree and roast persimmon for $24.
ProvidenceRestaurantWeeks.com is constantly being updated with new menus, so check back often. You can also book reservations right through the site.
