Sunday, June 1, 2008 - 5:30pm
We had been wanting to try Providence again to see if it will be as great a second time around. I opted for the Early-Bird-Special-time of 5:30pm to get some extra Open Table points and to assure we would be home at a decent hour. Our last visit lasted 3 hours and I did not want too late of a night before a dreary Monday work morning. Of course, 3 hour meals only happen when you order a Tasting Menu, and surely we were not going to do that again this time, right? Right? Um, yeah, we got a tasting menu again...
This time we ordered the Full Tasting Menu vs. the Chef's "extravaganza" which is what our server kept calling it, convincing us he was the same server on our first trip to Providence. The Full Tasting had as many courses (9) but only offered what was on the menu while the "extravaganza" would provide creative substitutions of higher quality items as available. Regardless, we walked away being overly stuffed and really happy we went.
Amuse cocktails
My favorite was reconfirmed by this trip as the Gin & Tonic Gelee, followed by the Mojito "raviolo" and a shot glass of the dual temp Soup of Fennel (and I forgot the 2nd ingredient which was maybe Shallots)? I found the soup a tad too sweet but it was creamy and flavorful.
Course 1 - Fluke with Pickled Plums and Plum Puree
My first bite lacked a bit of the plums which made for a bland experience but I made sure to get more of the pickled and pureed plums in with my fluke and got the better balance.
Course 2 - Diver Scallop
A single scallop prepared perfectly.
Course 3 - Calamari with "linguinie" and Tomato paste
The calamari legs were fried in a light but crunchy breading and the "linguine" was made from the body shredded into long noodle form. Not only was this creative and simple, it was cooked properly and was delicious.
Course 4 - Halibut with Meyer lemon sauce
Oy. One tiny bit of bone. Oh well. No one can truly be perfect with fish? And at least I didn't choke on it.
Course 5 - Salmon
With mushrooms, radish, bacon, cinnamon espuma, and mitsuba. Yes, we thought the idea of cinnamon flavored foam would be weird, but it worked surprisingly well with the fish and the bacon and the crunch of the radish.
It is really hard to ever order salmon again when you are given a piece that is this fresh and so well prepared, getting it from the work place commissary can only lead to heartache.
Course 6 - Tenderloin of Veal with Peas, Roasted Salsify and Truffle sauce
The portion was a good size for being the sixth item being served and was too much for me, no matter how deliciously tender it was. More for Aki!
Course 7 - Cheese
This time we were only given 4 choices of cheeses and I consider that a smart move. Any more makes it a chore to finish. We chose a creamy yogurt consistency sheep's milk from Spain, a wonderful mild goat's milk in bee's wax from Italy, a soft sheep's milk from Spain again, and a red wine washed rind semi firm cheese. All are served with an apple compote, an olive tapanade sweetened with honey, candied walnuts, and dried figs and these condiments would make a fantastic course of its own.
Course 8 - Pre-Dessert
This was a Pineapple Sorbet with Avocado Banana Puree & Banana Chips. It sounded weird, but was really good. The richness of the avocado worked well with that of the banana and it was a good balance to the tartness of the pineapple. And like any great post-meal/pre-dessert, it served to cleanse the palate.
Course 9 - Olive Financier
I wasn't sure how the Olive flavor would work as a dessert but I figured it would be sweetened like the Olive Tapanade with honey. And that Financier was amazing. The cake was moist without being wet and had just a touch of crispness to its top crust. It was so blissful I could have eaten a pan's worth of cake only, but the addition of the ice cream made for a delicious ending.
My one suggestion to Providence is when they offer espresso or coffee, they may want to explain the coffee is served in French Press pots which is a huge draw for many coffee connoisseurs. I was going to order an espresso again when I saw another table being cleared of the French press and ordered regular coffee instead. Yum.
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