Providence, Rhode Island: Traveling on the Inside Track

Frank Sinatra wafts across one of Providence, RI’s many brick-lined piazzas as the intoxicating, nutty scent of fresh baked bread from Venda Ravioli fills my nostrils. The spray from the large pine cone-crested iron fountain dances in the sunlight, I look up to wave to Joe DiGulio, long time owner of the Acorn Market on his way to work. The haze is just now burning off of the morning, and, before it’s through, he’ll have created 100LBS of his family’s trademark – homemade Italian sausage. Here on Federal Hill I saunter over to Atwells Avenue, and into Scialo Brother’s Bakery for the best biscotti in town (get it with almonds).

Browsing one of Providence’s many book shops ebbs away the rest of the morning. The Cellar Stories at 111 Mathewson Street, just a few blocks away, keeps me busy with its selection of rare and used finds. Heading back to the plaza – to Spruce Street – and to Casserta’s for lunch, I meet a few friends. There we opt for the Ã?½-pizza. Served on a rectangular school lunch tray, it features a medium-thick crust, serves four hungry folks, and with cheese the intoxicating treat costs just $14. Making myself comfortable with a Yacht Club soda (a local vintage), and picking up a copy of the daily newspaper – The Providence Journal – we compare weekend music and theater offerings.

I decide to peruse the likes of Almonte’s, an “Old World” clothing and accessories store, and several other curio and specialty shops along the strip to work off my afternoon meal.

I soon find myself in need of respite. There are a multitude of lovely, noncommercially owned, coffee and pastry shops from which to choose here on The Hill. Jesse’s on Atwells Avenue is my favorite. I opt for their mocachino latte. Placed a nice period on the afternoon.

Steeped in Old World charm, the Greater Providence area is comprised of these tiny villages. Its thirty-nine miles of coastline offers picturesque views and unique opportunities for both surf lovers and sailing. Standing up to its reputation as the home of “Mobsters & Lobsters,” it offers businessmen and students alike a multitude of opportunities for economic and cultural diversity.

Whether seeking modern sophistication in dining or those simple pleasures in life, Providence has a choice for every palate. Pot Au Feu, located on Custom Street, deserves its four stars for the service it provides in traditional French cuisine. Sample the restaurant’s namesake dish, and bring your wallet – (401)273-8953. The Haven Brothers, a stainless steel dining car once drawn by horses, can now be found parked downtown next to City Plaza – behind the cab of a Mack truck – but only after 4PM. Offering olde fashioned fare – order your dogs ‘All the way’ if you like them with mustard, relish, and onions to avoid standing out in a crowd. Bring your spare change. (Just whistle to call them).

Skip from DownCity Providence to the area’s three major shopping malls, or drive to the nearby Wrentham Village Premium Outlet. Wrentham Village features one-hundred-seventy discount stores, including Gap, Banana Republic, and Hugo Boss. Go late summer for best buys. Less than three hours from Boston, New York, and Hartford, Providence offers easy access to Interstate 95. T.F. Greene International Airport, Amtrak, Greyhound, and an intracity public bus transportation system are all only a few minutes from this busy metropolis.

Providence offers a multitude of discount and factory outlet stores. Among the best? Ryco Factory Outlet, 25 Carrington Street, Lincoln (401)725-1779, where you’ll find trims, laces, buttons, and craft items at wholesale prices. Slater Mill Outlet on Mendon Road in Cumberland offers remarkable discounts on overruns of Waverly fabrics. Watch for the local three-time-a-year sale at the JC Penny at the Warwick Mall. It now serves as the regional factory outlet store during this time.

Home to eight major institutions of higher learning, Providence hosts the Ivy League Brown University. Also proudly claiming Johnson & Wales University, honored for its Culinary and Career Colleges, Providence features the Rhode Island School of Design – tutor to the notable painter H. Cyrus Farnum, and current man to watch Joseph Szarek.

The Providence Bruins are sure to score a goal at The Dunkin Donuts Center. The Red Sox Farm their summers in nearby Pawtucket – and the Boston Patriots are just a few minutes away in Foxboro. Don’t forget to check for concerts and to see when the Circus will be in town.

The kiddies will love The Children’s Museum with its big Lizard on top, and it’s easy to find, too. There’s a spa on just about every corner in the City of Providence. (A real treat after a full day at The Children’s Museum)! Elan Salon and Day Spa (401)463-6749 offers excellent service with clean accommodations.

A trip to the zoo is something to roar about – and the Greater Providence Area offers three from which to choose. The centrally located Roger Williams Park Zoo is outstanding, and visitors are treated to a playground with a turn-of-the-century carousel, paddle boats, and pony rides nearby – all available for family friendly fares. Take a ride on the trolley trough the park during the season and enjoy the free tour of a Victorian Greenhouse and Japanese Gardens, while you’re at it.

An excursion around Narragansett Bay can be a wonderful experience, and Cruise Newport (401-849-3033), weather permitting, fits the bill. On chillier nights, slip downtown for some ice-skating and build a snow castle for the annual First Night contest in City Plaza. In August, be sure to catch “The Burning of the Gaspee,” in Pawtuxet Village. Featuring a full week’s worth of historical reenactments, a parade, a street fair, and a footrace, this festival commemorates the 1776 rebellion of Rhode Islanders against the English here in this tiny Cove. The locals claim to have beaten The Boston Tea Party by a full six months. Now laden with charming coffee shops, ice cream stores, gift shops, and bistros, this living postcard marks the original dividing point for the purchase of Providence Plantations from the native Narragansett Indians. Pronounced “Paw-tuck-sit,” the name means “Little Falls.”

From The Acme Clown Company (401-351-2596) to The What Cheer Art Company (401-861-2831) Providence offers a broad range of entertainment choices. Fourteen museums, including the Roger Williams National Memorial and Slater Mill, the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution can be found here.

The Greater Providence area is sure to have something to please every pallet looking to purchase art. Among the best in the business? Eclectic Antiques in East Greenwich. Ken Porter, one of the area’s foremost authorities in museum-quality art and genuine antiquities, serves as the proprieter there. Open Thursday-Sunday, 10AM-5PM, and by appointment at 351 Main Street, he can be reached by phoning (401)884-1893. You’ll discover everything from ancestral Chinese art to pristine Victorian parlor pieces at Antique and Decorative Wherehouse. Find them at 160 Water Street in Warren, RI. Phone (401)245-2129 for current updates on what’s in stock and seasonal hours. Ask for Wayne or Glen. Gallery Z on Atwells Avenue in Providence offers a wonderful selection of contemporary and archeological fine art from the US and abroad. Special exhibitions are displayed regularly. Call for details: (401)454-8844.

When looking to please a sophisticated nose, Providence offers three vineyards. Sakonnet’s selection includes a wine tasting, a tour of the vineyard, and a visit to the company store. Patrons are offered discounts on tasty “Wine of the Month” samples.Previews of the experience are available on-line, or visit Greenvale. or Newport Vineyards.

A cool evening’s stroll along the cobble-laden Waterplace Park offers the richer, earthier, acrid smell of WaterFire. Sparks dancing against the canvas of a blackened sky and gondolas paddling peacefully by only serve to add to the rhythm of street musicians and the ever-changing ebb and flow of the crowd. Check out the schedule and other details on-line.

The Greater Downtown Providence area features over twenty top hotels, while the coastline is dotted with homier bed and breakfasts. For those with cash to spare, the Marriot comes with top recommendations – and the price tag to match. $170 a night – dial (800)228-9290,if you dare. The Biltmore is nice, but costs much more than it should. Dial (401)421-0700 for reservations and for the luxury of spending $142 an evening. The best buy of the bunch? The State House Inn, a steal at just $117 a night. Find them at (401)351-6111. For mid-level accommodations, Master Hosts Inns on Post Road is in first place, offering a shuttle service downtown, and easy access to the airport. Suites are available. A quick call to (401)737-7400 can answer any questions.

Bed and Breakfasts can be as different as the patrons who lodge with them. Skip the pricier Edgewood Manor in Cranston with their fair reputation, and head straight for The Mount Hope Farm in Bristol. Their fine morning offering and a helpful staff shine far above the rest. Noted for its cleanliness, Mount Hope’s grounds are well kept, and the hospitality extraordinary. Find them at The Governor Bradford House, 250 Metacom Avenue, Bristol, RI or by phoning (401)254-9300 for reservations.

A local haunt worth finding: Collier’s Bakery at 1461 Broad Street. Frank’s been making the best pastry ever since he was old enough to walk – right next to his dad. He tried to retire last year, but the neighborhood wouldn’t let him. Get the powdered jelly doughnuts – with a hole in the middle! Or try his Jamaican Meat Pies for lunch – but be prepared – everything at Collier’s is “to go” only. And while you’re there, sneak a peak at the turn-of-the-century Collier family photo where it all began.

For slightly more formal fare, The Post Office Caf�© on main Street in East Greenwich is an excellent choice. The building really IS a converted post office, and Kenny, the bartender there, reports several times a week folks walk right past furniture-laden sidewalk, the live piano player, and the wet bar, and try to hand him a couple of letters. On the weekends, the Caf�© offers a special all-you-can-eat brunch for around $15, including an excellent thermos of fresh-brewed coffee and real cream. Go for the bean and greens soup, ham in marinade, and fresh fruit cup. Skip the pancakes and chicken if you get there after 10AM. Check out the moderately-priced dinner menu, as well. Full dinner items range from $12-$17. (401)885-4444 for more information or reservations.

Thai Orchard on Park Avenue in Cranston offers authentic cuisine for a fair price. Don’t miss the Nime Chow or the Ginger Tea. Feeling adventurous? Sample the chicken with black bean sauce. No reservations are necessary. Seating is first-come, first-served. Call Nonni at(401)780-8889 for take-out.

If it’s Chinese or Polynesian you’re after, The Islander proves to be the best offering in the West Bay. Find them at 2318 West Shore Road in Warwick – (401)738-9861 – with a full line of delicious lunch, dinner, and cocktail offerings sure to please. Be sure to sample their Egg Foo Young. It’s the best south of Boston’s China Town.

Casa Brazil at 545 North Broadway in East Providence features the area’s only Churrascaria – an authentic South American B-B-Q. Fired by renewable eucalyptus charcoal logs, the grill offers tasty samplings of top quality sirloin, chicken breasts wrapped in premium cuts of bacon, chicken wings, and beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon. There is also a self-serve food bar featuring home-style fried plantains, the best feijoa da (black beans and rice) you’ll ever eat, red beans and rice for mainlanders, and an assortment of wonderfully fresh soups and salads. Don’t miss the collards. Everything at Casa Brazil is on an all-you-can-eat, and costs $20 or less. The atmosphere is friendly and casual- bring the family. Ask Jeff, the guy with the crazy hair, about the special Brazilian wines they offer. The crumb snatchers will appreciate Casa Brazil’s imported cherry and mango flavored sodas. Save room for dessert. Be sure to make friends with Joe, the proprietor, before you leave. Give him a call at (401)434-8500 for directions.

The Stadium on Park Avenue in Cranston has been serving up traditional New England seafood and hand-cut fries wrapped-up in newspaper for the last 100 years. Brave the lines, (sometimes a block long, but worth the wait) and the salty waitresses Wednesday-Saturday, 4:30-7:30PM – (401)944-0791.

Providence boasts more than twelve Indian restaurants from which to choose. India, located at 1060 Hope Street excels at both creating atmosphere (with a giant fireplace, a grand entrance, and an extraordinary bar), and with their preparation of both Vegetable Samosas and their Roasted Lamb entree. Once you’ve sampled this here, you won’t want it anywhere else. Find them at(401)421-2600.

Wherever you choose to stay or visit, you’ll be looking for a little relaxation at the end of a long day. Providence offers three major TV affiliates. Most locals opt for News Channel 10’s nightly news with everybody’s best friend Gene Valicenti. Frank Terranova’s “Cooking With Class” segments are always fun, and if you wake up to Frank Colletta in the AM, you just might find yourself introjecting broken Italian into your own conversation, regardless of your heritage.

Providence proves to be a city for everyman – and offers multiple opportunities for every interest and income level. Her fine cuisine, and accommodations, and colorful people are sure to please, and her rich history, steeped in tradition, makes her the jewel of the Northeast. Easy access to all forms of public transportation makes this City an ideal vacation site. When planning your next getaway, think smart. Think Providence!