Finding the need to "get out of Dodge" on a whim, I decided to take S and myself away for a night. Where oh where to go? This time of year most places require a two night minimum stay so it needed to be away from the beach and mountains which leaves cities. Boston was pretty pricey, Hartford was too close...so I thought Providence. I am an alum of Johnson and Wales but when I was in college in the mid-80's, you wouldn't walk most parts of downtown without a gaggle of people with you. I had seen Providence in a different light when I was driving all over New England with my kids played travel hockey and I knew that there had been extreme changes. Why not try it? You live once, right?
First things first...where to stay? S and I love boutique hotels. I have had my share of huge hotels through the years of traveling with my kids sports teams and even though I have had good experiences and don't hate them...we prefer trying a "non-chain" situation. Hotel Providence fit the bill. While the address looked familiar to me I couldn't picture where it was and how far it was from my college dorm. It was centrally located to where I had chosen to eat and play so I went for it.
We arrived on Mathewson Street and I realized exactly where I was, Bell Hall! This is partly an old Johnson and Wales dorm located across the narrow street from one of the business school buildings. A rush of old memories came flooding back. When entering the gorgeous lobby of the hotel I was overwhelmed by how beautiful and elegant it all was. We checked in and walked by the entrance to Aspire and the A-Bar with a enticing purple color scheme...we made note to have a few drinks in there later. We took the elevator to the fourth floor. Our room was beyond words. We had not asked for the suite, but that is what we ended up with. Just gorgeous.
We decided to walk around the city and check out "Down City". This area used to be very run down and now it was filled with quaint shops, art galleries and restaurants. Grace Episcopal church is located across the street from the hotel and the bells that chime are beautiful. We sat down to "people watch" in the little park located outside of Aspire. Beautiful Saturday afternoon but I had a surprise for S so we needed to grab the bottle of wine I brought and go for a walk. S was very intrigued to find out what my surprise for him was. As we crossed the bridge over the river and looked down he spotted the gondolas and a big smile crossed his face.
La Gondola provides the experience of a gondola ride in Venice without the stench and the whole sinking city situation. A wonderful gentleman was there to greet us in his striped shirt, while his co-workers prepared our cheese and crackers. He helped us onto the boat, with soft Italian music playing, and opened our wine for us, poured a glass for each and took his rowing position on the back of the boat. Yes. It was a bit cheesy but it was perfect. A great way to see the city as our gondolier gave us a history of the city and the recent renovations. On the way back he even belted out a few songs in Italian himself. It was a great escape for 40 minutes.
Back to reality, we went back to our room to shower, change and relax a bit before dinner. We went down the A-Bar to have a few martinis. Oh boy, I am glad that we did! First I tried the California Hot Tub which had Vodka, Strawberry Puree and Champagne. Not too sweet and just enough bubbles. It was heaven in a glass on a hot summer day.
After finishing two martinis, I figured a good long walk to dinner was a great idea. So we walked the 6 blocks to Ten Prime Steak and Sushi where we were greeted and seated immediately. When I had made my reservation through Open Table, I mentioned that I was a J & W alum and within minutes of being seated we were given some complimentary frites and wonderful aioli. We ordered a half dozen oysters on the half shell, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and slid into our own little world.
We were so full from our beverages and oysters that we decided to split a dinner. With the help of our awesome server David, we decided on the Wagyu Flat Iron Steak and a Lobster Tail. It was the right decision...perfection. Just enough so we could squeeze in a piece of chocolate cheesecake. Chocolate and my last glass of champagne. Life was good.
One night wasn't enough. I wanted to go back and try a restaurant on Federal Hill. The opportunity came on Independence Weekend. Back to Hotel Providence we go. This time we went via Watch Hill, RI. Sitting on the beach until 2pm, I was nice and sunburned. I was exhausted but needed to get that second wind. We had a lovely room in a different part of the hotel this time. We didnt have the suite but we had a great rate so I willing to sacrifice the humungous tub for some savings. More money for food and drink right?
We walked to Federal Hill and as soon as we pass under the Pineapple Arch we can feel the excitement in the air. It was a gorgeous night, all of the cafes had windows open, patios full of people and the smells wafting through the air of garlic, onions and cheeses. I had made reservations at Sienna and was very excited about trying this creative Tuscan restaurant. We were seated immediately in the stylish front dining room at a great two top with views of the street. Our server, Melissa, was professional, attentive but not hovering. As soon as S saw my favorite Sauvignon Blanc on the menu, I knew a bottle would be coming our way. Melissa brought over the Cloudy Bay and kicked off our dinner in a great way.
One of the specials that evening were zucchini blossoms filled with a mixture of goat cheese, marscapone and fresh herbs, lightly fried in an egg batter and served with a dusting of freshly grated cheese. I was very excited to try them and they did not disappoint. They were pillows of heaven. I heard angels singing as I swallowed the first bite and then I realized it was just a baby cooing a few tables over but still they were awesome.
For our main dishes S decided to go with seafood while I wanted to try pasta. He ordered the Arogosta Cioppino which has lobster in the shell, mussels, calamari, little necks, swordfish and scallops in a lightly spiced tomato broth over a crostini topped with fried onions. I was lucky enough to steal a bite and it melted on my tongue.
I chose the Scioffani alla Norcini which translates to large pasta tubes with ground sausage, porcini mushrooms in a white truffle oil brandy cream sauce.
The smells at our table were intoxicating. The first bite, i believe was similar to the scene from when Harry Met Sally. I actually started moaning out loud. I took another sip of Cloudy Bay, sat back and took a deep breath before I took another bite. We agreed that this was one of the best meals we had ever shared.
We continued to enjoy our meal until I couldn't take another bite and he licked his plate clean. We thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience and we will be returning to Siena.
We ended our evening by attending Waterfire. It was amazing and wonderful to see so many people out and about on this lovely July evening. My pictures don't do this justice but it was really a cool event. Something everyone should see once.
