Fancy (Gourmet) Donuts in Providence

Is it possible to have a fancy donut glut?

Providence is a small town, but somehow we have TWO establishments that create things like a Passion Fruit glazed donut, or Maple Bacon, or Peanut Butter and Jelly. These doughnuts are slightly larger than average, fluffy, sticky and gooey. They are also $3.50 each and up. That means that even a half dozen is going to cost you +$20.00.

PVDonuts was first on the scene and caused a commotion from the start. LONG lines form every morning at 8:30am or earlier and people wait in the winter cold for a chance to purchase crazy donuts at crazy prices. They sell out pretty much every single day.

Now Knead Donuts has opened in the Downtown area. A small, bright, clean space is their home in what will be a sort of Boutique building, modeled after the successful conversion of a former brothel into the Dean Hotel (the same group of designers/investors are involved in the building). Knead is their first street level tenant.

Knead. Get it? Like Need?

Knead has less of a line, so it has that going for it. On a Wednesday morning I was in and out in no time. The place, as I have said, is nice and clean and neat, with lots of white tile everywhere. The donuts all looked pretty good, but I was dismayed that they only offered drip or ice coffee. I was going to drop about $4 on a donut, so I wanted a fancier coffee or espresso-based drink to go along with it.

The donut I got was Brown Butter and Toffee. Toffee is my favorite thing ever, and on a donut I can think of very few other things that I would rather have. I’ve had PVDonuts before as well, and I can say that this donut from Knead — flavor-wise, texture-wise — was on par. The springy, fluffy, brioche-style innards are very light and yet the donut itself is heavy. It is not as large as the brioche donuts from PVDonuts, but it is the same price or maybe a little bit more.

The crumbled topping of toffee bits was nice and a little messy in a good way. The glaze was sort of maple-flavored, brown butter and toffee all mixed together, and had a nice sweetness to it that wasn’t over the top.

The coffee… was just coffee. I love coffee and drink it black, and I can’t say that this was in any way exceptional. It was good, better than serviceable, but next time I think I will skip the coffee, especially if it adds $2.75 to the price tag (I’m guessing here, as I paid in cash and did not get a receipt. Prices were not listed anywhere, either).

And this all brings me to the takeaway. I am a New Englander at heart, which means, I am cheap. I like Allie’s Donuts and the (former) Donut Bazar and even Dunkin Donuts will do in a pinch if I have a craving. I don’t think I need $3.00+ donuts, as delicious as they might be.

One donut and one coffee cost me $6.78

That’s a decent lunch at most places, that’s easily a far better coffee and a bagel with cream cheese at White Electric (or two of their donuts from Supreme Donuts out of MA if you get there early).

I’m sorry, but because of the high ticket price at Knead, and the long lines at PVDonuts, I might just wait it out with any one of the old school donut shops in the area and see if this fancy, expensive donut trend dies down a little bit.

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Old School, non-fancy Donuts

Allie’s Donuts, North Kingston RI
Ma’s Donuts and More, Middletown RI
Donut Bazar, Cranston RI (Retired!)
Sip N Dip, RI and MA
Donut Xpress, Woonsocket RI

And stay tuned for the RI Food Fights #BestDonutRI competition.

Wayland Square Diner (Ruffles)

When it was called Ruffles, I wanted to give it a try, but never did. My wife said she used to go with her grandmother, and that it was exactly the type of place that grandmothers took their grand kids. Its been there for a long time, so long that no one seems to remember anything that was there previously. The Wayland Diner, as it is known now, is also one of a dying breed – it used to be that small diner-style eateries were on every street. Hope Street had one (where Blooming Blossoms is now, we think) and Thayer Street, and more. Now, they are few and far between.

The interior is fresh and newly renovated, but the charm is still there. Vintage tables and a long counter lined with tools are not a new addition, they are the pieces that have been there since the diner opened. I think it is called “authenticity”.

The food is new as well, at least I think so. Lighter in general, but not without the standard diner flourishes of home fries and buttered toast. We ordered off the specials board, as everything else on the menu seemed standard fare. Not that we were complaining, but the chance to try some diner food with a home-cooked twist was too much to pass up.

The place in general was very kid friendly. There were already some kids sitting down inside and out when we got there. The menu had some kid options as well, but since we didn’t know what we’d be getting into, we brought some yogurt for the little girl. Still, she had some of our fruit and some of an extra muffin we got on the side.

I ordered an avocado, mushroom, tomato and onion scramble with home fries and toast. I got an iced coffee on the side. The scramble was very good, and the portion was reasonable. I was actually able to finish it all, including the toast and home fries. It wasn’t greasy or particularly heavy, which was nice. The veggies seemed very fresh and the cheese made itself known but was not overwhelming.

Beth got a bacon and cheese quiche with fruit salad and coffee, and the site I had was pretty rich. I mean, it was a bunch of chopped bacon with eggs and cheese, what did we expect. Still, the portion was reasonable and she was able to finish it as well without feeling over-stuffed.

Because our entrees were satisfying but not over-the-top, we handily finished the grilled blueberry muffin we got on the side, and the little girl had plenty of it as well. By the end of the meal we were pretty full, and took a little stroll around the square.

All in all we’d go back, and make sure to get there on the early side of things. The diner started to get pretty full by 9:30am, but we got there at about 8:45 and were able to take our pick of booths. The service was quick and courteous, and like I mentioned, there are plenty of old favorites on the menu.

Ebisu

Ebisu is a lovely little Japanese joint on the Providene/Cranston line, almost on Park Avenue. I visited once years ago with friends, and meant to take Beth ever since. Alas, I never did… until our wedding anniversary this year.

A small bar off the right seems to be for the regulars. Not a typical Sushi bar, but more of a sports bar feel. To the left is the ample dining room. The decor is simple and has that typical “Asian” flavor, whatever that may mean to you. The food, though, is not like most Japanese.

Shabu Shabu is the dish to order here, and it is served for two people. A steaming pot of dashi is brought to the table and rests on an electric or propane stove to keep just below boiling. There are many flavors of dashi available to complement to set of raw ingredients you get. Much like Korean BBQ where you cook your ingredients to your liking, you cook your food in the hot dashi by swishing it in the broth. The familiar swishing sound is where the dish gets its name – shabu-shabu roughly translates to “swish-swish”.

In addition to Shabu, they have a menu of traditional Japanese delights as well as more dishes that you don’t see often. A set of Roti is available, which is different types of vegetables and meats on skewers and grilled. They also had a Japanese curry, which seemed out of place, but which was fabulous.

The Order:

• Crunchy Brussel Sprouts appetizer
• Yasai Tempura (vegetable) appetizer
• Robata Roti (skewer) of mushroom wrapped in zuchini
• Shabu Shabu: surf and turf mixture with seafood dashi
• Katsu Curry with Chicken (Japanese curry with breaded chicken)

Crispy Brussel Sprouts

The brussel sprouts were a surprise hit. Salty, crispy, with a light soy sauce… they were the Cauliflower 65 of brussel sprouts. We’d got back just to get more of those!

The roti was a nice surprise as well. The one we got, mushrooms and thinly sliced zucchini, were much lighter in flavor and texture than the brussel sprouts. The sauce they came drizzled with was also very tasty and light.

Surf and Turf Shabu Shabu with udon noodles

The surf and turf mixture for the Shabu consisted of octopus, fish balls, salmon balls, white fish, salmon, and scallops for the surf,  and strips of thinly sliced beef for the turf. We got ours with thick udon noodles, but rice and other noodles types are available. Side sauces provided were Goma (sesame) or Ponzu, and while both were delicious, the sesame was a stand out.

The Shabu Shabu was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, even though a “glass half empty” person may whine that if they wanted to cook their own food, they’d have stayed home. I took the larger, thicker vegetables and put them in the dashi right away – the corn, the bok choy, the tofu and the zucchini. The other items cooked pretty fast, depending on your taste. The fish balls take a little longer to get hot in the middle than one might expect, but the thin slices of beef were perfect after only 20 seconds.  The salmon I preferred raw, and the white fish got a quick swish as well. The octopus is touch no matter how you cook it, and, well, its not my favorite anyway. Beth ate most of that. Drinking the broth with the wide spoons was encouraged, and after getting even more flavor from the items we were cooking in it, it was delicious.

Finally, the Japanese curry, another surprise dish. A big piece of chicken (other meats available) was breaded and fried and served amongst a thick and creamy curry sauce that was more like gravy. It was spicy, but not overly so. It was definitely thick and seemed like a dish that fisherman on the Japanese coast would eat during the cold and windy months – something that puts meat on your bones. While most of Japanese cuisine is light, in my mind, this dish was a stark comparison. We’ll keep it in mind for another round, I’m sure, but maybe when the weather gets colder.

Overall, quite a lovely experience. Great service, a great menu, and a unique selection that puts a twist on the classic Japanese sushi house. The Shabu Shabu hot pot experience is great for larger groups, too, and gives the option to share multiple dashi flavors with the table. Highly recommended.

Tacqueria Taconaza

500 Valley Street, Providence RI

You may have passed it a hundred times and not noticed it was there. In an industrial area of Valley Street (which is mostly industrial) in between some used car lots and repair shops there is a set of low buildings that advertise a weekend flea market. In that parking lot, leaning up against the larger buildings is a small shack painted in alternating stripes of white, red and green. An unassuming building in an unassuming location.

Once upon a time the Tacqueria Taconazo was a trailer, but since a seating area has been built around the trailer, it is has more permanent status. You can still tell that there is a trailer in there somewhere, and I find that both fascinating and fantastic. The food is even more fantastic.

The selection is geared towards people who know what they are doing and who may know a bit of Spanish, or at least, know more about Mexican food aside from what they see on the Taco Bell menu. Thankfully, this food is far, far from Americanized fare.

Don’t be shy, though… there is plenty on the menu that will be familiar, even if it is just in name – tacos, burritos, tostadas, empanadas, chimichangas – but there are other items as well, most of which I haven’t tried yet (but they look great) like tortas, gorditos, sopa and pambazos. Any of the menu items also come with various meat options, like the usual chicken, pork, or beef but also carnitas, chicharron (pork skin), lengua (beef tongue), chorizo and, my favorite, campechano, which is a great combination of chicharron, chorizo and beef.

The tacos are small, but cheap, so get more than one. I suggest one each of chicken, pork and beef as a foray into the authentic flavors of the Taconaza. The empanada plate is great, too. But for the money (only $6.75 of it),  you can’t go wrong with the burrito. I get mine with that lovely campechano concoction. It comes with rice, black beans and plenty of cilantro and onions in a loose-fitting wrap. Don’t expect it to eat like its tightly-wrapped brothers and sisters, but expect a lot of flavor and heat. Even if you order it to go, you’ll get a little aluminum satchel of fresh limes and a small container of daily-made pico de gallo and green chili sauce. I pile on the jalepano-laden pico with plenty of lime juice… mmmmm.

In short, give them a try if you are in the area, or, if you are in the mood for mexican and are feeling like something more authentic and down home, definitely seek out the Taconazo.

Mama Kim’s BBQ

The Providence Food Truck scene has exploded over the past year. So many new trucks have come out of the woodwork, it has become hard to keep track of them. (A few ways I have found helpful are the Eat Street iOS/Android app and the @PVDFoodTrucks Twitter list)

Mama Kim’s BBQ is not a newcomer to the scene, however. They have been slinging fresh sliders and Korean specialties to Brown students (mostly) since about 2008 (?). They typically park on Thayer Street between Waterman and George most evenings and are in Kennedy Plaza for most lunches weekdays. Their specialties are great street food like fried dumplings, small sandwiches and “rice sets”, which are their popular meats served as full meals with rice and a side dish.

The Order

As a newbie, I decided to get only a few of their offerings and did some research to figure out which are their best. The slider options I got were two each of their beef bulgolgi and their pork kimchee sliders, served on Portuguese sweet bread. I also got a daily special of theirs, their veggie dumplings, which were deep fried and gooey on the inside.

The pork kimchee slider from Mama Kim's truck

I was very happy with this little meal. It was quick, cheap (under $20!), and ever so tasty. The bulgogi was nice and tender with plenty of sauce and drippings. The overall taste was mild with no heavy spices, just tender and delicious marinated beef. The kimchee sliders were amazing. The spicy kimchee and the juicy, tender pork complimented each other so well, with the toasted sweet rolll… oh man, I should have gotten way more of those. The spice wasn’t overpowering, and I’m not a big fan of kimchee on its own, but this combination is making me hungry for one even as I write this.

I’m really happy with all the new food trucks coming onto the Providence scene, and I hope to try some more. I have a feeling, though, that the kimchee slider is going to be something that I crave from time to time, though…

Ran Zan

Another week of take out, or as we like to call it, Dinner In. This week, we were still wanting some Asian food, and we went with Japanese from Ran Zan on Hope Street.

Providence is lucky to have plenty of options for Asian food in general, and at least five places that I can think of doing Sushi. Ran Zan is a great little place with nice servers, atmosphere, and great, simple food. It’s not full of college kids like Tokyo, and the servers are nice unlike Sakura. The food is great and the prices reasonable.

The Order:

Beef Teriyaki dinner (with soup)
Chicken Yakisoba (with soup)
Tempura Shrimp maki and a Yam roll

The Sushi

We wanted something warm, something cozy, so we ordered dinners. But of course, we couldn’t forsake sushi. While we love tuna and salmon and all sushi, to keep us feeling cozy, we stuck with the cooked rolls. Yam is always a favorite, no matter what mood we are in, and the tempura shrimp was a good complement. I think Ran Zan’s sushi is around the best in Providence, easily on par with Sakura. The couple that owns Ran Zan has been doing this practically all their life, and it shows in their food. Plus, I think I am too old to accept harsh service – it’s just not charming anymore.

Chicken Yakisoba

I don’t think I ever had yakisoba, and I don’t know what I waited so long. No doubt, I can partially blame my sushi obsession – another one of those things that I just have to order, even if there are other things on the menu worth trying. I’m glad I tried this one. The chicken was done well and still moist with some great flavor, and the dish was full of tender vegetables and noodles. I was pleasantly surprised.

The Teriyaki

Teriyaki is one of those things that I remember as a kid. I remember the beef on sticks with pork ribs dyed red and Pu Pu platters… of course, this is nothing like that. This is a serious dinner, the Japanese version of a steak and potatoes dinner: A large portion of steak marinated in a snappy and slightly sweet sauce, cooked medium and served with rice and broccoli. The meat was very tender and the sauce was not too overpowering. While I wouldn’t order it all the time, mainly for its $16 price tag, I was again pleasantly surprised and glad I did. Nothing against the price, I just think I’d be happier with $16 worth of sushi.

The verdict

All in all, a very nice dinner in. We branched out and tried a few things that we wouldn’t normally. I think dishes like the yakisoba would make me try more new things on the menu, and the sushi will always keep me coming back. To a take-out night on the cheap I wouldn’t get the teriyaki again, but I don’t regret a thing.

And even though we wanted to be cozy, we ended up having a few mochi – pounded sticky rice make into a dough-like envelope filled with ice cream… fantastic!