Providence, RI

[liq2]

Heading to Providence, RI in late June and will be looking for a few shopping stops. Is there anything worth checking out while I am there?

[hawkeye]

Thayer and Wickenden Streets are nice spots to walk around, for shopping, there is an urban outfitters and some thrift stores. Federal Hill is a great place for food. The Avon Theater has good movies and midnight showings on Fri/Saturday. RISD's art museum is really nice...

I cant really think of any shopping in Providence now that I think about it...I guess everyone just goes to the mall or Boston.

[mizanation]

hey hawkeye, how do you know so much about providence, man?

p-town is not a great place for shopping. like hawkeye said, most people cop stuff in boston or new york.

providence is a great place to hang out. great bars and places to hear music. lots of cool people to meet.

[liq2]

I had lived there back in the early 90's for a few years so I def remember Thayer. Thanks for the other recommendations. I'm looking forward to getting back in touch with some of the Northeast cuisine, Italian just doesn't taste as good in CA.

[hawkeye]

hey hawkeye, how do you know so much about providence, man?

p-town is not a great place for shopping. like hawkeye said, most people cop stuff in boston or new york.

providence is a great place to hang out. great bars and places to hear music. lots of cool people to meet.

I went to school in RI, I used to valet at the Biltmore Hotel, and spend a lot of time knocking around the city (I actualy just went to visit some friends and go to the Beer Festival)

Great bars is right! I spent a bit of time at the Wickenden Pub and the Trinity Brewhouse the other weekend. My buddy is in a band up there and he was telling me about all the music venues closing down, thats too bad, I know the Safari Lounge will be missed.

If you guys haven't been in a while you will be as surprised as I was to see how far the city has come moving 195, I was impressed. Moving the highway south is going to help bring that part of the city to life, (I hope) also surprising were all the new buildings downtown.

[poly800rock]

I had lived there back in the early 90's for a few years so I def remember Thayer. Thanks for the other recommendations. I'm looking forward to getting back in touch with some of the Northeast cuisine, Italian just doesn't taste as good in CA.

THANK GOD SOMEONE ELSE APPRECIATES THE NORTH SIDE. went to school in the north side, moved to the east side after graduation, hated it, promptly moved back to the north side. the east side has no sense of neighborhood at all. just a bunch of random strangers living in the same area.

here is a list i gave to someone else on this board. I lived up there from 99-05. Don't think too too much has changed since i left, they did expand the biltmore though, getch building as well.

bbq - wes's rib house down on the south side iirc

or sticky fingers which is on the same street as the foxy...forget the name right now.

on mineral spring is polly penta's italian deli. they probably have the most amazing proscuitti special w/ peppers and fresh mozerella in the world. it's right across from macco oil change place. do not leave providence w/o going here

ny system is great for weiners, my ex gf used to love those things. it's on smith street.

chi chi's deli is also amazing. on douglas ave, where douglas meets mineral spring. on the weekends, try the delmonico steak sandwich, it's amazing. but they run out of it, so better if you can pull yourself out of bed by 11AM.

for spoon food....there are a handful of smith street going out of providence towards johnston area.

I'm sure you're already familiar w/ the resturants on the east side...so i didn't bother..

LJ's bbq down hope street towards the continental diner is fucking amazing for weekend brunch. they have this eggs benidict w/ chipotle holidase and pulled pork. It sounds disgusting, but is really amazing...

hope you eat meat..

if you have anymore questions, let me know, i'll try and help you out. That's one of the reasons i left providence, I ran out of places to eat. There are more places outside the providence border...let me know if you get real desperate.

bars...they all suck now since the smoking ban. they all smell like hipster B.O.

I went to school in RI, I used to valet at the Biltmore Hotel, and spend a lot of time knocking around the city (I actualy just went to visit some friends and go to the Beer Festival)

Great bars is right! I spent a bit of time at the Wickenden Pub and the Trinity Brewhouse the other weekend. My buddy is in a band up there and he was telling me about all the music venues closing down, thats too bad, I know the Safari Lounge will be missed.

If you guys haven't been in a while you will be as surprised as I was to see how far the city has come moving 195, I was impressed. Moving the highway south is going to help bring that part of the city to life, (I hope) also surprising were all the new buildings downtown.

one of my favorite stories from college was when my friends and I walked down to safari lounge in the dead of winter from the north side (PC). It was like 10 degerees outside, we got plastered, didn't have enough money for a cab ride back, so we tried to hoof it. Before that at safari though (they didn't card, where in providence does card? we were 18) we were at the bar and were talking to some guy sitting down and he mentions how he has to take a piss. We say go ahead, and look down on the ground, and he's already pissed all over the floor. But back to the story, we tried to make it back, but ended up passing out in the park across from the mall in 10 degree weather. yeah, that sucked.

[mizanation]

yeah, went to school in providence, too. dropped out though.

i also heard that a lot of the music spots have closed down. used to be in a bunch of bands that played around in the city.

i miss providence. when i think about that place, it brings back crazy feelings, man. don't know if i'll ever make it back there, though... maybe one of these days.

poly, that last line is funny.

[poly800rock]

yeah, went to school in providence, too. dropped out though.

i also heard that a lot of the music spots have closed down. used to be in a bunch of bands that played around in the city.

i miss providence. when i think about that place, it brings back crazy feelings, man. don't know if i'll ever make it back there, though... maybe one of these days.

almost all the music venues closed down.

[hawkeye]

almost all the music venues closed down.

As long as the Livingroom is still there I will be happy!

[liq2]

Ah man NY system weiners are the best thing ever.....My parents (born and rased in RI) used to take back to their old spot just outside of Buttonwoods in Warwick. I remember watching my cousins eat 10 at a time. To this day there is nothing close out West. Everyone rants and raves about Pink's in LA, they have no idea. Something about the secret meat suace, clerey salt, onions and mustard that can't be touched.

[poly800rock]

Ah man NY system weiners are the best thing ever.....My parents (born and rased in RI) used to take back to their old spot just outside of Buttonwoods in Warwick. I remember watching my cousins eat 10 at a time. To this day there is nothing close out West. Everyone rants and raves about Pink's in LA, they have no idea. Something about the secret meat suace, clerey salt, onions and mustard that can't be touched.

i start to think the only thing cali has over the east coast is the weather

[mizanation]

yeah, west coast definitely has better weather.

but the extreme weather on the east hardens us, molds us. we adapt, we survive.

i love the east coast. cats here are real. i do like seattle, though.

[Swych]

Lol poly do you have that list stored in My Documents and just copy paste as needed?

I like Downtown providence alot these days. On Westminister Street there's Symposium books that sells out of print/ overstock books up to 40% off (I bought Rem Koolhaas SMLXL for 40). Across the street theres a clothing store that sells Barney's type stuff, think Edun, Rogue's Gallery etc. Theres a jazz/ funk club that I enjoy going to called Tazza that's open every night. All on Westminster street, a stones throw from Trinity Brewhouse.

I also enjoy chilling on the Fox Point bridge alot, that is just a massive iron traintrack now disused- good for a beer in Spring.

I told Poly a while back about this japanese restaurant New Japan for their Salmon. It has sucked a bit since- it was amazing for a two week period. I dunon might be worth a try. My favourite restaurant is still Farmstead on Wayland square though, cheesemongers by day, unpretentious good) frenchish food by night.

[poly800rock]

Lol poly do you have that list stored in My Documents and just copy paste as needed?

in the inbox, was wondering when you'd stick your head in here....

[hawkeye]

It's lunchtime and I am dreaming of East Side Pockets.

[mizanation]

hey, does anyone know if the pancake place, i think on wickendon is still around? they had the best pancakes i've ever had. also, if you could beat the owner in speedchess, he'd pay for your meal.

also, what was that diner that was owned by the really, really old yoda looking guy? they would open really early and i would go in there after partying or an all-nighter studying. the old guy would always lose his shit and scream at his family. best home fries i've ever had.

[isdenn]

hey, does anyone know if the pancake place, i think on wickendon is still around? they had the best pancakes i've ever had. also, if you could beat the owner in speedchess, he'd pay for your meal.

also, what was that diner that was owned by the really, really old yoda looking guy? they would open really early and i would go in there after partying or an all-nighter studying. the old guy would always lose his shit and scream at his family. best home fries i've ever had.

1/ brickway on wickenden... yeah i believe it's still around, but honestly i think their breakfast is overrated...

2/ loui's?

[poly800rock]

1/ brickway on wickenden... yeah i believe it's still around, but honestly i think their breakfast is overrated...

2/ loui's?

brickway is overrated as is loui's as well. that breakfast burritto place is great though, but the guy is like a coffee nazi..used to hassle me all the time.

[mizanation]

^^^ correct on both counts.

brickway's buttermilk pancakes are excellent. but i don't remember the other stuff being any good.

loui's!!!! yeah. is it still around? i remember they were fighting tooth and nail to stay there. is loui still alive? he was a really cool, dude. we would have "conversations" whenever i sat at the counter. actually, he would just ramble non-sensically and i would smile and nod.

[isdenn]

YES bagel gourmet breakfast burritos are king...when i visited prov recently i made sure to get a breakfast burrito w/o meat from there, and some tom yum goong from sawaddee...

loui has been dead for many years if i am not mistaken. i am pretty sure the restaurant is still open, but not 100% sure since i didnt get a chance to stop by. in my opinion that is not the kind of place you go for the food...it's all about the super cheap prices and the early hours.

for anyone living nearby the east side now - have you tried the pho place thats supposedly where asian paradise (retch, vomit, etc) used to be?

[mizanation]

kabob and curry on thayer street was one of my favorite, favorite, favorite places.

[cuddlysheep]

so if you had to move permanently. east or west?????

yeah, west coast definitely has better weather.

but the extreme weather on the east hardens us, molds us. we adapt, we survive.

i love the east coast. cats here are real. i do like seattle, though.

[poly800rock]

YES bagel gourmet breakfast burritos are king...when i visited prov recently i made sure to get a breakfast burrito w/o meat from there, and some tom yum goong from sawaddee...

loui has been dead for many years if i am not mistaken. i am pretty sure the restaurant is still open, but not 100% sure since i didnt get a chance to stop by. in my opinion that is not the kind of place you go for the food...it's all about the super cheap prices and the early hours.

for anyone living nearby the east side now - have you tried the pho place thats supposedly where asian paradise (retch, vomit, etc) used to be?

i spent 7 years in providence and the closest to real pho was down in cranston. decent vietnamese resturant owned by a cambodian family. my goal was to go back to vietnam and learn to make pho and open up an authentic one in providence, but when i was up there last time i saw that asian paradise was closed and a pho joint had opened up. I'm skeptical to say the least. Most pho in rhode island is made from Cambodian recipies that always end up sweeter than the usual. Next time i'm up there, i'll stop by and give a full report.

[mizanation]

i already made my choice. east coast. west coast is fun to visit.

[isdenn]

heres a chowhound thread on the pho place (phonatic)

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/372187

it sounds like it's at least certain to be better than asian paradise was. im mystified as to how that place managed to stay open so long...

[concealed]

i go to college near providence

[Servo2000]

I'll be in providence for six weeks this summer, doing a course at RISD. I'm going to be coming here periodically for advice once I do.

[Swych]

in the inbox, was wondering when you'd stick your head in here....

yeah well i just got out of prov last sunday. am busy moving into new york and paving the way the next stage of life blah blah. I hadn't even noticed a thread on provtown, til i tried to relocate those various ramen threads ^^ (time to move on from pho)

phonatic is opened by the boss of pho paradise on broad street, which is fairly good pho by RI standards (i dont find cranston that much more special... ur thinking pho hon right?). The fried chicken wings there are good, as are the bbq ribs served with rice (sorry i don't know my names/ numbers). if you feel like pho, i wouldn't turn away from phonatic as i did from asian paradise (or Shanghai. bleugh)

and all the talk bout brunch is getting me hungry. the only thing that is really good at brickways is there omelette with corn beef hash, and blueberry muffins. the other stuff i can enjoy elsewhere.

I like nick's on broadway and julian's alot. both are better breakfast places than shit u find in the east side. julian's has pretty good home fries, and offer 4 types. the best is the spinach and blue cheese (which is only midly bluecheesey, but that is the key).

[Swych]

I'll be in providence for six weeks this summer, doing a course at RISD. I'm going to be coming here periodically for advice once I do.

what you doing at RISD? glass by any chance? I hear really great things about that.

[poly800rock]

I'll be in providence for six weeks this summer, doing a course at RISD. I'm going to be coming here periodically for advice once I do.

bring a fake id, or a baseball card, it's usually that easy to get into bars, especially during the summer.

i was thinking of pho hon. i thought it was good for providence standards at least. there are a ton of great places by the beaches. Don't be afraid to venture OUT of the east side. Especially down towards the south side, there are great guatamalean places out there.