Category Archives: Tavern

Dave’s Bar & Grill

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Don’s Review – Spirits in the Rhode

Sixty micros on tap! Where? At Dave’s Bar & Grill on Post Road in Warwick, that’s where.

We were looking to try something from Stone Brewing Co., and discovered that Dave’s Bar & Grill had the goods. We were pleasantly surprised by the diverse offering of micros that Dave’s has on tap which included some terrific selections from all over the country.  Stone Brewing Co., out of Escondido, is the largest brewery in Southern California. They have been awarded Beer Advocate’s “Best Brewery All Time Ever” award twice, so this must be some serious stuff!

Mike, who was bartending when we arrived at Dave’s Bar & Grill, happily gave us a rundown of the three varieties of Stone on tap. First up was the Levitation Ale. This beer had a subtly sweet floral aroma and upfront taste, with a mild hoppy bite that finished crisp. Although malty, it was well-balanced, with hints of citrus. Very nice, and at 4.4% ABV, you could drink this one all evening.

Next up was the Arrogant Bastard Ale which Stone writes, “This is an aggressive ale. You probably won’t like it!” However, it was delicious and not surprising, this is one of Stone’s more popular beers (Be careful with this one at 7.2% ABV, it will sneak up on you!).

Rounding out the trio of Stone beers, we tried the Russian Imperial Stout . This one is a monster! It’s sweet and malty with the aroma of coffee, and has a somewhat syrupy consistency. At 10.5% ABV, you can definitely taste the alcohol, and it’ll warm your bones on a chilly pre-Spring evening! If you are a stout lover, give this a shot.

After thoroughly enjoying each elixir by Stone, and mesmerized by all these taps of beer, we figured we would each do a “flight”- which is a sampling of your choice of 4 beers served in 4 oz. glasses housed in a cool little wooden rack. Working the bar now was Josh, originally hails from Minnesota (don’t ya know) but is now a full-fledged Rhode Islanda (as evidenced by his wicked forearm Anchor tattoo). He highly recommended the Triple Black IPA 8.7%ABV by Victory Glory, and man was he was right. This micro rocked. It was malty, spicy and very well-balanced – an excellent example of this very popular style of beer.

Another impressive beer was the Double Mocha Porter  8.2%ABV by Rogue. I’ve been really diggin’ coffee beers this year! The chocolate really comes through on this one.

Dave’s Bar & Grill is a score. Their beer selection is an international adventure, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the craft micro menu is reasonably priced. Most micros are $5/pint and a flight is $6.50. Check ‘em out!

Dave’s Bar & Grill 2339 Post Rd. Warwick, RI 02886 401-739-7444

The Abbey

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Chris’s Review

The cuisine in the good ole’ USA often gets the proverbial “black-eye” from our international counterparts. In comparison to French and Italian cooking methods, American fare is often criticized for being uninspired. As Americans however, we can be enthusiastically proud that the humble hamburger has found an everlasting home in the U.S. – with a very loyal and loving family. We can dress that hamburger up for any event and it’ll be the envy of every diner. Let’s see the French serve a foie gras to celebrate the West Warwick Fireman’s Retirement Dinner!

As I have gotten older and grown (in many ways), my burger preferences continued to evolve. Originally, I was a strictly plain cheeseburger-with-ketchup kind of guy, and then in college an epiphany struck, and “chili” on a hamburger lit my culinary path for the next four years. Upon a move back to “The Rhode” in 2000 with my fiancé, it became apparent that my beloved Chiliburgers were no longer as exciting as I once remembered. Recently, I ventured off to a place that satisfied my craving for high-quality creatively prepared burgers.

“The Abbey” on Admiral Street in Providence offers up an exciting variety of 10 oz. burgers as well as an impressive 92 beers –  need I say anymore? Don’t answer that because I have much more to say about this burger Taj Mahal. While at work, I decided to ask my colleague Jeff to join me for “Operation Burger Feast.” After looking at the extensive listing of burgers, we agreed on two burgers for which to split. With the first one, we went relatively safe with the Smokey BBQ Burger (Bacon, Cheddar Cheese and homemade BBQ sauce). Initially we needed to try a burger that was familiar and knew would excellent. With only three toppings, the quality and juiciness of the hand pattied beef was on full display. The Smokey BBQ Burger delivered on every level, and could have given any other BBQ cheeseburger a run for its money.

Our second burger choice was not for the cardiac challenged.  It was designed for a hung-over college student, or at least a chemically enhanced one with the munchies.  Although we were neither of them, it didn’t matter because on this hungry afternoon we were busy pillaging our digestive systems with the “Hair-of- the-Dog That Bit You” burger. It of the most adventurous and rewarding culinary choices I have ever made. This monstrosity contained 10 ounces of beef topped with American cheese, two strips of bacon, a sausage patty, grilled onions and a sunny-side up fried egg. With the delivery of this carnivorous delight, Jeff and I gave each other a brief look of amazement before diving into it.  Everything about this burger worked like a symphony.  The country sausage was the surprising star because of the peppery flavor that came through extremely well in the beef. The perfectly runny egg yolk provided additional moisture and mild flavor which allowed the crisp bacon, onion, and beef to stand out. The freshly toasted roll stood up well to the challenge in keeping this oversized masterpiece together. Jeff and I were so glad that we ate out of our comfort zone because we were treated to a memorable combination of deliciousness.

Not to be forgotten were the Abbey’s fresh-cut shoestring fries.  They were perfectly crisp with a strong potato flavor and some of the best fries I’ve eaten. With 92 beers from which to choose, the options for a belly wash-down were gut busting. The Abbey delivered one great burger at an unbelievable value. At the end of our meal, we discovered that their burgers were half-priced Monday thru Thursday during lunch service only. The Abbey was a pleasant surprise and I can’t wait to work my way through the rest of their menu. God Bless America!!

The Abbey 686 Admiral Street Providence, RI 02908-1442 (401)351-4346

Ralph’s Bull and Claw Tavern

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Chris’s Review

If you ask twenty-five people about their favorite Italian Restaurant in Rhode Island, chances are you will receive just as many answers in return.  That simply means that there is a boat-load of gastronomically pleasing choices in RI that can transport you to that boot on the Mediterranean.  The challenge for the RhodeCrew, as always, is to highlight off-the-beaten-path places that serve great food in the Ocean State.  We hope that our experiences will encourage friends and families to trek to these special privately owned establishments. Our hunger for a great Italian meal leads us to an “Old School” tavern in North Providence.

Several years ago, Ralph’s Bull & Claw Tavern caught my attention while on a journey to the old Pinelli’s North End Café on Charles Street in North Providence.  It was hard to miss the colorful sign and green awning in front.  My parents had mentioned that one of our family friends Joe used to frequent the place and had said that the food was excellent.

Ralph's Bull and Claw Tavern

Joe was an Italian-American man who owned a barbershop in Walpole, Ma.  He had a larger than life personality and loved the Yankees, the game of golf, and busting my “Red Sox-loving” chops. I deeply respected his opinion when it came to Italian food.  His place was the number-one hot spot on my Christmas day house hopping tour!  He always had a great spread of food that included sausage and peppers, antipasto, meatballs and one of the best homemade Bloody Marys around?  Always the life of the party and a generous host, we lost Joe two days before Christmas last year.  I have been thinking about him a lot lately, so when the opportunity presented itself to refer a restaurant to my fellow ‘Crew members, I chose Ralph’s.  Thankfully, my suggestion was both welcomed and accepted.

Ralph's Bull and Claw Tavern

We arrived at Ralph’s Bull & Claw Tavern just as it was opening on a Sunday at 12:30 PM.  If this place were a sports jersey, it would have definitely been a throwback – perhaps the old high socks and short-shorts of the Larry Bird era Celtics.  The décor of dark paneling, wall to wall carpeting and a Ms. Pac-Man machine in the bar area is something right out of “That 70’s Show.”  However, Wi-Fi, flavored vodkas and fancy lighting is not a requirement in order to offer up delicious cuisine.

As we typically do, we collaborated on the menu and came up with an attack plan.  We decided  on several entrées for which to share.  Sharing allows us to form opinions on all table dishes and make some decisions on the overall menu.  Any good Italian would agree that beginning a meal without fresh bread is like a day without sunshine!

Ralph's Stuffed Quahog

The waitress brought us a steaming hot and crusty bread boulé which helped start the meal off in the right direction. She also recommended the Stuffies (Stuffed Quahogs for you non-New Englanders!) as an appetizer.  We graciously accepted her advice and were off on our culinary escapade.  The Stuffies ($3 each) were outstanding.  They had a crispy, Panko-like exterior and a moist interior filled with large chopped clams, onion, celery and a spicy breading.  These would stand up to any stuffed clam in RI.

Bracciole & Gnocchi Pizzaiola

For our first entrée, we selected the Bracciole & Gnocchi Pizzaiola $16 (pronounced bra’zhul). The Braciole at Ralph’s consists of thin slices of beef rolled with a filling of spinach, mozzarella and Romano cheeses, and house-made ricotta gnocchi – in a rich tomato ragout.  This dish was exceptional on every level.  The ricotta gnocchi was firmer than a traditional potato Gnocchi, yet tender and flavorful.  The Bracciole was slow cooked to perfection and worked well with the hearty, intense ragout.  The melted mozzarella spread out throughout the sauce and the generous portion size was an added bonus

Veal Stella Di Mare

Our second choice was a veal dish that may go down as one of the best veal dishes I have tasted, Veal Stella Di Mare $22.  A breaded veal cutlet stuffed with Mozzarella and Prosciutto would generally be tasty enough, but at Ralph’s Bull & Claw Tavern, they go the extra mile and top it with shrimp and a lobster cream sauce.  As rich as it sounds, the veal was light in texture and not overly fried.  The sauce was smooth like Lobster Bisque, but mild enough to allow the flavor of the prosciutto and veal to shine through.  I would recommend this dish to anyone with a love for veal.

Finally, we all agreed that we wanted to savor a traditional Italian specialty so we decided on the classic Meatball Grinder with Provolone topped with the house-made marinara.  Like the previous two dishes, the meatballs did not disappoint.  They were moist and flavorful with a hint of crushed red pepper.  The bright red marinara was freshly prepared with a sweet and savory flavor that worked well with the spice profile of the meatballs.  The roll was freshly baked and held all components together nicely.

Ralph’s Bull & Claw Tavern will see us again! We are grateful for the opportunity to try these less celebrated places and discover how good food can be in Rhode Island’s diverse communities and neighborhoods.   Boston’s North End is noted as the Mecca for Italian Cuisine in New England, but I’ll take RI and the Greater Providence area for my Italian fix any day of the week.  CIAO!!

1027 Charles Street, North Providence, RI 02904 • Tel: (401) 722-2624 • Fax: (401) 728-0231