Category Archives: Breakfast

Kitchen

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Tag and Scott Review

Kitchen Restaurant

Kitchen Restaurant

Breakfast just makes us happy! Finding an out-of-the-way place serving scratch cooked morning meals is like discovering our own private eggland oasis!  It’s not surprising that Tag found “Kitchen” – a nondescript one-story building attached to a tenement-type house humbly operating just off Dean Street between Broadway and Westminster. Tag is a culinary wanderer who basks in the glory of his own discoveries.  We hope he never finds the breakfast holy grail because we like to say, it’s not only about the destination, but about the journey too.

Kitchen's Scratch Baked Muffins

Kitchen’s Scratch Baked Muffins

After a brief consultation with owner and chief cook Howard, I anxiously awaited the delivery of the Mexican farm favorite Huevos Rancheros.  In the meantime we decided on a starter sampling of freshly baked muffins. The smell was wafting throughout the rustically furnished, 18-seat dining room where the daily menu board rules each morning.

Kitchen's Daily Menu Board

Kitchen’s Daily Menu Board

When we inquired about the morning muffin choices, Howard replied “only one; ginger orange”.

Thick Cut Bacon

Thick Cut Bacon

He said that he bakes one kind of muffin each day with the freshest ingredients.  Well let me tell you, Kitchen’s one daily muffin was moist, fresh and delicious.  We asked Howard to grill it and he refused – no kidding, he refused!  He said the muffins recently came out of the oven and were too fresh to cut & grill, and would ruin the flavor. This was one of the best muffins I have ever eaten, un-grilled, and naked (no butter).  It was crispy crunchy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside, and the muffin top… well when you see this muffin top, you’ll swear this is where the term was coined.

Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros

El Huevos rancheros se excellently preparado!  The fried eggs on top were thankfully not overcooked. Our saying is that “if the yoke don’t flow, it ain’t a go”!  The tortilla was soft and tasty, and the ingredient deck inside was delicious.

When in Providence, give this cozy and unpretentious place a sample, but be prepared to wait a short time if you don’t get there by 8:00 AM.  Order a muffin while you wait – it’ll be worth the trip!

Tags Toilet Talk:  All I want to say about this unisex “powder room” is you need not be frightened ladies!  Big, roomy, well-appointed with all the “necessities” one needs; and ergonomically comfortable.  One of the selling features of this bathroom was an empty trash can first thing in the morning. If I were a betting man, I would have guessed it would not have been emptied from the day before, “butt” to my surprise, as clean as a whistle with new trash can liner to boot.  I rate this one 4 TP rolls out of 5.

Kitchen |94 Carpenter Street | Providence, RI | Wed-Fri 7:30 am – 1 pm | Sat-Sun 7:30 am – 4 pm

Louis Family Restaurant

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While running errands around Providence one morning, a friend suggested breakfast at Louis Family Restaurant on Brooke Street.  It might have been that I had not attended Brown, or had spent a great deal of time on the East Side, or watched it on Food Network, but on that morning I enthusiastically became a “new” customer!

The diner first opened 63 years ago under the management of Louis Gianfrancesco, then a 25-year-old Italian immigrant.  Loui’s Diner is a mainstay to Brown’s faculty and students, as well as a treasured East Side neighbor in the community.

The diner’s décor and personality is a hodge-podge of retro-hippie-counterculture-non conformist sentiment.  It pays homage to all almost anything that is, or was significant during the diner’s multigenerational operation.

Much of the food is scratch-made with attention to detail. We ordered the Drunk Johnny Omelette, (corned beef hash, onions and cheese) with a side of hash browns and rye toast.  The massive omelette arrived piping hot and loaded with flavor. The rye bread was a standout because it was freshly baked and made with fennel seeds. Unconventional maybe, but a terrific addition just the same!  The hash browns should always be ordered well done at Loui’s because that’s where the flavor comes from.

Upon recommendation, we ordered Loui’s impressive fruit bowl.  It was all freshly cut to order and arranged in a such a meticulous manner that anyone could notice quality and presentation are priorities here.

The pumpkin pancakes might have been worth the trip alone. Seasonal food preparation is an excellent way of keeping standard menu items interesting. My only suggestion is that they should offer “real” maple syrup instead of the traditional high fructose corn syrup with caramel coloring. There might be a need for an upcharge, but many would be willing to pay for it. I think that pumpkin pancakes deserve the respect!                    
I read that Louis was “a man who gave generously and charged little for generations of Brown students and staff.”  Louis died in August 1999, leaving the diner in the care of his six children who make sure the diner maintains the same standards its first founder created. Louis would be proud of the way in which the family is lovingly operating the business and preserving the traditions he held so dear.  Rest in peace Mr. Giafrancesco (1922-1999), the restaurant is in excellent hands.

Louis Family Restaurant 286 Brook Street Providence, RI 02906 401-861-5225

Julian’s Providence

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Scott and Dave’s Breakfast on Broadway!

On a weekend day that beckons you outdoors to enjoy the terrific spring weather, there is nothing like a great breakfast to start off the day. Recently the RhodeCrew has been venturing out of our quaint little towns and heading downtown for some eclectic breakfast fare.  On my way to a restaurant in Providence a few weeks ago I couldn’t help but notice what looked like a line for Springsteen tickets (back in the 80’s) forming around an unpretentious store front on Broadway. There weren’t any large signs that distinguished this place aside from two red neon lit “J”s on the left and right sides of the front windows – welcome to Julian’s.

Julian’s Providence is no stranger to the Providence culinary scene as evidenced by their wall of accolades in the back of the dining area.  At Fork in the Rhode we try very hard to find “off the beaten path” places, and at times it can be challenging in our small state. Sometimes we go against our mission statement and review a place that despite its popularity is too tempting to pass up!

Breakfast this morning was a memorable experience. We went right for the bar so we could see all the action in this open kitchen establishment. Having a super-friendly waitperson like Sam was an extra-special treat. We truly appreciated how very engaging, knowledgeable and passionate he was about Julian’s. Having a proud restaurant staff is one of the keys to the success of the business. When going to a new restaurant, we make every effort to request the “Signature” dish or at least one of the house specialties, and if we wind up just an “order taker,” it really takes away from our experience.  We know it’s only a meal, but we like to get pumped up and excited about the incoming, unique gastronomical encounter!  Sam was quite an ambassador for our first Julian’s experience – and we felt fortunate.

Breakfast for Scott today was from the daily Special’s Board – Chipotle Honey-Grilled Shrimp Benedict with baby spinach, smoked onions over warm cornbread with a scallion hollandaise.  Accompanying this dish was a side of Beer Bratwurst Hash which included white beans, Swiss cheese and caramelized onions. The unique spice profile of the shrimp was so unique that I had to reluctantly share them with another RhodeCrew member because flavors this good must be communal. The poached eggs were cooked perfectly, and it was such a nice change to have it served on a bed of fresh-baked cornbread instead of the usual English muffin. This hash was also another unique treat that we doubt you will find anywhere else.

“We smoke our own salmon,” Sam said, as David ordered the Nova Scotia Benedict faster than you could say “lox.” This beautifully smoked and sliced happiness was carefully laid out across freshly thick-cut Italian bread and topped with two perfectly poached eggs with a smooth and creamy hollandaise blanketing it all. Although a plain potato hash accompanies breakfast, he chose the Bleu Cheese-Spinach specialty hash from the menu. The chef starts with the traditional grilled hash and incorporates the specialty ingredients before browning it on all sides. What a winner of a breakfast this turned out to be!

As we watched unique flights of draft beer being ordered with breakfast, we felt a little left out – so we ordered one (yes it was 9:00 AM…don’t judge). On the recommendation of Sam, our flight included the following:

  1.  Saison Dupont (Belgium), a dry blond beer, with aromas of hops, marked bitterness and a bit flowery in taste. Alcohol content: 6.5% vol.
  2.  B.B.C. Imperial Stout (MA), a rich, smooth and creamy malt stout with hints of chocolate, licorice and coffee. Alcohol content: 8.5% vol.
  3.  Schneider-Brooklyner Hopfen-Weisse (Germany), a deep gold dry hopped Weissbock with a light and sweet aroma. The taste was very smooth with hints of citrus, wheat, and fruit.  Alcohol content: 8.2% vol.
  4.  Hofstetten Saphir Bock (Austria), a cloudy golden-yellow dry-hopped beer with a smooth malt flavor. Slight hints of lemon. Alcohol content: 7.4% vol. 

Julian’s offers 20+ globetrotting drafts (Belgium, U.S., Japan, UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, Scotland, Austria and Norway) from which to sample. In addition their extensive bottled beer, wine and other spirits menu is worthy of your interest.   

It has been said that Julian’s Providence is a Hipster hang-out. The RhodeCrew assigned to this restaurant was curious what that meant exactly, so we looked it up:

Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20’s and 30’s that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter. 

Our response – we wished we hadn’t wasted our time looking it up! If you are in a “subculture” of eaters seeking out a great food and drinks in a very cool looking restaurant with an attentive and educated staff, get over to Julian’s Providence as soon as entirely possible.

We’re not kidding get your shoes on…..we’ll start the car!

  Julian’s Providence 318 Broadway Providence, RI (401) 861- 1770