Julian’s Providence, R.I.

Sean and I had one morning to spend in Providence, RI, which I was excited about because I had never been there, but know they have a pretty phenomenal culinary scene. I did a lot of research looking for “food bloggers Providence”  and similar terms hoping to come up with a “must-eat” list, but was really disappointed with the lack of local bloggers helping someone like me get hip to their food-scene. A few posts and blogs mentioned Julian’s, but I wasn’t really excited about it. I had something else in mind that I wanted to experience for my one and only meal on a Monday late morning/lunch stop.

We were in a time crunch to get back to Sean’s twin sister’s house in MA as he hadn’t seen her in an unacceptable number of years, nor had he met his twin niece and nephew. We couldn’t lollygag all day exploring the city, and our Air BnB room was a few blocks away from Julian’s, which was coincidentally one of the only places open around 11 am on Monday. So, Julian’s it was.

And I’m SO GLAD it was. This place was cool. Very cool. The decor was kind of ridiculous with some dragon-like-serpent hanging from the ceiling and “slithering” throughout the place. But, we were greeted by someone super friendly, seated, and had a great server. So far, so good. And, they’re KISS fans… ?

We started off with a Bloody Mary, one of my all time favorite drinks that I drink all too infrequently. Sean remembered half-way into his that he doesn’t really like them, so I got to finish his when he switched to beer. I definitely took one for the team!

Since I’m going to marry a vegetarian, I’m basically a vegetarian:) But seriously- I had been a strict vegetarian from age 13 to 21, and then was a pescatarian until age 24. I still prefer to eat vegetarian and appreciate restaurants that invite vegetarians to have an enjoyable meal- not just pasta primavera or a seasonal veggie platter as is all too often the case. Julian’s is a place where everyone can find something great.

I ordered the first dish on their Specials board-  a tofu scramble with roasted summer vegetables, shaved radish, fennel, and toast. It was so good I pretty much ate the whole thing despite being full.

This place is a REAL restaurant that makes almost everything in house. You have to appreciate that, especially since they do a wide variety and it seems like they do it all well. Granted, we were just there for one meal. But, everything was spot on. Including Chef Sean’s indulgent meal, an eggs benedict.

I had one bite, but he pretty much licked the platter clean as if he were Jack Sprat eating Swift’s Premium Ham. Did I just lose you there? I grew up with this poster in my kitchen-

Anyway- Julian’s was great. We’re still speaking really highly of it almost two months after our trip (I know, it took me a while to document our food journey). But, I’m pretty sure almost anyone out there will find something enjoyable on their menu. More importantly, I’m pretty sure they’ll do a nice job cooking anything and everything on their menu. It’s a great restaurant and there’s a reason it’s a Providence establishment. Though, I’m still trying to figure out just why anyone lives in Providence in the first place…

Julian’s

318 Broadway, Providence, RI

401.861.1770

 

Bread and Cheese and Mushrooms and Greens

There is, in my and many locals’ opinion, nothing better than a Hazel Dell mushroom. They are quite simply the best mushrooms you can buy around here. They really make a meal.

Now, I don’t eat red meat, so the entire meal was actually a grilled steak topped with a mushroom saute, hon tsai tai, and freshly baked bread with Camembert cheese. I just ate the side dishes…

I sautéed some shiitake and cremini mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. I added a little white wine and let them cook a little before adding a tablespoon or so of dehydrated chopped shallots from Savory Spice Shop. Everything is better when Savory Spice Shop is involved!
And my dinner was: bread and cheese, mushrooms, and greens… but it was perfect for me.

Sautéed Hon Tsai Tai

I must give my thanks to Mark at Ollin Farms for introducing me to Hon Tsai Tai. Since I joined Ollin Farms’ CSA, I have a feeling this summer is going to be one of culinary experimentation with whatever they give me in my weekly share of organic veggies. I’m definitely up for the challenge.
Hon Tsai Tai, however, wasn’t really a challenge. I treated it like broccoli rabe and was pleased with the result. It also went well with some Hazel Dell mushrooms.

I chopped the hon tsai tai into reasonably sized pieces and sautéed them in a little olive oil and chopped garlic for just a few minutes until they softened and turned deep green. Then sprinkled it with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. This was really simple and really good.

Spinach, Rainbow Chard, and Peppers in Coconut Sauce

This was a great side dish to the Grilled Yellow Tail Snapper and Coconut Basmati Rice. All of these ingredients are best when in season.

Ingredients:
  • lots of raw spinach (a colander full)
  • 10 or so whole leaves of rainbow chard
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 5.46 oz. can of coconut milk (undisturbed and minus the cream skimmed off for the fish and rice dishes during this might’s dinner)
  • 1 TB soy sauce
Chop the greens and put them in a dry pan. Start to cook them in the small amount of water left from washing them. When they start to wilt, add the peppers, sliced however you like. Next add the rest of the thick coconut cream and the garlic. Mix this all and let it cook down a little more. Add the soy sauce and the rest of the can of coconut milk. Stir until well combined, remove from heat, and enjoy.

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A Bolder Table is a place where I bookmark my favorite recipes for later along with some occasional musings. It's my personal digital recipe compilation... Let's say it's my cookbook. Thanks for stopping by! -Megan
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