Where will you eat next? Here are some great options!

If you are from Northern Rhode Island, chances are you’ve eaten at Blackie’s Bull Dog Tavern.  If you’re not from Northern Rhode Island, you’ve probably heard about this laid-back pub with a from-scratch menu and lively crowd.  Well, your friends at Providence Eats had enough of hearing about how amazing Blackie’s is and decided to take the 20 minute drive to Smithfield to indulge ourselves.  It was VERY well worth it.

For a Wednesday evening, we were surprised when we pulled in to find the parking lot almost full.  We were instantly greeted by Nicole Palumbo, Brand Manager and Jeanine Iannucci, General Manager and Co-Owner.   These ladies were warm, friendly and passionate about their pub.

Jeanine describes her opening of Blackie’s as “fate”.  With an extensive background in furniture sales, she never pictured herself in the food industry.  She loved to cook – and people loved to eat her cooking.  And so, it was one of her pizzas that encouraged a colleague to ask her to manage an upscale, fine dining restaurant he was opening in Smithfield.  She had no experience in the restaurant business, and her close-knit, Italian family called her crazy, but she felt as though she needed to accept the offer.  Jeanine took a chance and became the General Manager of Rocco Italian Osteria.

However, the Osteria closed it’s doors in 2010 – it was not placed in the right location to achieve great success.  Jeanine was devastated until three months later, the owner came to her and said, “We’re opening a tavern.  You have three months to do it.”  Challenge accepted.

But the challenge was difficult.  It was hard to find a chef, which forced the kitchen to rely on frozen, simple foods.  The tavern wasn’t what the original owners had planned for, and they were considering closing the doors.  The arrival of Angie Armenise’s resume was, again, fate.

Angie began her career in the Chicago restaurant industry at age 15, starting from the bottom and working her way up tirelessly.   She moved to Rhode Island to receive her education at Johnson & Wales, where she soaked up every drop of education and experience she could.  During her freshman year, she was promoted to Executive Chef at a well-known Rhode Island dining establishment, was working toward her culinary degree, and was stressed beyond belief.  However, it would soon all be worth it as she graduated the top of her class and went on to open four more restaurants with the company, eventually becoming their Corporate Chef overseeing all 7 establishments.

After eleven years in her position, Angie switched paths and began working at a University.  However, she still felt a calling for something more.  It was around this time when she sent Jeanine her resume on a whim.  They met, an offer was made, she accepted.  Now the true challenge awaited: saving Blackie’s Bull Dog tavern.

After a month of working together, Jeanine asked Angie to buy Blackie’s with her.  This December will mark their 6 year anniversary of ownership.  Their success comes from a simple fact: they care.  Every plate, every encounter, every drink presentation – all the details are thought out with care and creativity.  These women had a vision six years ago and its safe to say they have achieved it, but continue their great success because they don’t get lazy.  There are no short cuts for them.

So there’s the story of Blackie’s.  It will help you appreciate the experience even more when you visit.  But now its time to talk food!

The bar area and dining room were completely filled.  We had a table waiting for us with one of the most helpful, cheerful waitresses we’ve had in a while – thanks, Steph!  We were taken back by how easy Blackie’s made eating healthy, with a regular menu, a gluten-free menu, and a paleo menu.  Each menu had an assortment of classic pub appetizers along with unique items we’ve never heard of, burgers on burgers and sandwiches on sandwiches, entrees and gourmet plates, and more.  It took us quite a while to make our choices, but we did so with some recommendations from Steph.

Since their new Fall/Winter menu had just debuted, I decided to get some seasonal cocktails.  I ordered a “Cranberry Margarita” (pictured below, left), which was suggested by our waitress: Cazadores Tequilla, cranberry juice, house made sour mix, and cranberry jam.  It was sweet and delicious! I then ordered the “Original Cinn” (pictured below, right): Diplomatica Reserve rum, Harvest simple, Jaswell’s Farm apple cider, fresh lemon and a cinnamon stick.  It was the perfect fall drink.  Their cocktail and beer list was impressive!

For appetizers, we were very torn – their sharable plates ALL sounded amazing.  We ordered the Buffalo Chicken Dip – Holy HOT! It was amazing and the portion was huge, so I even got to take some home.  We also ordered the Cheeseburger Rangoons…yes, you heard me right.  I cannot rave about the flavor of these enough.  I haven’t stopped thinking about them! Consider these to be one perfect bite of a cheeseburger, fries, ketchup, mustard, pickles, tomato, lettuce, crispy wonton and special sauce.  Amazing.

Like everyone else, I spend hours each day scrolling through Instagram.  I love seeing the pictures of cute dogs, the tropical vacation pics, the mirror selfies – but what I love seeing the most is delicious food (obviously).  In fact, when I scroll through our feed on Insta, it is almost entirely food pics.  Of course, we designed it that way!  We’re used to seeing amazing plates on the gram that make our stomachs’ growl.  But every once in a while, I’ll stop my scrolling because one food pic looks too good to be true.  And that’s how I discovered The Vig.

The Vig is a premier sports bar and restaurant specializing in upscale American comfort food and hand crafted cocktails.  Located inside the Hilton next to the Dunkin Donuts Center, its in the perfect location for dinner in the city, drinks after dinner on The Hill, or celebrations after a game or concert at the Dunk. 

The inside of the Vig makes it one of the most unique places in Providence right now.  As soon as you walk in, you feel as though you’re in a 1950’s elite, upscale sports bar about to place a bet with the local bookie.  The interior is gorgeous, and the bar chairs are the comfiest you’ve ever sat in – no stools here.  Inside the dining room, “The Cheater’s Den”, hang pictures of the sports industry’s most infamous figures: steroid users, sore losers, fighters, gamblers, gangsters and more.  The Vig glorifies these dirty players in a lighthearted, entertaining way that is very fitting for Providence and its history.

Right of the bat, we knew we found a new PVD gem when we first saw their cocktail menu.  These drinks were not typical, ordinary or dull; each had a mixture of many ingredients that came together beautifully.  Take a look at some of our favorites.

And now let’s cut to what really matters – the food.  Chef Guy Charles turns bar classics into gourmet specials, with ALL items made right in house.  For example, the Bacon Caramel Popcorn and homemade Potato Chip & Onion Dip put an amazing spin on some simple snacks and made them out.of.this.WORLD!  I could not stop snacking.

Next up, we had the Little Boy Blue Cheese Plate.  When General Manager Don Poissant recommended this, we were both a bit weary because we’re not fans of blue cheese.  However, he assured this was no ordinary blue cheese.  We gave it a shot and he was so right.  The exceptional thing about this cheeseboard is the portion of cheese they give you for such a reasonable price.  Also, the fig jam was so tasty.

Being the foodies that we are, we decided to split three entrees: The Duck Confit Grilled Cheese with red onion marmalade,brie & pullman toast (the picture from Instagram that inspired us to come dine here); The Vig Bacon Double Cheeseburger with brown sugar bacon (unreal), pickles made in house, bourbon onions, secret toast on a brioche bun, and; The Bookmaker’s Toast – six ounce filet mignon on a garlic crostini with caramelized onions, mushrooms and a sunny side egg.  The funny thing about the Bookmaker’s Toast is that it’s inspired by an old infamous bookie on The Hill who would always order his steak on a piece of toast and topped with an egg.  Well, it certainly worked for us too.  PS – the fries were TO DIE for.

This food was so good.  The Duck Confit Grilled Cheese lived up to all the hype; the burger was the best we’ve had in a while; and the Bookermaker’s Toast was unbelievable.  Guys, you need to eat here.  Okay, ON TO DESSERT!  We indulged in the Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream Sandwiches, the Salted Caramel Crème Brûlée, and the White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie.  We’ve never seen a sports bar do dessert like these guys.

Overall, our experience here was unforgettable.  PDR Inc. (The owner of The Vig, and also Public and Centro) and their team have done such an incredible job with the theme and ambiance of The Vig, and Executive Chef Guy Charles took “bar food” to a whole new level.  We would suggest this bar for anyone that’s over the average bar to watch the game, to anyone looking for a new place in the city to get drinks, and to anyone looking for amazing food – The Vig really has something for everyone.

Cheers!

The Simple Greek – Simply Delicious!

73 Highland Ave., East Providence, RI

Running out of lunch options?  Sick of the same 12:30 salad, sandwich or last night’s leftovers?  Well, we’ve got good news for you.

The Simple Greek, a new, one of a kind Greek restaurant has opened its doors in East Providence, right next door to Ichigo Ichie, IHOP and Moe’s Grille, off of Highland Ave, and, it’s OUT OF THIS WORLD.

Not sure if you like Greek food?  No problem at all.  The Simple Greek’s amazing staff will walk you through the entire menu from step 1 to step “what dressing would you like to top this off?”  Wrap, bowl, salad –  the options are endless.  Not to mention, everything is cooked in-house with all natural ingredients, so you won’t leave feeling heavy and weighed down – rather, pleasantly full and ready to take on the next part of your day.

The toppings here are endless.  Rice, mixed greens, lentils.  And, then you have your meats – chicken, lamb, or steak; each marinated to perfection.  Oh, and the veggies! Can’t forget the veggies – so . many . veggies!  The green beans were our FAVORITE!  The greek yogurt-based sauces completed the meal with a perfect touch.

The Simple Greek is also a great dinner option, and the desserts are out of this world!  You won’t have to feel guilty about confectionary hankerings, either.  These Greek Gods know just how to fulfill your sweet tooth without throwing your health kick for a loop.  It’s true.  We tried the Greek yogurt and rice pudding – both made with whole milk, no heavy cream!  And – the verdict – drumroll please… delicious!

So, whether you want a quick lunch, an easy dinner, or just a mid-afternoon snack (because, hey, why not?!), The Simple Greek is waiting for you with open arms.  So, why not give it a try?  You might learn that Greek food is actually one of your favorite cuisines.  We sure did.