Just because a reputable restaurant has long been entrenched
in Providence’s dining scene for several years doesn’t automatically make it a
fine dining destination. You see, fine dining, in this reviewer’s humble
opinion, comes down to two simple factors: the quality of an establishment’s
cuisine, but of equal importance, the level of service that one receives. Café Nuovo
- a restaurant located in downtown Providence (in the Citizens Plaza building)
that is well-regarded for both its global cuisine (the ambitious, fusion-like
menu boasts American, European, Asian, and Island-influenced dishes) and its
romantic waterfront dining, checks off on the former but, unfortunately,
miserably fails on the latter.
First,
let’s begin with the good news. On the whole, the majority of the cuisine
emanating from the restaurant’s kitchen strike just the right notes. Take, for
instance, a marvelously crispy thin-crust pizza ($18), simply prepared with
garlic and evoo which accentuate the sweetness of shaved red onions that cut
against the sweetness of thinly-sliced pieces of prosciutto. The dish manages
to be hearty yet light, a marvel of a dish that so delighted our table that my
wife and I decided to re-create the recipe the very next evening in our
kitchen, calories be damned. Less successful was a disappointing dish of calamari
+ shrimp ($15), both types of fish fried and breaded with such heavy-handedness
that I could honestly not distinguish between the two. Not only was the
accompanying trio of condiments (a marinara-like Pomodoro sauce, banana-pepper
relish, and spicy remoulade) bland in flavor but were served in small dishes
for which we did not receive spoons for application.
Entrees
were strong, including a short rib ravioli ($27) packed with flavorful meat,
although the short rib apparently wanted to roam freely outside of the pasta
and its ricotta interior, which made for slightly challenging consumption. One
dining companion swooned over her risotto with jumbo lump crab ($29), a
sentiment that I shared over a dish also packed with generous pieces of seafood
including littlenecks, shrimp, and scallop. For non-meat lovers, a vegetarian
orrechiette ($25) definitely hit the spot, chalk full of artichoke valoute,
sugar snap peas, fava beans, tomatoes, pearl onions, and oyster mushrooms. The
dish of the night, however, was unquestionably the stuffed rigatoni ($28), a
majestic tower of perfectly cooked al dente pasta that somehow stands upright,
with each tube miraculously infused with pieces of veal, prosciutto,
mozzarella, and portabello, and topped with a rich portabello-madeira sauce.
It’s decadent and irresistible – calories, once again, be damned.
Speaking
of decadent, Café Nuovo’s desserts are a fine culinary conclusion to our meal.
While a gooey chocolate-peanut butter sundae (including a house made peanut
butter cookie) impresses, it’s the Pot of Mousse that is literally and
figuratively the eye-candy that leaves its impression on the table. Set atop of
raspberry and mango sauces resembling the Waterfire event that the outdoor
piazza often overlooks in summertime, creamy dark and white chocolate mousse
and cappuccino tartufo are enveloped in a chocolate pot, whose exterior bears
the restaurant’s handwritten insignia while a little chocolate handle adorns
the top of the dish. It’s grand viewing pleasure without being pretentious, and
more importantly, it’s delicious.
Now
onto the bad news, which hinged on our service, or complete lack thereof. Our
server’s name was Richard, which we only managed to garner by way of our bill,
as he never formally introduced himself to us. Richard packed it in from the
moment we were seated by the General Manager. Shall I count the ways? Neither
one smile nor one recommendation throughout the evening. Unless of course, one
considers “Six of one dozen…” when asked to compare two Pinot Noirs, or “That
guy over there seemed to enjoy this type of drink” when I clearly inquired
about an altogether different type of cocktail. Unbearable stretches where water
glasses went unfilled, wine lists weren’t provided, bread baskets never arrived
(resorting to us asking a busboy to bring this to our table). Wrong drinks
brought to the table. Wrong meals brought to the table (more on that later).
Rudely pulling aside more seasoned waiters (even when reciting specials) with
questions he was unequipped to answer. As for our final bill, it was
overcharged by $55, stemming from the aforementioned two incorrect meals. “Oh,
I knew that could have been a problem on the bill,” he coldly replied. You
didn’t bother to check the bill before you set it on our table? Richard, poor
Richard, how you have managed to completely sabotage our meal.
In
spite of Café Nuovo’s often inspired cuisine, it pains me to implore readers to
seek far better alternatives in Providence for fine dining. For a $200-plus
bill, one expects polished service. Instead of an informed, personable,
attentive server, we were left with poor Richard, whose motto was clearly ‘Service
be damned.’
