The Sidebar
127 Dorrance Street
Providence
by Bob Mariani
The subterranean space at the corner of Dorrance and Pine Streets has been transformed again into yet another downtown Providence restaurant. This one is aptly called The Sidebar. You enter on the side street and go down a flight of stairs into a dim, very "metro" feeling atmosphere. Kind of like a Parisian cellar bistro.
Early on a Tuesday evening, we found a parking spot right out front on Dorrance St. Entering, we were immediately greeted by our lovely young hostess, Heather, and by the inescapable techno-beat on the sound system. The small, convivial bar was well populated with young adults, many of whom seemed to know each other. Thankfully, the throbbing music soon morphed into a more pleasant background sound.
Enthusiastic chef/partner, Chuck Lolli, whom you may remember from the Z Bar on Wickenden St., has given the menu his own personal spin and it’s hard to categorize it. We sampled a number of appetizers and entrées and detected traces of Asian, Italian, French, Mediterranean, and New England influences.
We began with a marvelous spring vegetable soup, a rich orange broth with northern white beans, regiano parmesan cheese and a tiny wedge of fresh Italian bread. Very comforting. The soup was followed by an appetizer of pan-seared salmon that had been artfully brushed with a Thai ginger marinade. The fish, perfectly cooked and running with juices, sat on a bed of wilted spinach, which in turn sat on a bed of grilled Portuguese sweet bread. Sometimes dishes with this many layers get muddled, but chef Lolli balanced them all perfectly. This was a meal in itself, by the way.
Another appetizer was Lolli’s original take on Little Necks Dos Santos. The tiny clams had been simmered in a broth of roasted shallot and tomato wine with little chunks of lobster meat tossed in. At the bottom was a nice helping of pasta al dente and a small garlic crustini.
We also sampled the arrugula salad, a real triumph with dark green arrugula laced with tender grilled scallops, toasted pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes, warm goat cheese, and opa figs. The dressing was a tantalizing mix of tangy rice wine vinaigrette and just a hint of sweet honey.
One of the entrees was a cous cous duck-- rich, dark roasted slices of duck breast and a spicy cous cous accompaniment with a delicious aioli dipping sauce. These were some textures and flavors that went especially well together.
The other entrée we sampled was the Nantucket lobster ravioli. The tender pillows of pasta were stuffed with moist lobster meat and topped with a grilled shrimp and brandy cream sauce that reminded me a little of a great lobster bisque. Hints of basil rounded out this very wholesome tasting dish.
Other entrée items I’d return for are: the slow marinated veal chops topped with provolone and served with a white bean and Italian ham stew ($15); the homemade sun-dried tomato and chicken sausage in a four cheese roasted shallot sauce over potato gnocchi ($14); and the "4-day marinated baked filet" stuffed with prosciutto, mozzerella and fire roasted peppers in a port wine-wild mushroom-veal demi glaze($18).
The desserts are not made on the premises but they tasted as if they were. We had a light, cream-filled "lobster claw" pastry doused with a chocolate-raspberry sauce, and an equally light chocolate brownie, also in a chocolate-raspberry sauce. Both were very satisfying but not too filling.
The Sidebar’s wine list is still under development but there are a few by-the-glass selections. They’ve got a lunch menu geared towards the downtown Providence business crowd with sandwiches, salads and pastas and nothing over $9. And they do Sunday brunch, as well. They’re open for lunch every day and for dinner every day but Monday and Sunday. For more information call 421-7200.
Bob Mariani is a Southeastern New England freelance author. Besides his "Table for Two" restaurant reviews found here, he also writes jazz articles on allaboutjazz.com.
