Moda
525 South Water St.
Providence
by Bob Mariani
Where there used to be Grappa, now there is Moda. The once hip- and-happnen’ riverside bistro named after a rustic Italian drink has been replaced by a very chic new restaurant aptly named Moda, the Italian/Spanish/Portuguese word for "style." With black quilted walls, spare, understated tables and chairs, and a delicious sunset view of the Providence River, Moda lives up to its name beautifully. And its menu is equally stylish with what Chef Jules Ramos calls "Progressive American" cooking.
Chef Romas, formerly of Mills Tavern, has a fresh, "progressive" take on just about everything. His appetizers for instance include items like tropical scallop carpaccio with spicy coconut dressing, and a duck confit spring roll with asparagus and an orange sesame dressing.
For starters we ordered the black mission figs. These sensuous, early autumn fruits were aptly paired with paper-thin slices of Serrano ham (much like prosciutto but a bit milder), doused lightly with honey and citrus essence and served with a parmesan crisp. This dish proved to be a wonderful blending of flavors and a nice light way to begin a meal.
We also tried the hazelnut duck French toast. This is one of those over-the-top appetizers that I could happily devour as a full meal. Over a piece of Portuguese sweetbread cooked in egg batter, the perfectly tender slices of medium-rare duck were topped with a dollop of creamy foie gras mousse and garnished with sweet little tidbits of Lincoln rhubarb and a few well-placed hazlenuts.
The Moda entrée s are equally hard to categorize. Each dish seems to mingle culinary cultures to stunning effect. To wit: Statler chicken breast grilled and roasted with a cilantro-yuca puree served with succotash of peas, corn and edamame; a palate of grilled spring vegetables with capers, extra virgin olive oil and three sauces; or grilled Kurobuta pork with roasted angu and "robust fungus vinaigrette."
We had the pomme puree, two large lamb chops on the bone, scented with an exotic "berbere" sauce and accompanied by chive pomme pure’, and a truly wonderful rosemary-fig chutney.
Our other entrée was a truly superb, "progressive" version of Shrimp "Scampi." Flat ribbons of house-made tagliatelle pasta were nested in a bowl of light red sauce infused with truffle flavor. Mixed in were bits of fresh tomato and basil to produce one of the best versions I’ve ever tasted of this classic dish.
Chef Ramos’s creations are not so much meant to dazzle as they are to help you mix familiar flavors in new and interesting ways. There were no "experiments" here that we sampled, and the entire menu looks very well-thought out with things like cane sugar caramelized salmon; grilled prime sirloin with shoestring potatoes, asparagus and tangerine chimichurri; Miso glazed tuna; and grilled Kurobuta pork. There are numerous Asian influences, but all mingled with other unexpected flavors.
For dessert, my wife had the house-made warm chocolate valrhona cake, as rich and naughty as chocolate can get, accompanied by a scoop of wonderfully intense espresso ice cream. I had the light and stimulating Hawaiian pineapple carpacciao—very thin slices of fresh, sugary pineapple topped with a scoop of coconut sorbet and finished with a citrus-y lime ice and pina colada sauce.
There is also a "chef’s table" for four at Moda, right in the kitchen where with about 24 hours notice, you’ll be treated to a multi-course meal fully orchestrated by Ramos himself. There’s an equally chic cocktail lounge and on summer evenings a deck where you can also dine from the same upstairs menu. Moda is open for dinner every night except Sunday. Reservations are accepted at 331 2288 and there is valet parking.
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.
