Mediterraneo
134 Atwells Avenue
Providence
by Bob Mariani
Mediterraneo was reportedly Ex-Mayor Buddy Cianci’s favorite Providence restaurant, before his untimely incarceration, of course. And stars like Alec Baldwin, Danny DeVito , Rhea Perlman, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Steven Tyler have all been spotted at this Federal Hill hot spot. It’s not at all surprising; the ambiance, the service and the food here are all impeccable, verified by the fact that for the third consecutive year, Mediterraneo, has won the prestigious Four Diamond Award, from AAA, the only Rhode Island restaurant to be so recognized.
You’ll see why all the accolades are justified the moment you open the menu and feast your eyes on such classic antipasti as Mozzerella in Carrozza with fresh home-made moz, and stuffed with prosciutto, and breaded, pan-fried basil; or the Gamberi Mediterraneo - shrimp sautéed in a garlic, white wine and sweet-and-hot pepper sauce. I began with a Carpaccio de Manzo: raw beef tenderloin sliced so thin you could almost read The Federal Hill Gazzette through it, topped with crispy fresh arugola, extra large and piquant caper berries, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a drizzle of virgin olive oil, and a few elegantly thin slices of parmingiano-reggiano cheese. The entire dish was so delicious and air-y that I ate it all in about three mouthfuls.
Jan’s appetizer was the marvelous Melanzani della Mamma - a small crock-baked dish of lightly battered sliced eggplant, pan-fried to perfectly delicate tenderness in a San Marzano plum tomato sauce and home-made mozzarella. The red sauce here is one of the best I’ve ever tasted, here or in Italy. There’s a Pasta Menu consisting of ten different classics from Penne al Pesto to Regatoni al Pomodoro e Basiico.
For my main course, I requested the Zuppa de Pesce Mediterraneo and was served a large, piping hot, 2-inch deep bowl of rich red tomato-saffron broth filed with a medley of fresh calamari, king crab meat, sea scallops, mussels, chunks of fresh codfish, littlenecks, shrimp and a small half-lobster half in the shell. The pleasure of this dish is that it is so full of flavors and yet relatively light so you can eat a lot of it without feeling too full.
Jan’s entrée was the hearty Bistecca, a substantial New York Sirloin steak simply grilled with a side of Italian style mashed potatoes. The steak was very tender and yielded its juices at the mere touch of a fork.
These were just two of an extensive entrée list that also included things like Misto Mare Al Forno($16.95)— a baked seafood medley of jumbo shrimp, scallops, and fillet of sole with a crab stuffing; Scaloppine Di Pollo ($15.95) – a combination of chicken breast and jumbo gulf white shrimp, roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts in a lemon-white wine and butter sauce; Filetto Di Maiale ($24.95)— pork tenderloin marinated in honey-Dijon mustard, encrusted with seasoned breadcrumbs, oven roasted and served with a side of apple brandy cream sauce; and Coteoletta Di Vitello Alla Mediterran-eo($24.95)— milk-fed veal cutlet, pan-fried and topped with thinly sliced eggplant, prosciutto and home made mozzarella, baked in a plum tomato sauce.
For dessert we were a little pressed for time and so we shared a light-as-a-cloud tiramisu, cream-filled and with a nice coffee flavored finish.
There’s not much room here to talk about the atmosphere of Mediterraneo, but suffices to say, it’s hip and snazzy enough for Danny DeVito and Mayor Giuliani, without being too cool or pretentious.
On the weekends, Mediterraneo's second level transforms into an upscale Latin and International caffé-discoteca, well known for its outstanding lighting and sound systems and exclusive velvet rope policy…truly the place to be. Mediterraneo’s co-owners, Gianfranco, Nino Marrocco, and Dr. Fabio Potneti are justly proud of their very successful Federal Hill addition.
Winter hours are: November thru April- Friday 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Sunday 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m, Monday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Call 3317760 or visit their
website.Bob Mariani is a Southeastern New England freelance author. Besides his "Your Table is Ready" restaurant reviews found here, he also writes jazz articles on allaboutjazz.com.
