The November issue of RI Monthly is out now, with a look back at nostalgic Rhode Island faces and places that may be gone but never forgotten.
Editor Jamie Coelho joins afternoon host Mareva Lindo to talk about what’s happening in Rhode Island’s dining scene, plus a few restaurants that we’ll never forget.
Interview highlights:
Restaurants that we fondly remember:
Jamie Coelho: One of my personal favorites is the Old Canteen. I celebrated so many family anniversaries and birthdays there. We go into the back history of that restaurant as well as the evolving Thayer Street. As we know, it has changed over the last 30 to 40 years.
Mareva Lindo: I often think about Hunky Dory, which was in downtown Warren and closed a couple of years ago. I loved that place; just exceptional Southern food. I will never forget their hot honey drop biscuits.
St. Charbel in Wakefield:
Coelho: It’s a sister restaurant to Purslane, which is super popular. They found they have such a wait to get into the restaurant for Purslane that they opened and expanded next door. But it’s a different look and feel. It’s more like a cocktail bar with (a) really elevated raw bar and appetizers. So you can get a shellfish tower with some crudo paired with a really delicate and amazing cocktail.
Rollers - a different kind of sports bar:
Coelho: There are a lot of sports bars that have that macho atmosphere. This one is gearing itself more towards families. Families love sports too. You want to watch a football game, a tennis match or any kind of sport; they encourage you to bring the family too. One part of the restaurant is situated as the bar, which is more geared for adults. The other part is more open, and they’ve had games over there like during the U.S. Open, they have tennis matches with a soft ball and racquet. They have board games and the menu is super fun with very casual types of choices from chicken tenders to burgers.
Kingfish in downtown Warren:
Coelho: It’s an amazing new restaurant from the former chef of Bywater, who got a James Beard nomination a couple years ago. He and his partner have opened this great restaurant, and it serves wonderful crudo, oysters and seafood all from Rhode Island waters.
