While we were exploring Providence, we found this lovely Italian restaurant. We got there shortly after they opened for lunch, so were one of the first few customers of the day. They care about the ingredients they use in their dishes, some items like Mozzarella, Burrata and Prosciutti are imported from Italy. Most of their ingredients are locally grown organic products, always nice to see a restaurant that supports the local farms.
The inside was large, open floor, simple yet elegant. The large windows facing the street opens up, making the outdoor and indoor seating to become one. It was really nice, especially on a prefect weather kind of day. I liked the simple wooden furniture, mixed with a few bright yellow chairs, giving a fun pop of color.
They brought us some complimentary bread with an eggplant spread. I thought that was pretty cool, not like the usual butter with bread. The eggplant spread was so good, addictive and tasty!
For main, we all ordered from their Pasta menu. The first one was Garganelli alla Bolognese ($16) with Veal and Beef Ragu, and Ricotta Cheese. The portion was not big, but a decent size. The pasta was cooked just right, with a generous amount of ragu. Ricotta Cheese cut down on the strong ragu flavor, making it a bit softer. It was a great comfort food with high quality ingredients.
Second one was Spaghetti alla Carbonara ($15) with Guanciale, Raw Farm Eggs, Pecorino Romano, and Black Pepper. The portion was about the same as the Bolognese, with an egg sitting on top like a shiny jewel atop fluffy pillow of spaghetti. It had a good amount of Guanciale, or Italian bacon. After breaking the egg and mixing it altogether, a perfect Carbonara!
What I ordered was a quite the surprise (I somehow tend to surprise myself on many occasions with my food choice). I ordered Rigatoni Al forno ($15), with San Marzano Tomato, Cream, Four Cheese, Baked in Clay. There was an options to add chicken or sausage, so I added Sausage for additional $3. This thing was HUGE! Not only the portion was gigantic, but it was super filling too. I managed to eat many half of it, and took the rest back with us to the hotel. It was soooo good though, it came piping hot, packed with flavor, amazingly cheesy and simply delicious!!! With just one bite, it will take you to a Rigatoni heaven…
After having such delicious lunch, we decided to end it with some coffee and dessert. I ordered Cafe Latte ($4), and it was a good, strong cup of coffee.
My hubby ordered Cappuccino ($4), with more foam, but not too foamy. It was also a good, strong cup of coffee.
For dessert, we each ordered something different. First one was Bread Pudding ($10) with Mixed Berries, White Chocolate, and Vanilla Gelato. It was smaller than I thought, and in an almost strange long rectangle. It was dense and rich, a bit heavy but since it was not big in portion, it was ok. I somehow imagined bread pudding to come with some kind of sauce or drizzle of it, but this one didn’t. But, it did come with gelato, which in a way did the same job of making the bread pudding to be more moist.
Second one was Gelato ($7). They had a few flavors to choose from, and we went with Chocolate. A nice big two scoops came in a bowl, rich, creamy and tasty. This is a perfect dessert on a nice Summer day!
The last but not least, Tiramisu ($8) with Ladyfingers Soaked in Espresso, and Mascarpone. You gotta try a Tiramisu from a good Italian restaurant and see how they make their own Tiramisu. This one was nice and moist, creamy and with a good espresso flavor. It was not the best Tiramisu I’ve ever had, but it was still pretty good.
It was a nice and tasty lunch, I was incredibly full after the meal. The service was good, polite and attentive. It was a peaceful, relaxing lunch where we got to catch up with fun conversation over comfort food and sweets. I somehow didn’t have high expectation before visiting this spot, but I was pleasantly surprised. I would like to go back again and have their Rigatoni one more time!
Massimo Ristorante – 134 Atwells Ave, Providence, RI 02903