What makes a restaurant an American Classic? These places deliver the taste of RI
These restaurants have timeless appeal. Their unique character and culinary offerings have made them treasured institutions in their cities, towns and neighborhoods,according to a description from the Restaurant and Chef Awards Subcommittee.
America's Classics are honored for serving quality food that reflects the character of their community. They've stood the test of time, having operated for at least a decade.
While cutting-edge cuisine is highlighted for most of the Restaurant and Chef Awards, America's Classics often serve familiar comfort food. They have a taste of place. Not "terroir," as is said in winemaking, but something that defines a state and captures its flavor.
Aunt Carrie's in Narragansett was named an America's Classic in 2007 and Providence's Olneyville New York System in 2014. There's no denying that clam shack seafood and hot wieners offer a taste of Rhode Island.
Olneyville NY System brought home an America's Classic title in 2014. Their James Beard Foundation medal hangs in Providence. Aunt Carrie's has one, too.
From the first time I attended the James Beard Foundation awards at Lincoln Center more than 13 years ago, I have loved hearing the stories of these enduring classic restaurants. The fact that more recent additions have made it through the COVID pandemic makes them even more impressive.
Each year, the Restaurant and Chef Awards voting body and the public are invited to recommend restaurants for the America’s Classics Award during the open call for recommendations period. The subcommittee considers all recommendations and selects the America’s Classics winners. Six of the 12 regions are included within each Awards cycle, and rotated the following cycle, so that each region is represented every other year.
What restaurants might James Beard be missing in Rhode Island that could also be America's Classics? Perhaps these five deserve consideration next time around.
Angelo's Civita Farnese
Angelo's Civita Farnese offers cozy dining with homestyle food in Providence.
There's no denying the love of Italian food in Rhode Island and that Federal Hill is a prime destination. With 100 years in the books, Angelo's Civita Farnese could easily be one of America's Classics.
It's a historic restaurant that has adapted to the times, but still serving up comfort, Italian-style.
Angelo Mastrodicasa opened it as a restaurant for the working man in 1924. It began as a lunchroom frequented by men who immigrated from Italy. They needed a place to eat because they were in Providence alone, earning money so they could bring their families over to join them. It was about comfort food then, as it is now.
Today, the restaurant is operated by the fourth generation with a woman, Jamie Antignano, at the helm. The menu has been updated over the years to offer wine, cocktails and more plant-based dishes. Desserts include a cannoli kit and affogatos.
But the old Italian favorites like tripe, smelts, veal and peas, and braciola remain to offer a taste of Rhode Island’s classics. Still on the menu from 1924 is the dish of Angelo’s Meatballs and French Fries and a bowl of pastina, like every Italian grandma used to make.
Above the dining tables is 125 feet of solid brass track on which runs the garden scale L.G.B. train from Germany. Since 1996, a quarter will send the train traveling around the dining room ceiling. One hundred percent of all donations benefit children's charities in Rhode Island, totaling more than $40,000 to date. They offer a monthly Cocktail for a Cause, too, with $1 of each drink donated to a local charitable endeavor.
The Nordic
Back in the early 1960s, Custy's in North Kingstown was the destination for all-you-can-eat lobster and baked stuffed shrimp laid out as part of an 81-item extravaganza.
That concept continues today with the iconic The Nordic, which offers an epic all-you-can-eat buffet in Charlestown by Pasquiset Pond at 178 Nordic Trail.
It was back in 1963 when the Persson family opened The Nordic Lodge as a camp with rental cottages and a sauna in 1963. Later, they discontinued the rentals, expanded the main lodge and in 1980 launched the high-end buffet. Now, four generations later, the same family is running the restaurant.
Lobsters are the main attraction. There's also baked stuffed shrimp, scallop and shrimp scampi, clam chowder, stuffed sole, lobster bisque, fried scallops, smoked salmon, snow crab legs, lobster mac and cheese, and a raw bar with oysters and clams on the half shell. There are also scallops wrapped in bacon and shrimp cocktail. That's just for the seafood.
Then there's all the meat choices including prime rib, filet mignon, tenderloin tips, pork ribs, chicken wings and tenders. Sides include salads, fries, baked potatoes, veggies including corn on the cob, broccoli and green beans. A decadent dessert bar includes an ice cream bar with all the fixins', pies and pastries.
If that isn't a taste of Rhode Island, what is?
They reopen for the season on April 25 serving Friday, Saturday and Sunday with an adult dinner price tag of $140. The cost is $60 for children aged 6-12; and $35 for children 3-7 years. You can eat for two hours. Soft drinks, coffee and tea are included as is the tax and a 10% service charge shared among the servers and all the support staff.
Clarke Cooke House
The Candy Store is part of the Clarke Cooke House in Newport. The restaurant makes a winning Espresso Martini says Esquire in a list of the best 44 martinis in America.
Located in a Colonial-era house on Bannister's Wharf in the heart of Newport's waterfront, the Clarke Cooke House serves food and drink on two floors. There's the casual Candy Store on the first floor and the more formal white tablecloth dining room, the Bistro, on the second. It's the same menu for both.
No matter where you dine, it's one of the most popular destinations with locals year-round and tourists in the busiest of seasons. It's been said there's nothing more relaxing on a warm summer night to be sitting in the Clarke Cooke House as harbor breezes drift in through the big, open windows or to cozy up by a fireplace in the winter.
In 1780, Clarke Cooke, a well-to-do Newport merchant, had the house built on Thames Street. Nearly two centuries later, David W. Ray bought the house and had it moved in 1973 to its present wharf location. He remains the owner.
Diners can enjoy a burger or French-inspired dishes including Steak Frites, Sauteed Filet of Sole Lyonnaise or Steak au Poivre. That's comfort food in any language.
Classic dishes, stellar cocktails and the perfect setting make the Clarke Cooke House a classic in Rhode Island.
Olympia Tea Room
Visitors to Watch Hill sit outside at the Olympia Tea Room on Bay Street to eat and take in the views.
The Olympia Tea Room in Westerly was established in 1916. Today, the first thing you see on their website are the words "Famous not Fancy."
How very classic.
You can dine in one of the antique mahogany booths or on the sidewalk cafe. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better view of quaint Watch Hill. Tourists and locals alike enjoy the seasonal restaurant. That says a lot.
It's a reminder of a bygone era. There's the black-and-white checkered floor and high-backed wooden booths inside. Outdoor seating resembles ice-cream parlor tables. Both are perfect for sipping classic cocktails.
On the menu, there's clam chowder, calamari, lobster rolls, and fish and chips for a taste of the sea. But there's also grilled pizza and some Italian comfort food, including a Bolognese dish. Daily specials add variety.
This view from inside the Olympia Tea Room in Watch Hill shows diners at tables outside waiting for their orders.
Wright's Farm Restaurant
There's a tradition of roast chicken served in an all-you-can eat setting in Rhode Island. Wright's Farm Restaurant began offering the meal in 1954 and is may be one the last spots standing.
Wright’s Farm Restaurant's is a story with many parts and consistency is one of the stories. The food is just as you remember it. Slow-baked roast chicken, French fries, salad, shells with marinara sauce and dinner rolls, all you can eat
There was a time in Rhode Island when you could choose from a variety of restaurants that offered roasted chicken dinners. It was how many a family spent their Sunday afternoons dining together after a nice ride.
It seems like Wright's Farm at 84 Inman Road in Burrillville is the last one standing for the tradition. The chicken meal is familiar and comforting to many. The bargain of a $19.50 meal is an attraction no doubt. But there's also the nostalgia. Diners at the long tables also remember family now gone, who once shared their special meal.
In 1954, Gene Wright opened Wright’s as a restaurant on a chicken farm in Burrillville. The Galleshaw family bought the property in 1972 and built it up to the 1,200-seat, all-you-can-eat-chicken Wright’s you know today. A gift shop became a draw for many, both young and old.
There's nothing like Wright's Farm and that makes it perfect as an America's Classic.
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: What makes a restaurant an American Classic? These places deliver the taste of RI
