Gian Carlo's

Creative Italian worth a trip

by Bill Rodriguez

(401) 765-3711, 153 Hamlet Ave., Woonsocket
Open Tues-Sat, 5-10 p.m.
Major credit cards
No handicapped access

Up Blackstone Valley way, Gian Carlo's has gained a solid reputation. Not because Italian cuisine is regarded as exotique in this bastion of French- Canadian-American pride, but because the food is consistently good. We're always curious about culinary standards in the hinterlands, so we ventured forth to the farthest reaches of Rhode Island. (In a state the size of greater Fort Worth, Woonsocket is about as far as the intrepid can range.)

The decor is appropriate for an informal restaurant that wants to make you feel comfortable while reminding you of elegance. Fanned napkins at every place setting, but paper atop the tablecloths, bistro style. Gilt-framed pictures covering all available wall space, containing prints trying for a Renaissance air. We're there early in the week, so only the central dining area is open, overlooking the wood grill. Other rooms open up as required. We had come without a reservation one recent weekend and had a choice of smoky bar room or an hour wait, so be sure to call ahead. A familiar but unidentified aria greets us in the background as we're seated, but Ol' Blue Eyes and Tony Bennett soon replace the bel canto. Gian Carlo's doesn't want you intimidated.

An unspoken contract is set soon after the basket of Italian bread arrives. We think our waiter has forgotten to bring butter, so I prepare to make my customary request for olive oil. But when he returns, he, unasked, pours olive oil into two plates for us. I know this is a place after my own heart.

Oddly, there is no soup on the menu. We peruse the appetizers as I sip a spicy Shiraz, an addition that evening to the numerous wines by the glass. There's carpaccio, steamed mussels, and four varieties of pizza -- including a "pizza patriottica" with the red, white and green of the Italian flag in roasted red peppers, mozzarella, and fresh basil. Our decision is made when Johnnie notices that in addition to the traditionally prepared calamari fritti ($8.95), the squid accompanied by hot peppers, there is calamari Caprese ($9.95). One of my missions in life is to search out variations on our Official State Appetizer, and spread the word if they prove worthy. Well, this preparation would make a journey to Woonsocket worthwhile if the city were still in Acadia. The lightly battered pieces are tossed in a balsamic glaze, with plum tomatoes and red onions; marvelously tangy. My counterpart doesn't even pick out the tentacles. Later, when we express our appreciation, our waiter reveals the secret -- at least it's not announced on the menu -- ingredient: mascarpone cheese as the thickener. Clever. Flour wouldn't have softened the flavor as nicely.

The pasta descriptions are revealing. White onions in one preparation, but Vidalia in another. "A hint of truffle oil" in a $12.95 spaghetti dish. Johnnie indulges in a risotto rather than checking out a less challenging pasta. Well, her risotto di mare ($16.95) is the best I've tasted in years, the rice infused with a seafood broth and creamy but not over-cooked. There are plenty of scallops and in-shell mussels, plus three fat grilled shrimp and fresh basil. The "hint of Champagne" noted in the menu isn't lost in the flavors, offering more than a pampering touch.

I choose the pollo e gambieri alla griglia ($21.95). It's double-duty, but hey, I take this work seriously. The twin breasts are thick enough to remain moist, and the four skewered shrimp are daubed with an arugula pesto, for a novel variation. The earthiness of the green doesn't come across as fully as I'd anticipated, even when tasted alone, but nevertheless works well with the smoky shrimp. Accompanying is a grilled onion, fresh spinach in a balsamic vinaigrette, and buttery garlic mashed red bliss potatoes. A fine medley, especially when I use the lemon wedge on the chicken as well as on the shrimp.

Since everything has been so successful, we pick two items off the dessert tray ($5.50 each), rather than sharing one. Johnnie has the only house-made selection: crème brûlée prepared in the Italian style, not afraid of the nutmeg. Delicious. As if to emulate a Persian rug, which always has one stitch going the wrong way because only Allah is perfect, my chocolate mousse topped with tiny chocolate merengues is far too sweet to finish. I like the touch of fallibility. Just so Gian Carlo's stays on top of that exquisite calamari Caprese.