Providence Oyster Bar

A panoply of sea creatures

by Johnette Rodriguez

(401) 272-8866, 283 Atwells Ave., Providence
Open Mon, 5-10 p.m., bar until 1 a.m.
Tues-Fri, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., bar until 1 a.m.
Sat, 5-11 p.m., bar until 2 a.m.
Raw bar open until midnight
Major credit cards
Handicapped accessible

Tucking itself into a fancy sliver of a space on Federal Hill, the Providence Oyster Bar has built a solid clientele and reputation in just over a year. Do Rhode Islanders and visitors come to taste the dozen different oysters (from the Vineyard to Virginia, and Prince Edward Island to British Columbia)? Are they drawn by an impressive list of wines by the glass and bottle? Or do they just want fresh-off-the-boat native seafood, without the drive to Point Judith?

Whatever their druthers, they'll find it in the Oyster Bar's broad array of chilled and hot-from-the-oven appetizers, soups and chowders, fried seafood (with fries and slaw), and baked and grilled entrees (with potato and veggies). There's even chicken breast, tenderloin, and steak for those who can't face anything that used to swim or prowl the briny deep.

Friends from out-of-town joined us for a recent excursion to the Oyster Bar, and on a busy Friday evening, we called at 5 p.m., as instructed by the maitre d' earlier in the day, to have a table "waiting," although not "reserved," for us. We arrived at 5:30, to make sure the restaurant hadn't filled up and that our table hadn't been reassigned, and we were just fine. We were told that real reservations aren't made for parties of less than eight on the weekends, so there is apt to be a two-hour wait on some nights.

Despite the restaurant's claim to fame, I must confess that none of us had oysters. Bill and I tried the Rhode Island and Manhattan chowders ($3.50 a cup, $4.50 a bowl), and were well pleased with the abundance of clams and the complementary herbs that made both soups so flavorful. Our friends marveled over the generous house salads ($3.50).

We all shared a smokehouse sampler ($15.95), a platter of smoked seafood, which that night included curried mahi-mahi, orange-glazed salmon, jerk swordfish, and blackened shrimp and scallops, with a spicy rémoulade. I'd be hard put to say which was my favorite, though I think I'd lean toward the swordfish.

Seeking out another menu sampler, I chose the house bouillabaisse ($24.95). The stew was described as containing shrimp, mussels, clams, and assorted seafood, but I discerned only one kind of the latter, quite possibly swordfish, and only one shrimp. There were five or six clams and mussels each, and the tomatoey broth was nice and spicy. But overall, I was disappointed by the quantity and quality of this item, especially when matched up with Bill's grilled yellowfin tuna ($19.95) and my friends' salmon au poivre ($18.95).

The tuna steak with wasabi mayo was expertly grilled, as was the salmon, which had a delicious brandy cream sauce atop it. One friend liked his salmon cooked more extensively, though, and it was solicitously taken back for a bit more time. Served with both of these dinners was a far-ranging medley: roasted root vegetables, including beets, carrots, yucca, and cassava; a dash of braised red cabbage and Swiss chard; some steamed zucchini and yellow squash; a corn-on-the-cob round and, if desired, garlic mashed potatoes. Though the yucca and cassava seemed dry and over-roasted, the others survived quite well.

A mistaken order of fish and chips arrived for the teenager in our bunch, a large piece of Rhode-Island-style greasy-battered cod atop a pile of fries, and he shook his head in dismay. But the requested fried clams ($17.95) quickly replaced the gaffe, and the teen made short work of them, commenting on their fresh taste and the creamy cole slaw.

Made on the premises, the desserts included strawberry-ginger and passion fruit sorbet ($7.95) for me, and chocolate lava cake ($8.95) for the teen. A mocha crème brûlée, tiramisu, and Cuban bread pudding, with espresso and rum, also beckoned. The sorbets were fruity and wonderful; the flourless chocolate cake, spilling liquid chocolate from its middle, equally so.

Decor at the Providence Oyster Bar is nouveau chic: butcher paper over linen tablecloths, dark brown banquettes and chairs; two walls lined with wine bottles and martini glasses, and one with a mirror; an open kitchen two-thirds of the way along the narrow rectangular dining room; more than a dozen seats at the long, polished-wood bar. The staff was friendly and well trained.

Only toward the end of our meal did the noise level begin to rise, as tables filled, the kitchen got hectic, and the bar became crowded. One other note: the temperature in different parts of the restaurant varies considerably. Fans blowing near the kitchen made our space very, very chilly. Do check out other spots to settle in, if you're like me and find yourself donning a sweater and a jacket and wrapping your linen napkin around your legs to keep warm.