Providence's Elmwood neighborhood was just beginning to celebrate its multi-ethnic identity in a more visible way when the Elmwood Foundation organized the first Taste of Elmwood event in the early '90s. Last week's tenth such event (a few have been skipped here and there), held in the casino at Roger Williams Park, introduced us to new eateries and reacquainted us such old friends as Apsara.

For $15 per person, diners were invited to sample the wares of a dozen different restaurants and markets from the Broad and Elmwood neighborhoods. Though there were some no-shows and a couple of participants from outside the neighborhood (Wes's Rib House from Olneyville, Bobby's from Pawtucket, and Johansson's Bakery from Weybosset Street), the event highlighted several new taste sensations and places to recommend.

The largest spread of food was offered by MAP's Place (343 Elmwood, 781-0246). The name is an acronym for Minority Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitative Program, which began its cafe (open daily, except Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Friday until 8 p.m.) to help keep their services going. Daily specials include chicken potpie on Mondays, fish dinners on Wednesdays and Fridays, and "serious fried chicken" on Thursdays.

MAP's offerings included the aforementioned chicken (yummy); potato salad (plenty of mayo and no onions, just the way I like it); chunks of fried whiting and tiny salmon cakes (both excellent); grilled chicken Caesar salad; turkey and ham club sandwiches (so popular with the buffet diners, they were flying off the platter); collard greens with lots of ham; homemade oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies; clam chowder (pronounced "tasty" by our friend Ginny); beef soup; and banana pudding.

Also serving crispy, non-greasy, and nicely spiced fried chicken was a Latino spot, Superior Buffet Restaurant (560 Elmwood, 785-9759). Their potato salad had cooked beets mixed in for extra color and flavor, and they also had samples of a Spanish rice dish. Superior Buffet is open daily from 10 a.m to 9 p.m.

Bill, Ginny, and I initiated our food cruise with Apsara's vegetable fried rice, vegetable pad Thai, and nime chow, the Vietnamese equivalent of spring rolls: crunchy bean sprouts, Asian basil, and rice vermicelli wrapped tightly in rice-paper skins. Dipped into a rice vinegar-chili oil-peanut sauce, they've become a basic Rhode Island food group for many of us. The pad Thai is also served with this thin sauce, chopped peanuts and a wedge of lime to squeeze over the rice noodles and veggies. Apsara is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m.

The evening's real winners were a new Asian restaurant, Thmoda (376 Elmwood, 941-0234), and Elea's (722 Broad St., 444-9935), which features West African specialties. Thmoda served a delicious lemon grass chicken dish, served over white rice, and a dessert made with cooked plantains and tapioca. The latter had no resemblance to bananas or to tapioca pudding, but its spices were subtle and soothing and the combination made me yearn for more.

Thmoda, which is Cambodian for a "solid rock" or "foundation," has an extensive menu, with 27 lunch specials, nine tofu vegetarian dishes (a discovery worthy of three hurrahs) and the distinction of serving dishes from Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, China, and Indonesia. The latter influence is seen primarily in the curry noodle soup and other curry dishes with shrimp, chicken, pork or beef, along with potatoes, carrots, onions, and peppers). Thmoda is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Elea's, named after co-owner (with Sun Wowoah) Eleanor Beaie, relies heavily on the proprietors' Liberian roots. Daily offerings include the pan-African fufu (pounded cassava root fritters), with soup; spicy fried fish; equally spicy fried chicken; and jollof rice. Open Monday through Saturday from noon to 9 p.m., Elea's offers specials each of those six days, including fried okra and oxtail stew on Monday, palm butter (a sauce from palm nuts) and okra sauce on Wednesdays, and palava sauce (jute leaf stew) on Saturdays.

The strangely named "collars," a kind of sweet and spicy fritter, were a great hit at Taste of Elmwood, as was the wonderfully pepper-hot spinach and the jollof rice, dished up by Eleanor. The latter was mixed with an onion, pepper, and tomato sauce, along with ginger and other spices and, in different variations, with seafood or meat. Elea's version had no meat and was a terrific complement to the spinach.

The Elmwood Foundation has become a mainstay in developing street associations and affordable rental units, as well as providing home improvement loans and homebuyer education in the Elmwood neighborhood. Check out this annual event for a cultural excursion, or, instead of waiting another year, just cruise down Broad or Elmwood to one of the previously named establishments. Trying the vibrant food in these spots is like a quick visit to exotic lands, without the airfare.

Issue Date: May 17 - 23, 2002