Backstage Café

Ambitious fare for the nighttime theater crowd

by Bill Rodriguez

385 Westminster St., Providence, 861-3354
Deli open Mon-Fri, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Café open Wed and Thurs, 5-11 p.m.
Fri, 4:30 p.m.- 1 a.m.
Sat, 5 p.m.-1 a.m.
Major credit cards
Sidewalk access

What a pleasant progression. The Backstage Deli is now also the Backstage Café. Let's hope it begins a trend. Start out presenting modest sandwiches next to dollops of potato salad, then take your customers' encouragement to heart and offer more ambitious fare. (Actually, the trend may have started a few years ago with a little meat market on Federal Hill -- today, L'Epicureo's has gained national attention.)

After developing a good rep for lunchtime noshing opportunities over the last two years, Backstage got a fine young chef in March and opened for dinner Wednesdays through Saturdays. The "backstage" moniker has to do with their proximity to the theaters of Providence's fledgling Arts & Entertainment District. (Hey, guys -- why doesn't NewGate Theatre rate a pizza named after it when Trinity, Perishable, PPAC, and even Groundwerx all have one?)

The ambient music is swing, and the décor is yellow walls with black trim. Counters bracket the tables and remind us of the fast-food origins. Prominently displayed and setting the tone is an entertaining wall sculpture by Maxey Bereiter, composed largely of gaily painted chair parts.

The half-dozen daily appetizers are simple, running to bruschetta ($6) and hummus with pita chips ($5). There is a choice of quesadilla with roasted vegetables or a three-cheese version ($5; with chicken, $7). We chose the latter and were treated to cheese melted between two large flour tortillas drizzled with sour cream and sprinkled with chopped parsley.

But what made me sit up and pay serious attention at the beginning of the meal was the soup of the day. The big bowl ($4) of New England clam chowder was the best I've had in many a month. It was not cloyingly creamy and, most important, the clams were so very tender that they must have been put in right before serving. Can somebody tell me why every cook, even in diners, doesn't take the extra minute to do it this way?

After the meal, the chef corroborated that the clams were steamed, set aside, and added to order. He is Paul Schmidgall, who has studied in Germany as well as at Johnson & Wales. More recently, Schmidgall worked at the private Hope Club for 18 months.

Sometimes, a less-than-sincere restaurant tips its hand in little ways, such as bread fresh that morning but allowed to dry out. Well, the Backstage French bread came freshly sliced and served with a plate of olive oil dense with red-pepper flakes. The wine list fills both sides of a large card -- from some hot California labels to Pouilly Fuisse -- and there are wine recommendations beneath each entrée.

The main courses are modestly priced, with the $18 NY strip steak the most expensive item. Pastas begin at $7 for penne with a simple marinara sauce. And since these dominate the regular menu, my wife and I both chose one. Johnnie's risotto ($15) was delicious. Juices from the portabello mushrooms flavored and colored the arborio rice, beneath a sliced skinless breast of chicken. My bow ties ($13) contained a rich medley of ingredients, including plenty of mushrooms. And while I wished that the calamata olives had been more flavorful, the artichoke hearts were fresh, rather than from a jar.

Chef Paul also makes his own desserts, which is surprising, considering that there are several first-rate restaurant bakeries around here and that it is remarkably time-consuming for a small kitchen. Still, we were glad he took the trouble.

We passed up his hot apple crisp and chose the chocolate-raspberry torte ($4). The ganache icing -- semi-sweet chocolate blended with thick cream -- was like what good Swiss children must get if they go to heaven -- or what good theater habitues can treat themselves to before or after a show.