Zia Elena's

The goodness of authentic Italian cooking

by Dawn Keable

748 Hope St., Providence, 453-5362

Open Tues-Thurs, 5-9 p.m.
Fri and Sat, 5-10 p.m.
No credit cards
Two steps at entrance

I thought my fiancé, Andre, and I were going to get shut out. First hint -- when the host bypassed the traditional greeting of "good evening" and cut straight to "Do you have reservations?"

Reservations?!? For two? On a Wednesday night on Hope Street? Nope, not even within the realm of possibility. And I thought I was organized.

Luckily, after carefully inspecting the dining room (and actually hearing the growl of Andre's stomach), the host decided there was room for us after all. Once inside, the whole reservation concept made plenty of sense.

The restaurant was tiny and housed only nine tables. Without reservations, you could easily be denied a sit-down authentic Italian meal. With them, the finest seat in the house (by the window -- snatched by two elderly patrons, who'd obviously planned ahead) could be yours.

But while small in square footage, Zia Elena's is not confining. The restaurant showcases the clean lines of a minimalist's decorating approach. Further adding to the illusion of space is a large mirror hung on one wall. The only drawback, depending on your mood, is the high level of noise.

Indeed, we discovered far too many details about the personal lives of the teenage couple sitting next to us (who were obviously on their first date) while we innocently read the nightly specials.

Zia Elena's is non-smoking and does not serve liquor, so you may want to leave your vices at home. However, the restaurant does allow customers to bring their own bottle of wine and does not charge a cork fee -- a free invitation to move on from those brands with a screw-off top (like the ones that Andre and I are so familiar with).

Although we neglected to bring our own bottle, we were perfectly content to munch on the delicious crusty garlic and Italian bread as a precursor to our meal. Only when we emptied the bread basket not once, but twice, did we move on to stuffed artichokes ($5.95), one of the appetizer specials. (Okay, I'm the pig. Andre declined the second refill, but I vetoed his decision.)

Soaked in a vinegar-based marinade, the tender artichokes had a distinctive, zesty flavor. Topped with stuffing blended with scallions, black olives, and various herbs, the dish was the first of many good things to come.

For his main course, Andre selected baked scrod ($12.95). The fish, sprinkled with cracker crumbs, was amazingly non-greasy. Subtly seasoned to let its natural flavors shine, the scrod was deliciously understated.

The same simple preparation followed through to Andre's side of steamed broccoli florets topped with melted mozzarella cheese. The only minor disappointment of the entire meal was Andre's garlic mashed potatoes. Oh, they looked authentic enough, with visible pieces of red bliss skin. But Andre's expert instant-potato-tracking palate detected an inconsistency! Seems like he uncovered an attempt to mix half real with half instant!

I went with a special, chicken parmesan ($12.95). Baked with a thick tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, the lightly breaded chicken breast was both moist and tender. Al dente penne made quite an appearance as the pasta sidekick -- tossed in a light marinara sauce, the penne was the perfect compliment to a comfortable Italian classic.

From the dessert menu, Andre chose the chocolate caramel macadamia nut torte ($3.95). (Actually this was his second choice -- they were all out of the "Almond Joy" confection he'd wanted to try instead.) The torte, with a tier of macadamia nuts layered over a wedge of Bailey's Irish Cream-flavored caramel, was beyond rich -- and probably not the best ending to a heavy dinner. Can I say, "I told you so?"

I picked a more sensible slice of chocolate cheesecake ($4). Made in the kitchen, the recipe was light and airy. The cheesecake had a mousse-like consistency, while the crust of semi-sweet chocolate, coconut, and nuts was delicious as well.

Without a doubt, Zia Elena's exudes the genuine goodness of authentic Italian home cooking. Just make sure you have a reservation -- you wouldn't just drop by on your own family without calling, would you?