The ROI
150 Chestnut St
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 272-2161




C and I actually ended up at the ROI on the wrong night. We'd intended to go to the Grand Opening on Thursday, but I'd written it on my calendar for Wednesday. It was a lucky bit of chance that they were open. We nearly had the place to ourselves, which I don't expect will be possible in the future.

The service was excellent: attentive and knowledgeable, willing to answer questions and go to find out what she didn't know. She was formal and friendly at the same time.

Chef Paul Shire stopped by the table a couple of times. He's very enthusiastic about his new place, and even tempted us with a couple of excellent appetizers.

I'm getting ahead of myself. The meal started with fresh bread (white and raisin nut), still warm from the oven, including grilled pita with a creamy cucumber/dill dip.



I was quite excited to see pecan crusted chicken fingers on the appetizers menu, since it's a particular favorite of mine. C and I split an order.

The chicken fingers were fresh and very tender. They were more bland than I'd hoped, with the pecan ground very fine and hard to make out in the rest of the coating. The blackberry glaze, though, was a nice accompaniment.

Chef stopped by with another couple of hors d'ouevres for us to try.


The grilled mozzarella was delicious. So much fresher and creamier than the typical mozzarella sticks. It was served over a fresh marinara of plum tomatoes and fresh basil that really brought out the flavor of both. C said it tasted like homemade.

The photo of the other appetizer - fire-grilled large shrimp with pesto - didn't come out. But they were delicious, just the same.

For dinner, C ordered the signature meatloaf with mashed potatoes and Jack Daniels gravy.

Normally she prefers a beef-based gravy, but she enjoyed the Jack Daniels gravy and didn't feel that it overpowered the meatloaf. She liked the consistency of the meatloaf, feeling it was neither too crumbly nor too gummy.

She liked that the mashed potatoes had the skins of the red potatoes left on. I tried both, and the potatoes were creamy delicious. The meatloaf had a good flavor, and it appeared that it had been sliced and then cooked. Bear also tried both (we brought home leftovers.) She devoured the mashed potatoes in an instant and asked for more. For Bear, the meatloaf went more slowly, but she enjoyed it just the same.

I tried the ROI salad, which is spinach with pecans, dried cranberries, goat cheese and cider vinaigrette.

It was delicious. Whole pecans and spinach added crunch, the cranberries and goat cheese added tartness and chewiness. A perfect combination. When C and I switched plates so we could try each others' meals, I had a hard time getting my salad back.

The portion sizes were perfect: neither skimpy nor oversized.

The atmosphere was also very nice. There's a stage for live music, nice lighting and some interesting architectural features, including an old elevator door that used to be used in the building.


I just love the mural on the back wall. I didn't get a picture of it, and have to swipe one from ROI's site, but it makes a great impact.


We had a great experience at ROI, and will recommend it for guests and anyone asking for a recommendation. In fact, I already have.