The ProvidenceG project recently transformed the block between Dorrance and Orange Streets. The old National Grid building, the skinny historic Teste Block and the Narragansett Hotel Garage were renovated into a luxury residential complex with over 50 apartments, amenities like a fitness center, and – to my interest – spaces for three restaurants, includ- ing an enormous rooftop dining space. The first restaurant tenant, G Pub, occupies the basement of the complex.
Giant vintage Providence photos make the descent into G Pub welcoming. Once at the bottom of the stairs, we were surprised by the size of the space. A glossy cement floor and sub- way tiles make this feel like a reclaimed stop on the subway system Providence never had. Many lower-level restaurants have a claustrophobic feel, but G Pub seems designed to avoid it. Frosted windows behind the bar are backlit from the garage, and the opposing wall is nicely outfitted with a light source, which shines between the cracks of the wood.
All three of us were fairly hungry, so we ordered three starters. The You Must Be Nuts ($5) was seasoned and roasted pistachios in their shells. Served warm, the nuts were soft and flavorful. The Chips and Dip ($3) featured house-made potato chips with a cheddar stout dip. The chips were perfect but the dip tasted zesty and light, like a cheesy ranch, instead of the darkly rich orange dip we expected. The four Corn Dogs ($9) came stick-end up in a lacquered box, dipped in a green chili marmalade and garnished with thin strings of carrots. A tasty batter and homemade sausages, which were chorizo rather than the usual hot dogs, made this an especially delicious version of the freezer-box standard.
The restaurant has plentiful seating. Along one long side is a sizeable bar and bar tables. The bar is divided by a handrail from the dining area, which has many booths and some large tableswith low stool seating. Several televisions are mounted along each wall,
making G Pub a good place to watch a game if you’re looking for a location nicer than the average sports bar.
On a previous visit we’d tried burgers and sandwiches, but this time we all decided on larger entrées. The menu’s variety makes G Pub a good place for all budgets, with burgers and hot dogs under $10 and larger entrées between $10 and $20. I had the Braised Pork Shank ($18), a large bone-in shank tenderly cooked with barbeque sauce, served with Vermont sharp cheddar risotto and sautéed spinach, and garnished with pickled green cherry tomatoes. The meat was cooked well and fell off the bone. I was skeptical of cheddar risotto, but it totally worked.
With our entrées, we enjoyed some selections from their draught list, including Stoudts Fourplay IPA ($6) and the Two Roads Ol’Factory Pilsner ($5). The beer list has around 20 draughts, about as many bottles, and a handful of cans.
The Farm House Fried Chicken ($17),served with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach, sounded mouth-watering but was not as flavorful as we hoped; we found both the breading and the white Tabasco pepper gravy underseasoned.
The Meat Loaf ($18) was a favorite at our table. In this fancier take on a homey dish, G Pub substitutes ground dry-aged ribeye for ordinary ground beef, stuffs the loaf with smoked gouda and wraps it in house-cured bacon. The flavor was rich and the gouda oozed out of the centers of the five generous slices. This dish came with roasted fingerling potatoes and sautéed spinach, and the plate was brightened with a smear of spicy ketchup.
All three of our dishes were generously sized. We took some to go so we’d have room for dessert, and I’m glad we did. The White Trash Trifle ($8) requires a sweet tooth. A large mason jar was filled to the brim with layers of butterscotch pudding, brownies, blondies, toffee and whipped cream laced with whiskey. The Wascally Wabbit ($8) was subtler – a round of carrot cake bread pudding was topped with three scoops of excellent cream cheese ice cream and fried strings of carrots. With our dessert, we enjoyed Rhode Island’s most popular harbinger of summer 2014 – a Narragansett Del’s Shandy ($5). Now that summer has finally arrived, hiding underground at G Pub will be a good way to escape the heat with plenty of provisions.
G Pub. 61 Orange Street. 632-GPUB (4782). providencegpub.com
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here