A Week's Worth of Bars

I'm back, baby! After 46 days of almost total sobriety (there were a couple of necessary exceptions) I'm ready to get back in the swing of the nightlife. So what to do to get back in the swing of things? Well, it just so happens that I'm planning a week's worth of drinks, to get re-acquainted with the bars of Rhode Island. Here's the plan:

Monday: This one's already done, and it was a great start. I dragged my better half out to the Ivy Tavern for a couple of Sierra Nevadas and a huge plate of garlic fries. Best $20 I've spent in a long time.

Tuesday: With a little luck, The Blackstone will still have live jazz on Tuesday evenings. If not, I'll still be there for some pool.

Wednesday: I feel like I should break up the week with a place I've never been before. For reasons that elude even me, I'm intrigued by the Peddler's Inn off 95 in Pawtucket. So, why not?

Thursday: I'm already feeling I don't have enough days to get to all the places I want to reacquaint myself with, but Lili Marlene's has to be on the list. A gimlet and some funk is an absolute must.

Friday: To be honest, Friday may see me at more than one watering hole, but I'm planning to start the evening with some class by having a glass of Albarino at La Laiterie in Wayland Square. Heck, a shared bottle and their mac and cheese would probably do me for the night.

Saturday: If I can get myself out of town, Saturday is the perfect day for a trip out of Provtucket to go to Jamestown and The Narragansett Cafe. Aside from all its other charms, it even has 'the Gansett Gurney' to get its more inebriated patrons home safely.

Sunday: If it's the end of the week, and I need to convince myself the winter's ending, it will be the Hot Club, end of story.

Last Chance for the Foundry Show

If you haven't already finished Christmas shopping (and I bet you haven't) there's no better place to go for a unique, tasteful gift for that hard-to-please relative than the Foundry Show in Pawtucket. You'll find a great selection of arts and crafts, most by Rhode Island artists. But the last day is tomorrow, so make sure you brave the weather and check it out. It's at the Pawtucket armory.

By the way, posting will likely be a bit lighter than normal for the next few weeks as I prepare for the holidays. But we'll have a few good posts to check out (including, hopefully, our first interview) and a New Year's preview.

Early Week Suggestions

While most of you are probably like me in that you do most of your merry-making between Thursday and Sunday, you might find yourself itching to get out early in the week now and again. If so, I have two suggestions on recurring activities that might make it worth your while to leave your couch before the weekend hits.

On Mondays, think about heading down to Trinity Brewhouse in downtown Providence for cheap wings, football (at least for the next few weeks) and some of the best beer in the state. And if wings aren't enough for you, I'll add that I had these guys cater my wedding, so either the food is pretty awesome or I'm a sad individual (or both, I suppose.) I'd highly recommend sitting at the bar; it's a good crowd.

On Tuesdays, you can't go wrong by heading to the Blackstone for live jazz. Mike Tanaka and friends put on a free show every Tuesday starting at 8:00, there's a limited food selection, and you still get all the many joys that come with the Blackstone. (If you don't feel like clicking over to my write-up of the place, it is at 1005 Main Street in Pawtucket.)

I have to be honest, I don't have a good regular Wednesday event. (If there continue to be Wednesday DJ sessions at Local 121 downtown, that may be it.) So, readers, if you have any thoughts, please email me or post them in the comments.

Pawtucket Rising

I think the principle choice in my life is whether I turn left or right at the end of my street. Left, and I am swiftly on Hope Street, headed towards the familiar bars, restaurants, and other merry-making options that exist within the city that I consider my first adult home. Right, and I delve into the depths of Pawtucket, which seemed like a joke even after I bought a house just over the border. I mean, why would anyone go to Pawtucket when Providence is right there?

So why do I find myself more and more frequently turning right? Why do I now tell my colleagues at work in Boston that I live in Pawtucket? Why have I been shunning some of my more familiar Providence haunts? Because, at long last, the resurgence of Pawtucket is not just a dream or a theory, but a true, if fragile, thing.

I plan on writing more about what's going on in Pawtucket over the next few months, but I wanted to start by highlighting a few of the places you should be checking out right now.

The first thing you should do if you're a Pawtucket neophyte is to cruise through the downtown. The whole thing is actually on the National Register of Historical Places, mostly because of the fantastic 1800's commercial and industrial architecture. Despite a great number of architectural calamities, you'll get some sense of how wealthy and powerful the city was not too long ago.

While you're there, make sure to check out the Grant, and particularly Cafe Lila, which is making a strong push for being the best independent coffee house in the state. (In a pinch, I'd still give the crown to White Electric.) It is a hard place to describe, so go down to Main Street and check it out for yourself. And, if you want a treat, get a root beer float...you will be a very happy camper. Then check out the odd assortment of businesses and shops that make up the rest of the building.

Perhaps my favorite thing about Pawtucket right now cannot be localized in a single place: rather, it is the collection of artists that are giving the city its pulse which are so intriguing. To find out what's happening in the city's art scene, a good place to start is the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative. With the holidays upon us, you might consider finding some of the many art shows to fill your gift giving needs in a truly original, and beautiful, way.

But you need to sort of localize yourself to eat, and I'm sad to say I haven't eaten a meal in downtown Pawtucket yet (but I'm gunning for the China Inn this week.) Anyway, my favorite raft of Pawtucket restaurants is right on the border of Providence, in the plaza where LJ's Barbeque (which I've already written about) resides. If you're in the mood for something a bit lighter, that same plaza houses the Garden Grille, which is the only vegetarian restaurant that I, as a carnivore in good standing, have ever found to be a pleasant dining experience. It is one of the more unique restaurants in town, and I highly recommend it.

Finally, there are a number of quality bars throughout Pawtucket, many of which have been documented on this site (subliminal message time: gototheBlackstone!). But the most recent addition to my laundry list of bars is certainly the News Cafe, which has friendly people, cheap drinks, and an overall good vibe. When you're tired of the increasing expensification of Providence, it's sweet relief.

Anyway, this is just a primer. The best way to explore Pawtucket is to get in your car, hop on I-95, and get off any exit between 26 and 30. You'll find something worth your time. I guarantee it.

Go Right Now: LJ's BBQ

In a state where dining out is somehow both a treat and a way of life, you wouldn't expect a restaurant who's slogan is, "Eat it and Beat it" to be successful. But LJ's BBQ, right over the Providence border in Pawtucket, is out to prove that if the food is good enough, you can say anything you want to your customers. And while a northern boy like myself may not be a fully-qualified judge of barbeque goodness, I've chowed down on enough of it over the years to say that the folks at LJ's are entitled to tell me to get my butt out of their booth when I'm done.

And, as you might guess, the LJ's crew is not as surly as their slogan might represent. (In fact, they're so friendly you might, just might, suspect that the slogan is just something that's meant to evoke a certain good-natured southern surliness.) Every time I've been, the service has been attentive but not over-the top, and the staff has a really good understanding of the menu and how to guide you to a choice you'll enjoy. And the menu, full of succulent, falling-off-the-bone barbeque favorites, gives plenty of options, at least assuming you like beef, pork or chicken.

Generally, I'm a fan of anything they offer that includes the word 'brisket'. But last time, I went out of my comfort zone and had a Pulled Pork Cuban, which was tangy, smokey and positively gut-busting. It probably didn't help that my wife insisted we get the onion rings to go with our meals (hers was much less stomach-stuffing than mine), which were big and tasty but ensured I would have no space for dessert. A nice beer list, usually with one on special, serves as the perfect accompaniment to wash down all that greasy goodness, but if you're so inclined, they manage to carry some nice wines. I love Malbec with anything, but think it goes really well with barbeque.

There are relatively few good southern food joints in the area, what with the dominance of bistro-style places serving Asian-inspired French dishes or formal Italian. (Not that I'm complaining, exactly...) So when a place like LJ's BBQ comes along, you have to embrace it, and accept that you'll probably need to run a few miles the next day as your mild penance.

The Essentials

ADDRESS: 727 East Avenue in Pawtucket, right past the end of Blackstone Boulevard
COST FOR TWO: Two cheap beers, an appetizer and two sandwiches will probably set you back $40 or so with the tip.
BAR SAVERS: Look for beer specials (the Sam Smith Nut Brown was a treat). Or, save on your whole meal by going Monday or Tuesday and getting the fixed price menu (drink, soup or salad, entree with side, and dessert) for $15.
EAT ME: Any brisket or pulled pork dish won't disappoint.
NEXT STOP: Go around the corner to Three Sisters at 1074 Hope Street for coffee or ice cream, if you have any room left.

Bar Tabs: East Avenue Cafe

If the East Avenue Cafe had a pool table, I'd live there. Last year, it closed for remodeling, and I was convinced that it would open up with a beautiful expanse of green felt in a corner somewhere. Or at least a foosball table or a dartboard. Something to keep you entertained when the game was a blowout or you needed to slow down your drinking pace. But alas, East Ave, in the Oak Hill section of Pawtucket, is the classic bar/restaurant, and so I've decided to love it on its own terms. And, even though I might not be there every Friday night, there's still a lot to love.


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First of all is the beer selection. In addition to a great range of beers on tap (usually about 15, including Sierra Nevada, which is great on draft) they have a huge case of about 50 exotic beers from around the world. The bartenders are very knowledgeable about the beers, and can guide you to some new labels that you'll greatly enjoy.

Just as good as the drink is the food. My wife has been talking about their buffalo fries since we first tried them a few weeks ago, and they have the slew of classic Rhode Island appetizers. If you're in the mood to be a little less engorged, their salads are quite good for a bar, and of course they have all the burgers and sandwiches you could want. Their menu is actually quite extensive, and included a range of entrees from steaks to seafood to barbeque.

The ambiance is half Irish pub, half sports bar. Tonight, as I'll join the packed house there for the Red Sox game, it will definitely feel more sports bars, as their 10 or so TVs will all be tuned to the game. (Get a table in the dining section in front of the big screen and you'll be all set.) But when the Sox season ends, there's still a relaxed neighborhood vibe, a good jukebox and some cool Rhode Island and Ireland paraphernalia to check out.

I'm willing to forgive the fact that East Ave isn't the exact bar I'd want around the corner, as long as it keeps doing what it does so well.

Bar Tabs: The Blackstone

Imagine if you and your friends decided to open up a bar, and you had no financial restrictions. What would you put it it? A pool table? Better make that two, and throw in foosball for a change of pace. A good jukebox? Of course. An area with comfortable chairs and couches you can just chill. Big TV's for watching the game. A stage for live music. A porch for smoking or hanging out on a nice night. Decent bar food. A nice wraparound bar with plenty of seats and a good beer selection. You would make it big enough that you always had room to move and relax. And you'd want it to be full of cool neon signs, some bar mirrors, and a general cool look.

Clearly, the people who run The Blackstone understand their audience, because their bar has all that and probably a few other nice features I'm forgetting. The Blackstone is the latest incarnation of a bar that has been open for quite a while, but in a couple of different locations. Now it has moved from Cumberland to a location within easy reach of anyone in Providence, at 1005 Main Street in Pawtucket.


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The Blackstone has quickly become my default watering hole. I enjoy it equally on the quiet weekday nights when I just want to drink a beer and watch a game with some company, and on the weekends when it is taken over by a stream of live acts, most of which are good to very good. (The only downside is that on Friday and Saturday, you'll likely to pay a $5 cover.)

A big part of the appeal is the space itself. The Blackstone is located in Hope Village, an old mill complex that is being redeveloped into living quarters, artists' space and shops. While much of it is still under development, dozens of businesses, most prominently the Blackstone, have already set up shop. The dimensions of the mill means that they have plenty of space to accommodate big crowds; the owners note that the bar is technically the third-largest live music venue in the state.

The crowd is very casual; jeans and t-shirts are the standard attire, though some of the bands may bring with them a more hipster or punk-ish crowd. But with so many things going on, you'll always be able to find a way to fit in and be comfortable here.