After Kristin revealed that she was planning a surprise trip to Rhode Island for my birthday weekend, thoughts about food immediately began to fill my head. Where we go almost always depends on the vegan fare of that community, so I knew Kristin did her homework and picked Providence for a reason.
After a four and a half hour drive both of our stomachs were rumbling, so instead of checking into our hotel we headed directly for Garden Grille, a vegetarian cafe in Pawtucket (just north of Providence), RI. Dining here immediately lead to a conversation about opening our own cafe with a similar style; it had a full service bar, outside seating, and a communal table (where we sat and enjoyed). Kristin ordered a cocktail and I ordered a Wolaver’s Oatmeal Stout, a beer that I really enjoy and often order it at one of my favorite New York City restaurants, Cafe Blossom.
I didn’t know what to expect dining at a vegetarian restaurant; most I have dined at contain a huge array of vegan fare, whereas others have had minimal. The menu was a pleasant surprise; almost all of the items were vegan except a few that had either cheese or egg prepared in the dish. Garden Grille offered a handful of starters on the menu, and Kristin and I went with the Korean tacos and at the recommendation of our server the zucchini fritters. We loved both, a lot! The zucchini fritters were a blend of shredded zucchini and likely bread crumbs lightly pan fried, and they came with a chipotle aioli sauce. The Korean tacos contained a flavorful blend of sweet chili sauce, tempeh, cabbage, chipotle mayo, and guacamole on flour tortillas. The tempeh was a primary factor in ordering this dish; often starters and similar items fail to contain a vegan protein source.
The dinner menu contained nine unique items, some of which contained dairy cheese, but Garden Grille offers vegan cheese as an alternative. Kristin went with the black bean burger, and I ordered the gluten free vegan mac & cheese. Anytime I see vegan mac and cheese on a menu, I have to order it because I have been on a quest to find the greatest vegan mac and cheese. This version contained broccoli and crimini mushroom in the dish, which was something I had not tried. The dish didn’t disappoint, but it didn’t reach the level that I am seeking. I say this remembering that I burned my mouth a couple times impatiently trying to finish the dish.
Neither of us were a huge fan of the black bean burger. I say this with somewhat of a disclaimer; Kristin makes the most ridiculously delicious black burgers I have ever had, which is why I stopped ordering them after she perfected her recipe. The burger could very well be delicious to another who hasn’t tried Kristin’s recipe but not to us. The burger contained sweet pepper relish, avocado mayo, and tomato with a salad and potato wedges on the side.
We are definitely glad we went here, and we would certainly go back (which we did for brunch on our last morning in Providence).
- Zucchini Fritters – Glad I had them and wish I had some right now
- Korean Tacos – Glad I had them and wish I had some right now
- Vegan Mac – Glad I had it, but I probably wouldn’t order it again
- Black Bean Burger – Unfortunately it didn’t compare to Kristin’s
PS Another great note about Garden Grille is its proximity to an all vegan bakery, Wildflour, which is located a couple doors down in the same strip mall.
After getting some sleep that night we set out to find some vegan brunch, and you’ll never guess where did! Check out our review of that experience!
Ain't No Vegan Food Snob 