Cafe Nuovo
Phantom places the blame on Cafe Nuovo's chef and waitstaff for his first sub-par dining experience in Providence in some time.
Atmosphere(8)
Quite charming and very inviting. Combines traditional and contemporary decor. Operates like a small cafe trapped in a large, yet very cozy, restaurant environment.
Menu(8)
A wide array of dining options, including pork, beef, seafood, and some inventive pasta dishes. Well-selected wine list.
Portions(8)
Appetizers, entrees, and desserts are generous, but not so much that Phantom needed an immediate nap.
Appetizers(8)
Portabello Mushroom served between layers of tomato, cheese, and zucchini is a good choice. Calamari with spicy popcorn shrimp and cherry peppers was crispy and tasty.
Food and Drink(6)
Who cares if it's state of the art presentation? Both the veal and Angus steak entrees-as well as the side dishes that accompanied them-were cold and not cooked as ordered. When the dishes were brought back to the table, the food was like eating a pair of rubber boots just taken from a microwave.
Desserts(7)
Like everything else, they were heavy on the "fluff" and light on the substance. Crème Brulee and Towers chocolate cake were attractive, but only decent.
Service(6)
By meal's end, the waitstaff finally realized that if they were not in store for a big tip. A lot of attitude. Phantom got little more than an insincere "I hope everything is OK."
Cleanliness(8)
No major messes can be found. Relatively clean.
Parking(9)
A few short blocks off of I-95. Private parking lot and valet parking available.
Value(5)
Appetizers cost around $10. Entrees average $25. If Phantom wanted to eat overblown cuisine while being treated like a second-class citizen, he would've gone to his mother-in-law'.
