Aside from Thayer Street, I rarely venture out to the East Side of Providence. All I can say is, shame on me. On our way to Red Stripe, I was in awe at the amount of cafes and restaurants that littered the sidewalks of College Hill. I became inspired to visit the area again but for this night, it was all about Red Stripe Providence.

My friend CPA joined me and this time around, we were in a bit of a rush. We skipped appetizers and went right to their dinner menu in search of some “comfort food”. Our table was right in front of the many windows that overlook Angell Street which provided us with a beautiful view. Ok, enough of the boring stuff, it’s time to eat!!

Red Stripe Paella ~ Shrimp, Mussels, Littlenecks, Chicken, Chorizo, Saffron Rice

Red Stripe is known to serve comfort food with an European twist and they did a great job here with their take on the classic Valencian dish. A hearty portion of moist, “al-dente” saffron rice blended effortlessly with a fisherman’s catch of shrimp, mussels and littlenecks. Thin slices of chorizo provided a nice hint of heat and our only complaint was the lack of chicken. No biggie though. The abundance of seafood should be more than enough to please any appetite.

Oh and one more thing, this dish can easily be split between two hungry diners so don’t be afraid to share!

Stout-Battered Fish & Chips

One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to Fish & Chips is the thickness of the fish. Sounds weird but I prefer thin cuts of fish and a light, crispy batter. Red Stripe managed to meet all of my needs and the end result was an empty plate!

Three pieces of Cod Loin, lightly fried, were served alongside some frites. One key difference between frites and fries is that they are always hand cut and double-fried to ensure a crispy spud every time. I was very pleased with my dinner and it might be the “usual” next time I visit.