We Can't Espresso How Much We Enjoyed This Al Fresco Meal In PVD
Photo Courtesy Of Me
This past weekend, we were in Providence and decided to make our way over to Atwells. Honestly, with the heat wave and the recent drama surrounding beach parking, I had zero interest in venturing anywhere near the beaches in Gansett or spending a big chunk of my Saturday afternoon stuck in bumper to bumper on 95 South for that matter. Well, we actually ended up at an outside table at Constantino’s Venda Bar & Ristorante on DePasquale Square, in the heart of Federal Hill — and we had THE best time!
Fountain Photo Courtesy Of My Husband
Now it might seem counterintuitive to head to the city on a scorching hot July Saturday or Sunday, but I can honestly say that we were cool as cukes underneath the not one but two umbrellas (an orange “Aperol Spritz” one and another larger cream colored version just above that) shading our table.
Also, the famous fountain is back up and running once again. All levels, in fact, including the base which you may recall at one point was filled with plants. Absolutely lovely and so refreshing to see. (I Googled it and apparently, according to Wikipedia, it was repaired this month to the tune of something like 500K.)
Speaking of tunes, the classic Sinatra songs that were playing provided a completely enjoyable soundtrack to our time there. I mean, the Sinatra ouvre really isn’t part of any of my regular playlists, so it was a nice change of pace.
PS ~ If you’re a Sinatra fan, you’ll want to check out the recent WSJ article about his address book circa the 1970’s that someone recently emailed me the link to. It’s really something.
And our food? In a word, scrumptious. We devoured a Margherita pizza as well as some other small plates. (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I could — and will whenever the opportunity arises — eat pizza 5 or 6 nights a week.) I even ordered a cappucino because I drink pipping hot coffee all year long, even during the peak summer months.
Photo Courtesy Of Me
I remember in the time before either walking or driving by on the nights when they had live music and dancing and thinking that I was really missing out on something quite special. So, whether you’ve had to put that Italy trip on the back burner for now or you just need somewhere amazing to al fresco wine and dine, think about going back to DePasquale Square and Venda this month.
*Reservations are recommended. Give them a ring at 401-528-1100 to make yours.