The Duck & Bunny Restaurant Review

Hello all! Sorry that I haven't posted anything on here in so long. I've been incredibly busy with final exams and a new job. Here is an adaption of a restaurant review which I wrote on The Duck & Bunny for the JWU Campus Herald this spring. Enjoy!

Snuggery: (snŭg'ə-rē) n. a cosy and comfortable place

     In America, we've adopted a pretty stressful lifestyle. Between the time we spend trying to balance work, school, family and a social life, we all need some time to relax and enjoy life, and that's why there are places like The Duck & Bunny. The Duck & Bunny is a cozy, quaint little restaurant built in a house on the east side which offers an elegant, yet laid back environment with friendly, approachable staff, and creative French comfort food.
     From the minute we stepped foot in The Duck & Bunny, we felt the hominess which emanates throughout every aspect of the restaurant. Everything about the décor- from the elegant, white cushion which lined the walls, to the fireplace which was left from the house in which The Duck & Bunny was built- gives it a very comfortable vibe, making it a perfect place for a casual brunch, a delicious meal, or afternoon tea and cupcakes. Since it was a Tuesday night, there were plenty of open tables, and we were seated as soon as we walked in. The wait staff were all very welcoming, and are thoroughly trained. Our waiter managed to take our order- for five people- without writing down a single thing, which shows a thorough knowledge of everything on the menu. When I commented on being impressed by remembering an order for five, he told me that his current record is a table of twelve, with no mistakes.
     The chef at The Duck & Bunny manages to match the creativity and comfort of the décor in the menu, which is based mostly on one of my all time favorite foods: the crepe. Among our order was The Miss Harriet, a crepe with brie, pear, and scallion; the crepeccini, a bowl of crepe-noodles tossed in pomodoro beurre blanc; the roast beef and gorgonzola crepeccini, a bowl of crepe-noodles with roast beef and a mushroom and gorgonzola cream sauce; The strawberry and grilled pear salad with goat cheese; and the PB&B, a massive toasted sandwich of peanut butter and banana on nearly-inch-thick sweet bread. the relaxed, comfortable nature of the seating and atmosphere makes waiting for food anything but an unenjoyable experience, and after about fifteen minutes, our food had arrived.
The Miss Harriet was the first item on my to-taste list. The crepe was thin and fluffy with a slight buttery crispiness on the outside. The pears were sweet and slightly acidic, making a perfect flavor base for the crepe, and the creaminess of the brie was the perfect way to counter the flavors and prevent the pears from adding too much sweetness to the crepe. Next, was the crepeccini, which was a blissfully inventive use of crepes. The beurre blanc was perfectly executed, making a tangy, acidic sauce with enough fat to coat the crepe-noodles well. The crepeccini with roast beef was another delicious take on the concept of crepe noodles, with rare beef, and a creamy, salty gorgonzola and mushroom sauce. One of the most unexpected delights amongst our order, however, was the PB&B. Expecting a small, simple sandwich of peanut butter and banana, we were all shocked by the monstrous, sugar-coated, toasty, gooey sandwich which arrived at our table.
     Over all, our experience at The Duck & Bunny was absolutely delightful. It's obvious that the staff here puts a lot of thought and passion into making every aspect of the customer experience enjoyable and comfortable. If you're searching for a sanctuary from all of the worries and stress of life, then I highly suggest clearing some time if your schedule and making a visit to The Duck & Bunny on Wickenden St. For a full menu, as well as hours, head to www.theduckandbunny.com

I Heart Providence: East vs Weat

     A city divided by a river unites over food. Providence is split in two by the Providence river, which separates the east side from the west side. Each half of the city has it's idiosyncrasies in every aspect from Universities, to businesses, and even culture. However, the one thing that the east and west ends of Providence both pride themselves on is food. The east side boasts culinary hotspots such as College Hill, Thayer street, and Fox Point, while the west side keeps its citizens well fed with areas such as the Arts District, Broadway street, and Federal Hill. But which half of this food-loving city would win in an all-out battle for culinary supremacy? That's exactly what I Heart Providence and RI Food Fights set out to determine.
     It was a cold night in Providence, and the sidewalks were lightly dusted with fresh snow from the day's flurries. My fingers were chilled to the bone after walking across town. Adriana, Kevin, and I have finally reached city hall and are relieved to know that we're about to escape from the cold night-time air. We walk in, and are greeted by stands run by some local bakeries giving out cookies, brownies, and even fresh fruit for cascading with rich dark chocolate that's flowing from a small chocolate fountain. That sure warmed me up quick.
     After spending a few minutes devouring some delectable, sweet, chocolate dipped fruit, we decided to head upstairs, and were immediately confronted by "The Wall," a large graffiti covered board with "I Heat Providence" written along the top and "East vs West" written along the bottom. The middle section was blank, and there were a few markers close by for everyone to make their mark on this glorious event for all to see.

Taking a 'dip' in the chocolate fountain 

The Wall

 

      Once we reached the second and third floors, I was like a kid in a candy store- or a foodie in a room full of complimentary treats from some amazing restaurants. All around, there were restaurant stands giving out samples and business cards. Among these restaurants were: El Rancho Grande, Abyssinia, Los Andes, Olneyville New York System, and more. I can honestly say that I didn't eat a single thing which wasn't absolutely delicious, and by the time we got to the competitors on the third floor, my stomach was already about to burst with all of the amazing food.

Ceviche, courtesy of Los Andes

Some seriously tasty South American treats from Los Andes 

Abyssinia, serving up authentic Ethiopian and Eritrean comfort food 

 

Bored With Four, supplying some awesome jams for this lovely event

 

      Eventually, we reached the East vs West competing teams and just barely managed to fit all of their incredible food into our stomachs. The competing teams were:

 

The West- North, Julian's, and The Grange

 

The East- Cook & Brown Public House, The Duck & Bunny, and Vanity

 

      After eating all the food which both teams had to offer, I didn't consume a single bite that didn't impress me with unique and inventive flavors. The well qualified judges of the competition were David Dadekian of eatdrinkri.com, Chef Branden Lewis of Johnson & Wales University, and Chef Matt Varga of Gracie's. They named Brandy Schwalbe of The Duck & Bunny as the winning chef, and the East as the winning team, although the West won the vote for the people's choice. Do I sense a rematch in the future? I sure hope so! Personally, I thought that the West side team offered up the best food of the night, and they earned my vote as the winning team. My personal favorite competing restaurant was Julians with an excellent local ricotta and celery root puree.

 

Local Ricotta and Celery Root Puree from Julians

 

      This was one excellent event for the city of Providence, and it certainly proved that our city is an amazing culinary minefield filled with some of the best food you'll ever find. Although the judges and the people didn't quite agree on who won this competition, everyone agreed on one thing: we all 'Heart' Providence!