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PROVIDENCE — Living up to its name, Euro Bistro is a smart little restaurant with a cozy bar and good food served in a casual atmosphere.
Ken Turchetta opened the place nine years ago in what was the former Lucy's and, before that, the Café Verdi. It's a charming little place that seats about 50 at tables and two booths. An ornate wooden bar is more than a century old and once was the centerpiece of a gentlemen's bar.
Even before drinks were ordered, a basket of bread was brought to the table . . . good crusty and dense Italian bread from the venerable Crugnale's. It was perfect for dipping in the table's olive oil and Parmesan dipping sauce.
For drinks, the Soco Splash Martini ($8.50) was a splashy blend of Southern Comfort, Parrot Bay coconut rum, pineapple and a splash of grenadine.
I don't believe there's anyone in the Ocean State who could resist an appetizer that's billed as "Rhode Island's Best Calamari" ($10.95). The name seemed both a boast and a challenge.
The rings-only calamari were tender and crisp and lightly fried so that they were not greasy. They were tossed with garlic butter, which gave them both a strong buttery and garlic flavor. They're served with hot pepper rings, the operative term here being hot . . . as in spicy . . . extremely spicy. I wound up bypassing most of the pepper rings, whose spiciness nevertheless lingered on the squid.
Much more to my liking was the Stuffed Portabella Mushroom ($10.95), a grilled beauty that had been done in a wonderfully sweet but mild balsamic marinade, then topped with pieces of broccoli, slices of roasted red and green peppers and fresh tomato with melted mozzarella.
As Turchetta said in a later phone call, entrees include a range of steaks, chops, veal, chicken and seafood dishes. "It's a little bit of everything." There's nothing too startling or over the top here — baked chicken penne, chicken or veal parmigiana, sirloin à la mama, double-thick pork chops, salmon, baked schrod or scallops — most ranging in price from $17.95 to $22.95. But the food, prepared well by chef Hector Madrid, who has been here since the Euro Bistro opened, is delicious and the service is prompt and attentive, with water glasses kept filled.
An order of Florentine Pasta ($19.95) was served in a big bowl flecked with minced parsley on the rim. Sautéed shrimp and tender scallops had been tossed with roasted red peppers, broccoli spears, black olives and garlic in a fragrant light white wine sauce. It was a fine medley of flavors, served over linguine.
The unusual combo of shrimp and veal scallopini are the main ingredients in the Veal and Shrimp Picatta ($22.95), the tender slices of pounded-thin veal sautéed with white wine, lemon and capers. It had a refreshing lemony flavor with the caper berries adding their tangy touch. Although it was a good-sized portion of veal, my only wish was that there had been more than the three medium-sized shrimp topping the meat. When the shrimp and veal were sliced and tasted together, they gave new meaning to the term "surf and turf."
On the side, crisp-tender spears of deep green broccoli and, best of all, three large slices of oven-roasted potatoes. I would have gladly made a meal of three orders of those potatoes on their own.
Euro Bistro has a lot of charm and soon, as the weather gets warmer, Turchetta said he will have tables on the little patio next to the building so patrons can dine alfresco. That sounds like a terrific way to welcome in summer. Euro Bistro, 441 Atwells Ave., Providence. (401) 273-5900. Dressy casual. Wheelchair accessible. Child seats. Reservations. AE, MC, V. Tiny parking lot to the left of the restaurant, with additional parking in the lot across the street. Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tues. to Fri.; dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Tues. to Thurs.; to 10 p.m. Fri. and Sat. Appetizers $4.75 to 12.95. Entrees $17.95 to $32.95. Wines are $6 to $8 by the glass; $18 to $48 for a bottle. Dinner for two at Euro Bistro might look something like this: Soco Splash…$8.50 Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc…$7.00 Stuffed Portabella Mushroom…$10.95 Florentine Pasta…$19.95 Veal and Shrimp Picatta…$22.95 Spumoni…$3.95 Total food and drink…$73.30 Tax…$5.86 Tip…$15.00 Total bill…$94.16
