Restaurant Review

There’s nothing quite like Clean Plate

Don Fowler
Posted 9/3/15

When we are looking for a good restaurant, we first decide what category we want, be it ethnic, fish or fowl.

And then we discovered Clean Plate, an eclectic, friendly Providence restaurant that …

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Restaurant Review

There’s nothing quite like Clean Plate

Posted

When we are looking for a good restaurant, we first decide what category we want, be it ethnic, fish or fowl.

And then we discovered Clean Plate, an eclectic, friendly Providence restaurant that is impossible to categorize, but easy to love.

Partners Lauren and Susan ran delis and restaurants in Massachusetts and New York before moving to Rhode Island and opening Clean Plate last November.

“We love the city,” Susan said. “It is a fun place. Our customers come from the universities and law firms in the area, plus all over the state.

Easy to find at 345 South Water Street (next to Mile and a Quarter House and overlooking the Providence River), the second level dining area is a quiet respite for dining and conversation. The lower level has a cozy bar and additional dining.

We have reviewed dozens and dozens of restaurants around the state, but none with as interesting a menu as Clean Plate.

“We’ve experimented, added and changed our menu,” Lauren said. “With Susan always coming up with something new and different. You’ll never get bored eating here.”

Starting with the appetizers, ranging from $7 stuffies and clam fritters to calamari ($11) hummus and Kisir with grilled Lebanese bread ($8), the menu’s influence, the owners say, “range from Eastern European to Brooklyn.”

There are certain creations that we often use to judge a restaurant, and stuffies are one of them. The first rule is to find an actual clam in them. Clean Plate stuffies have clams. And linguica. And onions. And an herbal dressing that is more bread crumbs than a pasty bread mixture. In short, they are the most unusual and the best we have ever tasted.

Salads are popular items, including a watermelon, feta, grilled peach and basil mixture ($8) and the most expensive item on the menu, a Shrimp Panzanella with French bread, tomato, bacon, romaine, and fresh tomato vinaigrette.

Choosing from their eclectic sandwich menu makes for the toughest decision of the day and encourages you to return to go through the menu. Sandwiches come with those tiny fries, slaw and a dill pickle.

Joyce, of course, chose the most expensive, Spicy Shrimp, made with chipotle avo, mayo and lettuce on French bread. The shrimp were huge and perfectly cooked ($14). I was fascinated by the Benjamin, a combination of lightly fried pastrami and egg salad on rye ($11). A touch of horseradish added to the terrific taste combination.

We’ll be back for the Korean fried chicken thigh with sweet and spicy honey mustard on a roll ($9, and written in Korean on the menu) and the fried chicken and waffles with honey butter ($12).

We couldn’t resist sharing the Turkish Lamejun ($9). They make the pizza bread fresh every morning and add ground beef, tomatoes, cucumbers and spices. Delicious!

Clean Plate has a full bar, but it was a hot day and we were tempted by the fresh lemonade ($4). Joyce chose the ginger lemonade, while I enjoyed the strawberry, both with the subtle taste of the additions that didn’t overwhelm the lemonade.

You can call ahead for takeout or to have your lunch or dinner ready on arrival (621-8888). Plenty of on-street parking. Check them out online at www.cleanplateri.com.

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