Riviera Inn

A legacy of good food and intimate surroundings

by Johnette Rodriguez

580 North Broadway, East Providence, 431-4031
Open Tues-Thurs, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
Fri and Sat, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun, 12-9 p.m.
Major credit cards
Sidewalk access

You know you've become a true Rhode Islander when you begin to describe places as "where Woolworth's used to be." But for the Riviera Inn, this maxim applies not just to the geographical location. Taking in the decor of one of the Riviera's dining rooms -- which expand and contract with folding vinyl doors a la the '50s -- we were reminded that this spot had been Asquino's restaurant for six decades before owner Joe Mendes had bought and renovated it in 1995.

Indeed, Mendes said, he'd actually inherited many of the furnishings from Asquino's, including the room dividers, the burgundy and gray vertical window blinds, the light gold chairs with their wide padded seats and swooping padded backs, and the burgundy carpet with tiny flowers in it. So the dining room had the feel of being from a different era -- because it was!

And this applies to many of the Portuguese dishes served at the Riviera as well, as the recipes haven't changed for generations. One of the most popular dishes is pork and little necks (carne a alentejana). And on the night we visited, Bill decided on a variation of this called "Chicken Alentejana" ($10.95).

Similar to the pork, chicken chunks were marinated in wine and herbs (usually garlic and bay leaf, salt and pepper), and sautéed slightly before onions, peppers, tomatoes and more garlic were thrown in to create a rich, flavorful sauce. Then, at the last minute, cooked potato chunks and littlenecks were added, making the stew as appealing to look at as to ingest.

Our friend, Baiba, opted for the bitoque (sometimes called Portuguese steak) -- a six-ounce, pan-fried sirloin topped with a fried egg ($7.95). And she reported that the steak was very nicely medium-rare (as she had asked) with a hearty brown sauce accompanying it and two crisscrossed strips of roasted red pepper accenting the egg.

The Portuguese often serve their main dish with two starches -- rice and very thinly sliced potatoes. Unfortunately for us, Riviera's slicing machine was broken that evening, but we talked them into frying up the chunks we knew they'd prepared for other entrées. Delicious.

My dish, "Cod Fish Gomes Sa" ($9.95), is another perennial favorite. It consists of dried cod, with most of its salt soaked and simmered out of it, layered with potatoes, onions and olive oil and baked in the oven. Yes, the olive oil is distinctly one of the layers, not just an ingredient, and the fruity taste of this Portuguese oil, along with garnishes of black olives and hard-boiled egg wedges, make for a natural combination with the fish and potatoes.

Portugal's once-far-flung colonialism showed up in the "Shrimp Mozambique" ($7.95) we enjoyed as an appetizer: shrimp sautéed in butter and seasoned with lemon juice, paprika and turmeric; and in the cumin and coriander that spice Portuguese sausages and soups. (Bill had a hearty vegetable soup with chourico slices in it.)

For dessert, Portugal shares a love of the egg-based with its Iberian neighbor, but, unfortunately for our Wednesday-night gathering, the Riviera's house-made desserts of flan and rice pudding are made up only on the weekends. As a result, Bill and I split a large wedge of four-layer chocolate cake ($3.95), while Baiba tried the apricot-almond torte (also $3.95), which comes from Pawtucket's Pastry Art. The cake was delicious, but the torte had been improperly stored, so it carried a "refrigerator taste."

The Riviera, which just opened up a second place in Bristol, also offers a paella with chicken and pork, along with seven kinds of seafood. And there is even a pasta section on the menu, with a nod to Rhode Island's state cuisine.

But when at the Riviera, go for the traditional food at least initially. That way, you'll feel even more at home in those padded chairs!