Paragon & VIVA

Paragon & VIVA Restaurant Review:

Twin restaurants Paragon and VIVA are always filled with a young and eclectic group from Brown and RISD. The former, a 32-seat café, is wrapped in windows and peers straight onto the throbbing Thayer Street scene. Inside the crowd is so loud and lively that it's almost possible to overlook the kitchen's healthy and flavorful renditions of Mediterranean and American staples. VIVA is a more sophisticated space, though the dining options are identical. Salads are affordable and flavorful, such as the Caesar and the avocado Roma (Gorgonzola, red onions, avocado, tomatoes). Fried calamari, crab cakes and saku sushi tuna are appetizers worth sharing. Entrées are simple --- boneless short ribs with a red-wine demi-glace, salmon marinated in soy and ginger --- but more often than not bypassed for the many bountiful pastas, pizzas, burgers and sandwiches. The wine list is surprisingly good and lives alongside 48-ounce cocktails tailored for the college crowd. Stay late enough and you may find yourself in a nightclub on weekends.