Loie Fuller's Menu

Loie Fuller's Restaurant Review:

Loie Fuller was a Chicago-born dance pioneer who had to leave America for Paris to win the acclaim she deserved, but we sense that the Providence eponymous restaurant would be praised whether it was located in one of the city's main dining districts or --- as is the case --- in the fringy Armory District neighborhood. We drank in the Art Nouveau murals by local artist Kyla Coburn along with an oak-aged imperial stout on draft; the wine list is modest but more than ably covers the French varietals. Mussels and frites were dredged in a delicate white wine, shallot and cream sauce that quickly fell prey to dipped hunks of baguette after the shellfish were devoured. Lower rents help keep menu prices reasonable, with most entrées in the teens, and portions range from just-right to generous. Coquille St-Jacques, served piping hot in a ceramic casserole, was nicely balanced between firm scallops and redolent mushrooms. Bigger appetites might choose the half-chicken confit, served atop creamy maître d’ potatoes with just a hint of truffle oil. The kitchen's versatility was evident in the seared sirloin club steak, grilled precisely to order and worthy of a fine steakhouse. Fini? Not until we tried a plate of beignets, crusted with cinnamon sugar and warming our bellies against the cold night outside.