Our August Obsessions
1.Oberlin
Because I went to the BTS concert in Boston, we stayed in Providence, and naturally, I had to do what I always do when visiting a new city: find the hot spots. My boyfriend knows me well, so he found this little gem, Oberlin.
The restaurant has been highly recognized by the James Beard Foundation Awards and The New York Times, so naturally, I had high hopes. Unfortunately, because we went at 3 PM on a weekday, they were not serving their usual menu and instead offered their “cichetti” menu, essentially a small snacks menu. So, we decided to just go with it. Why not?
Honestly, I loved it.
The crudo was simple but incredibly well done. Black bass drizzled with olive oil and lemon. That’s it. No need to overcomplicate something when the ingredients are this good. My boyfriend absolutely LOVED it, but my favorite bite was the brandade, a creamy purée of salted cod, garlic, olive oil, and potatoes served with their beautiful grilled country bread. Creamy, salty, garlicky, and absolutely made for scooping up with that bread.
I would love to go back and try their dinner menu, but if I’m being honest, I don’t know when I’ll be making my way back to Providence anytime soon. For now, Oberlin remains one of those places I’m very glad we stumbled upon.
2.El Submarino Mariscos
I absolutely LOVE seafood. I absolutely LOVE zesty, spicy, fresh flavors. So loving El Submarino Mariscos was pretty much a given.
My favorite bites were the verde aguachile, which comes with a serious spicy kick, and the guacamole topped with fried octopus. The tacos were also fantastic, and each one comes with fried cheese, which is exactly the kind of unnecessary but very necessary detail I appreciate.
But next time, I honestly just want to binge on their fresh seafood dishes. The grilled shrimp were FANTASTIC, and I am still thinking about them.
And then there are the unlimited tostadas.
Unlimited.
Tostadas.
Perfection.
3. Soothr Khao Mun Gai
I can proudly say I have officially converted my boyfriend into a Thai food lover, and I have Soothr to thank for it. He absolutely looooves Soothr, so when they opened their roast chicken spot next door at the LIC location, I knew I had to try it.
I expected nothing less than their usual flavor perfection, and they delivered.
The yaowarat chicken rice is a must, along with the golden, crispy chicken from their new menu. The chicken is SO tender and juicy, but the real star might be the ginger rice. Fragrant, flavorful, and somehow the kind of rice you could happily eat by itself.
If you already love Soothr, this feels like a very natural next stop. If you have never been, consider this your sign to go eat a LOT of chicken and rice.