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AMBIENCE |
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Cozy, intimate and elegant all at the same time, the 40-seat restaurant is housed in 1870 twin storefronts that form the façade on the original 1793 warehouse built for iron merchants, Congdon & Carpenter. So named in direct homage to the uncovering and rerouting of two rivers running through the heart of Providence over a decade ago—and the multicultural nature of Bruce Tillinghast’s menu—New Rivers offers diners a unique culinary adventure. The moment you walk into New Rivers, the dining experience begins. This was the credo established by Pat Tillinghast when the restaurant first opened in March 1990. From restful hunter-green walls with persimmon-red and yellow-ocher accents, artfully arranged linen napkins, fresh flowers and candles on every table, and a gracious and knowledgeable wait staff, every detail is carefully rendered to showcase New Rivers’ robust food, unusual wines and colorful bistro-style presentation. A large still life of red pears hangs on the stone wall in the main room of the restaurant. The pear painting has been a source of numerous pear-related gifts over the years. The tradition was established when a long-time server left the restaurant and gave the Tillinghast’s a single Lucite pear as a parting gift. Since then there have been too many pears to count, says Bruce, each with a story behind it. The pears now retain a place of honor and safety on a shelf high above the bar, each one carefully marked on the bottom to preserve the date and the tale of warmth and appreciation attached to it. A collection of Majolica plates, hand painted trays and whimsical gold luster “Arrowana” jumping fish accent the walls of the smaller dining room. Here, the New Rivers bar forms an intimate L-shape, where Bruce can often be found serving meals, chatting to regular bar customers, or tasting a new wine. 
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copyright © 2002 Bruce Tillinghast |
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