Rhody Bites

Blend Cafe

Blending classic Latin flavor with contemporary technique

Posted

745 Reservoir Avenue, Cranston | 401-270-5533
Hours: Monday-Wednesday 7am-4pm; Thursday-Friday 7am-9pm; Saturday 9am-9pm; Sunday 9am-4pm | Meals Served: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Cuisine: Modern Latin American Cuisine | Bar: Full bar | Price Range: $11-$30 |
Kid Menu: Yes | Parking: Street | Accepts Reservations: Yes | Delivery: No | Take Out: Yes | Outdoor Seating: Yes | Ambience: Casual, cozy | Catering: Yes, on- and off-site

For chef/owner Welbi Genao, Blend Cafe is literally a dream come true. Chef Welbi discovered his passion for cooking during a bumpy time in his life, enrolled in a culinary program, and now runs one of the state’s most exciting new restaurants.


The name Blend Cafe comes from two places: Chef Welbi’s love of blending music as a DJ, and his passion for blending Latin flavors with modern culinary techniques. Whether for brunch, to try the Dominican Eggs Benedict (two farm fresh poached eggs with house corn bread, Dominican salami and fresh hollandaise on a bed of butter mangu), or for dinner to sample the Bistec al Caballo (thinly sliced sirloin beef grilled and tossed in their signature steak sauce, garnished with an over-easy egg), make this restaurant your next
culinary adventure.

Blend is a small restaurant tucked away on Reservoir Avenue in Cranston, but the impression is big. The food at Blend is art. Chef Welbi makes sure every detail is perfect, every plate is beautiful, every ingredient is fresh and local. He’s committed to a farm-to-table philosophy, represented in everything from the Chicken and Waffle, which features Adobo-seasoned chicken from Johnston’s Baffoni Farm, served with a savory ricotta waffle, to Blend’s serving Yacht Club soda.

Serving brunch daily, the restaurant is a popular morning destination any day of the week. The Desayuno (breakfast plates) range from a D.R. Breakfast with Dominican salami, eggs, queso frito, butter mangu and pickled onions; to the Balsamic Salmon Breakfast, which is fresh salmon marinated in dill and capers, then pan-seared with a balsamic reduction and served with eggs and toasted French baguette. The Tortillas Y Huevos Benediciones (omelets and eggs benedict) have offerings like the King Romeo Omelet, with shrimp, spicy sausage, local corn, cherry tomatoes, American cheese and avocado, served with home fries and a house buttermilk biscuit. Emparedados (sandwiches) range from The Reservoir Hog, which is house-smoked pulled pork in a house BBQ sauce, with cole slaw, crispy shallots and creamy dressing on a fresh pretzel bun; to El Chimi, PV Farm grass-fed beef with local slaw, Blend’s Ketchu Mayo sauce and monterey jack on a ciabatta roll.

For dinner, start with a cocktail, like a marganta or passion fruit sangria, made with their house passion fruit juice. Then enjoy the Reservoir Clams, which are Rhode Island littlenecks with PV Farm Italian boar sausage and seasonal veggies, served in a white wine broth; Pastelitos, mini empanadas stuffed with PV Farm beef and Baffoni Farm pulled chicken; or Ceviche con Tostones, red snapper and shrimp marinated in citrus juice, served with peppers, onions and crispy tostones. For your entree, try Camarones Polentano, sautéed shrimp served on creamy corn polenta, dressed in a garlic, white wine sauce; El Churasco, thinly sliced flank steak grilled with house chimichurri sauce, Yucca mash and farm fresh green beans; or Chicharron de Pollo, which is Adobo-fried chicken with Tostones. And finish things off on a sweet note with Sweet Plantains Tres Leche, a vanilla sponge cake made with a puree of sweet plantains and walnuts, served with whipped cream and tres leche glaze. With the perfect combination of delicious food, friendly service and a casual atmosphere, Blend Cafe is truly the right mix.

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