Rhody Bites

Chez Pascal and The Wurst Kitchen

French-influenced cuisine and house-made sauage

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960 Hope Street, Providence | 401-421-4422
Chez Pascal
Hours:
Monday-Thursday 5:30pm-9pm; Friday-Saturday 5:30pm-10pm | Meals Served: Dinner | Cuisine: French | Price Range: $10-$35 | Bar: Full bar, full menu | Kid Menu: No | Parking: Street | Accepts Reservations: Yes | Delivery: No | Take Out: Yes | Outdoor Seating: Yes | Ambience: Romantic, cozy | Catering: On-site private events

The Wurst Kitchen

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11:30am-2pm; Monday-Thursday 5:30pm-9pm; Friday-Saturday 5:30pm-10pm | Meals Served: Lunch, dinner | Cuisine: House-made meats and sausages | Price Range: $5-$15 | Bar: Full bar, full menu | Kid Menu: No | Parking: Street | Accepts Reservations: For first dinner seating | Delivery: No | Take Out: Yes | Outdoor Seating: Yes | Ambience: Romantic, cozy | Catering: On-site private events

Chez Pascal

Known in the city and beyond as a destination for French-influenced cuisine at its finest, Chez Pascal has been feeding legions of hungry gourmands on Providence’s East Side for over a decade. Chef Matthew and Kristin Gennuso opened the restaurant in 2003, after meeting while working at a restaurant in Boston and decamping to Rhode Island to open their own restaurant together.

Chez Pascal is known for its approachable take on the grand French culinary tradition, which emphasizes making food from scratch such as breads, stocks and sauces, and using local seasonal ingredients. Start your meal with a selection of house-made patés and charcuterie. Then enjoy something classic – Escargots a la Bourguignonne with warm garlic and parsley scented brioche – or innovative, like a warm salad of red cabbage, watercress, walnuts and apples with pumpkin seed oil and a blue cheese flan.

Ingredients on the menu are locally sourced as much as possible, utilizing the abundance of farmers that Rhode Island and the surrounding community has to offer. It is these close relationships that Matt has with the numerous farmers he works with that provide inspiration for the menu. That coupled with the ever-changing New England seasons make each trip to Chez Pascal an opportunity to try something new. In the summer, you might find grilled skirt steak, potato purée, walla walla onions, corn, romano beans and peach compote, or enjoy in their homage to the tomato with Chez Pascal’s annual late summer Tomato Dinner. Dessert, of course, is not to be missed. The pear upside down cake with great hill blue cheese, walnuts, caramel sauce and crème fraiche has remained on the menu since day one. As the seasons change and the selection of local produce shifts, the menus follow suit. The wine list is crafted to offer a wide variety of wines, something for the adventurous and traditionalist alike.

The Wurst Kitchen

Soon after opening the restaurant, the pair started Hewtin’s Dogs, a push cart across the street from the restaurant, and Hewtin’s Dogs Mobile, a gourmet food truck dedicated to serving Matt’s house-made sausages, sandwiches and cured meats. They became so popular that they made it permanent, turning a part of Chez Pascal into the Wurst Kitchen. By day, the kitchen serves sandwiches with their house-made sausages and meats: cheddarwurst, weisswurst, knackwurst, pork butt pastrami and more. Their Bacon-Wrapped Pork Meatloaf sandwich, with coleslaw and spicy tomato compote, is the stuff of legend. At night, the open kitchen takes things out of the bun, serving up plates like Baked Spaetzle with smoked port sausage, kale, Vermont raclette and herbed bread crumbs; and Beef Short Rib Pot Pie with goat cheese, pancetta and mushroom ragout. There is always a seasonal salad and vegetable on the night menu should you find yourself in pork overload.

The Wurst Window offers walk-up service and outdoor seating, as well as window- only food specials, in good weather. If you can’t get enough of their wurst at the restaurant, take packages of hot dogs and sausages with you to enjoy at home.

Because of the limited space and size of The Wurst Kitchen, the wurst menu is only available in The Wurst Kitchen and Chez Pascal bar only (and outside in warmer months). Likewise, the Chez Pascal menu is not available in The Wurst Kitchen. Reservations are only available for the first dinner seating - but you are always welcome to call ahead to see if there is a wait, and if you are less than 15 minutes away and there is space available, they are happy to hold a seat for you.

Chez Pascal Restaurant, french, american, dining, eat, drink, providence, providence monthly, rhody bites

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