In Providence, R.I., a taste of the Dominican Republic

I've been meaning to post a link to a great food story my colleague, Philip Marcelo, reported in May about the Latin street food scene on Providence's West Side, a growing phenomenon that reflects the city's growing Latino population and the growing demand for cheap eats during the recession.

"Broad Street is also where many of the city’s 'chimi' trucks –– the converted trailer homes and ice-cream trucks serving cheap fried eats, like Perez's –– have made a home. Around dinnertime, anywhere from 10 to 15 of them are lined up along Broad Street, in the few blocks around the nightclubs and bars. It's especially noticeable as the weekend approaches and the weather gets warmer."

The food trucks, with august and boastful names like Con Sabor a Pueblo, La Universidad de Chimi, Johnny's Chimi, and La Casa de Chimi, all serve chimichurri, "a sandwich of seasoned beef, pork or chicken packed with fresh tomatoes and coleslaw on a toasted roll that is a fast-food staple from the Dominican Republic," Marcelo reports. "There's also frituras (morsels of salty fried meats), longaniza (sausage), pastelitos (empanadas), pinchos (kebobs), yuquitas and tostones, not to mention the standard-fare French fries and sugary fruit drinks. Here, five bucks goes a long way."

Read the full story here.

Photo by Ruben W. Perez for The Providence Journal.

Ada's Creations

From Small State's "Corrections & Amplifications" department (to borrow a great phrase from The Wall Street Journal): In my brief post about Latin American eats in Providence, R.I., I gave a thumbs up to Chilangos, on Manton Avenue; El Rancho Grande, on Plainfield Street; and Taqueria Pacifica, on Empire Street, inside the AS220 cafe. That Hall of Fame should also have included Ada's Creations, on Broad Street, and the Dominican restaurant, El Macuto, next door also owned by Ada Terrero. Ada's prepared foods section features meaty treats such as chuleta (grilled pork chops) and bistec salteado (sauteed steak with onions and peppers) served with arroz y habichuela (white rice and beans). At lunchtime, a feast will set you back less than $10.

Providence Journal photo by Steve Szydlowski.