Fine food in bistro atmosphere at 242 in Providence

From time to time, the 14850 Dining Report has the opportunity to review a restaurant that's outside our usual Central New York bailiwick. This weekend we were pleased to visit Two Forty Two, or 242, one of several excellent restaurants in the burgeoning Federal Hill area of Providence, Rhode Island. (It's named for its address, 242 Atwells Avenue.)

Parking in Federal Hill, especially at dinner time, has become quite a challenge, so we were pleased that 242 is among the Federal Hill restaurants offering complimentary valet parking if you pull up right in front. We suggest interpreting "complimentary" to mean you should tip a few bucks to the valet crew that's handling your car for you.

242's interior is a beautifully refined space split into two main rooms, one a front room with a well-stocked, full bar, several banquette booths, and several more tables; and the other a back room available for private functions and of course set up with tables for busy nights.

The bar offers several good bottled beers (though none on tap) and a good variety of European, U.S., and South American wines and sparkling wines by the bottle or by the glass. As we narrowed down our appetizer and entrée choices, our server recommended an excellent Argentinean Malbec that was, in fact, perfect, especially with our first appetizer.

My dining companion and I decided to split two appetizers so as to get a bit more variety. The pan-seared foie gras was sublime, a barely cooked duck liver "imported" from the Hudson Valley, served atop a chunk of toasted, buttery brioche with a tangy berry compote.

The handmade breadsticks adorning the tuna ceviche appetizer special were a good example of the beautiful presentation at 242; both appetizers were on long, rectangular plates, with the food visually drawn out the length of the plate. The tuna ceviche itself was delightfully fresh, with a citrusy note punctuated by paper-thin rings of jalapeño. The clean and crisp flavour of the tuna ceviche nicely balanced the richness of the foie gras.

Several of the entrées seemed like a good idea, including the housemade gnocchi, the seafood paella, the warm steak salad, or even one of the popular (and creatively topped) brick-oven pizzas. Both of us, though, took the enthusiastic advice of our server, and selected the lamb porterhouse.

I'd never heard of a lamb porterhouse, but a little research suggests it's really just a thick-cut loin chop, an analogue to the popular beef cut. When our plates arrived, it was clear we'd chosen wisely. The lavishly thick cuts of lamb were cooked to a perfect medium rare, and the rich, tender meat needed no more than its own juices.

Accompanying the lamb porterhouse were a bed of polenta and crisp broccoli rabe, dotted with olives that lent a nice saltiness to the dish. On my next visit, it'll be tough to decide whether to try something new, or enjoy this fabulous lamb once again. Tragically, we didn't get around to the desserts, which our server told us are themselves worth another visit.

Plan on spending $15 for a burger or sandwich up to $40 or more per person for a complete dinner. Find 242 at 242 Atwells Street in Providence, Rhode Island, visit 242restaurant.com, reserve on OpenTable, or call 401-453-0242 and tell them you heard about them here.