Hemenway’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar

Though I am provincial about my Massachusetts seafood and fried clams, there is a place that I consider to be Rhode Island’s finest seafood restaurant, Hemenways. Located in the heart of downtown Providence, this establishment is a classy place with a nice view of the river along with a nicely decorated interior. The service is impeccable and the food is outstanding.

We started with the scallops with scallions wrapped in bacon served with an Asian coleslaw and a ginger dipping sauce. The bacon was crisp and the scallops were as soft as butter and melted right in our mouths. Actually, I should say we started with a heaping plate of hot rolls and whipped butter followed by the appetizer treat. For our main luncheon courses my companion had the fried fish sandwich, fried to perfection on a sweet roll with lettuce and tomato, along with a generous portion of french fries. As for me, Mr. Seafood Snob Extraordinaire, of course I had my fried whole clams, french fries and coleslaw. And yes, the clams were very, very good. Not the best I’ve ever had, but very good. They had big bellies which is what I live for and they were nice and soft. There was a nice helping of fries and coleslaw. If I had any complaint about them, maybe they were a tad sandy, which can happen as it is still off-season for fried clams. The other downside is parking outside can be cumbersome as there is limited availability. But other than that, it is a wonderful restaurant all the way around which I highly recommend.