Journal photo / Bill Murphy
An Italian grinder from A Pranzo Cafe Milano in Providence.

Specials, full menu recall flavors of Milan

By GAIL CIAMPA
Journal Food Editor

Peering at the daily specials list at A Pranzo Cafe Milano, one imagines they are the only offerings for the day. A variety of soups, sandwiches, pastas -- simple and baked -- calzones and salads fill the blackboard. With these offerings, one could put together a fine little meal.

But approaching the counter to order, a full menu awaits: a double-sided sheet whose selections vary from toasted panini sandwiches to hamburgers to Italian specialties including chicken parm to cold salads and hot vegetable side dishes. Behind the glass counter, a variety of homemade pizzas make yet another tempting choice.

This ambitious menu, along with a European style and an omnipresent owner, are the most striking impressions about this cafe in downtown Providence.

Taking a seat at either one of the long tables, or small tables for two or four, diners might be called to pick up their food, or it may be delivered, depending on how busy the moment. It's all quite casual and relaxed. Soft drinks and water are available to grab and go.

That whirling dervish of a woman checking on orders, fetching missing side dishes and keeping things moving is Cathy Wayne -- owner, cook and chief bottle washer. Wayne operated A Pranzo for five years in a small space in the Arcade until moving in July 2003 to 385 Westminster St., near the corner of Empire Street, and just a block away from Trinity Rep.

Now she has seating for 60 in a red-painted cafe with a high ceiling, black-and-white tile floor, and inspired by the spots she frequented when she lived in Milan, Italy. It's a nice place for a quick, homestyle lunch, though you can easily linger to have espresso. The fast, casual style also makes it a fine choice for before-theater dining. (Pranzo means lunch, according to Wayne.)

The breads, from LaSalle Bakery, make a perfectly crusty home for sandwiches, which are then grilled naked (butter is only added to grilled cheese) to make the lovely paninis. Freshly roasted turkey breast is served with bacon, Swiss cheese and honey mustard on a hearty baguette or on seven-grain bread with cranberry, mayo and swiss.

The chicken pesto panini is made with a roasted chicken breast and served with a fresh pesto that is blended with mayonnaise, creating a lighter-style condiment.

On one visit, my dining companions also sampled some of the Italian and pasta selections. The gnocchi were of an acceptable store-bought quality and topped with Wayne's nice, mild pink vodka sauce. The chicken parm and pasta included two moist breasts with crispy coating and a blend of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. The marinara sauce that topped the penne was fresh and simply made, with San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and a bit of fresh black pepper.

WE SHARED a slice of pizza and were delighted by the lightness of the dough. It was obviously blended with olive oil in the style of bakery pizzas. The cheese topping, a mix of mozzarella, provolone and parmesan, was pleasant. I liked the way it was served at room temperature, again evoking the feel of a bakery. But it could be easily warmed if requested.

On a second visit, I couldn't resist trying the pizza again. Only this time, the crust was different, more bread-like and with less sweet olive oil flavor.

In talking to Wayne after the visits, she said that while she makes the pizza dough most of the time, sometimes she doesn't. I had eaten both versions and much preferred her dough.

Soup choices on both visits included meat and vegetarian options. An orzo beef soup was full of tender chunks of meat, al dente pasta and a simple beef stock that needed a sprinkle of fresh pepper. A vegetarian soup -- butternut squash with wheatberry -- was on the tasteless side.

A Pranzo opens at 9:30 a.m. with breakfast sandwiches and pastries. A berry scone was so rich as to need nothing but a sweet, thick, super-rich Italian-style hot chocolate with which to wash it down. This comfortable cafe seems to have the answer for hunger pains any time of day.

*****

Details, Details

A Pranzo Cafe Milano, 385 Westminster St., Providence. (401) 454-7034. Very casual. Wheelchair accessible. One highchair available. No smoking. Open Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. for breakfast sandwiches and coffee, lunch/dinner menu offered until 7 p.m. MC, V, AE. Street parking. Breakfast roll-ups or sandwiches $1.50 to $2.45; lunch/dinner sandwiches $3.95 to $6.10; hot Italian dishes $5.65 to $7.25; salads $2 to $6.75; sides 95 cents to $3.95; desserts $1.50 to $3.95. BYOB for dinner. Take-out and delivery.

*****

BILL OF FARE

The bill for two at A Pranzo Cafe Milano might look something like this:

Cup of soup . . . $1.95

Small green salad . . . $2

Chicken parm and pasta . . . $6.60

Hand carved turkey panini . . . $5.65

2 San Pelligrino orange sodas . . . $2.50

Tax . . . $1.50

Tip . . . $2

Total . . . $22.20