The last time I walked into a row-house on the East Side of Providence, it was to visit a friend, where I was greeted with a warm smile and a lovely dinner. This time when I walked into a row-house on Wickenden Street, it was to have lunch at Blue Elephant. Their business message, “Fine food and jewelry,” is not to be underestimated. Since Kidoinfo’s visit last winter, the restaurant has developed quite a loyal following. In this review I would like to provide an overview of their extensive and delicious menu as well as recommendations for the best times to visit because this place gets crowded!
With so many tantalizing options on the breakfast and lunch menu, it was hard to choose which meal to eat at 1 o’clock in the afternoon. The breakfast menu boasts six kinds of egg sandwiches and five versions of eggs benedicts, not to mention their breakfast platters and rotating specialties. Similarly, the lunch menu is split into four categories; hot dogs, sandwiches, hamburgers, and burritos. Every item on this menu is mouth-watering and the combinations are savory and unique. Blue Elephant’s menu also incorporates avocado into more dishes than I thought possible. They are definitely onto something considering avocados are one of nature’s most complete foods, providing many varied health benefits, including decreasing the risk of heart disease. For example, Blue Elephant’s variation on the BLT was one of the items that included not only avocado but also onion and a blue cheese balsamic hot sauce. These two ingredients added a deliriously good flavor to an already flavorful sandwich.
Alongside their delectable breakfast and lunch menu is a very cheeky kid’s menu that spins chocolate chip pancakes into the shapes of moons and stars, and constructs a sandwich out of French toast, complete with banana or strawberries for filling. The most amazing item on the kid’s menu is the Peanut Butter Monster. I could imagine flipping out for this triple-decker sandwich that contains not just peanut butter and jelly, but also Marshmallow Fluff and Nutella! If any kid you know has been brave at the doctor’s office or performed spellbinding feats in the spring dance recital, I would definitely suggest treating them (and you) to a delicious meal at Blue Elephant. What also makes this place great for kids are the paper table covers, and they even provide you with crayons for drawing whilst you wait for your meal!
With the new longer spring hours (see below), there are more chances to enjoy a tasty meal at Blue Elephant. A note on timing: 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays is the busiest time to go; the wait is sometimes an hour long, so if you are trying to get something quick, this isn’t the place. However, if you are willing to put your name on the list and window shop along Wickenden Street, I would highly suggest it, because it’s definitely worth the wait. I suggest the best time to go is for lunch on a weekday; you get all of the great options of weekend brunch with no wait and no crowd.
Check out all that Blue Elephant has to offer, not just food but also their lending library in the entryway and the jewelrythat adorns the walls.
The Details:
Blue Elephant - 312 Wickenden Street, Providence, RI
401-383-8149
www.blueelephantprovidence.com
Hours:
Monday- Sunday: 7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. for breakfast & lunch
Wednesday-Saturday: 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. for dinner (last seating is at 9:00 p.m.).
Every day, no matter what time, breakfast, lunch, or dinner is BYOB.
Deal: Come in for breakfast before 9:00 a.m. and get a free coffee with your meal!
The jewelry was all very different. It is all local artists which is what I really appreciated about the pieces. The jewelry is definitely what contributes to Blue Elephants charm. I particularly likes a string of black beads, and there were many interesting bracelets which I think are hard to find.
OK-the restaurant sounds awesome and you made me devastatingly hungry. but how’s the jewelry-anything fun?