Newly opened and coming soon

Good day dear readers. I'm Gail Ciampa, Journal food and dining editor.

Why is this man smiling? Because he and his family have opened their much anticipated second restaurant Brasa Y Chifa.

Los Andes was an immediate hit when it opened on Chalkstone Avenue 16 years. The Curi family brought their South American cuisine to Providence with a heavy dose of hospitality and delicious food. Now brothers Cesin, Omar and Diego Curi and Omar's wife Andrea have opened what certainly looks like another hit. The doors opened at 171 Admiral St. on Monday.

I went yesterday at 12:30. They opened for the day at noon and already people were dining at tables outside and there was a short line. When I left with my food a few minutes later, the line was out the door.

What impressed me were all the smiles, not just on the diners but on all the staff and cooks. It was a happy, happy vibe.

As you step up to the counter, you see rotisserie flames behind glass. The aromas are intoxicating. They have rotisserie chicken, a fried chicken, grilled angus steak cooked on skewers and baby back ribs. Diners choose their meal and not one or two but three sides. I loved the seasoned chaufa rice and beans best.

But every plate I saw had the lo-mein noodles so I tried them, too. They were tasty as were the French fries and Yuca fries. They also come with a cold side and I loved the corn salsa with all the great spices.

This is a fusion restaurant and they also offer bowls with wok fried chicken, beef, veggies and a combo of all plus shrimp. They come with Peruvian rice.

Margaritas and Sangria are prepared and ready to serve from cold drink machines. There are churros for dessert.

You can also take home a rotissserie chicken.

The restaurant is fast and the food was all delicious, even after a ride home. Bravo to the Curi family.

Track 15 update

While I was visited Admiral Street, including a stop at La Salle Bakery across the street where I picked up pizza chips, cannoli and a chocolate cake, news arrived in my email.

Track 15, Providence's must anticipated food hall, now has an opening date of February, 2025. The project is several years in from Marsella Development Corporation. It will open in the former Union Station with a lineup of new restaurants.

Four are from Providence, including Dune Brothers , who will have a seafood and raw bar concept. The Meza family, owners of Dolores, will offer regional Mexican cuisine. There will be burgers and sandwiches from the owners of There, There . From Newport, chef Kevin O’Donnell, owner of Giusto and Mother Pizzeria, will have two Italian restaurants, Giusto PVD and Mother Pizzeria PVD.

Now two new restaurants have been added. Little Chaska will be an Indian restaurant from Sanjiv Dhar who operates Kabob & Curry, Rasoi, Rasa and Chaska. Tolia, is a new concept from Turkish native Alp Gumuscu, formerly the executive chef at Yagi Noodles in Newport. He will bring a taste of the region of Anatolia which surrounds Turkey, Greece and other parts of the Middle East.

Marsella has partnered with Convivium Hospitality Group to redevelop the historical space and deliver a diverse hospitality experience that reflects the many cultural influences in Rhode Island.

Gift Horse

Yesterday the New York Times revealed their list of the best restaurants in America. Gift Horse in Providence was selected among the list of 50, just as it was for the USA Today's Best Restaurant list back in February.

There's no denying that owners Ben Sukle, his business partner and general manager, Bethany Caliaro and chef Sky Haneul Kim have created a wonderful place with local seafood, superb cocktails and excellent service.

Here's what Pete Wells wrote about Gift Horse.

"On any given night, the shuckers behind the horseshoe bar at Gift Horse are prying open oysters grown in about a dozen spots along the Rhode Island coast. The quality of the shellfish is impressive even before you dress them with kimchi mignonette or a few jade-colored drops of hot sauce drawn from fermented green chiles. Sky Haneul Kim, the chef, reworks the traditional New England raw bar using the flavors of South Korea, where she was raised. Kimchi of crisp spring asparagus is piled over steamed littlenecks dug from Narragansett Bay. Whipped smoked fish pâté is served with puffed sheets of fried nori. Butterfish, standing in for mackerel, is broiled under a dark glaze of sweet-potato miso."

"Gift Horse deserves to be talked about in the same breath with Yangban in Los Angeles, Atoboy in New York and a handful of other restaurants that are busy bringing American ways of dining into the orbit of Korean cuisine," he concluded.

Wells, who grew up in Rhode Island, just left his post as dining critic at the New York Times after 12 years.

Gift Horse opened at 272 Westminster St. during the summer of 2023 after Bon Appétit placed it on its list of 12 national restaurants to watch for 2023. The raw bar and seafood specialty restaurant was the concept from Sukle, a James Beard nominated chef who offers it as a "gift" of the best catches in Rhode Island waters.

Sukle's restaurants have always made a splash, from Birch to Oberlin and even as the opening chef at The Dorrance. He's been honored with many James Beard nominations, from Rising Star to finalist of Best Chef Northeast.

Only three other New England restaurants made the list. They are Somaek in Boston, The Shipwright's Daughter in Mystic, Connecticut; and The Alna Store in Alna, Maine.

This week's food section

You'll find my colleague Jonny Williams five favorite chicken wings .

My latest fun food things to do offerings can be read here .

Looking for a new recipe for the holy days of Rosh Hashanah? Check out this Blackberry Jam Cake .

That's it for now dear readers. See you back here next week.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Newly opened and coming soon