Loie Fuller's

The other day a friend suggested we check out Loie Fuller's, a fairly new restaurant in Providence. She had been there just once before for a drink and apps in the bar and fell in love with the Art Nouveau decor and thought it would be nice to check out the entree's as well. It was Saturday night and there was a Waterfire going on that evening and we knew that all the restaurants downtown would be packed. So we thought that Loie Fuller's would be perfect since it is off the beaten path on Westminster Street. Parking was a breeze! We got a spot on the street right in front of the building. Once inside, it was clear that my friend was right about the decor! The most striking and best part of all the decor is the great mural painted on all the walls. Bravo to the artist (with whom we both agree must be a woman). I then noticed the custom Art Nouveau woodwork (oak?) and mosaic's. Beautiful. Even the host looked as though they teleported her there from the year 1897.
We decided to sit at the bar and have a drink and check out the menu prior to committing to having dinner there (just in case). The bar area was very small- sitting maybe 10 to 12 people. We were the only people at the bar. The bartender was nice- friendly and responsive but respectful of our privacy. We asked for a wine similiar to a Pinot Grigio and he suggested the Italian Orvieto. (Which was way better than any Pinot I've ever had!) We each ordered the Mussels and Frites appetizer which were delectable little morsels but there was only three- two more would have been perfect. After looking through the (minimal) entree selections we spotted the Spicy Shellfish Bouillabaisse and decided to move to a table and stay for dinner. As we knew what we were having we ordered right away. All of the entrees come a la carte. Normally, I would have been disappointed that salad was not included with the entree, but the wine and mussels were satisfying. After another glass of wine and a long conversation we realized that it had been at least 30 minutes and our patience began to wear. Finally our meals were served and our impatience dissipated as we waffed in the fragrance of the Bouillabaisse. It was delishious! If our server had come any later we may have licked our dishes. Overall, my experience at Loie Fuller's was a good one. I would recommend it to others (especially for the wine selection) with some caution about the wait time.