M.c.chef Walter Potenza - Providence

I wouldn’t really call this a food tour. It’s more like a history tour on the Italian immigrants to the federal hill with tiny food samples. I expected to get some good food being with a chef and all but we walked in hungry and waked away hungrier. He was knowledgeable on the Italian history but very disappointed on the food front. I don’t recommend it as a food tour.

The best thing about our Saturday night spent dining at Walter's was an entertaining fistfight between two inebriated patrons at the bar. We chose this restaurant because the prices were more reasonable than other locations on the hill, and there were available tables, but now we know why. The menu looked appetizing and had a good deal of variety and interesting descriptions, but the meal didn't live up to expectations. Walter's did not follow the usual protocol for an Italian meal, that is to say we did not receive bread until the appetizer was served, and it was a small portion of sliced focaccia that didn't last long (there is a charge for extra bread). Our savory appetizer was warmed goat cheese served in terra cotta with red sauce and pesto with breadsticks. While it was overall tasty, the breadsticks were stale. We split a plate of gnocchi with eggplant, tomatoes and sauteed greens. The dish was bland and benefitted from salt and pepper (which we needed to ask for). The gnocchi were mushy and didn't taste homemade. The value for the price seemed low and we wouldn't recommend this restaurant. At the beginning of our meal, we could hear the bartender cutting off a group of patrons at the bar, and it became obvious that one of them was very drunk. When the group finally left, this man became belligerent and could barely stand, taking at least ten minutes to leave the restaurant. When the men got into their car, the drunk one was repeatedly punching his companions, garnering a crowd of onlookers. The staff gathered to watch the spectacle, and the bartender assured us that this never happens. What was strange was that our meal was significantly disrupted by this series of events, but there was no apology offered for the awkward situation.

We go out to eat a lot and wanted to try something different. This was definitely different. Walter's is by far the worst restaurant we have been to in our year of living here. As soon as we walked into the empty dining room I wanted to leave but my husband hates to walk out of a place once he walks in. We opted to sit out back. The patio is not appealing at all with plastic chairs that were not clean, my husband's black jacket had white all over the back when we left. When we sat down I asked for a black napkin for him but was told they only have white, so he was wearing white lint all over his black pants too. The servers don't have a uniform and they looked sloppy. We noticed that there were no busboys. The food was just ok, definitely not memorable. The wine list was disappointing. When we left there were only six other people on the patio and inside was empty! Now we know why. Do not go here.

Had a great meal last night at Chef Walter's to celebrate my 20th anniversary. Made the reservation on OpenTable.com and noted it was our anniversary and asked for a table by the window. They had a great little table waiting for us and greeted us with a Happy Anniversary. They then surprised us with two glasses of Prosecco in honor of our anniversary. The menu is huge with lots of variety. I had pork loin and my husband had a veal dish. The entrees were generous and delicious. We each enjoyed a wine flight with our meal, which was fun alternative to ordering a bottle of wine. The chef's surprise dessert platter was yummy with plenty for two and reasonably priced to boot . Service was attentive without being overbearing. Our meal ended with more Happy Anniversaries from the hostess and the valet parking guy. It was a wonderful experience and we will definitely be back.

Really great Italian! The choices on the menu were creative without seeming too far off the classic Italian winners. Definitely more low-key than some of its Federal Hill neighbors (which, to me, is a good thing). Very attentive service, generous portions, and the feeling that you are having a special treat--not just eating-out-for-eating-out's sake.