Province

06/10/05

Our favorite little restaurant

by ericawoods99 at Citysearch

We've been there twice now, and going again tonight -- it has become our favorite "nice" dinner place in town. Doesn't look like much from the outside, but the inside is darling, quiet and romantic, unlike so many other "nice" restaurants in the area that have become overrun by business dinners...

I absolutely love their fish, and their steak is rather good too, but my favorite is the salad with goat cheese. I could eat a dozen of them! The creme brulee is excellent too -- I haven't tried the other desserts because I can't resist a good creme brulee and two desserts might be excessive...

It is pricy of course, but it's definitely worth it!

• Pros: Ambience, Food, Service
• Cons: Pricy, Limited parking

09/22/09

Fantastic Food, Very Warm Ambiance

by 1057 at Citysearch

We walked in to a very charming and very inviting dining room, but chose to sit outside on the patio. I have never seen such an eclectic group of diners in one restaurant. We asked our waiter what his favorites were and were not disappointed. The bisque was wonderful and the escargots were sensational. The three of us ate the Seafood Quartet, which allowed us to sample four fish entrees. I love to try a little of everything so this was right up my alley. We finished off with the Rosemary Ice Cream. Unbelievably creamy. We really appreciated the easy parking too. I am looking forward to going back, maybe with a date this time.

• Pros: Seafood
• Cons: One annoying mosquito

08/16/09

Great romantic place

by Retrosplenial at Citysearch

There have been some negative reviews about this restaurant, so we were a bit wary about dining here. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the attentive service, the quality of the food, and the great atmosphere. We were able to sit outside on a beautiful NC evening- one of those rare August evenings when its not too humid outside. We ordered lobster bisque to share, but maybe we should have ordered two because it was very rich and flavorful! One entree was a NC tilefish with lemon marmalade. The fish was flaky white, coated with a very light batter and smothered in a lemony, tart sauce. A second entree consisted of a Parisian flash grilled steak with a rich shallot sauce- very nice, although the frites could have been done a little more. To end, we shared a strawberry panna cotta, which was amazing! They also served one of the best non-bitter espressos I've had in a long time. All and all, we were very happy with the meal, atmosphere and service and would definitely book here again.

11/24/08

Gotta have more chocolate

by lisabright at Citysearch

My first restaurant review and I must admit that I am still on a chocolate fondant high. I took my parents to dinner at Provence and we had a perfect evening. Cute place, cute waiter, spectacular food. I loved the dressing (some kind of vinagrette) on my goat cheese salad. Two of us shared the whole fish and my dad ordered the wild boar stew. The whole fish was great, especially with the sauces, but I think the stew was even better. But the icing on zee cake was the desserts! Homemade ice cream, chocolate fondant and bread pudding. We loved all three.

• Pros: Ambiance, parking, service, dessert
• Cons: Had to wait to use the ladies room

11/09/08

Ugh. Attitude.

by morrisonjohn at Citysearch

We went here a number of times and had nice meals. Then, about a year or so ago, we had a very disappointing experience.

Let us begin at the beginning. Their wine steward hasn't a clue. My wife did not want more than a glass of wine, so we ordered Pinot Noir by the glass. Mistake. It wasn't cheap -- $10 per glass for a meager pour. We noticed that the staff lavished attention on a table of regulars. Their party had five people in it. They ordered two bottles of wine. Voila! Proper glassware appears! For us, we got a really mediocre house wine (I don't expect this in an nice establishment) poured in tiny glasses to the brim. Hey, this country hayseed from the New York and Philadelphia areas knows what a Pinot glass looks like.

We both ordered the same seafood dish that was to be prepared tableside. The waitress had not been properly trained to present the dish. It was embarrassing. And the dish was a featured item on the menu. We were ignored by the staff and were treated with disdain.

Needless to say, this place is OFF my recommended list and we haven't been back. Smart job, management. That decision has cost you a bail of money and some very soured goodwill. It has put you squarely on my list of places I tell my friends, colleagues and students to avoid.

Someone from Provence should take a walk down Franklin to the Carolina Inn. They get wine right. And service too.

• Pros: It used to be good, but the past tense doesn't count.
• Cons: Attitude.

03/17/08

Truly Authentic

by kellyvries at Citysearch

We recently took a visitor from France to Provence and he was greatly impressed by the food. He informed us it was the "real thing". Our waitress suggested that we try the escargot in roquefort and the seafood bisque. I will go back just for those two appetizers alone. The seafood was outstanding, mine was a grouper wrapped in basil leaves, but those that ordered the beef wellington were happy too. I'm still full but ready to go back.

02/15/08

Old favorite that has gone downhill

by malbec75 at Citysearch

My husband and I were fans of Provence for years. They had one of the best wine selections, appetizers and fish to choose from without the formal pompous atmosphere one associates with a higher end restaurant. Unfortunately in the past 6 months we have continuously experienced apathetic service, food portions have increased--however quality has decreased. They sitll have pretty eclectic wine list, the hostess is extremely friendly and the a romantic setting.

• Pros: Easy parking, romantic relaxed atmosphere, wine list
• Cons: service, food quantiy and quality

01/29/08

Best seafood in the Triangle

by BarryDK at Citysearch

The seafood selection is outstanding and the preperation, presentation and taste was the best I have had in the Triangle area. I would recommend to anyone. We plan to return next week for a Birthday celebration.

12/28/07

Forget the old reviews, this place is still for real!

by bornandbread at Citysearch

Recent reviews of this restaurant were less than stellar. My friend wanted to go for dinner for a special ocassion but after reading recent reviews I was skeptical. I let Michael know when I made the reservations. We arrived and were pleasantly surprised by the ambience (opposite of what I had read). It was romantic with lighting that was just right. It was also busy given the time we went (8:00). Our waiter Alex was excellent and knowledgeable. He answered our questions and did an expert table side filet of the Red Snapper my friend had ordered. The Shashimi Tuna was excellent as well as the salmon and sole with almondine that our other guests had. From the succulent fish to, wine, to dessert, we thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Our favorite in town photographer (Catherine Carter) had prints on display that really made the room feel warm. After dinner we talked with Michael and he had remembered my conversation with him and what I had read on City serach. So, to Michael, per my word, here is a review that your restaraunt is deserving of. Keep up the good work and our compliments to all of you and you staff! By the the way, for those who are interested, they are having a New Years eve event, so call and book in a hurry!

• Pros: Atmosphere, owner/chef on premises
• Cons: none

12/22/07

Evening to remember

by dsandra at Citysearch

My husband and I have been eating at Provence regularly since we moved here 3 years ago. It is the only place in town we will eat fish (which is superb), the cottage is adorable and the waitstaff is always smiling and professional. This weekend our extended family was visiting and we took them to eat at Provence for the first time. In our party we had 1 vegan, 1 glucose-intolerant and 1 picky child. What could have been a difficult dinner ended up being the easiest and most appreciated evening. My brother said his vegan plate (pasta in pesto surrounded by beautiful grilled vegetables) was maybe the best he had ever had. Thanks Provence for going out of your way to make our evening special.

• Pros: Consistency of food, Ambiance, Parking, Outdoor seating, Regular waitstaff,
• Cons: Dining room can be loud on weekends

12/14/07

Disappointing

by canileavenow at Citysearch

What a change--and not for the better.

I ate here with out-of-town relatives two years ago, and the meal was wonderful. The food and service were well above average, and the place was busy that night.

Two months ago (Oct. 2007) I went to Provence with my mother and a friend (both of whom had eaten there more times than I had), and we all agreed--everything's gone downhill.

The food took an extraordinary amount of time to get to the table, which was odd, as, aside from the three of us, there were only four other diners in the restaurant.

Our waitress apologized for the wait, and brought an extra bread basket, but neglected to bring the butter.

When we requested more butter, she was unwilling to bring it, but did eventually bring two small pats. Quite

a tussle to get some butter, and not even enough of it!

I had ordered the lemon sole Meuniere, and when it finally came, it looked as if a bare tablespoon of sauce had been carefully drizzled across the length of the fish. When I requested more sauce, it was the "butter tussle" all over again, but the waitress finally brought a dab more sauce in a tiny cup. The friend my mother and I were dining with went through the same thing with her order of beef tenderloin with peppercorn sauce--a scant spoonful was on the dish, and she had to ask for more sauce, several times. before the waitress brought it.

The desserts were on the dry side. We had coffee with the desserts, and again, there was something of a tussle to get a second cup.

Plainly, Provence is going downhill (the near-emptiness of the place when we came in should have told us something). Apparently they're really counting the pennies, and won't cut loose with butter, or sauce, or coffee, without something of a fight!

Provence has gone from a place I used to recommend unreservedly (as did my mother), to "Well, it's too bad it's not what it used to be." I really couldn't recommend it as it is now.