TFoglia here ’ s nothing kitschy about Peter Carvelli ’ s Foglia , but if there ’ s any kind of nuanced mantra , it ’ s simply that plant-based food can be fine dining as readily as an omnivore ’ s meal . Situated in a small space that once housed Persimmon , Foglia holds thirty diners in a subdued palette of cream and black , with accents of laser-cut leaves dividing the spaces .
TFoglia here ’ s nothing kitschy about Peter Carvelli ’ s Foglia , but if there ’ s any kind of nuanced mantra , it ’ s simply that plant-based food can be fine dining as readily as an omnivore ’ s meal . Situated in a small space that once housed Persimmon , Foglia holds thirty diners in a subdued palette of cream and black , with accents of laser-cut leaves dividing the spaces .
A sliver of the size of Plant City , it comes close to replicating its diversity of clientele on a microcosmic scale . Sure , there are college kids here ( several of them working in the kitchen and front of the house ), but the dining room is usually filled with a crowd that spans a fifty-year age gap . Why the mass appeal ? Because Foglia has no agenda other than to solidify itself as a — or even the — neighborhood favorite .
The menu is familiar — largely pasta and other iterations of rustic Italian favorites . But the shift from meat to plant-based ingredients calls very little attention to itself . Some of the dishes were always vegetarian ( fazzoletti e funghi ) and others ( tempeh piccata ) are so focused on the sauce as its central flavor that the protein swap is secondary .
In fact , you can readily make it through a first course without even considering a life change : Thick wedges of focaccia — plain ($ 4 ) or pizza-style ($ 10- $ 12 ) — are so appealing with a glass of red wine that they could take up a whole evening . Seared artichokes with a sprinkle of panko ($ 14 ) are classic Italian until you get to the black olive caramel which transliterates the dish into something both modern and better .
But it ’ s pasta that rules the menu . Made in-house , it not only forms the basis for cacio e pepe ($ 22 ) and Bolognese ($ 24 ), but dominates both dishes . The latter uses Impossible ground “ meat ,” and the ragu is everything you ’ d expect : tangy , rich and braised into delicacy . But it ’ s the hearty pappardelle that plays on both flavor and texture , and these bites that define Foglia as simply good
Italian , rather than just plant-based .
But Carvelli sees a meal in its entirety and , though you can make a meal out of small plates , the five-course tasting menu is a playful embrace of diverse dishes that redefine Tuscan food for the modern era .
If there are any surprises left to reveal , it ’ s that the restaurant has a local sixteen-year-old pastry chef named Piper McAloon who turned quarantine into an intensive educational dive into vegan baking . It ’ s a fitting partnership with Carvelli , who took on cooking as a third career when it eclipsed every other interest .
McAloon turns out a stellar array of varied desserts ($ 9 ), from coconutbased cheesecake to fried dough with fig sauce to a bright lemon cake glazed with citrus sugar . One table was so enraptured with the high schooler ’ s work that they ate two desserts at the table and took two more home for the next day . Servers were unsurprised : They know half the diners by name and greet everyone with a sincere enthusiasm that infuses not only the food itself but the movement behind it . 🆁
FOGLIA 31 State St ., Bristol , 253-1195 , fogliabristol . com
Open for dinner Thursday through Sunday . Street parking .
MUST GET Focaccia , Roman artichokes , pasta .
132 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l AUGUST 2023