The Dish
DINING DETAILS
FROM LEFT: Greek-style braised Hopkins Southdowns lamb shank with saffron orzo and roasted grapes; mezze with crudite, dip trio and flatbread, marinated olives, Greek sesame koulouri and dolmas; the Paula’ s sundae, chocolate-olive oil mousse with sesame and grapefruit granita, and a tropical fruit plate; chef Panagiota“ Paula” Agganis, chef at Paula’ s at Courtland Club.
A Secret Greek Restaurant
Courtland Club’ s resident restaurant, Paula’ s, highlights chef Panagiota‘ Paula’ Agganis’ family recipes. By Jamie Coelho
PAULA’ S IS THE ESSENCE OF GREEK HOME COOKING. The restaurant inside Courtland Club in Providence highlights the familial recipes of chef Panagiota“ Paula” Agganis. The Greek culinary concept includes traditional dishes handed down from Paula’ s parents, such as dolmas( stuffed grape leaves), spanakopita wheels, a mezze platter with beet tzatziki, fava, whipped feta and flatbread, a braised pork gyro with yogurt and more. Elevated menu items also include a tender braised lamb shank from Hopkins Southdowns farm served with saffron orzo and roasted grapes, as well as housemade ice cream sundae desserts.
“ My mother is an amazing cook. I learned so much from her. And that’ s how I view Paula’ s as a project and as a concept,” Agganis says.“ The essence is Greek home cooking, but hopefully embedded with the techniques I’ ve learned working in restaurants for nine years now.”
The chef previously worked at Bayberry Garden as a line cook and pastry chef, and as assistant head baker at Little Sister, both in Providence. Before that, she was based in New York City, cooking a short stint with chef Mina Stone, and is still involved with
The League of Kitchens, where she learned techniques, recipes and skills from immigrant women.
“ The kitchens that I’ ve worked in have spanned quite a bit, and that shapes how I cook,” Agganis says.“ I didn’ t go to culinary school. I’ m not technically trained, so I’ m always looking for chefs that I can learn from.”
The Paula’ s kitchen team also includes Ricardo Silva( former sous chef at Nimki, Courtland Club’ s previous chef residency) and Alyssa Rosario, the former pastry chef at Bayberry Garden.
While Agganis features many traditional Greek dishes, she gets playful with dessert, creating housemade ice creams and rice pudding.“ I try to look for other ways to represent Greek food for more modern lands. It’ s more of the flavors that I attribute to Greece and the eastern Mediterranean,” she says.“ For instance, I use bergamot, citrus, cardamom and cin-
122 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY I MAY 2026