Dining out: Providence’s Cafe; Noir is sophisticated, yet comfy, with big flavors

Café Noir is an elegant bistro serving French specialties with sophisticated flair. So naturally the dinner check is accompanied by a stick of blue cotton candy worthy of any carnival.

That's the kind of welcome twist you find at the restaurants of the Chow Fun Food Group owned by Rick and Cheryl Bready and John Elkhay.

The curtains are lace and the chandeliers vintage crystal. Paper fortunes (Better the devil you know than the devil you don't!) hide in the folds of the cloth napkins to greet each diner.

The space on North Main Street is now in its third incarnation. A dozen years ago it premiered as the XO Café, the first restaurant conceived by the Breadys and Elkhay. Five years ago it became XO Steakhouse when beef markets were all the rage among the low carb crowd. With the economic downturn Elkhay said the time was right to create a neighborhood bistro with prices that wouldn't shock diners.

He likes to call himself the "maestro" of the local chain which includes 10 Prime Steak and Sushi, Rick's Roadhouse... read more