Trafford Restaurant – Warren, Rhode Island

Trafford / 285 Water Street / Warren, RI 02885 / 401 – 289-2265

Some places are worth reviewing again (and again), as is the case with Trafford located in historic Warren, Rhode Island.

get-attachment (22)

I had reviewed Trafford’s a year ago (which you could find HERE) and was beyond excited to return.

get-attachment (84)

I am happy to say the food and service were even better than my prior experience!

One of the things I love most about Trafford’s is it’s cool, contemporary, nautical decor. Everything from the the shades of blue gray to the twinkling white lights – work. 

get-attachment (28)

get-attachment (30)

It feels like you are walking into a photo shoot for Coastal Living Magazine. It is truly pleasant and adds to the whole dining experience.

get-attachment (26)

As like last time, service was as quick and friendly, and really, what can one say about views like this?

get-attachment (46)

This time my wife, Jennifer, and I started out with The Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad (served over baby greens with gala apples, walnuts, red onion and a raspberry vinaigrette).  It was absolutely delicious and has officially taken the # 1 rank for favorite salad.

get-attachment (6)The creamy vinaigrette is almost like a subtle dessert topping! Mixed with the gala apples and walnuts, you have a combination that just pops with flavor.

Before our entrees arrived, Jennifer treated herself to a Salted Caramel Apple Martini (Stoli salted caramel Vodka, Canton ginger liquor, and apple cider).

get-attachment (3)

The drink was so delicious that I found myself drooling from the sweet, intoxicating smell alone!

As for our entrees, I chose the Wood Grilled Porterhouse Pork Chop (with a rosemary pan sauce, bacon and balsamic glazed brussel sprouts and maple mashed sweet potatoes).  Jennifer order the Chicken Pot Pie (white and dark meat chicken in a savory sauce with leeks, carrots and potatoes topped with a flaky crust and baked, accompanied by a cranberry port relish). 

Even though it was a balmy spring evening, it felt and tasted like fall! I cannot put into words how truly delectable each bite was.

get-attachment (7)The pork chop was huge and cooked / seasoned perfectly. The absolute best thing was taking a bite of the pork chop with a scoop of the maple mashed sweet potatoes. Oh my. Simply amazing. The glazed brussel sprouts also had a unique savory flavor. A winning dish all around! 

The same can be said for Jennifer’s Chicken Pot Pie. Every pre-conceived notion you have of a “typical” chicken pot pie needs to be thrown out the window.

get-attachment (9)Yes, Trafford’s chicken pot pie has that “comfort food” quality, but it takes it a HUGE step above! The “pie”,  placed on top of the generous portion of chicken, leeks, carrots and potatoes, was unlike anything either of us had experienced.

get-attachment (10)

It was super light and flaky, breaking apart perfectly to provide that perfect bite.

Russell Goyette, one of the owners of Trafford, had informed Jen and I earlier in the evening of their new chef, and although I remember Trafford’s being delicious last time, this meal blew that one out of the park! Bravo to the new chef! 

get-attachment (41)

You can always tell when a chef cooks with passion. The food isn’t rushed. You can taste the love. Diner’s, such as myself, truly appreciate this. When I go out to a restaurant my expectations are that the food I order (and service) will be worth the money paid.

get-attachment (15)

Sadly, many times, this is not the case, however, thanks to restaurants like Traffod’s you can be assured of a perfect dining experience from beginning to end.

Speaking of endings….let’s talk dessert! 

get-attachment (47)All our waitress had to say was one of the evening’s specials was a Cinnamon Bread Pudding – and we were sold.

I am a HUGE fan of bread pudding, and quite picky at that.

Trafford’s hit another home run!

The bread pudding was not only beautifully constructed it was insanely good, especially with the Crème anglaise sauce drizzled on top, and what tasted like fresh made whipped cream.

What an absolutely PERFECT dining experience.

get-attachment (82)

BACKGROUND INFO:  Trafford is located on the site of the former Sears Coal Mill in Warren, Rhode Island’s historical district. They overlook Warren’s waterfront, and want to make the view a part of the whole experience. The name, Trafford, was a family name that has been passed down for many years.

get-attachment (77)When trying to determine a name for this restaurant, they decided to look up the meanings of some possible prospects. Trafford, originally Trapford, means where the land and water meet.

get-attachment (89)What is more perfect for a building that sits right on the waterfront? Alyn Carlson, Trafford’s designer, brought the name, location, and building together with an image.

get-attachment (71)

The image dates back to the 1890’s, and was discovered in the Providence Public Library. The image of a sailboat with wheels has a quirky mystery that perfectly embodies a combination of land and water.

get-attachment (18)

MENU’S:

get-attachment (63)

get-attachment (88)

HOURS: 

  • Tuesday – Saturday (lunch) 11:30 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Tuesday – Saturday (dinner) 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
  • Friday and Saturday (dinner) 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
  • Sunday Brunch 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
  • Sunday Dinner 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM

get-attachment (44)

SPECIAL EVENTS / PARTIES: 

Trafford’s upstairs dining room is available for private functions. They host a variety of showers, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, and special events. The upstairs dining room holds up to 55 people with access to a full bar.

get-attachment (85)

PATIO SEATING: 

During the warmer months Trafford’s has outside seating on a beautiful patio overlooking Warren’s waterfront.

get-attachment (1)

GAY & LESBIAN FACTOR: Oh Rhode Island, how I love thee. Did you know that Rhode Island has recently been voted one of the top gay & lesbian friendly travel destinations by Travel & Leisure Magazine? Or that it has (finally) legalized gay marriage?  Did you know there are more Lgbt nightclubs in downtown Providence than Boston? Rhode Island is just a very gay friendly / welcoming state. Warren, a quaint town known as “the smallest town in the smallest county in the smallest state in the world”, is no exception! The artsy vibe of Warren attracts a healthy, diverse mix of locals with a more dominant Lgbt presence in recent years.
get-attachment (14)
I can think of no better place for locals and visitors to dine at than Trafford. The staff and owner’s of the restaurant are some of the nicest people you will meet. Extremely welcoming and grateful for our business. Trafford’s is the all-around perfect dining spot, be it for a quick lunch, romantic date, family get together or party. The ambiance will entice you and make you feel as if you are on vacation. The service will make you feel important and respected and the food, well, the food will leave you anticipating your return. Like last time, I happily “OUT” Trafford as Lgbt friendly and worthy of our business.
get-attachment (59)
Trafford’s has gone through some changes this past year including a new chef and loss of some valued workers, but like they say, sometimes change is a positive thing!
get-attachment (31)
Trafford’s was amazing and delicious before, but now?
Now it is even —- better! 😉 
Desiree Sousa
Owner / Editor in Chief
Out & About Travel / Gay Travel Informaiton
Comments
One Response to “Trafford Restaurant – Warren, Rhode Island”
Trackbacks
Check out what others are saying...
  1. […] We are no stranger when it comes to dining (and reviewing) Trafford Restaurant in Warren, Rhode Island. You can read our 2012 review HERE and 2013 review HERE.  […]



Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: