Providence is obviously a fairly small city, but one thing is for sure– we are not lacking in wonderful, unique restaurants.

My husband and I tend to go to the same restaurants over and over, for the mere fact that we know what we like and we have our favorites of course. However, there are so many places to try in Providence, many of which are new, but also many of which have been around forever, but for some reason, never land on our radar.

CAV,  one of those restaurants that has been around forever, is well-regarded and serves delicious food, but my husband and I always forget about. We had been there once long ago when we first met and adored it, both for the food and for the funky, worldly atmosphere and unfortunately never returned– until last Sunday night. When our good friends suggested we meet for dinner there, we agreed without hesitation. I couldn’t wait to return to this spot in downtown of which we had such fond memories.

Maybe one of the reasons we overlook CAV when deciding on a restaurant to go to is its unusual location. It is located in an odd part of downtown, which quite frankly, is kind of always dead. The location itself though is very cool– it is located in what I imagine to be an old factory building, along many other businesses, many of which are arts-related. The thing that makes CAV so unique is the fact that the decor of the restaurant features a ton of artwork and antiques from all over the globe. Better yet, you can buy the art if you like it!

I failed to take any pics of the interior, but it is very exotic and actually quite romantic. Our party of six were seated at a large table on an elevated platform that gave us a wonderful view of the whole restaurant and well as a bit of feeling that we were somehow special!

CAV has a very vegetarian-friendly menu, and when I told the waiter I was vegan and gluten-free, his response was “that’s easy.” He informed me all of the salads could be veganized, and that their mushroom risotto could be made without dairy. I was in a salad mood, so I ordered their Sophia salad without the cheese. It was an amazing mix of greens, apple, dried cranberries and almonds bathed in a sweet onion vinaigrette. It was both large, substantial and delicious.

I also ordered a side of roasted veggies, including 2 kinds of beets and parsnips. He also served me a vegan champagne vinaigrette for dippage, though I opted for ketchup. The veggies were perfectly seasoned and nice roasted.

Though I didn’t order dessert, one of my friends did and it was so pretty, I just had to snap a pic. Here it is– I think it is some sort of chocolate mouse cake number! I love the artistry!

All in all, CAV is really a wonderful restaurant, perfect for romantic or special occasions, but also ideal for just a casual meal. I was pleased with the attentive service and sensitivity they displayed towards me as a vegan eater. I am going to make it a point to keep CAV on my radar in 2013!