Food Hall | Union Station | Providence

Frankie811 said:
You know the train doesn't stop there, right? Ha! LOL :)
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This took me a second (I forgot it used to be an active station for a moment) haha. I walk close to it on my way home. I didn't stop in yesterday, but I'm definitely going to check it out tomorrow.
 
New England Born & Raised said:
I checked it out today. The space is very nice. The food is pricey. I have my doubts on how it will fare with the RI public. Seems that visitors might be more of the focus
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That makes sense. It’s mostly outposts of well known restaurants elsewhere in the state, so it seems like a consolidation of the “best of” type places. We’ll see if that works long term.

I’m going for lunch before the first tournament session at the AMP today. Looking forward to trying some of the stuff I haven’t had before.
 
Went last night and was good. I do think it's going to be dependent on conferences and events with a smattering elsewhere. Curious if they will do their own programming as well. The cauliflower 65 dish at the Indian place was awesome.
 
nicanbot said:
Went last night and was good. I do think it's going to be dependent on conferences and events with a smattering elsewhere. Curious if they will do their own programming as well. The cauliflower 65 dish at the Indian place was awesome.
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What's this nonsense that only credit cards are accepted?
 
nicanbot said:
Went last night and was good. I do think it's going to be dependent on conferences and events with a smattering elsewhere. Curious if they will do their own programming as well. The cauliflower 65 dish at the Indian place was awesome.
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I went yesterday before Session 1 and really liked most of what I saw. I'm with you, I think it's going to really rely on people coming in before events. If they were able to offer and advertise free parking for 1/2 hour, they might actually get a decent amount of takeout traffic. And I really hope they clear up access to the pedestrian underpass to Waterplace Park before Waterfires start. It's obnoxious that you have to take a circuitous route around do get between the two. Considering their intentions for outdoor seating, I'm hopeful that this will be the case. An outdoor bar would go a long way in the nicer months.

In spite of how long this was delayed, there were clearly some things that were unfinished/not tested before opening. A section of the seating area near the giant screen to the right of There, There was blocked off with what looked like a big water leak. Tape was where hardware should go on some bathroom and service doors. Not huge things, but things that make it clear that it's not quite finished. But it does look really nice and I like the layout. Prices are more or less what I would expect from these vendors. I wanted shawarma, but the plate is $22 at Tolia. So I went with Gnocchi from Guisto instead which was very good.
 
Frankie811 said:
What's this nonsense that only credit cards are accepted?
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Credit, debit, or digital wallets. They need to clarify the policy a bit, I think. This is what it says on the website: Cash is not accepted at the kitchens or bar; however, you can purchase a Track 15 gift card at the bar, for use anywhere inside track 15. We accept all major credit & debit cards as well as Apple Pay.

What's not clear to me is if you can use cash to purchase a gift card from the bar? They say the bar doesn't accept cash, but they offer purchasing a gift card at the bar as an alternative to using credit/debit/digital. If you have to use credit/debit/digital to get a gift card, then why even bother? And if you can use cash to buy the gift card, then the bar at least is clearly equipped to accept cash.
 
Lrfox said:
And I really hope they clear up access to the pedestrian underpass to Waterplace Park before Waterfires start. It's obnoxious that you have to take a circuitous route around do get between the two. Considering their intentions for outdoor seating, I'm hopeful that this will be the case. An outdoor bar would go a long way in the nicer months.
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A small section of the fencing was down on Wednesday when I was there and I was able to access Waterplace Park using the tunnel under Memorial Blvd. I am disappointed that the former tunnel under the old train station that ended at the ice rink does not look to have been incorporated into the space and was eliminated. As for outdoor seating, i believe I had previously read it would eventually utilize the Luxe Burger location and have more outdoor seating space.
 
New England Born & Raised said:
A small section of the fencing was down on Wednesday when I was there and I was able to access Waterplace Park using the tunnel under Memorial Blvd. I am disappointed that the former tunnel under the old train station that ended at the ice rink does not look to have been incorporated into the space and was eliminated. As for outdoor seating, i believe I had previously read it would eventually utilize the Luxe Burger location and have more outdoor seating space.
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Interesting - I came via the tunnel under Memorial and it looked like it was not possible to get over to Track 15 without going up the stairs to Memorial and walking around. Was the section of fence removed intentionally, or did a piece just fall? To me, it looked like they could have just slid a piece over a few feet to let people through while still keeping the work area fenced off, but we couldn't have gotten by without physically moving it.

Big bummer about the tunnel under the old station to the rink. It would have been a much more intuitive to get from the food hall to the rink.
 
Side note but one thing the Marsella Group should be doing is advocating the city make the Exchange/Francis St. intersection more pedestrian friendly. It's super uncomfortable to cross there.
 
nicanbot said:
Side note but one thing the Marsella Group should be doing is advocating the city make the Exchange/Francis St. intersection more pedestrian friendly. It's super uncomfortable to cross there.
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I was at that intersection once when a few out-of-towners were looking for the entrance to the hotel. There are no signs to direct people from the garage in the lot, I had to walk them over to the Exchange Terrace front doors @ Courtyard by Marriott.
 
Frankie811 said:
What's this nonsense that only credit cards are accepted?
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I personally hate going to ATMs and carrying cash. I just do large widthdrawls whenever I do and keep some in an envlope at home to keep a little in my wallet. waste of wallet space they are
 
Some photos from a visit today. Really nice finishes on the inside and the food was good!
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ive gone there twice now because I had a job site nearby, looks like i'll need to visit again soon
 
Wednesday, March 18, Track 15 turns one year old! We’ll be celebrating all day with free funfetti cupcakes at lunch and dinner (while supplies last).

It’s hard to believe that in just one year we’ve welcomed more than 750,000 guests, poured 77,000+ draft beers, served 41,000 orders of fries, and hosted 120 private events inside our historic Union Station home. Not bad for year one!
 
One year in, and it's a resounding success and asset to the city. It's not huge, but I might argue that it's the most well-done food hall I've been to in New England.

The vendors are all local and high quality. The space is comfortable and invites people to sit/linger. The bar is well positioned and the variety of beverages is solid (rotating seasonals, local beers, curated wines, etc.). On top of that, the events and programming are really solid. We've been to their fall craft market, the holiday market, and some of the tasting/guest chef events and each has been very well attended.

Now that the outdoor space is complete, I think they'll do even better. It's a really pleasant spot to sit and have a bit/drink. Last Tuesday when it was 70 plus degrees, I stopped by after getting off my train from Boston. They're still set up for winter (igloos, curling), but they had the window at the bar open and you could really get an idea of what it will be like as the weather improves. Waterfire nights are going to be big business.
 
Lrfox said:
One year in, and it's a resounding success and asset to the city. It's not huge, but I might argue that it's the most well-done food hall I've been to in New England.

The vendors are all local and high quality. The space is comfortable and invites people to sit/linger. The bar is well positioned and the variety of beverages is solid (rotating seasonals, local beers, curated wines, etc.). On top of that, the events and programming are really solid. We've been to their fall craft market, the holiday market, and some of the tasting/guest chef events and each has been very well attended.

Now that the outdoor space is complete, I think they'll do even better. It's a really pleasant spot to sit and have a bit/drink. Last Tuesday when it was 70 plus degrees, I stopped by after getting off my train from Boston. They're still set up for winter (igloos, curling), but they had the window at the bar open and you could really get an idea of what it will be like as the weather improves. Waterfire nights are going to be big business.
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Can you run it by me again as to how you pay/order food there?
 
Frankie811 said:
Can you run it by me again as to how you pay/order food there?
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They don't accept cash, but apart from that it's like any other fast casual spot - just go up to the counter and order with credit card, debit card, or gift card. Each vendor plus the bar have their own registers (in addition, the bar has the little handheld readers so they don't have to handle your card). You can also order online on the website if you'd rather do it that way. Once you've ordered, you can hang out by the stall and wait, or go sit down and they'll text you when it's ready.
 
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