For those familiar with the mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly area around Union Station, it may be difficult to imagine it before former Mayor Buddy Cianci’s revitalization, when it was a neglected urban wasteland, crisscrossed with railroad tracks and marked by dilapidated buildings.
But it wasn’t always that way. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Providence was a commercial and cultural center, with Union Station as its hub. Fourteen railway tracks either served or passed through the train station, securing the city’s status as a key transit area that linked Providence to Boston, New York, and beyond. It’s this history that Christopher Marsella, president of Marsella Development and one of the owners of Track 15 – located in Union Station – paid homage to in naming the new food hall.
Marsella Development, when it was under the direction of Christopher’s father, Romolo, purchased Union Station in 1986 with a dream to turn it into a mixed-use building. “Union Station was the epicenter of downtown through the ‘90s and early 2000s,” says the younger Marsella. “But then the area started to slip. Restaurants weren’t keeping up, infrastructure wasn’t being maintained, and things generally looked ragged. That’s when we had a morsel of an idea.”
That initial spark of an idea, revitalizing Union Station with a food hall, became a serious pursuit in 2019. “Then COVID hit,” he says ruefully, echoing so many others whose dreams were derailed due to the pandemic. But the delay was brief, and in April 2021, plans for the food hall were back on track.
“We spent about two years eating our way through Rhode Island,” says Marsella of his search for the perfect merchants to fit the seven slots in the 18,000-square-foot food hall. “We went to 200 different restaurants with a goal of listening, learning, and meeting chefs. We knew space was limited, so we took our time to find the right mix of food options.”
The food hall’s original design allowed for additional restaurants, but as the design evolved, Marsella decided that more restaurants didn’t make sense for the space. “Our intent was to make the food hall look like it had always been there,” says Marsella. That means not only respecting the bones of the building, but also preserving its historic architectural details. “There’s no way we could have recreated the beautiful architectural elements they built in 1898,” he says. “The architecture led our entire vision and design choices, from the floor color to the tile choices to the mill work. We really tried to evoke the early 20th century.”
And the food hall still feels a bit like a train station. Electronic menus at the seven different restaurants are flipper-board style to look like arrival and departure information. Visitors can view the offerings and choose a restaurant, order their food, and then head to the central Track 15-managed bar for a drink before finding a place to sit at one of nearly 300 seats or 100 outside. A text message lets diners know their food is ready, and it’s served cafeteria-style, on a tray, but with silverware and china rather than paper and plastic. “It’s important to us that we don’t generate a lot of trash,” Marsella says. Each restaurant has its own kitchen, but they all share a dishwashing area. “When patrons are done with their meal, Track 15 staff clear and wash the dishes, then redistribute them to the restaurants. We want our merchants to focus on the food, and we’re happy to focus on everything else.”
Monica and Nick Gillespie, owners of Dune Brothers, say they’re excited to be part of something that’s bringing some energy and foot-traffic to downtown. “Business has been booming,” Monica says as she and Nick close out their first week in operation at Track 15. “Because there’s diverse food served at diverse price points, there’s something for everyone.”
This is Dune Brothers’ fourth restaurant and fifth location if you count its wholesale operation in Warwick, and the couple aims to do something different with their little slice of the food hall. “We have a beautiful raw bar that’s customer facing,” says Nick. “It has three types of Rhode Island oysters, littlenecks hand-dug by our own clammer, and whole chilled lobsters.” They also offer ceviches and crudo that are unique to this location. Although the idea of a raw bar may sound upscale, the couple says that Track 15 is all about cultivating an approachable, accessible vibe.
The Gillespies also applaud Marsella’s decision to not only choose restaurants that play well off of each other, but also restaurant owners who play well together. “The relationship between vendors is great,” says Nick. “We know a lot of them personally and they make great food. That’s why we wanted to be part of this.” Monica echoes his sentiment, saying, “We feel privileged to be among people we respect. When we go out to eat, we’d choose any of these restaurants.”
That respect is mutual, says Alp Gumuscu, who, with his wife, Tarci-Lee Galarza, brings Middle Eastern flavors to Track 15 through their restaurant, Tolia. Unlike the other six eateries, Tolia is a brand-new concept, making the food hall its first home. “This is the best way to start a restaurant,” Gumuscu says. “I’m neighbors with great chefs and I can learn from their experience. When they ask questions, I start to see how their minds work.”
Gumuscu is also a passionate storyteller. “Let me tell you what happened.” He settled into his tale as he peeled turnips for the next day’s lunch rush. “Tarci and I are both chefs, and we worked in fine dining. She was my sous chef. We developed a friendship. Then a partnership. Then that partnership became a marriage,” he says with pride. The pair were part of Marsella’s 200-chef tour. “I gave him a 12-course tasting, and by the namoura course – a semolina cake – we were hired,” says Gumuscu. “All the stars came together.”
Even Tolia’s menu is a story. “Our restaurant is named after the Anatolia region of Turkey,” he shares. “That name comes from the ancient Greeks. The region is so old, and the food we cook, like kibbeh [savory meatballs], goes back 3,000 years, but people are still eating it.”
Sharing his culture with others is important to Gumuscu. “The Anatolia region was along major trade routes, like the Silk Road,” he explains. “It was a crossroad for different cultures like the ancient Greeks, the Byzantines, Arabs, and Turks. Layer by layer, over centuries, the different cultures shaped the area’s cuisine. Sharing that with others is the most exciting thing for me.”
After his first week at Track 15, Alp says
reception has been wonderful. “I’ve already had a Turkish customer come in twice,” he says. “After he finished his lunch, he said it reminded him of being in Istanbul. That makes me so happy.”
Marsella says that the food hall is doing exactly what he hoped it would for the community. “People have been overwhelmed by the quality of the chefs and their food,” he says. “And it’s been really fun to watch people’s reactions as they walk in and see Union Station transformed.”
Track 15 brings together seven standout restaurants, each offering a distinct flavor that reflects the diverse culinary landscape of Rhode Island. Here’s a look at the chefs and concepts shaping this vibrant food hall.
Dolores
Mother-and-son chefs Maria and Joaquin Meza’s culinary concept is rooted in foods from Mixteca, a region in southern Mexico. The restaurant’s outstanding feature is its homemade tortillas, made daily from freshly ground imported maiz.
Dune Brothers
Dune Brothers is a seafood restaurant owned by husband-and-wife team Nicholas and Monica Gillespie. It honors New England coastal culture with its pier-to-plate approach to the traditional seafood shack.
Giusto PVD
Brothers Kevin (who earned a James Beard nomination for Outstanding Hospitality for their Newport restaurant) and Brian O’Donnell bring a self-proclaimed “freestyle Italian” approach to classics, cooking up comforting foods with an expected twist.
Little Chaska
Sanjiv and Vandana Dhar’s journey began with Kabob and Curry on Thayer Street. Now they add Little Chaska to their family of restaurants, all honoring India’s regional diversity by cooking up traditional and modern Indian cuisine.
Mother Pizzeria
Another eatery that stems from Newport’s Giusto, the base of their pizza is a sourdough, created by owners Kevin O’Donnell, Lauren Schaefer, and Kyle Stamps, from a cherished starter dubbed “mother.”
There, There.
Chef Brandon Teachout, whose first brick-and-mortar is on the West End, agonizes over every culinary detail in order to deliver to his customers a no-frills burger joint experience that is unmatched.
Tolia
Husband-and-wife duo Alp Gumuscu and Tarci-Lee Galarza serve up food inspired by the ancient region of Anatolia in Turkey. The couple aims to craft not just delicious meals, but unforgettable experiences.
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