Woonsocket, Rhode Island, doesn’t look like a major destination. An hour’s drive southwest of Boston, the small city has corporate parks and a Holiday Inn Express — like any other in New England.
But for music lovers across the country, visiting Woonsocket is a bucket-list item: for the chance to spend an evening at Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining and Lounge.
One of the last supper clubs on the national touring circuit, Chan’s is a deeply respected venue for jazz and blues acts. Housed in a converted bank vault, the 130-seat club is stuffed with dinner tables and walls dripping in art. On a recent night, regulars shook hands across tables and the smell of Cantonese comfort food wafted from the kitchen. Servers flitted around jotting down last-minute requests. In the middle of it all was the owner, John Chan, checking in on each of his patrons.
“Tonight, we’re having spicy Szechuan string beans, Singapore rice noodles, some Chinese roast duck,” John said, smiling as he gestured at dishes on a table. “The roast duck is better than Chinatown.”…