Bravo Wood Fired Pizza, North Kingstown

We're so behind!  It's not that we haven't been eating, goodness knows, it's just that real life keeps us pretty busy.

A few weeks ago, we went back to Bravo Wood Fired Pizza., 6689 Post Road, North Kingstown.  We had been there once before; Living Social had a coupon and we decided to check it out.  I don't want to go into detail about what transpired that night, let's just say things did not go smoothly.  Which was disappointing, because Bravo serves what has to be the best pizza either of us had ever tasted.  The owner, whose name escapes me at the moment, contacted Average Joe in the interest of good customer relations; the two of them resolved the problem and we were happy to give them another try. 

As I said, the pizza is fantastic.  Their website boasts "locally sourced and high quality ingredients" and seriously, you can taste the difference in every bite.  They even offer dessert pizzas and breakfast pizzas, as well as a bunch of other stuff I can't wait to try.  The restaurant menu is here. The place is clean and roomy, and open to the kitchen so you can see the big oven.

Bravo also offers catering services, and they are portable for fairs and festivals!

Please do yourself a favor and try Bravo.  We can't wait to go back!

Maharaja

Vegetable Biryani

It had been a while since we had Indian food, so we decided to go back to a place we'd been once before; Maharaja, 1 Beach Street, Narragansett.  I'm pretty new to Indian food, so I'm still pretty unfamiliar with what to order.  Thank goodness it's pretty well explained on the menu!  And both times we've been here, the wait staff has been exceptionally helpful and friendly.  One thing I've come to realize quickly is that it's all spicy.  VERY spicy.  So spicy, in fact, that when you go to Maharaja and you order and they ask you if you want it mild, medium, or hot, they will warn you (or maybe we just look like newbies) that even the mild is pretty spicy.  And it is.  So be warned.

The first time we went here I had Navarathan Korma, which was a pot full of veggies, nuts, raisins and (of course) spices, served with a pot of rice so you can serve yourself whatever ratio of veggies to rice you like.  It was wonderful.

This time, as we had a Living Social coupon again, we ordered a ridiculous amount of food.  And they start you off with a basket of some sort of bread that's really thin, almost potato chip thin, with three little bowls of assorted sauces for dipping.  I got a cup of coconut soup, which was like heaven in a bowl.  Sweet, with spices.  Average Joe got the lentil soup.  He said it was delicious; I didn't love it so much but that might have been because I was bowled over by my coconut soup.  I usually like lentil.  Anyway, then we had an appetizer, the Samosa Chat.  Vegetable dumplings with chickpeas and yogurt, with sweet and sour condiments.  That was VERY spicy.  For an entree, Joe got the Shrimp Vindaloo (shrimp cooked with potatoes in hot and tangy house gravy), and I opted for the Vegetable Biryani.  This is a one-dish meal with basmati rice, cashews, saffron, and a wide variety of vegetables.  When I tell you they brought me a huge plate, I mean that right now, two days later, I am eating the last of it.  It is quite spicy, but our waiter assured me that he had the chef make it very mild so I can only imagine what it might have been like had I asked for hot.  My mouth is on fire.  Don't get me wrong, I like it.  We also had chai.  And this is REAL chai, not the prepackaged mix; it's not sweet.  You can add sugar of course if you want, but it's not presweetened.

All in all, I have to say we love this place.  I look forward to going back to try something else new.  Average Joe describes eating at Maharaja as like "an orgy in my mouth".  So there you have it.

Tallulah's Taqueria

Sometimes things happen in the most random way imaginable.  While sitting interminably in a hospital waiting room, I was perusing an issue of Edible Rhody, a magazine of which I had never been aware, and noticing several enticing ads for places of which I had never been aware.  Of course this was right up my alley, and I knew Average Joe would be very interested to scope out some new places as he always is.  Opportunity came the very next day, when we found ourselves in the mood for Mexican or some such thing for lunch, and we sought out Tallulah's Taqueria on Ives St. in Providence.  It's a very small place, but very bright and cheerful!

I was in the mood for tacos; Joe opted for a chicken and black bean burrito.  I must admit, in my newfound status as a foodie I had never had tacos like this before.  They were soft tacos, and kind of small, whereas every taco i had ever had (don't laugh) had come out of an Old El Paso box.  These were pretty great, piled high with black beans and guacamole and all sorts of other goodies.  Joe's burrito was really substantial, and very very good according to his report.  We eat at Moe's Southwest Grill more than anyone should probably admit, and while we like Moe's a lot, this was of course a different experience.  The house chips and salsa was a whole lot spicier than what we get at Moe's, and saltier.  I try to avoid a lot of salt; it's not really a huge problem for me, but since I don't want it to become one I usually try to forego the salt.  Having said that though, anyone who is avoiding salt should probably not eat at a restaurant such as this; you just know what you're in for.  So this is not a complaint, just an observation.

 All in all, the food was great, the staff was friendly, and we had a great experience here, and even with so many new and undiscovered (by us, anyway) eateries in the area we will undoubtedly make Tallulah's one of our regular stops.  Check them out!

Dan's Pizza Place, West Greenwich, RI

I have been to Dan's many times.  Average Joe has been only a few, but we both agree; Dan's Place, 880 Victory Highway (Exit 5B off I-95) is a definite hit.  We went the other night, late on a Sunday, after a busy day.  We had been to another place but decided not to stay, as it was karaoke night and it was pretty loud in there and we were just looking to sit and have a quiet dinner.  Normally Dan's is not the place to go to have a quiet dinner.  It's very popular and usually busy and even after 8 on a Sunday night we had to wait for a table.  Only for a few minutes though.

I have been to Dan's for lunch, for dinner, and late night to catch some live music, and the staff is always prompt and friendly no matter how busy it is.

This night, we had a veggie pizza.  It was LOADED with peppers, olives, onions, tomato, eggplant, mushrooms and spinach.  Average Joe had chicken added to his half, and there was a lot of that as well.  It was delicious.  And in spite of how busy the place was, it didn't take them long at all to make it. 

The menu has a huge variety; almost anything you could be in the mood for.  Steak, salad, seafood, pizza, and lots of appetizers and desserts that I've never tried. Yet. As a former carnivore, I can tell you that Dan's serves the biggest and best mushroom and Swiss burger that I have ever eaten.   Actually, I have never been disappointed with anything I've had here.  I hear it all the time from people I meet, though:  "Oh yeah Dan's Place!  I've heard of that, never been there". You should go.  And then you too can wonder how they managed to get that motorcycle way up there.

The Brick Oven, Ashaway, RI

Right on Main Street in Ashaway, tucked in a bend in the road, stands the Brick Oven.  It's a homey little place, very casual atmosphere. And actually deceiving; there's a pretty big back dining room and bar, so they can handle large parties.  Average Joe and I had each been there once before, before we met, and he raved about the chowda and clamcakes.  I don't remember what I had, but I do remember the cornbread was really tasty and not dry like cornbread tends to be.  Anyway, cut to last week when we went there with a whole herd of my family.  I must say that the service was really good; we were a boisterous party of 8, and the ladies handled it without missing a beat.  Joe and I both got the chowder and clamcakes, and he was very happy with it.  I was not so thrilled.  While the chowder was ok, it was mostly broth and I like a lot of stuff in my chowder.  The clamcakes were decent (I mean, not much you can say about clamcakes; either they're good or they're horrible and these were not horrible) but be warned--and this is by no means a complaint--the clamcakes are large and they brought a lot of them! Maybe 7? With a bowl of chowder, that's a lot. We were expecting maybe 3 each, so we were pleasantly surprised but of course we couldn't eat them all and while I take food home a lot of the time, I find clamcakes are never as good reheated. Three of us had the clamcakes and my aunt took home a dozen leftover ones for my uncle, so they didn't go to waste.
Everyone seemed happy with what they got...lobster ravioli, fish and chips, baked cod, hamburger, liver and onions...there was no lack of variety on the menu and the portions are very generous.  And I really have nothing BAD to say about the place. Maybe it was an off day for the chowder, I don't know, or maybe it's just a personal preference.  I would eat there again, but it wasn't my favorite.  Just sayin'.

North Side Pockets/East Side Pockets

Average Joe and I went out for falafel one night a month or so ago and were devastated to find our favorite place, Skewers on the East Side, had apparently gone out of business!  So we went across the street to East Side Pockets instead.  I have only just found out that Skewers has in fact NOT closed, and so I am psyched and can't wait to tell Joe!  But while I'm on the subject of falafel, let me talk about two places we've been going, East Side Pockets on Thayer St. and North Side Pockets, on Douglas Ave. in North Providence.  
Although the names are similar, these two eateries appear to not be connected.  But IMHO, they are about equally appealing and I would recommend either.  Greek and middle eastern fare is available at both, and both are very good.  Every time we go into East Side Pockets it is very, very busy and yet well-staffed; even when it's been SO busy that there was no place to sit, we have never had to wait more than a few minutes for our food.  An added bonus, for us anyway, was when we ate there in the summer and sat outside at one of the few sidewalk tables.  People-watching on Thayer Street in the summer is very entertaining!
North Side Pockets has a very different vibe.  We have never been there when there were more than a few people, and as it's nestled into a little hidden corner behind and among other businesses, there's no place to sit outside.  But it's also a family-run business, and the young ladies who work there and the man who i'm assuming is their father are all very pleasant and the food is great.  The added bonus at North Side is that it's also a mini market; there are spices, and pastas and oils, not EVERYthing you need to cook but certainly quite a few staples.
If you're not into falafel, there are lots of other options.  North Side I would say has the more extensive menu, but East Side has a lot of choices too.  Parking is a little bit of an issue at either place; of course on Thayer St. there's only street parking so you may have a bit of a walk, and parking at the North Side parking lot is very limited and shared with several other businesses. 
As evidenced that we've frequented both of these places MANY times, East Side Pockets and North Side Pockets get the seal of approval!

Because we are average people, we like to save a buck.  What helps a lot with all the dining out are coupons from Groupon.com and LivingSocial.com.  If you don't use these, you should definitely check them out.  How it works is, you get emails from them (or you can go search their websites) and you can purchase, for example, a $24 gift certificate at a particular restaurant for $12.  This way you can check out new places for a lot less money.  The amounts vary from place to place, and there's a lot of things besides restaurants; vacations, kayak rentals, rock climbing, hair and nail services, just loads of stuff.  BUT, pay attention!!!  There are conditions--coupons may be only good on certain days, or certain locations, or for only lunch and not dinner--you have to read the fine print.  And then there's the question of what happens when your bill doesn't come up to the amount of the certificate, as was the case the last time we used one.  Stay tuned for THAT review.

Jane here; for tips on vegan eating served with a dose of comedy, check out my friend Chris at Forbidden Food TV!

Dog Watch Cafe', Stonington, CT

https://www.facebook.com/DogWatchCafe/

Sunday night we ventured down to Stonington to check out the Dog Watch Cafe' on the advice of one of Average Joe's friends. I have to say, and Joe concurs, that this is a GREAT place to go and we highly recommend it! The atmosphere was casual and very clean and welcoming, and the staff was extremely friendly and professional. It was very, very busy, but we only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. The hostess said it's not usually that busy on a Sunday night, but it had been a beautiful day and people are feelin' spring already!
Let me start by saying the water was very good. Don't laugh, but this is a thing with me. A lot of the places we have been serve water that tastes like chlorine, city water I guess, and so then if they have fountain soda that tastes like chlorine also. So nice water was a plus.
Usually, Average Joe and I don't get the same thing, and then we'll sample each other's dinner. But this time we were both feeling the roasted cod. For anyone watching their salt, I'd like to note that whatever it was topped with was NOT very salty, neither were the sides. Everything was cooked to perfection and very, very tasty.
There were quite a few families there with children, and I did note that the Dog Watch does have a childrens' menu. If you go during the warmer weather, or I guess if you're a little more stoic than I am, there is plenty of seating outside; there's also a fire pit. The view out the back window is probably very pleasant, as it's right on the water, and I can't wait to go back during the day to check it out.
Please like the Dog Watch Cafe' on Facebook and plan to visit them! You won't be disappointed.

Greetings! Average Jane here. Welcome to our site! We hope you'll check out the places we review, support local business and get some great food! Stay tuned!