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!