Garden Grille, 77 East Ave.,Pawtucket

 

Jane here! Happy fall!  Wanted to let you know about our latest gastronomic discovery.

Apparently, Garden Grille has been open since 1996 and no one told me!  To be fair,  I don't venture into The Big City (which is what many of the locals here in southern RI consider anything north of Coventry) very often in search of sustenance.  But I came across Garden Grille while roaming around Facebook and it has been on my radar for about two years now.

So a couple of weeks ago my bestie and I were prowling around that end of the state, and decided to check it out.  First of all, there are a couple of things about a restaurant that impress me before we even get to the food; the water and the napkins. If you've read some of our other reviews you might have noticed.  The water in some places is just vile, full of chlorine or whatever.  Not here! good water, and they bring you a bottle so you can refill your own.  Napkins: high quality.  There's nothing more aggravating when you're trying to eat a quesadilla or something equally messy and the napkins are flimsy and useless.

Speaking of quesadillas, that's what my friend and I went with that day.  I had the butternut squash quesadilla, and she opted for the mushroom with smoky tofu.  They came with either dairy or vegan cheese; we both opted for dairy.  Both of our meals were fantastic!  Whole wheat tortillas with crispy edges which I never have encountered on a quesadilla, but they were great.  I sampled hers and although it was delicious, I found it quite a bit saltier than mine.  Not a bad thing, unless you're watching your sodium. 

Then today I was finally able to bring Average Joe in for lunch.  I must admit I had the same quesadilla again...it was just that good.  He loved it also, and was impressed that butternut squash lent itself so well to a Mexican dish.  This time I decided to try the vegan cheese.  I have never had any vegan cheese (on the East coast) that was worth eating, but I honestly could not tell the difference. It was delightful.

I also had to try the Island Sweater (I was tempted by the Grille's facebook post), a delicious warm concoction of hot cider, rum, and assorted other delights.  Yum.

I need to mention also that two doors down from Garden Grille is the Wildflour Vegan Bakery Cafe & Juice Bar.  My friend is gluten-free, and we were delighted to find a LOT of gluten-free goodies in there...although we were stuffed with quesadilla so we didn't take full advantage.  That's going to be a separate excursion!

There don't seem to be a lot of vegan/veggie restaurants in Rhode Island but I feel like it's becoming more and more of a thing.  I'll be seeking out other places, just because we're from the other end of the state, but we will definitely be back to Garden Grille when we're in the area because there are a lot of pretty interesting dishes on that menu (like the pizza) that we need to try!

Santo Taco y Cantina, Coventry, RI

WE'RE STILL HERE!!!  Just, you know, trying not to die.  So we've kept our gastronomic adventures to a minimum; frequenting the same places for takeout.  But we're SO looking forward to getting back to our mission to bring you down-to-earth food reviews from every little place we can find!

So today we found ourselves headed to Coventry for lunch and a bike ride.  We haven't found a lot of lunch options available in Coventry, but we happened to remember that a friend of Joe's had told us there was a great new Mexican place in the Center of New England.  We decided to check it out, and without high expectations because we LOVE Mexican food and you never know how it's gonna go.

Well.

Santo Taco is the real deal.  Click here for their website.

Joe had a chicken quesadilla, which although the menu did not specify, came with pico and lettuce in it (some places, just chicken and cheese unless you ask) and he was extremely pleased.  I had the flautas, and they were just delicious!  If I had one comment, I thought they could have come with more salsa verde, but they were done to perfection and had a wonderful flavor.  

Worth mentioning also is the horchata; I don't know what the deal is with horchata, I had suspected that it was made from a mix (kind of like ordering chai and getting Big Train everywhere you go), and it may be, OR maybe these places all have their own recipes.  I suppose I should probably find out.  Anyway, I really loved the horchata here because it had the great flavor but managed to not be gaggingly sweet like some other places I've had it.

The room is spacious and very clean and welcoming, but we are not ready to dine in anywhere yet.  The lovely gentleman who greeted me at the door brought our food out to the car when it was ready.  I really look forward to when we can go back and enjoy the full dine-in experience; If you're someone who is comfortable with that, I think you'll be very pleased.  Check out their online menu, which also includes a full selection of tequila and cocktails (and sangria!  That'll be next time!)

Joe and I both agreed wholeheartedly that we can't wait to go back and try some more of their menu; I know he's got his heart set on some chicken tamales.

This place is set in an area that, unless you're shopping at one of the big box stores in Center of New England, you might not think to venture into for lunch--other than the options presented to you when you first turn in (you know the ones, don't make me say them).  PLEASE go to Santo Taco!  They have only been open since the beginning of this year, and we want to make sure they stay in business for a good long time!!

Black Bean Quinoa Chili

Something I forgot to mention yesterday when listing stuff you should stock up on, was quinoa.  Forget all the times you made fun of "those people" who eat kale and quinoa.  It's a great thing to add to your diet, packed with protein.  It doesn't have much flavor on its own, it just takes on the essence of whatever you put with it.  In this case, it serves to make a nice thick chili.

I make this quite often, and have served it to friends (both veggie and meat eaters) with great results! I don't remember where I got the recipe, somewhere on the interweb. 


1 C uncooked quinoa
2 T olive oil
1 T chili powder
2-1/2 t smoked paprika
2 t cumin
1 t chipotle seasoning

1 medium or large sweet potato, diced small
1 large yellow or white onion
1 large red bell pepper
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (I use 1 clove.  We're not that much into garlic, so use your own            judgment)
3 C water
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree (Pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling.  Big difference, but found in              the same place in the store.)
1 6-oz can tomato paste (I use salt-free, but you do you)
1 T maple syrup or agave
2 T lemon juice (about one lemon's worth)
1/4 C red cooking wine (or just red wine.  I have made it without either, and that's ok too.)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (about 3 cups)

Cook the quinoa according to package directions.  Chop the veggies.  Mix the spices together in a small bowl.

Add the olive oil to a large, lidded saucepan and raise the heat to medium low.  Add the spices, let them bloom in the oil 2-3 minutes.  Splash a little water in if they start to scorch.

Raise the heat to medium and add the diced potato.  Saute until it starts to get tender, adding water little by little as necessary to keep it from burning.  The original recipe said to saute 5 minutes, but I've found it takes a lot longer for them not to end up hard as a rock in the finished chili.  How long?  Don't really know.  Just keep poking them with a fork.  Hard sweet potatoes in your chili are unpleasant.

When they start to get tender, add the garlic and another splash of water, saute another 2-3 minutes.  Add the cooked quinoa and saute about 5 more minutes.  Keep stirring to make sure it doesn't burn, add a little water as necessary.

Stir in the 3 cups of water and everything else.  Put the lid on, lower the heat to a simmer and let everything cook through about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.


So this makes a pretty big pot.  It will last a few days in the fridge, and freezes well.  Another way to use it is with spaghetti squash, like so:

Preheat your oven to 350. Cut small spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and slimy junk.  1/2 a small squash should be plenty for a serving.  Rub some olive oil on the cut part, and put them face down on parchment on a baking sheet (or right on the sheet, if you're not lazy like me and don't mind scrubbing).  Bake for maybe 45 minutes (?) until you can easily separate the strands with a fork.  Turn them rightside up, fill with however much chili you think you can handle, sprinkle some grated cheese on the top, and put them back in the oven until the cheese melts.

Stay At Home And Cook With Jane. (what else do you have to do?)

Greetings, Foodies!!  Jane here.  We have not posted in a while, and have not been exploring new places lately for obvious reasons!  We hope you all are safe and well, and enduring this situation as best you can.  We have continued to try and support our favorite local eateries, but that circle is getting smaller and smaller as the crisis gets larger.

So with that in mind, I want to try something a little different here.  With more of you eating in, cooking has become less and less of an optional thing and more of a necessity.  In the coming days/weeks/whatever, I'm going to be sharing some of my favorite recipes with you.  I'm going to try to focus on the ones with inexpensive and/or readily available ingredients, so you can make the most of your limited shopping time and budget.

YES, they will be vegetarian!  "Oh hell no, Jane!"  I can hear you saying. "I can't live on that stuff!  And it's gross!" Well yes, you can, if you do it right.  And no, it's not, if you do it right.  Listen, I'm not trying to make a vegetarian out of anyone.  But meat is expensive, and sometimes lately in short supply.  And you already know how to cook that. My thought was this;  if you have some alternatives to your regular cooking repertoire, you can stretch your meat budget that much further.  Maybe have meat every OTHER night?  Or maybe even serve some veggie food for lunches.  At the very least, it'll be something different!

So I'll be back starting tomorrow with recipes!  First of all, let me list some stuff you can stock up on if you want to join me on this adventure:

Beans - all kinds.  I use mostly black beans, kidneys, lentils (all colors) and chickpeas.  Because I have to watch my sodium, most canned beans are out.  The bagged beans are super easy to use though;  I just cook up a bag at a time, and freeze them in 1-1/2 cup batches, which is about how much is in a can.

Rice - I always use brown rice.  Not as cheap as white, but better for you.  You can get it in Walmart, Price Rite, or wherever.

Veggies - when I go, I just buy a bunch of stuff; zucchini, sweet potatoes, broccoli, peppers, carrots, etc etc etc.  Most stuff can be frozen if you're not going to use it right away.  Some people say buying frozen is better, because it gets frozen immediately after picking, so there's that.

Kale - super cheap and really good for you.  You'll probably have to buy a huge bunch of it, but it freezes well...I just cut off the stems and stuff the leaves in a big freezer bag and pull them out as I need them.

Vegetable stock - I never buy it.  The sodium thing.  Plus, it's really easy to make and freeze.  What I do is take all the leftover trimmings (kale stems, celery tops, carrot peels, pepper stems and seeds, slightly wilted leaves of basically everything) and put them in a gallon freezer bag.  When it's full, I put put it in a big pot of water and boil it.  When cool, I strain it and freeze it in quart bags.  Easy.

Spices/herbs - used most: Cumin, rosemary, smoked paprika, chili powder, basil, oregano, chipotle seasoning, thyme, parsley, dill, sesame seeds, nutritional yeast (don't be afraid, it's not that weird).

Other stuff I use a lot - olive oil, apple cider vinegar, toasted sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, molasses, canned coconut milk, tahini (best place to buy this that I've found is North Side Pockets in North Providence but you can find it in pretty much any grocery store), soy sauce or tamari (I have a recipe for a sodium free substitute I'll share with you at some point)

I'm sure you probably have a lot of this in your cupboard already, and I'm sure there are a lot of things I've left out.  But this is a work in progress!

See you tomorrow!

Pizza King on the Lake

 Average Joe is a pizza connoisseur.  He won't eat pizza just anywhere, he has a few favorites.  And when I met him, he was delighted to introduce me to a place he'd been coming to since the beginning of time, Pizza King in East Killingly, CT.  He said "You're not going to believe this place, the pizza is slammin'! And it's in the middle of the woods, in the middle of NOWHERE!  And it looks just like something out of a Coors silver bullet commercial!"  And he was not lying.  He was not lying about the pizza, either. 

The view from the back deck in the fall

I had heard about this place since I was a teenager.  But growing up in South County, a lot of people get...well, stuck in South County.  There's a weird sort of mentality that precludes you driving more than 10 miles in any direction.  You have to drive all the way out Rt. 6, take a right down a narrow winding road, take a left onto a REALLY narrow road, and up a long dirt driveway to get there. So I'd never been.   The place has apparently been through a lot of changes over the years, but now you can go in anytime Thursday through Sunday and find Buddy holding court and making you feel like you're part of the family.  There's plenty of room for dining; in the winter you can huddle up next to the fireplace if you like (I do), and in the summer you can eat on the deck and marvel at the quiet beauty of the lake in back.

There are loads of options on the menu, but what we usually go with are spinach, feta, tomatoes and mushrooms.  Joe likes chicken on his half.  The pizza is thick and loaded with cheese, they are not shy with their toppings. Absolutely delicious.

Wings are one of the Pizza King specialties.  There are various degrees of hot sauce you can select, and I'm told that if you choose the XXX sauce, it comes with a personal visit to your table from Buddy, who will explain just HOW hot it is and try to talk you out of it.  A full selection of burgers, salads, pasta, grinders and Starlets' famous pies are also available if pizza is not your thing. 

Pizza King seems to be a very popular place for birthday parties.  A lot of the times we've been there on a weekend, there's been a party going on, and Joe says he had his 50th birthday there. 

One of the items on the menu is "a bowl of junk".  In one of my earlier visits, I got a big kick out of this and posted a photo of that menu listing on my facebook page as we were waiting for our pizza.  About 2 minutes later, Buddy came over to our table and explained what a bowl of junk was.  So he clearly pays attention to his facebook page!

So, what's a bowl of junk?  You just have to go to Pizza King and find out for yourself.  It's worth the trip, even from South County.  430 Ledge Road, East Killingly, CT.

Alaina's Ale House

"Pie and Pint Night", someone said to me last summer, "My boyfriend and I go every week, it's great!"  Pie and Pint night?? Never heard of such a thing.  And truly, it shouldn't have taken us so long to go check it out, but we finally made it over to Alaina's Ale House, 343 Kingstown Road in Richmond (at the Beaver River Golf Course).

Alaina's opened up last year, and while my friends raved to me about the food, Joe and I had not managed to work Pie and Pint Night into our schedule until last week.  The forecast had called for snow, but we don't have far to go so we ventured out for a late dinner.  It was coming down pretty hard by the time we got there, so we were the only diners in the place...just a few people at the bar.  Alaina's is not a big place, but it's VERY nice in there, classy like you'd expect at a country club but at the same time, very down-to-earth and the people are very friendly.  We were greeted by the manager, Chris, and the one server on duty (whose name I can't recall and this is why I should write these things right away!)

There were 4 pot pies on the menu, and a limited selection of beers for the deal; Joe chose the chicken pot pie and a pint of Harp.  He said it was the best pot pie he'd ever had, and he's a pot pie fan.  It was a good-sized pie, served in the cast-iron frying pan in which it was cooked, and I could see it was filled with big chunks of white meat and veggies.  I confess I don't care for beer, and as a (mostly) vegetarian I wasn't into the pies, so I went for the sweet potato veggie burger.  I usually stay away from veggie burgers when I eat out, as they tend to be premade/frozen little hockey pucks filled with unidentifiable but colorful chunks.  Not so at Alaina's;  it was a very tasty house-made patty, and a pretty big one at that.  My only suggestion was that it could have come with some sort of hummus or chipotle mayo or something on it; it didn't REALLY need it but I was offered ketchup and while I understand this is not a veggie restaurant, ketchup doesn't really go with a veggie burger in my opinion.  Just my opinion.  But it was really good, and it came with a side.  I wasn't feeling the fries so I went with green beans, which were cooked to perfection, not mushy.

In a rare display of gluttony, we decided to go with dessert.  What got our attention was when our server said "apple crisp with ice cream".  We got one and shared it, which was a good thing (for us) because it was a pretty big serving.  Delicious!

We will be back to Alaina's, there are quite a few things on the menu that we need to try.  They have  live entertainment on the weekends (which in the summer moves out to the back where there is outdoor dining too), as well as karaoke and other fun stuff.  Follow them on Facebook to keep updated!

Zip's Diner

Since our travels today took us up to the wild and uncharted territory known as northeastern Connecticut,  we planned to stop at Zip's Diner, located at Rt. 101 & 12 in Dayville.  We went there once before, but it's not an area we frequent so it's been a while.

 First, let me (Jane) state that we are both big fans of diners in general.  The whole atmosphere is inviting.  And if you are out on a busy day doing lots of errands (which we usually are) and find yourself needing some lunch, you can usually find one within a reasonable distance from wherever you are where you can grab a quick meal that won't break you and is a step up from a fast-food joint.  Having said that, although we love diners, we try to not visit them TOO often because while the food is decent, it's not by any means what you call "healthy". Lots of fried stuff, salty stuff, comfort food. And no matter what you might infer from our reviews, we do eat healthy most of the time.

Anyway, what we've realized is that diner food is pretty much the same everywhere.  Mostly the same stuff on the menu, all pretty good.  You've been to diners, you know the score.  So I'm not going to review the food at Zip's even though it was good (except the frappes, they were exceptional).

What I AM going to review is Zip's itself.  The diner opened in its current location in 1954, and has a long and interesting history.  The place is bright and cheery, and very clean.  It has the added appeal of being open 6AM-9PM every day!  A lot of diners close at 2 or 3 in the afternoon, which is inconvenient because not all of us follow the same schedule.

We were enjoying our frappes and waiting for dinner...it was kind of quiet, a few diners in there...when in walked Paul.  As I said we are not regulars in that area, but apparently Paul is because everyone, from every single employee to several of the patrons, greeted Paul by name as if he was everyone's best friend.  He sat at the counter and was immediately served his coffee just the way he likes it, without even having to ask.  That's the kind of place Zip's is, and it makes you want to be a regular, too.

As far as I'm concerned, though, the real star of the show was Michelle, our server.  She waited on us both times that we've been to Zip's, and she's an absolute ray of sunshine.  I wish everyone who has that job could have her personality.

So yeah, go to Zip's.  It's a fun place and the food won't disappoint.  Ask for Michelle!

Dante's Kitchen

We love our lazy mornings at home, taking our time over coffee and tea and what-have-you, but once in a while we'll go out for breakfast (which usually turns out to be brunch, by the time we get our lazy selves out of the house), and so it was on Valentine's Day.  We'd seen Dante's Kitchen, 315 Main Street, East Greenwich advertised in the area magazines for quite some time, and it was on the list, so....today was the day.

When we got there, it was slammed!  Not really surprising, because East Greenwich seems to be a really hot destination for people who love to eat and no matter where we stop in, there's always a bunch of people who had the same idea.  The atmosphere was very cozy and welcoming, and despite the crowd the wait staff was right on top of things and got to us right away.  French vanilla coffee was our beverage of choice.  Lots of southern-inspired goodness on the menu!  After much consideration, Joe decided on the veggie breakfast burrito, which I also wanted but it contains scrambled eggs, which I can't do.  As there was no scrambled tofu option to replace the eggs,  I went with one of the day's specials, apple-cinnamon pancakes.  Joe was very pleased with the burrito.  It came with a side of home fries, which I DID sample, and even though home fries sound like a simple thing it's worth mentioning that Dante's Kitchen is really good at them.  I've had them overcooked, undercooked, greasy, too much seasoning, etc. etc.  but these were done right.  He also got a side of cheddar grits.  They were good too, I mean grits are grits but the addition of the cheese was an interesting twist.

My pancakes were good, and they (the pancakes themselves, topping notwithstanding) tasted different from anywhere else that I've had them.  I could be wrong but it seemed to me to be a marked lack of salt, which I feel is a VERY good thing. They came with whipped cream and some sort of caramel drizzled on them, so no syrup needed (IMHO). 

Only two things we didn't like; I'll refer back to a post Joe recently made on our Facebook page regarding servers.  When you order food, and the server says, "I love that!" or "Excellent choice" that's ok, but when you're in a crowded little restaurant and you can hear your server saying "Excellent choice" to every single customer he's waiting on, it kind of loses its meaning.  The other thing was that after our server brought our check, he kind of disappeared.  I mean, it WAS really busy in there and he wasn't standing around doing nothing, but it's kind of a pet peeve of both of ours; you were right on top of things taking our order and the food came out pretty quickly, but once we're done we want to go.  And don't you want our table for the next customer?

We liked Dante's Kitchen a lot, and will most likely go back.  The food was very good, and above comments notwithstanding, the service was good too.

Condesa Restaurante Mexicano

We love Mexican food.  Almost too much, if that's possible.  So we kept driving by Condesa, 721 Quaker Lane, West Warwick, AFTER we had already had Mexican somewhere else and saying, "we have to try that place". 

Well we finally made it in, and let's just say we both had mixed feelings.

To start, it's a little more upscale than the Mexican places we usually frequent.  The decor is nice, but I found it a little strange that in a place that is more "upscale" the seating reminds me of a more casual place you'd go to have lunch.  There are no booths, and the tables are situated pretty close to each other; we were seated next to a group of people who were pretty boisterous.  Maybe it's just me (Jane, BTW), but if I'm out to a nice dinner I want to be able to talk without yelling over my neighbors.  And the water tastes like bleach.  Yeah, I know, it's city water and that's the way it comes out the tap, but yuck.

The service was great, no problem there.  Our server brought us a big bowl of chips and four different dips, which was fun.  We each ordered a sangria; he the Classic 9 red, and I got the Peach Ginger.  Both were excellent.  Joe has a thing for tamales, so he got an order of the chicken & poblano.  He described them as "lame".  Could only taste the cornmeal, I guess there wasn't much chicken in there.

For dinner I went with the California burrito.  It was between that and an enchilada that also sounded good, but every time I get an enchilada I regret it.  Something about the wet, slimy tortilla I don't like.  So I went with the burrito, and it came on a plate smothered in sauce.  I understand "burrito"means different things everywhere, so maybe that's on me for not asking.  It was ok, that's the best I can give it.  And for $15, I feel like it should be more than just ok.  What it WAS, though, was enormous.  Two of us could have split it and been full.  Joe went with the Pollo Maya, which came with grilled veggies and chipotle mashed potatoes.  He was really happy with it, and I tasted some too.  Very, very good.  The price was around the same.

The consensus?  We won't be going back.  It's a nice place, but you can get better Mexican for a lot less money at a lot of other places.  I wouldn't say don't go there, it wasn't BAD.  It just wasn't for us.

Crazy Burger

It was a dark and dismal day...we were cooped up in the house, too rainy and miserable to play outside...so we took a ride, and ended up at Crazy Burger, 144 Boon Street, Narragansett RI.

A whole lot of people already know about Crazy Burger, judging by the fact that every single time we've been there, it's packed. Sometimes there's a wait line down the sidewalk in front.  Not today, though.  Today our table was waiting.  The atmosphere in here is so interesting!  Local art all over the walls is different almost every time you come in, lights and fun lanterns hanging from the ceiling.  The booths are big and roomy, or you can sit at the bar if you like.  They use cloth napkins, which I like.  I'm a big fan of cutting down on waste. And the water is good.

For those of you who DON'T know, Crazy Burger is not a burger joint.  Well, not JUST a burger joint.  The menu there is unlike any other.  Sure, there are burgers, but some really unusual ones!  And lots of other great stuff too, with a great deal of vegan and vegetarian choices.  On this day, I opted for breakfast for lunch.  Eggs and I don't get along, but their Mexi-tofu is comparable to scrambled eggs with salsa and goat cheese, and it comes with home fries and Brioche.  It's extremely tasty.  (my favorite way to have them, BTW, is in the summertime out on their back patio.  Plants growing everywhere, it's just a whole experience).

Joe went with the honey barbecue chicken enchilada, which he described as a taste bud orgy. It came with a side of seasoned rice that had corn in it (among other things which are a mystery to me) which was also delicious, and cornbread, also delicious.

When I go to a Mexican restaurant, I want to hear Spanish music.  Ditto Asian food=Asian music.  So what was playing that day at Crazy Burger?  Digital Underground's "Humpty Dance".  Perfect :)

So if you haven't been to Crazy Burger, we both highly recommend it!

Anchor Pete's

Jane here...wow, it's been over a year and a half since the last review!  Trust me, we've been eating, but life intervenes and we've both been too busy to post.  Too bad, too, because we've been to lots of great new places but neglected to take notes, so we'll just have to revisit some of them.

However, today we visited Anchor Pete's in Wakefield, RI, and it inspired me to get going on this blog again!

For those of you who might not know, Anchor Pete's is the old Rhody Joe's.  We had gone there several times, but the new place is much better.  The atmosphere is nice, very much more open and bright than it used to be, with a nautical theme (of course) that we both liked.  One thing we noted right away was that the televisions in the dining area were off.  This is a pet peeve of both of ours; we feel like the TVs should be in the bar area.  Televisions on when you're eating are an unpleasant distraction.  There were only a couple of people in the dining room, but then we were there in between the lunch and dinner crowd so not surprising, I guess.  The service was excellent (our server was Shelby).  We both decided on the chicken burrito, one of the specials.  It did not come with fries or chips or anything like that, and that's probably a good thing because it was just the right amount of food for lunch.  Joe says it was probably the best burrito he's ever had, and he loves his burritos!  I must agree, it was very tasty and came with small sides of salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

The menu stated that it will change weekly, and that was very intriguing to me. Anchor Pete's didn't waste money getting permanent menus made up; the menus are just printed paper which makes sense if the selection is expected to change. The food was so good that we will be back to check out one of the several seafood dishes they offer, and they had some interesting salads on the menu also.

Two thumbs up from both of us for Anchor Pete's.  We encourage everyone to stop in and check them out!

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.