Sunday, July 9, 2017 - Looking back at these pictures, I just can't get over how blue the skies were throughout the entire day. I didn't tweak any of the settings on my phone not did I adjust the colors once I uploaded them on my desktop at home. Mother Nature sure has an outstanding paintbrush. Our pre-breakfast stop was for donuts at
Allie's Donuts in North Kingstown. I've had these on my brain ever since
wanderingjew brought a box of them to the Western MA Meet-Up that
bethgrd &
wheregreggeats organized way back in 2009.

We got up somewhat early but definitely not early enough judging by the line in the parking lot and the difficulty we had in finding a parking space.

I try to adhere to signs like this in NYC. So many times, I see people ahead of me, letting out the heat in the winter or standing in the doorway and blocking the customers from getting out. The sooner they leave, the quicker you move up line. Got it?

Almost there! Actually, I prefer a bit of a wait so I can look at the menu and the donuts themselves. Sometimes I'll see something on the menu but then another donut might catch my eye as someone ahead of me is eating it and I have to rethink my whole strategy. Yes, I have these thoughts about DONUTS! No shame in my donut game.

The only downside is that we couldn't eat any of them here. To begin with, they don't have any seating and while that has never stopped me from dining " a la trunk", we were blocking someone's car so we had to hightail it out of there to our next stop.

I did manage to snap a somewhat respectable shot of these half dozen delightful denizens of the donut box. Clockwise, from top left: honey dip, glazed solid chocolate, raised yeasted coconut, raised maple frosted, Boston Cream and old fashioned cake donut. I made short work of that maple frosted while waiting in line for our official breakfast and it was a beauty. Not sure if they use pure maple syrup in the frosting but it sure tasted like it. There is nothing quite like hot, fresh donuts and Allie's put out some stellar beauties. Surprisingly, some of them survived the trip back to NYC where my girlfriend gave them her seal of approval. Sadly, the best Boston Cream donut I've had in some time mysteriously disappeared before arriving in the Big Apple. Dayna doesn't like chocolate so I probably saved her tastebuds. I'm a good boyfriend like that.

The
Modern Diner in Pawtucket. This iconic eatery has been on my radar for years. The look of this place Roadfood written all over it.

They have expanded over the years and while I didn't think to ask for seating in the diner car, our table and the service were just fine.

I'm glad that there was a line as there is so much to look at. I'm not sure if I want the Linguica Hash Benedict or the Pear, Prosciutto and Goat cheese omelette.

They been at it for 76 years and were the first diner in the nation to be accepted on the National Register for Historic Places. Not too shabby.

Coffee milk #3. Another winner, A smooth, well-blended version with a subtler coffee flavor. Not my favorite of the trip but good nonetheless.

Sandra's Custard French Toast. She chose wisely. Loaded with fresh fruit, pecans and a thick custard sauce, I'm not sure if this should be on the breakfast or dessert menu!

WJ's omelet (not sure exactly what is in it) with home fries and rye toast. I think he was pretty happy with this.

I opted to take Linguica Hash Omelet route to Savorytown and this was a real winner. Those home fries with onions were both crusty and creamy, as good home fries ought to be. The english muffin had a proper toast on it which enabled it to better hold up to the substantial toppings. Linguica is pretty popular in these parts and the hash that the Modern made from it was like corned beef hash's spicier, bolder cousin. The eggs were poached just right so that the yolks formed a creamy sauce that blended perfectly with the smooth, rich Hollandaise. Each bite truly was outstanding and I felt a twinge of sadness when I finished the last bite. I really didn't want it to end!

With all of that hearty food in our bellies, we figured it was time to take a walk, so we headed to Providence, found a parking spot and walked about the
Brown University campus for a while. I found this gate to be interesting and looked up the name recently. Ms. Schofield was a student at Brown who was about to enter into their graduate program when she was taken ill and died shortly thereafter. I think the gate was dedicated not more than a year or so after her death.

Lots of big beautiful houses around the campus that reminds of the off-campus housing near Syracuse University.

More blue skies and the main campus. I'm told they have an excellent theater program here. Would love to tread the boards in one of their productions.

I'm not sure how not interpret this piece of art but I was just too curious to ignore it.

Some backstory. Still don't know what to make of it. Art is most definitely subjective.

There was a summer session registration happening as we walked by and I spied this sign lying by the statue behind me so I decided to have a little fun with it. I posted this picture on my Faceboook page with the caption: "Yesss!!! Billyho is Providence bound for the Brown U. Summer sesh! Ready to tread the boards again full-time time! Woo hoo!! (Of course, I'm holding a sign that says so, so it MUST BE true!

)". Some of my friends really thought I was packing up and moving to Providence!

Such a lovely campus and really like this clock tower shot.

Another art installation.

At first it looked like maybe a storm had somehow blown that rock into the tree or perhaps it was a pledge prank.

Exiting the campus. Wow! Brown is a really lovely campus and I would be interested in auditing a class there to see what is available.

Off to Bristol, RI for some ice cream at
The Daily Scoop. Homemade? You just said the magic words.

To a Roadfooder, the scent of fresh waffle cones being made is like Chanel No. 5 would be to most other people...intoxicating! I knew whatever scoops I chose would end up in one of these aromatic beauties.

Decisions, decisions.

A scoop of Apple Pie and a Black Raspberry Chip. The Apple Pie was studded with pieces of soft cooked apple and pie crust, while the Black Raspberry Chip had a bold black raspberry flavor and lots of dark chocolate chunks.

Some Bristol history.

After we finished our ice cream, we sat by the water's edge for a bit, watching the boats goby, people fishing and just taking in a very beautiful day.

Fellow Roadfooder
karilyn had said that Bristol has a big celebration each year for the Fourth of July. Even though we a arrived five days later, the signs of their passion for this holiday were all about town. There were houses with bunting on them. I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a private home with bunting!

Lots of beautiful old homes dating back to the early 19th century.

Would love to take a tour of this one.

Haven't seen a barber's pole in years.

We made our way to some of the side streets and took our time poking around in various little shops. We found ourselves in from of
The Sea Star, a small, dolphin-themed shop run by Bonnie Blue. Outside, we met her sweet doggie, Mr. Oyster. He was all about getting a treat from me so this was the best pose he would give me.

Lots of cool artwork and jewelry throughout and Bonnie was a joy to talk to.

I asked if I could use the loo and I just couldn't resist this shot. Help! I'm trapped by this sultry siren of the sea!

As we walked a bit further down the street, we came upon a crosswalk with this sign. Wow, like the town crier I found in Woodstock, VT, I just didn't think that such things actually existed in real life anymore.

The may have been a bit before my time but I imagine this was probably very handy in the days when electric mixers were still just an idea.

Time for an early dinner. I had recently watched an episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on the Food Network. He talked about a Portuguese kale soup that he had been eating since he was a young kid and I've been wanting to ttry it ever since. In the six years that I lived in Boston, I never once went down to Fall River and explored the Portuguese culture and food. Time to remedy that today, somewhat.

Travelin' Manned once again!!! I'm guessing many of the local restaurants take their summer vacation around the 4th of July holiday. Alright, we can figure this out...

After a short drive we found another Portuguese restaurant but while walking there from our parking spot, we spied
Duke's Bakery and popped in to check it out. This was a really great place with lots of gluten, sugar and dairy-free baked goods. The woman who runs the bakery said she has a nephew who is autistic and is on special diet and spent years coming up with birthdays cakes, cookies and other baked goods that he could have and that tasted good. Duke's also welcomes families and people who are autistic. Some businesses don't know how to handle it when someone with autism acts out or has a meltdown in public but Duke's lets their customers know that they understand and have created a welcome environment for them.

Merry Christmas, in Portuguese. While it's not the season just yet, Duke's displays this nod to the heritage of the local community. I regret to say that my pictures didn't come out so well but I did buy a few cookies and some bars for Dayna that she really enjoyed. I believe Duke's has Portuguese breads and baked goods as well.

On to dinner at
Sagres Restaurant. Looks pretty snazzy but how is the food? I was dressed fairly casually and I did feel a bit underdressed for this place but no one else there seemed to mind.

I don't see too many menus made of corkboard.

Our meal began with a basket of bread. Not sure if it was Portuguese bread but it was really fresh and really good.

Next up was the Caldo Verde soup (fresh kale in a pureed potato broth and sliced chourico sausage). Yet another soup that feels like it could cure what ails me. Good stuff.

Sandra's Peixe A Portuguesa (fresh cod, baked in an aromatic, tomato-based fish stock with fresh herbs, onions and hand-cut roasted potatoes. Accompanied by rice.). This looked really good.

WJ went with the Carne de Porco A Antelejana (marinated pork sautéed with littlenecks and potatoes in a savory wine sauce). I really liked my dish but I loved WJ's even more. It had a real depth of flavor to it. The pork, potatoes and that rich wine sauce came together like a doo-wop trio without a false note.

I ordered the Frango Assado (a seasoned Cornish hen grilled on an open flame and finished with a tangy, mildly spicy "barbecue" sauce. Accompanied by french fries and rice.). A starchy plate of goodness. The hen was juicy and that barbecue sauce had a nice zip to it with just a touch of heat. These were definitely fresh-cut fries and I ran them through the sauce under the chicken for an extra shot of flavor.

Sagre's succumbed to a fire in 2013 when some faulty wiring shorted out in one of the apartments above the restaurant. When they reopened in 2015, this tile mosaic was all that remained.

While talking to
Glenn1234 at the lunch the day before, he mentioned that there are 9 islands the Azores and since Fall River as one of the largest Portuguese populations outside of the Azores, they have earned the nickname, "the 10th Island".

Getting back to NYC was pretty easy. When Sandra drove back home to Connecticut, she dropped me off in New London at the ShorelineEast train station. A few stops later I was in New Haven (man, I wish I had time to stop at Frank Pepe's!!) and boarded the Metro-North for Grand Central. My only complaint about this station is that there didn't seem to be any ticket machines on the platform, so I had to double-time it downstairs into the station to buy a ticket. When there is only about 12 minutes to spare, time is precious. Back up through the futuristic tunnel and I was on my way home. That's it for now. More adventures to come in the weeks to follow...
WJ, I can't thank you enough for hosting me for the weekend and showing me all of the great regional specialties that Li'l Rhody has to offer! Sandra it was great to see you again and thank you so much for the lift to the train.
Dale, Sandra, Beth, Karilyn, Deborah, Anna, Chris, Amy, Persephone, Heather, Glenn & Janet, Jack & Nancy, it was very wonderful to break bread with all of you and I look forward to the next meet-up, wherever it may be.
"Eating is an adventure, enjoy the ride!" - billyboy, 2017 The 411: 1.)
Jim's Dock 1175 Succotash Rd.
Wakefield, RI 02879
Ph# (401) 783-2050
Website:
jimsdock.com 2.)
Champlin's Seafood 256 Great Island Rd.
Narragansett, RI 02882
Ph# (401) 783-3152
Website:
champlins.com 3.)
Iggy's Doughboys & Chowder House 1151 Point Judith Rd
Narragansett, RI 02882
Ph# (401) 783-5608
Website:
iggysdoughboys.com 4.)
Olneyville N.Y. System 18 Plainfield St.
Providence, RI 02909
Ph# (401) 621-9500
Website:
olneyvillenewyorksystem.com 5.)
Haven Bros. Diner 12 Dorrance St.
Providence, RI 02903
Ph# (401) 603-8124
Website:
havenbrothersmobile.com 6.)
Jigger's Diner 145 Main St.
East Greenwich, RI 02818
Ph# (401) 884-6060
Website:
jiggersdiner.com 7.)
DePetrillo's Pizza & Bakery 1729 Warwick Ave.
Warwick, RI 02889
Ph# (401) 732-3331
Website:
depetrillospizza.com 8.)
Hartley's Pork Pies 871 Smithfield Ave.
Lincoln, RI 02865
Ph# (401) 726-1295
Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Hartleys-Pork-Pies-of-RI-499024816820265/ 9.)
Wright's Farm Restaurant 84 Inman Rd.
Harrisville, RI 02830
Ph# (401) 769-2856
Website:
wrightsfarm.com 10.)
The Ice Cream Machine 4288 Diamond Hill Rd.
Cumberland, RI 02864
Ph# (401) 333-5053
Website:
icecreampie.com 11.)
Caserta Pizza 121 Spruce St.
Providence, RI 02903
Ph# (401) 621-3618
Website:
casertapizza.com 12.)
WaterFire Woonasquatucket River Greenway
Providence, RI 02909
Ph# (401) 273-1155
Website:
waterfire.org 13.)
Del's Lemonade (various locations in Rhode Island)
Website:
dels.com 14.)
Allie's Donuts 3661 Quaker Ln.
North Kingstown, RI 02852
Ph# (401) 295-8036
Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/AlliesDonuts/ 15.)
Modern Diner 364 East Ave.
Pawtucket, RI 02860
Ph# (401) 726-8390
Website:
moderndinerri.com 16.)
Brown University Providence, RI 02912
Ph# (401) 863-1000
Website:
brown.edu 17.)
The Daily Scoop 446 Thames St.
Bristol, RI 02809
Ph# (401) 254-2223
No website or FB page.
18.)
Duke's Bakery 162 Columbia St.
Fall River, MA 02721
Ph# (508) 837-0624
Website:
dukesbakery.com 19.)
Sagres Restaurant 177 Columbia St.
Fall River, MA 02721
Ph# (508) 675-7018
Website:
sagresrestaurant.com
post edited by billyboy - 2017/08/17 10:26:05