Gettin' Along in Li'l Rhody (the July 2017 New England Meet-Up)

Friday, July 07, 2017 - For a few years, Wanderingjew has been telling me that I needed to come to Rhode Island to check out the great food that they have to offer.  When he emailed me that he would be putting together the next meet-up of New England Roadfooders in Li'l Rhody, I was all in!  And he was cool with me coming a day early and staying until Sunday to have some time to really tackle the many great regional specialties I had on my list.  A pleasant ride on Amtrak into Kingston and a short drive later with WJ and we were in Wakefield (AKA Jerusalem) at Jim's Dock for the first of five stops on the night.  Keep in mind that I arrived around 4:30pm, so we were hittin' it hard, right out of the gate!  As we got closer to our destination, I could smell the ocean in the air and feel the breeze as it passed over the tall grass and sand dunes and a calm truly did wash over me.  I really do love being by the water.  This was the view as we pulled in to park.  

Jim's has a classic waterside seafood shack look and feel to it.

The specials look inviting but I have some other regional delights in mind.

The decor in here really goes back a ways.

We started out with an order of clam cakes.  My first thought was, "Oh, they're like hushpuppies."

They were little fried balls of cornmeal goodness with some chopped clams mixed in, thought not much clam flavor.  Still, I could put down quite a few of these but I did exercise SOME restraint as we had many more stops to go.  

A cup of Rhode Island clear chowder.  This was great stuff.  Light, refreshing, loaded with clams and with a bold clam flavor.  Like menudo, pho, or matzo ball soup. this felt like a restorative that would set me right if I were under the weather.

My very first stuffed quahog AKA "stuffie".  This had a great crispy crust and lots of moist clam-filled stuffing inside.  

As happy as a pair of stuffed clams!

If there was a long line here at Jim's, I'd have no problem biding my time out on this deck with a cold one.

Our second stop was in the neighboring town of Narragansett (AKA Galilee) for some more local fare at Champlin's Seafood.  

They have a HUGE menu and I had a difficult time narrowing down my choices.

Lead the way, matey!

I wonder how many people made that mistake before they put up that sign?

I don't resemble that remark...at all!

The view from our table.  As much as I do enjoy getting a good lobster roll in NYC when I get a craving, there is NOTHING that beats fresh seafood right on the water with a view like this!

WJ ordered lobster bisque (not pictured) and some whole belly fried clams.  I went with Rhode Island clear chowder (they gave me white by mistake, no big deal) and stuffed scallops.  I have a confession to make.  I've never been a huge seafood fan.  When I was a kid, growing up in the Catholic faith in a primarily Catholic city meant going out for a fish fry on Friday nights and nearly every restaurant and firehouse in town had them.  I was the kid who got macaroni & cheese instead. The first we visited my Aunt Judy in Maine, she took us to dinner at Shaw's Wharf in New Harbor and I couldn't bring myself to pick which lobster was going to die, so I had a cheeseburger instead.  I got over most of my seafood hangups years go, though whole belly clams still seemed a bit extreme for me.  Over the years, hearing words like "jiggly" and "gooey" used to describe their texture did NOT help.  However, these beauties were just right.  Crispy, a little chew to them and a burst of clam flavor.  If all whole bellies were like this, I could become a convert.  I just know that this entry is making FriedClamFanatic smile!  You're welcome, FCF.

The white chowder was like a classic version I've had many times while I lived in Boston.  A perfect cold weather chowder but I think that the clear version has won me over.

These stuffed scallops were chock full of tender scallops and tiny shrimp.  A spritz of lemon and some zippy cocktail sauce and I was off to the races!  Serving them in the scallop shells was a nice touch.  A real surprise was seeing a listing of tonic water with lime among the sodas on the beverage menu.  I know that in some parts of New England, tonic can mean soda so I thought I'd give it a try. It was fizzy tonic water, the kind a bar would use to make a gin & tonic.  I don't think I've ever had it just by itself.  Very light and refreshing and a perfect palate cleanser.

Oh man, I'd better double time it past that dude.  Looks like he's about to make it to second base with that stuffed scallop!!  The people dining across from us were very nice and when we told them about the meet-up and that I was trying as many regional specialties as I could in two days, they had all sorts of advice on where to go and what to try.  They wished me luck on my quest as we left.  Lots of friendly people here in Rhode Island!

Now for something on the sweet side.  In New Orleans, they're called beignets.  The Italians know them as zeppole.  At the Great New York State Fair and the local firemen's Field Days as kids, we called it fried dough.  Here in Rhode Island, doughboy is the name of the game.  And Iggy's Doughboys & Chowder House was our midway point of the evening.  

Iggy's is a sharp looking building with plenty of outdoor seating but this location in Narragansett is seasonal and only open through Columbus Day.  

I do want to try more quahogs and some RI clear chowder.

And that Iggy Burger has my name written all over it.

But for now, my focus is on those doughboys.  I'll just come right out and say that I surely ate an irresponsible amount of these and I'm not sorry.  Totally worth every calorie and every flake of powdered sugar.  Man, these were freakin' good!!  And doughboys are not a food that can be eaten daintily, not by a longshot.  My fingers were caked with a heavenly mixture of sugar and oil.  Oh, what foods these morsels be!  (Deepest apologies to Donut Dip and The Bard!)

For our fourth magic trick, we are going to make some New York System hot weiners disappear at Olneyville N.Y. System in Providence.  I do enjoy a good hot dog and this RI specialty has been on my "must try" list for some time.  

On the neon sign, it's spelled "weiners" and here it's "wieners".  Not sure if there is a correct spelling.

Still going after 71 years.

I'm sure this will make all of our Roadfooders in the Windy City very happy!

Four up the arm, baby!  If worked here and tried to dress them up the arm, I'd never earn a paycheck.  Half would be on the floor and the other half in my mouth!  They used to dress them up the bard arm but health codes forced them to wear a long plastic glove than can stretch up to the elbow.

Not the prettiest belle at the ball but she's got a heckuva personality.  Upon the first bite I wasn't sure how I felt about it but this weiner became more addictive with each bite.  I wish more places steamed their buns.  Pillowy and soft sure does work and it held up to the toppings quite nicely.  That dash of celery salt has a real presence and just adds something extra to the whole taste.  I would've gotten a pair but I knew with one more stop in store tonight that I would have regretted it, maybe not now, but soon, and for the rest of the night.  The counter guy said they are open late and they do a brisk business after midnight.  I imagine these are the perfect late night food after a few beers at the bar, though they are really good any time of day.

Yet another confession, I have never, ever been a fan of coffee. WJ convinced me to try a cup of joe from a local chain in New Mexico in 2013 when we were out there for Chris & Amy's wedding. and I actually liked it.  My first cup in 12 years.  I do like coffee ice cream, tiramisu and other coffee-flavored foods.  The first thing that sprang to mind when I tried my very first sip of the official RI state beverage, coffee milk, in the picture below was, "Where has THIS been my whole life?!"  Wow!  My name is Bill and I love coffee milk.  Creamy, sweet and with an assertive coffee flavor, I think this would pair well with just about any food.  Oh, here will be more of this nectar before this trip is over!

Marketing genius, I tell ya!

Karilyn, WJ and Anna, lovin' the hot wieners and coffee milk.  Karilyn and Anna were just around the corner from us at a retro 1980s arcade bar with classic video games and pinball machines and stopped in to meet-up before the meet-up the next day.

I look at this picture and it's like when the Incredible Hulk was about halfway through his transformation into the Hulk and he bursting out of his clothes!

Anna got in on the action too!

Our swan song before calling it a night was at the classic mobile diner on wheels. Haven Bros. Diner.  

Haven Bros. had the burger menu posted outside on a sandwich board.  I had already decided on the Single Murder burger but I couldn't stop looking at this sign.  I was utterly impressed with the artist's attention to detail with that chicken.  Note the strain on the chicken's face, the shaking head, clenched fists and the sphincter popping out the egg.  There's an artist who loves their craft.  Ya gotta respect that.

Selfie inside the smallest diner I have ever seen.

While I loved the history of this place and the vibe, I felt that the Murder Burger was a disappointment.  First, one 3oz patty definitely isn't enough and got lost in the shuffle of the toppings and the substantial bun.  A double may have been the better choice.  Second, I thought that it was a somewhat bland patty of beef.  I don't know if they seasoned with any salt or pepper while cooking but there wasn't a whole lot of flavor to it.  Still, I'd try it again as a double, plus they have other food I'd like to try and a big roster of shakes that piqued my interest (Oreo-Coffee and Chocolate-Banana anyone?).  

Almost 125 years.  Way to go, Haven Bros.!

 
That's it for night #1.  After all of that, I was ready to drift off into dreamland.  More to come...
 

Wow!  This is a great report.  You certainly got off to an awesome start.

Wow, what a start! This really takes me back to my childhood, when I lived in RI. That seafood and chowder are right up my alley, but those clam cakes looked a bit chintzy and sparse of clams. My dad used to make them at his part time job at the Davisville Drive In and they were chock full of clams. When we went to the movies there we devoured dozens of these. Glad you got to experience them, though. And that coffee milk take me right back to Thursday, when I had a morning glass of it (I order coffee syrup from RI about once a month or so and consume it regularly). It's been a favourite of mine since I was a kid. Looking forward to the rest of your report, BB.

billyboy
The first [time] we visited my Aunt Judy in Maine, she took us to dinner at Shaw's Wharf in New Harbor and I couldn't bring myself to pick which lobster was going to die, so I had a cheeseburger instead.

Interesting.  We have a similar but different problem here in Chicago.  When you order a cheeseburger, you have to pick the cow that's going to provide it.  if you think it's tough choosing which lobster is going to die, imagine looking into the soft brown eyes of Bossy, knowing she's going to get the "No Country For Old Men" treatment just so you can enjoy a Patty Melt.
 

billyboy
My fingers were caked with a heavenly mixture of sugar and oil.  Oh, what foods these morsels be!  (Deepest apologies to Donut Dip and The Bard!)

Nice!
 

billyboy
For our fourth magic trick, we are going to make some New York System hot weiners disappear at Olneyville N.Y. System in Providence.  I do enjoy a good hot dog and this RI specialty has been on my "must try" list for some time.  

On the neon sign, it's spelled "weiners" and here it's "wieners".  Not sure if there is a correct spelling.

 After two years of high school German, 41 years ago, one of the few things I remember is the ie/ei rule.  You always pronounce whichever letter comes second in that combination.  So the correct spelling is definitely "Wieners".  "Wien" (roughly pronounced "Veen) is the German word for Vienna, presumably the birthplace of the Wiener, hence the Chicago company, Vienna Beef.  Wieners are the people who live in Vienna.  "Wein" (pronounced "vine) is the German word for wine.
 

billyboy
I'm sure this will make all of our Roadfooders in the Windy City very happy!

Contrary to all previous indications, Rhode Islanders got some class.
 

billyboy
Four up the arm, baby!  If worked here and tried to dress them up the arm, I'd never earn a paycheck.  Half would be on the floor and the other half in my mouth!  They used to dress them up the bard arm but health codes forced them to wear a long plastic glove than can stretch up to the elbow.

The counterman should be careful to whom he displays that armful of dogs.  I know some Roadfooders who would assume the arm was part of the meal.
 
A very nice start to what looks like an epic weekend.  Looking forward to more!
 
Buddy

Saturday, July 08, 2017 - WJ and I were early to rise this morning and we took a brisk walk from his condo and along Main Street into downtown East Greenwich for breakfast.  There were many lovely old buildings (I think this is the Town Clerk's office) and old homes along and just off of Main Street.

Our destination was this tiny diner, sandwiches in between the more modern buildings as progress marches on...

I've read many times about Wanderingjew's breakfasts at Jigger's Diner and I've been looking forward to coming here for some time.  They are celebrating their 100th year!

This has got old school diner written all over it.  My kinda place.

Placemats with ads from local businesses is usually a sign of good food to come.

Clearly, the our waitress just mixed this glass of coffee milk right before bringing it out.  Look at those streaks on the glass!  This was a very strong, boldly flavored coffee milk and my favorite of the trip.  Why, oh why, have I never tried this before?!

WJ went with two Johnny Cakes, an egg and a side of blueberries.

I went with the Johnny Cake Combo breakfast: two eggs, over easy and bacon...  

with two Johnny Cakes and a side of fresh fruit.  I love anything cornmeal!  Cornbread, polenta, Indian pudding, hushpuppies, you name it.  And these Johnny Cakes were right in my sweet spot.  Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and packed with lots of toasty corn flavor.  I didn't need any syrup for them but they were great when dragged through the yolks over my over easy eggs.  WJ has mentioned to me that there are two different versions of Johnny Cakes: a thin pancake-like version that is prevalent in one part of the state and a denser, smaller, thicker version in another part of the state and people have pretty passionate opinions about which one is the "real" thing, usually tied to the version they grew up eating.  The ones here at Jigger's are a cross between both versions. I am truly jealous that WJ has access to these every day.

Our post-breakfast stop was at DePetrillo's Pizza & Bakery in Warwick to sample some pizza strips.  I've read about these before and they appear to be a cousin of sorts to the Utica-Rome, NY and Philly-based Tomato Pie.

Just a very small operation though I think they may have two other locations.

They sell pastries and other sweet baked goods but it looks like pizza and pizza strips are the bulk of their business.  

I picked up a half dozen so I'd have some to bring home to my girlfriend and somehow most of them DID make it back to NYC!  I wasn't sure if I was a fan at first as they don't have the sprinkling of hard grated romano cheese like the tomato pies I grew up eating but these strips are excellent, nonetheless.  A perfect snacking food and I can imagine finding them at Superbowl parties, kids' birthday parties, cookouts, etc...  The main differences are that the strips do not have a sprinkling of romano cheese, they are individually wrapped in wax paper (though I imagine a whole pizza or half pizza would come unwrapped in a large pizza box), they are found almost exclusively in bakeries (whereas tomato pie can be found in sit-down pizzerias serving entrees) and they are cut into long strips.  This last one is very important.  With the strips, each person gets a piece of the crunchy/crispy outer crust.  With tomato pie, it is cut into small squares, commonly referred to as a "party cut" and none of the center squares have the edge crust, so there is usually a battle for the corner and edge slices.  

I could easily snack on these all day long...  Pizza strips are very saucy and a bit oily, so multiple napkins are a must and as you can see, I came prepared with an overabundance of them in my front pocket for easy access AKA the Roadfooder's pocket square!

We headed back to the condo to meet up with WJ's girlfriend, Sandra and she joined us on our journey.  For our pre-lunch stop we headed out to Lincoln to check out Hartley's Pork Pies.  The Fall River location is reviewed here on Roadfood but this one was much closer for us.  

WJ said that sometimes they run out of pies, so if the "yes" sign isn't in the window you may be out of luck.

This is their menu.  The whole menu.

Seems pretty easy to figure out!

I think time may have passed this place by.  Aside from the Facebook decal in the case, it looks like they have haven't changed anything in 60 plus years.

To avoid confusion, each pie has letter on top: B=beef, P=pork and MP=meat & potato.  That shiny stuff on top is gravy, which comes with each pie.  No plates, no utensils given, just napkins.  These are hand pies and they are messy.  Best eaten over the box whilst leaning forward as there WILL be drippage and spillage.  Having eaten a few pies in my day, I'm pretty sure that these are made with a lard crust and boy, is it rich!  The meat & potato was like a Shepherd's Pie filling and the beef was a ground beef while the pork was filled with savory chunks of well-seasoned pork.  I loved them all but the pork was the clear winner with my taste buds.  

Time for the official Roadfooders meet-up.  Despite being the smallest state in the union, one can drive 15 minutes in any direction and feel like they are in a different state.  We had reservations for lunch at Wright's Farm in the rural, farmlands of Harrsiville.  

Wright's is so big that I couldn't fit it all into one photo!  Long drive in from the entrance, big parking lot and rooms upon rooms of long tables for seating large groups of diners, eager to feast on all-you-can-eat chicken dinners.  

Only open 4 days a week for limited hours but apparently they do a brisk business.

Al, of the food comes out to the table, family style.  Rolls, pasta with marinara sauce, salad, fried potatoes and baked chicken.  As far as the food is concerned, I wouldn't say it was the best meal I ever had and none of the food, individually, stood out to me.  However, for some reason it all just seemed to work when out together.  

The company was definitely a big happy part of this meal.  I think this was the first time that I've seen Chris & Amy (ayersian) since our "No Sleep Til Brooklyn" crawl back in June of 2016.  And this was definitely the first time that I met their lovely daughter.  Say hello to Persephone Winterhart!  I just love that name.  And she is absolutely adorable.   

And here is most of the gang, from left to right: Jack & Nancy (Glenn1234's dad & mom), Glenn1234 and his wife Janet, Beth's friend Deborah, Karilyn, Bethgrd, Heather, Wanderingjew and Sandra.  I've seen Glenn on the RF Forums before but had never met him in person.  He and his family were a delight to talk to and I'm really glad they were able to make it.  

For dessert we took a short drive to the northeastern part of Rhode Island to The Ice Cream Machine in Cumberland.  
A pretty big menu but I set my sights on my beloved Grape Nut ice cream which I'm pretty sure no ice cream shop in NYC has ever heard of.  

Now the question is, do I get a cone, dish, sundae?  They don't make their own hot fudge but when I spied the sign for Homemade Blueberry Topping I knew the deal was sealed.

This was excellent.  I would have liked more Grape Nuts in the ice cream but that blueberry topping stole the show.  An abundance of blueberries and that sauce was so intense I thought I might turn violet like Violet Beauregarde in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"!  

A group selfie at the picnic table.  The have lots of seating, some under a canopy by the order window and across the parking lot.  We managed to snag a table under some trees and we welcomed the shade.  

I was very happy when I had the chance to hold this precious little girl and she let me take the lead as we danced together.  She's light on her feet and didn't step on my toes at all!  She did like grabbing my goatee from time to time!

We said our goodbyes and parted ways with the group, looking forward to seeing them all again soon and made our way into Providence for dinner in the Federal Hill neighborhood (Providence's Little Italy).

I was looking forward to dinner at Angelo's Civita Farnese as I had heard good things about it and the menu looks like they have a lot of family recipes that they take a great deal of pride in making.  

Travelin' Manned!!!  

Maybe we can get a taste of the Windy City.  Nah, not tonight.

Interesting street name, though it doesn't show up on Google Maps so it must not be real!

We stopped at Andino's, next door to Angelo's but they had a two-hour wait for a table so we walked a bit until we arrived at Caserta Pizza.  I had seen something on TV about their Wimpy Skippy, which is a spinach pie stuffed with cheese, pepperoni and black olives.  Sandra and I found a table in back and let WJ handle the ordering.

We started out with a large 12-slice pie with mushrooms.  A thick, chewy crust with crispy edges, lots of sauce and mozzarella cheese, this was fantastic and very reminiscent of the pizzas I grew up eating in Central NY.  

Up next, we have a Spinach Pie with cheese in the foreground and a Pig in a Blanket (sweet Italian sausage and tomato sauce rolled in dough) in the background.  I wasn't a fan of the spinach pie as is was too wet and clumpy for me but the pig in a blanket was just right.  A hearty sausage sandwich was like many I have from street carts and ball games over the years.  The dough is a different twist.  Most sausage sandwiches come on a bun/roll, but this is pizza/calzone dough, rolled over until it barely closes.  It's definitely thinner and has a crispy edge to it.  They also have a pepper pig that adds green peppers to it.  Going on my list..

To walk off all of the great food we had throughout the day and that robust meal we just ate, we walked around the river in downtown Providence to attend WaterFire, a summertime event that has been happening in Providence and the there cities listed below for many years.  It's like a street fair, art installation, arts & crafts festival, music event all rolled up in to one.  It's a great way to get people into the downtown area and walk around, shop at avreious merchants and get to know the neighborhood a bit better.  They have arts, craft, souvenirs and food for sale all along the streets.

The boats and the brazier fires are the coolest part.

This was the first thing I saw when we walked up to the Woonasquatucket River.  I sure hope Johnny Cash didn't fall in!

This shot gives a better perspective of the boats.  Their are gondolas on the water that one can ride i if they buy a ticket.  There are also larger boats out there and their job is to keep tossing logs onto the braziers to feed the flames.  I could hear the crackle of the logs and take in the scent of the fires as we walked along the river on both sides, while listening to various genres of music being played on a PA system throughout the night.  Parking is a bit of a beast but you just plan ahead.  We lucked out as WJ was able to park in the lot of a friend he knows in the area.  I could see myself coming down here a lot during the summer if I lived here.    

This is my favorite shot of the night.  The pictures really don't convey the sights, sounds and smells of this festival but it was wonderful.  

 

It was a perfect night to stroll around: not muggy, nice balance just between warm and cool, and a gentle breeze sweeping by every so often.  WJ and Sandra said I should try some Del's Lemonade as it is a Rhode Island institution.  

It's a soft frozen lemonade, somewhat like a slushy, but there is pure lemon in there and bits of lemon zest.  It was so utterly refreshing and the perfect cap to a great evening.  

Well, it was ALMOST a perfect evening!  Wanderingjew and Sandra drew my attention to this "street perfomer".  "Public Caresser"?  WTF does THAT mean?  WHY is this person doing this?  HOW are people lining up for this?  AND there was a little girl who couldn't have been more than 8 or 9 years old who walked up to be caressed!  That means some adult in the crowd thought it was a good idea!  WHO is this person?  I don't know as he/she is shrouded in black, wearing gloves and some expressionless serial killer mask straight out of a 80s slasher flick.
 
 I have to say that I was really disturbed by this.  I've seen people on the streets of NYC with all manner of signs and gonzo performance art.  Free Handshake?  Sure.  Free Hugs?  Uh, maybe.  But caressing?  I mean who uses that word anymore except someone trying to find that brand of soap and the store and trashy romance novelists?  So many questions and no answers.  Has the city of Providence or the WaterFire event issued a permit for this person to do this?  Still skeeved out as I write this.  I'm just glad I didn't have any "Play Misty For Me" type nightmares when I went to sleep that night!

 
 
More to come on my third and final day in Li'l Rhody (and Massachusetts).  Stay tuned...
 
 
 
 

Great report, billyboy. Thanks.
 

Excellent trip report! Thanks for sharing.
Karl
 

Gorgeous photos my friend! Rhode Island has such great food.

Your photos and prose are fantastic . . . you are the gift that keeps giving!!! Thanks Billy!

That lemonade looks amazing!!
 

What a great report! I must get out there!

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
 

Billyboy
 
We enjoyed having you and of course you are always welcome back (hopefully with a Prince Street pie in tow) 
That was theCanadian bacon, apple, brie  omelet that I enjoyed at Modern Diner. 
For those that don't know Sagres is in some of the older Roadfood books, and as someone who has enjoyed Portuguese food around the Fall River and New Bedford area for more than a decade and a half it stands up to the best of them. And yes that was Portuguese bread.

Good finish to a good trip! All that food looked fantastic. If you want to have a taste of at least two of the things you liked, you can have them delivered to your doorstep (like I do). The best coffee milk syrup around, imo, comes from Dave's Coffee in Providence. It's more expensive than Autocrat or Eclipse but it is craft made and has no HFCS. If you want some Johnny Cakes, (and who doesn't?), you can get the best mix RI has to offer from my old grade school chum Paul at Kenyon's Mill. That mix keeps me and my family quite happy! As good as any diner offers.

What a great trip!  Your descriptions and pictures would make anyone want to go there and spend some quality time! Good to see WJ in his natural habitat too!