36 Hours in Rhode Island

I was on an unofficial eating tour this past weekend as it was a family reunion in Providence/Newport. Big congrats were in order for many family members so Melissa and I rented our first car in NYC and drove to Newport all in one piece! Below you'll find all the stops on the tour and I suggest to try at least one of them if you're ever in Providence or Newport. Definitely go in the summer though, the waterfront is beautiful!

1:00 pm arrive for lunch at The Clarke Cook House Restaurant on the waterfront of Newport RI.

Must get the obvious choice - lobster roll with fries. It comes with HUGE chunks of lobster on a toasted bun. The fries weren't greasy and perfectly crisp. For $21.00 it was a little on the small side but worth it.

The gazpacho was also excellent, but the special tuna burger with jalapenos was missing something flavorful for sure.

2:30 pm a stop at The Cookie Jar across the street. I think we tried every single cookie. Ones that stood out were definitely the mint chocolate chip (melted mint chips in a soft chocolate cookie), the snicker doodle (was much harder but still delish), the chocolate peanut butter (not a huge hint of peanut butter but still right up my alley). We also got an m&m cookie and normal chocolate chip that were both soft and melty - in my mouth not in my hand.

5:00 pm another snack at Rhode Island original Dels. Picture frozen lemonade/shaved ice combined. You can suck it through a straw or eat it with a spoon and it could not be more refreshing on a hot summer day. According to their Web site, they have various flavors but I only tried the lemon which had chunks of lemon in it too.

Don't worry we got a little exercise in between meals by walking the Cliff Walk to check out the mega mansions previously owned by families like the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. My NYC apt is just as nice of course.

8:30 pm we finished off day 1 with an amazing meal at Gracie's. Having family in the restaurant business really does pay off because we were treated like royalty with our own room in the wine cellar downstairs. They didn't charge us for opening our 3 bottles of amazing wine and they brought us so many extras like the ricotta cheese with blueberry served on a spoon, the seared scallop served with lemons and fresh prosciutto and home made chocolate macaroons in addition to our dessert.

Gracie's perfects the pre-fixe dinner by allowing you to choose your appetizer, entree and dessert for a base price of $30.00. Some items have an upcharge from 4-12 dollars but otherwise you can't get a better deal.

They also offer 5 or 7 course tasting menus up to the Chef's discretion. My brother and soon to be sister in law have never gotten a bad meal.

My sister and I shared our appetizers, starting with the lobster gnocchi (you can never have enough lobster) and the poached Zephyr Farms egg with grits and braised pork belly. Both portions were large in comparison to some NY restaurants and were unbelievable. The gnocchi were light and airy and again there were huge pieces of lobster spread throughout. I didn't have one bite that wasn't delicious.

The poached egg dish was probably my favorite though. The pork belly had a sweet taste to it and the grits were super creamy.

For my entree I just wasn't in the mood for fish, so I went big and ordered the boneless ribeye. It was probably 9 oz and I ate 4 of it but it was amazing. Cooked a perfect medium rare but charred on the outside and full of flavor. There was herb roasted potatoes and broccoli rabe on the side. Don't worry the other 5 oz didn't go to waste on the plate, but were finished off by the family.

The duck was also a hit Saturday night as well as the olive oil cake, lemon tart and a chocolate mousse with toasted marshmallows.

We made ourselves walk the 3 blocks back to our hotel and somehow woke up hungry for another delicious meal.

10:30 am breakfast on Federal Hill at Caffe Dolce Vita. Federal Hill is Providence's version of Little Italy but with a bigger mobster feel and presence. The street is lined with Italian flags and a huge pineapple hangs at the entrance as a sign of hospitality.

Caffe Dolce Vita is in the middle of a huge courtyard with other Italian restaurants as its neighbors. The coffee was strong and the menu extensive. I opted for an egg and cheese sandwich on wheat toast and a side of a single vanilla pancake. The pancake was fluffy and delicious. The lemon poppy seed pancakes were also very good. No one was daring enough to order the bananas fosters french toast of the pancakes served with gelato on top.

Soon after breakfast, we said our goodbyes and headed back to the city that never sleeps. A fun-filled eating adventure that expanded my waistline for sure.

Marvelous Minetta

The first weekend back in the city since July 4th was an exciting one! Not only did I get some quality beach time out in Long Island, but I also visited Keith McNally's hot spot Minetta Tavern. We scored a reservation easily for a Saturday night, but each table was filled and there were many people waiting at the bar. My first thought when I got out of the cab and saw the bouncer standing outside the door was "I'm definitely not cool enough to be in here." But once he smiles at you and opens the door, a wave of casualness comes over you. The vibe is reminiscent of what the place looked like back in the 30's when it was a Italian restaurant in the Village. Old photos grace the walls with wooden tables and chairs back to back to each other in the main dining room. Black and white checkered tiles line the floors and you wonder, why is this such a hot spot? Then you take a glance around the room and spot Brooke Shields and Juliana Margolies chatting with each other like no big deal.

We knew going in that we had to order the Black Label burger but the rest of the choosing was so hard! An asparagus salad stood out under the appetizers, but there were too many yummy main courses that we turned the za za pasta into a starter. It was easy enough to share and wasn't too creamy or heavy. Very lightly seasoned with thick pieces of fatty pancetta, sage, Parmesan and a fried egg on top.

Then we ordered 2 black label burgers cooked medium one with fries and one with a salad. A special striped bass served with summer vegetables and a side of the anna potatoes.

The burgers were juicy and delicious. There was no cheese necessary because they had caramelized onions on top. The bun was fresh and soft and my first bite definitely made juices go running down my hand. The fries were thin and salty, think similar to McDonald's but not as greasy. The fish was lightly seasoned with a little olive oil. It wasn't fabulous but it was cooked well and wasn't too heavy. I liked the vegetables best about that dish - grilled bell peppers and eggplant. And then the side of anna potatoes - everyone must get them when they go. They are thinly slices new potatoes fried in duck fat. They come out so crispy and delicious it was hard to save room for dessert.

But good thing we did, because 20 minutes after we ordered an amazing chocolate souffle came to our table. Light, fluffy, full of flavor and they didn't even need to pour anything in like they sometimes do. I went back for seconds even though my stomach was beyond expansion.

The service, scene and food were all seriously impeccable. They didn't treat us any different than the celebrities sitting a few tables away. Now that I've been there once, I'm not rushing back so I'll give you all a chance to score a table.

I also suggest trying one of their signature cocktails. The prices are steep, but the one I had (something Sophie) was perfect for a summer night.