Newport Restaurant Week 2015 at Benjamin's

Benjamin's Raw Bar handles their lunch menu for Newport Restaurant Week differently than the other restaurants--instead of offering a three-course lunch, Benjamin's offers one amazing entree for $16. 

Take a look at this beautiful lobster grilled cheese:

Fresh cracked lobster meat sauteed in butter. Paired with a rustic panini bread, danish havarti cheese and sliced lucky beef steak tomatoes. Grilled until golden brown and finished in the oven. 

Served with cole slaw and fries.

Newport Restaurant Week 2015 at The Mooring

The first time I did Newport Restaurant Week at The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar, it was a few years ago for my birthday dinner--I still remember forcing myself to eat the dessert out of sheer, self-induglent will, beyond the point of fullness. 

It was great to take a break during the workday and try The Mooring for lunch. The $16 prix fixe could have easily been a dinner:

Classic Mooring Clam Chowder

Marinated Eggplant Sandwich

Chickpea puree, roasted peppers, watercress, ciabatta roll, potato salad

Espresso Gelato

Newport Restaurant Week 2015 at Pour Judgement

I've stopped by Pour Judgement before to have their signature "crack fries" and a quick drink, but never had the chance to sit down for dinner. Pour Judgement is another favorite Broadway restaurant for locals known for its comfort food and fun, laid-back atmosphere. 

Here's peak at what you could get for the $35 prix fixe dinner:

Mini Triple Truffle Grilled Cheese

Truffle mushroom spread, truffle cheese, parmesan truffle fries

Creamy Green Pea Soup 

Crispy crumbled bacon, herb sour cream

Scallops Wrapped in Bacon

Arugala, lemon-basil aioli 

Savory Duck Breast & Steamed Dumpling Soup

Lemongrass & chicken pot stickers, aromatic broth, many veggies

Newport Restaurant Week 2015 at Hope

Hope is one of the six new restaurants participating in Newport Restaurant Week. Located on Broadway, Hope has been an extremely popular spot for locals to grab a drink or listen to live music in the basement, Hope Underground, since it opened last fall. 

Here's a look at what you can get for the $35 dinner prix-fixe:

Chicken Empanadas

Grilled ramp & tomatillo salsa, roasted serrano pepper gastrique

Spring Vegetable Risotto

Fava beans, local roasted mushrooms, grilled ramps

Milk Chocolate & Hazelnut Panna Cotta

with vanilla crema, toasted hazelnuts

Newport Restaurant Week 2014 and The Grand Budapest Hotel

Considering how long it has taken for Mother Nature to be kind this spring--loads of snow, wind, and rain--today was definitely one of the nicest days of the year so far.

Even better, it was the perfect day for a lunch at Castle Hill Inn for Newport Restaurant Week with Ryan.

With the exception of one occasion, Ryan and I have always done Newport Restaurant Week together (The Mooring, White House Tavern). I had eaten at Castle Hill Inn before, but since Ryan had not, the second last day of Newport Restaurant Week granted us the opportunity to enjoy one of Newport's most beautiful views and most delicious dishes.

The Drink: Spring Green Tea cocktail 

**If you love gin, you'll love this 

The Appetizer: Steamed Pei Mussels

Smoked seaweed broth, red chiles, toasted baguette

The Entree: Roasted Atlantic Salmon

Farro risotto, pearl onions, creamed escarole

Dessert: Vacherin a la Rhubarbe

Rhubarb sorbet, rhubarb jam, crispy meringue, vanilla Chantilly

We took some time before and after lunch to walk around Brenton Park before heading downtown to see a certain movie...

I really enjoyed The Grand Budapest Hotel, but I feel like you have to watch it several times to notice all of the subtle details that make the film a masterpiece. I would definitely recommend seeing it in the Jane Pickens Theater in Newport, which will be screening the film through Thursday April 24. 

21st Birthday Weekend

 It feels like it took forever, but the wait is over... I'm finally 21!

To make things easy, I'll just give a play-by-play of the weekend:

When I turned 21 at midnight early Saturday morning, I wasn't heading to the bars. I actually stayed in and watched Mulan on Netflix, which was a much better idea, considering I had work at Laura Jean Denim in the afternoon...

Before I went to work, I went to my weekly class, "La Garçonne to Grunge: Fashion and Identity in the 20th Century," in the morning. I had missed two sessions already, so I was looking forward to attending the class again. 

Yes, I did end up working on my 21st birthday, but I didn't mind because it was during the day. It ended up working out well, because the store was crazy busy for Newport Restaurant Week and the Pell Bridge Run. Once foot traffic slowed down, I got to enjoy a wonderful birthday surprise from Laura, Erika, and the rest of the staff: a red velvet cupcake from The Newport Sweet Shoppe!

I guess The Newport Sweet Shoppe and I share the same birthday--the bakery celebrated their second year!

When I got back to the dorm after work, there was a note of the kitchen fridge to "OPEN ME" ...

Et voila! To clarify, my housemates surprised me with the birthday cake, not the all-natural rotisserie chicken.

I made myself Annie's macaroni and cheese for dinner and got ready to go out to the bars with friends for the night. Sam and Alexandra gave me a tiara to wear for the night, because when else is acceptable to wear a tiara in public?

We went to O'Brien's, inevitably followed by a late-night stop for pizza down the street...

Birthday Night Outfit: Gold jacket, Juicy Couture, from Crosswynds Traders; Skirt, BCBGeneration; Purple key-hole halter, H&M; Leopard print heels, Carlos Santana; Earrings, from Crosswynds Traders

I worked again on Sunday, but Ryan came to Newport and took me out to dinner at Speakeasy Bar & Grill on Thames Street. It was also the last night of Newport Restaurant Week, so we took advantage of the $30 prix-fixe. Speakeasy had the most selection to choose from for their Newport Restaurant Week menu--you were allowed to pick any three courses on their dinner menu instead of having to choose from a limited handful of options.

I could go on about how amazing dinner was for hours: everything was fresh and delicious. I definitely plan on getting the lobster gnocchi again soon.

Appetizers:
Cheese Plate
Maine Crab Cake with Kim Chee and Hoisen Glaze

Entree:
Butter Poached Lobster, Cream & Button Mushrooms over Potato Gnocchi

Dessert:
Profiterole

Ryan's dessert:
Chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream

I think it's safe to say that 21 was a great success.

It's definitely worth noting I got some awesome birthday gifts from some awesome people:

From Lauren--I hope I find the time to read this before I go to Paris in January!

From Sam and Alexandra--I'm wearing it now!

From Stephen--This cuff goes with everything that I wear, love it!

From Mom and Dad--THANK YOU! :)At nearly 2.5 years old, my iPhone 4 was barely working and awfully cracked...

A big thank-you to everyone for the birthday wishes! 

Newport Restaurant Week 2013: Scales and Shells

I wrote a restaurant review of Scales and Shells  for Discover Newport's blog, from Stem to Stern. As you'll read below, it's the absolute go-to place in Newport for seafood. I owe a huge thanks to the staff at Discover Newport and Andrea McHugh of Newport Stylephile for the opportunity:

From Students to Statesmen: NRW Prix-Fixe Prices Welcomes All... Bon Appetit!

Newport Restaurant Week has finally begun! Newport Restaurant Week provides an opportunity for both locals and tourists to enjoy the diverse cuisine and experience the special atmosphere of each restaurant. The prix-fixe menu—$ 16 for lunch, $30 for dinner—is an affordable treat even for college students and the perfect excuse to take a break from the campus cafeteria.

I’ve made it a tradition to celebrate Newport Restaurant Week with friends and family since my first year at Salve Regina University. To celebrate the first night of this year’s Newport Restaurant Week—and the end of a very busy week—my college roommate Lauren and I went to Scales & Shells Restaurant and Raw Bar.

I’ve walked or driven past Scales & Shells many times, but I had never eaten there before. When I asked my friends who had eaten there about their experiences, they were more than happy to recommend it.

As a seafood lover, it was tough deciding what to order because everything on the dinner menu looked phenomenal, but I ended up choosing the shrimp spring roll with sweet and spicy dipping sauce for the appetizer; the broiled New England codfish topped with breadcrumbs and butter, served with a grilled vegetable kabob for the entrée; and chocolate gelato for dessert.

Lauren also ordered the shrimp spring roll as an appetizer, but she decided to get the grilled Toro tuna with grilled asparagus and mushrooms served with French fries for her entrée and vanilla gelato for her dessert.

The shrimp spring roll

I meant to take a picture of the codfish before I started eating it, but I couldn't exercise enough self-control to wait.

On first bite of the shrimp spring roll, it became obvious that this was what fresh seafood was supposed to taste like. My family has bought fresh fish from Galilee in Narragansett, R.I. and prepared it at home, but I realized I had never eaten fresher seafood at a restaurant before.

The entrées looked, smelled, and tasted like seafood heaven. It pained me not to finish the codfish and the vegetable kabob—my stomach simply ran out of room. The grilled tuna had the same effect on Lauren, but thankfully she had enough for leftovers. We were both stuffed, yet, after being conquered by the portion size of the codfish, I’m still not sure how I was able to finish the chocolate gelato. It may have taken several deep and determined breaths to make myself consume as much delicious fare as my jeans would let me (thankfully, the jeans have stretch).

I intend to return to Scales and Shells again, whether it’s for dinner with my family or for a girl’s night out on the town. I also hope to go to one more restaurant for Newport Restaurant Week to celebrate my 21^st birthday next Saturday…

Suggestions, anyone?

Scales & Shells Restaurant and Raw Bar

Newport’s Only ‘Only Fish’ Restaurant

527 Thames Street

Newport, RI 02840

(401)-846-FISH (3474)

Be sure to check out all of the participating restaurants and their delicious menus on Discover Newport’s website! Don’t miss out on all of the delicious lunch and dinner prix-fixes –Newport Restaurant Week lasts through Sunday November 10^th.

NPT: Newport Restaurant Week

It's that time of year again--Newport Restaurant Week!

This year, Newport Restaurant Week ran from April 5-April 14. I was happy to catch the very last day with my best friend and have dinner at The White Horse Tavern, the oldest tavern in the United States. We had the most amazing meal...

But before ending the day with dinner, we spent the day in Newport walking up and down Thames Street and relaxing at Brenton Point.

Appetizer: Lobster and Crab Bisque

Entree: Pan Fried Rhode Island Skate Wing served with Crispy Risotto Cake and Lemon Caper Butter Sauce

Dessert: Butterscotch Bread Pudding

Yes. This is exactly what it looks like--a family feeding seagulls...

Newport/Narragansett/New York: Birthday Weekend and Voices of Gotham

Friday was my birthday--I am happy to say I am finally 20!

My boyfriend came down from Boston and we went to The Mooring in Newport and took advantage of the Newport Restaurant Week menu. 

For the appetizer, my boyfriend ordered mussels and I ordered Narragansett Little Neck clams from the Raw Bar. This was the first time I had clams raw and with tartar sauce. I managed to avoid tartar sauce for twenty years, and after trying it, I think I can do without it for another twenty. 

We both ordered swordfish for the entree course and ordered banana bread and hot chocolate for dessert. By the time we started eating dessert, we were so full. I wish I had thought to have just split one banana bread dish with my boyfriend, so we could have taken one home...

We stopped by the university to see a friend and check out the "International Event" before heading back home for cake with my family. 

Friday's Outfit: Dress, Zara; Belt, vintage; Pumps, Nine West; Bracelet and Earrings (from Trendz)

Waiting for my boyfriend at the train station :)

I received my last prize from PGC 2012--Guayaki Yerba Mate products. Now I really don't know what to do with all of the Yerba Mate I have... Probably going to donate/gift a few of them.

Source: gonewportrestaurantweek.com via Mia on Pinterest

The Mooring--I did take pictures of the dishes, but they came out too dark. Anyways, it was absolutely delicious.

The next morning, my family and I dropped my boyfriend off to the train station before heading to New York City to see my eldest brother's performance with the Voices of Gotham, an a cappella men's barbershop chorus. Voices of Gotham is a part of the Barbershop Harmony Society, the largest a cappella  musical organization in the world, and was recently ranked as the thirteenth Barbershop chorus in the world.

The concert also featured the debut of Sirens of Gotham, a prospective chapter of Sweet Adelines International, the premier women's singing organization in the world.  In addition, three quartets--Flatiron Four, Double Windsor, M'nahmana--and a nineties cover band, Uncle Jesse, were included in the program.

The concert was really fun, upbeat, and energizing. The choreography for Voices of Gotham was especially entertaining.  

What else is there is keep you running on a fall night in New York?

Newport/Narragansett: TGIF; PGC 2012 Final Exam

After getting back from university today, I spent a few hours unwinding, reading the paper and President Obama's article in Rolling Stone magazine and enjoying a few hot cups of tea.

Earlier today was busy, as usual, but productive--I entered two submissions to the university's Capture It! Study Abroad Photo/Essay/Film contest, picked up my two paychecks from work, collected the clothing drive bins for the Martin Luther King Center, submitted a final paper proposal.

I also completed the PGC 2012 Final Exam!

Part of the final exam for the Project Green Challenge was to make a video on YouTube or vimeo. I reread this requirement and hoped that I had read it wrong. Every time I do a video project by myself, it never goes well. I'm already at a disadvantage because I have a PC, but I am not the most tech-savvy or the most articulate watching myself on video.

This is probably the seventh or eighth take I did before calling it quits:



Regardless of whether or not I am chosen as a PGC 2012 finalist and attend GreenU, I will continue to support sustainable initiatives and promote fairness in the consumer arena. I enjoyed being a part of this growing movement among peers and I hope more young people become involved in this cause.

Four more days. Four more years. Guess who I'm voting for?

Today's Outfit: Cardigan, Old Navy; T Shirt, H&M Conscious Label; Jeans, American Eagle; Booties, Report Footwear

On another note, Newport Restaurant Week starts today and runs through November 11th (I am very lucky that my boyfriend wants to spoil me with a birthday dinner in one week from today)! Check out the listings of participating restaurants and their delicious three course prix fixe menus--all lunches are $16 and dinners are $30. To learn more about Newport Restaurant Week, please click here!