Lobsters and Landscapes in Rhode Island

The thing about New England is that the states are tiny compared to the west coast, meaning you could cross multiple state boundaries in a relatively short amount of time. Last weekend I took a mini-road trip, driving through three states in as many hours to reach Providence, Rhode Island where I went to visit some old friends. 

Delicious grilled pizza

Being quite accomplished foodies, my friends introduced me to much of the great food Rhode Island has to offer. Like many other college towns, Providence has a plethora of good, yet reasonably priced restaurants. We went to a small modest looking place called Bob and Timmy’s Grilled Pizza, famous for their grilled pizza, as one could guess. We ordered a Gorgonzola Salad and a half-and-half pizza with Lasagna and Wild Mushroom flavors. Everything was absolutely divine. The cheeses all tasted excellent, the pizza crust was delightfully crispy, and I even enjoyed the olives in the salad - quite astonishing considering I usually try to avoid olives. The whole thing reminded me of Berkeley’s Cheeseboard, but with more choice in pizza flavors.

Super fresh lobster

We actually decided to spend most of the day walking around in Newport, a charming, picturesque seaside town. On the way there, we stopped to eat at Anthony’s Seafood, featured in Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives”. We ordered some lobster rolls, crab cakes, and of course the featured Kung Pao Calamari. The crab cakes were delicious, and the calamari was as good as advertised, but my favorite part of the meal was the lobster roll. Lobster rolls are always a little pricey, and this one was no exception, but the sheer freshness of the meat made it worth every penny. The lobster has wonderful texture and it tasted like it had been caught just hours ago, which considering we were in the Ocean State, I could definitely believe.

Scenery along the Cliff Walk

After stuffing ourselves silly, we took a nice long walk to digest along Newport’s famous Cliff Walk, a 3.5 mile path that follows the cliffs right next to the ocean. It was a wonderfully scenic place to sightsee from, with the dramatic seaside landscape on one side and perfectly groomed gardens and mansions on the other. We went to visit one such mansion, The Breakers, previously owned by the railroad empire Vanderbilt family. The Breakers is one of many mansions in Newport that used to be owned by the filthy rich and now function as tourist attractions, much like Hearst Castle in California. Admission included a nice audio tour that introduced each of the rooms in the house, as well as the family members and some of the house staff. I found the tour to be both aesthetically pleasing and a great insight into the life of the Gilded Age upper class.

The Breakers

There’s much to do in Rhode Island despite its small size, and if I get a chance to come back, I definitely want to check out the other Newport mansions and spend some time exploring the museums in Providence. Of course, more lobster rolls are always good too. ’Til next time!

- MC 8/23

Freedom and Seafood in Boston

As one of the oldest cities in the United States, Boston has a tremendous amount of historical attractions to occupy the millions of tourists that visit every year. Last weekend a friend and I met up in Boston and went sightseeing together. She’s Canadian, but we decided to walk the Freedom Trail anyway.

Freedom!

The trail starts at the visitor center in the Boston Common, and winds through the city, taking you to over twenty different historical sites and ending across the Charles River at Bunker Hill. Even though it’s officially only 2.5 miles in length, we made numerous detours, walking around at many of the sites, and ended up walking for a good four hours. Not exactly the most leisurely stroll, but well worth the effort if you are at all interested in history. 

I for one found myself wishing I remembered more of high school US history as we continued along the trail. A few of the sites required admission fees, but there were also plenty of free ones. Among them were a bunch of churches of various denominations, and burying grounds containing some familiar names. We were able to find the gravestones of John “City on a Hill” Winthrop, Paul “The British are Coming” Revere, and John “My Name is Bigger Than Yours” Hancock. 

The whole Winthrop clan

About halfway through the trail we stopped for lunch at Quincy Market, a large narrow building housing food stalls and restaurants as far as the eye can see. It was a madhouse in there, like going to a Taipei night market on a weekend. One would think every tourist in Boston was there, but for good reason - I counted at least five seafood stalls selling lobster rolls and the famous New England chowder, as well as many others serving items as varied as pad thai and bagel pizzas. Finding seating was a bit of a challenge; we ended up eating at a standing table. All part of the Boston experience, I guess.

Baked clams from Quincy Market

One of the most interesting stops along the Freedom Trail was the Charlestown Navy Yard towards the end of the day, a large harbor area north of the Charles River. Front and center was the USS Constitution “Old Ironsides” herself, open for tourists to walk around on deck free of charge. The USS Constitution Museum was right next door, also with free admission (though accepting donations). I found the museum to be very impressive, with well curated and informative exhibits containing a good amount of interactivity. Unfortunately we got there just 15 minutes before closing, as we definitely could have spent a good amount of time there.

Old Ironsides in for restoration

The next day, some kind friends took me on a tour of Harvard University, actually the first Ivy League school I’ve ever visited. It was suitably impressive, especially the giant pillared main library and the majestic gothic style Memorial Hall towards the middle of campus. Though I think I was most impressed by simply how clean and well maintained all the buildings were. Harvard is one of the oldest universities in the country, but the campus was pristine. Such is the difference between public and private schools.

Looks like Hogwarts

Overall, I enjoyed my first taste of Boston. I really liked how walkable the city was, and how convenient the public transit was to use. Last weekend was a great introduction to the area, and I look forward to my next visit!

- MC 8/4