When Rhode Island-based but nationally read blogger Jennifer Leal of Savor the Thyme and her husband were looking for a little off-season getaway, she looked no further than Newport.
“As parents of two young children, a staycation allowed us to reconnect and focus on each other rather than household chores yet we are not far from our children,” she said. “Being close to home allowed us to feel less stress while being away.”
The two were happily surprised to find most all of the local restaurants open and dishing up divine meal,s and learned a little bit more about Newport’s history on the Viking Tours of Newport Trolley Tour. “We highly recommend the trolley tour, a number of trips up and down Ocean Drive, and to stay at one of the charming inns,” she says.
The two hopped around the City from their centrally-located base camp at Mill Street Inn and enjoyed attractions like the International Tennis Hall of Fame while taking time to savor local flavor at The Mooring, Perro Salado, the Hungry Monkey and more!
Read all about Jennifer’s adventures in the City-by-the-Sea on Savor the Thyme, which focuses on family-friendly, healthy food and lifestyle. “I love to share and show how one can feed their family in a healthy way that can also be easy, fun, silly, and magical,” she says. “Be sure to stop by Savor the Thyme every day if you like to eat yummy, healthy food and giggle every day.”
CLICK HERE for Pt. 1 of Jennifer’s adventures, and HERE for Pt. 2
Before the term “buzz” achieved liberal usage, Asterisk already had it. French sophistication mixed with a smart Manhattan vibe, the uber-trendy lower Thames Street bar and bistro was among the first to introduce Newport to the astonishing concept of mixing espresso and vodka to create the liquid artistry known as the espresso martini. Fans flocked to Asterisk to sip, see and be seen.
But a lot has changed since 1996 when Danish-born chef/owner John Bach-Sorensen opened the restaurant in a renovated garage. Recent years have seen increasing competition in Newport from cocktail savvy players like The Fifth Element and Fluke. Others like Tallulah on Thames and the new tsk took up the farm to table charge.
So it’s good to see that Bach-Sorensen and his wife Tracy have made some changes to the place over the winter. The dark burgundy walls have been painted a light beige and black and white patterned pillows propped on the banquettes add visual interest and back support. The subtle decor includes new cream-colored light fixtures and upholstery; chairs have been painted white. Only the wait staff’s bright orange aprons pop with color. Other changes include a new half wall to section off the open kitchen and a chef’s table by the kitchen that seats 10 people.
The new neutral palette directs focus away from the decor and toward Bach-Sorensen’s unfussy European cuisine as was evident during Newport Restaurant Week. Indeed the spring version of this biannual food fest couldn’t have come at a better time to show off Asterisk’s renovations. Before the summer season brings the crowds to the city, locals had 10 budget-friendly days to explore the menu offerings at participating restaurants, try out the newcomers and revisit more mature establishments like Asterisk.
On restaurant week’s second Friday night, my husband and I made our first visit to Asterisk in we can’t remember how many years to see how things are shaping up. We found all the seats at the bar and the new chef’s table full. My poor husband Larry is on crutches so we chose the end of the banquette which proved unwise as we experienced an occasional draft whenever the door was opened. One of the problems with Asterisk’s configuration given its former status as a garage is the lack of an entrance foyer; it’s all one big dining room. Not a big deal in the summer. Kind of a problem when it’s 45 degrees out.
Bach-Sorensen’s restaurant week menu offered a choice between two appetizers and two main courses and a banana tarte
tatin with salted caramel ice cream for dessert. The appetizer choices were a smoked trout with asparagus and cream brie salad and a pear and prosciutto plate with Bonny Doon verjus dressing. Larry went with the pear and proscuitto, presented with the cured meat fanned out like a lovely flower, while I went with the generous pile of smoked trout cascading over grilled bread with asparagus spears meticulously sliced in half.
For the main course, we both went with the roasted nori wrapped salmon with celery mash, wasabi butter and mizuna salad over the rib eye steak option. The moist and flavorful salmon came with crispy skin and I thought the nori wrap was especially creative and added a nice salty crunch.
As for the tasty dessert, neither of us could finish it. Gourmet vanilla bean ice cream in caramel sauce topped the roasted bananas over the pastry shell, and rasberries artfully lined the rim of the plate. One banana tarte tatin to split would have been fine. But then restaurant week participants aim to please in both quality and quantity.
Asterisk certainly accomplished both these objectives, with colorful and creative dishes. Bach-Sorensen says he’s planning a menu revamp to highlight simple but elegant food. A new approach in the kitchen combined with the new, lighter look will go a long way to win back old fans and invite newcomers to enjoy a satisfying dining experience at this old but still good fixture on lower Thames Street.
We're so excited to feature Felicia Whiting, Providence Ambassador for national online women’s magazine, GalTime as today's guest blogger on From Stem to Stern! For more great stories on food, fashion, relationships, parenting and the arts, follow GalTime on Facebook and Twitter.
This past Monday, I had the wonderful opportunity to dine at Leo’s Ristorante for Newport Restaurant Week. Located on historic Hope Street in Bristol, Leo’s is a family style restaurant that has been a Bristol tradition since 1948. Their menu is a mix of traditional American fare, Greek, Mediterranean, seafood, vegetarian and more. Breakfast is also served on the weekends.
For my $16 prix fixe lunch I chose a salad and lobster club, which also came with dessert. The portions were large and the quality was superb. The Mixed Field Greens Salad was topped with pine nuts, sprouts and slices of avocado that added a very special touch to a starter salad.
Whenever I dine out, if a lobster roll is on the menu, that’s what I order! But their Lobster Club (pictured above) was made in a way I have never tried before: with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on rye bread. It was so delicious and so filling; served with a very generous portion of french fries.
From the desserts that were offered, I chose a very large piece of Lemon Berry Mascarpone Cake served with whipped cream and chocolate covered strawberries. Oh my! At this point I was very full, but there was no way I could pass this up! The cheese, the berries and the whipped cream were a perfect medley of delectable delight!
Needless to say, I am very happy with my restaurant choice during Newport Restaurant Week! With over 45 participating restaurants to choose from, it’s a great chance try something new!
Choose your next Newport Restaurant Week dining adventure by CLICKING HERE. You can read more on Felicia's local adventures on GalTime.com.
We were so excited when travel writer Alison Tibaldi, who reports for offManhattan (oM), My Family Travels and Mommy Poppins as some of her outlets, let us know she was headed to Newport a few weeks ago. She had recently written a 
piece for oM on the Newport Winter Festival, counting in among one of the Best Winter Carnivals of 2012, and wanted to learn more about the City-by-the-Sea for some upcoming assignments. “This was my first time visiting Newport and I was struck by the natural beauty of the harbor,” she tells us. “I was also pleasantly surprised by the number and variety of restaurants in town.” Though the mansions are stately and elegant, she was delighted to find them to be so family friendly. “The audio tours really bring the Gilded-Age to life,” she describes. Allison had a full itinerary so she could enjoy as much of our city as she could while here, but there was one attraction that really surprised the avid traveler. “Don't miss the Tennis Hall of Fame, even if you don't particularly love tennis,” she advises. “Anyone with an appreciation of any sport will be impressed by this interactive and enjoyable ode to sportsmanship.”
Read more about her winter adventures in Newport on the Family Travel Forum by CLICKING HERE.
We’re delighted today to welcome guest blogger Leanne Orabona from AroundTheTableRI.blogspot.com. We discovered Leanne when she entered our Foodspotting contest during Newport Restaurant Week and since then started following her blog for its unabashed restaurant reviews and tasteful recipes from her own kitchen. Dining out throughout Rhode Island (and the world!) is her passion, and when we invited her to pen a guest blog for us, she was in a comfort food frame of mind, and headed out to Middletown’s Blue Plate Diner. Here’s what she had to say:
I’ve wanted to go to the Blue Plate Diner for a long time now. I have heard rave reviews from locals that have had amazing meals there and finally decided to go with my friend Darci after work on a Friday night.
When we parked our car in the lot outside and stood in front of the building I felt like we went back in time. I
wasn't alive when diners were all the rage in the 50s and 60s, but I am pretty sure this is exactly the way they were. We were greeted by a friendly host who sat us under a rafter that playfully said: "Thou Shalt Not Worship Golden Arches." And really we shouldn't. When you have a place like this putting so much love into locally grown food made from scratch, why would you ever go to another burger joint like that?
At first glance I noticed a well-wounded group of patrons—lots of families, old and young couples alike. First things first: drinks. Here you’ll find an array of milkshakes, artisan beers and fun cocktails. I was tempted to get the "hard coffee milk," but we both decided on a top shelf margarita. This one was heavy on tequila low on sour mix—just how I like them (top shelf indeed). For a starter we were stumped. We wanted the garbage fries, portabella fries and the Southwestern eggrolls, but seeing as there was only two of us, we thought all three would be a bit excessive. We decided on the eggrolls as a nice complement to the margaritas. When they came to the table we were so excited because there were six, which means we didn't have to battle for them. They were filled with pulled chicken, black beans, corn and cilantro, and served with a wasabi ranch dipping sauce. Amazing! The table next to us got the garbage fries, which looked equally fabulous (I will be getting those next time for sure)! Something to add if you didn't know already: this diner serves local produce, seafood and eggs to hand make all of the dishes and don't use frozen pre-made food like many other establishments do.
Choosing an entree was so much harder than appetizers! There was so much to choose from, truly something for everyone including burgers, sandwiches, and tons of gourmet-style entrees. One of their specials was a meatloaf Beef Wellington. What a great idea! As tempting as it was, I was pulled in by the chicken souvlaki. OMG am I happy I chose this! The chicken was marinated in lemon and oregano and, oh, could you taste that pop of flavor— light and tangy! It was in a pita with lettuce, tomato, onion and a yogurt-cucumber sauce. Might I add, the pita was one of the best I have had; crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The sandwich came with a Greek salad, which was a nice departure from fries. The dressing was delicious and I continuously dipped the sandwich in it because it was so good!
Darci chose the chicken pot pie three days ago when I showed her the menu and she did not waiver in her
decision. Good choice Darci. This dish was enormous, topped with a flakey and delicious puff pastry. We ate for a good 30 minutes, and then looked at Darci's bowl--it looked like she didn't eat any of it. The girl didn't put a dent in this dish!
We saved absolutely no room for dessert, but as we walked out I was bummed to see what we had missed. There was a case of homemade desserts including red velvet cake (my weakness), pies, and more. Next time I will save room. Overall this was such a great dinner experience. The service was excellent, the food was made with love and I left full. So go ahead and step back in time.
Read more of Leanne’s culinary adventures at AroundTheTableRI.blogspot.com.
Lauren Beckham Falcone, former Boston Herald columnist and current on-air personality from WROR's "Loren & Wally Show,” was recently whisked away by her (wildly romantic!) husband for a weekend sojourn in Newport to celebrate her 40th birthday. Leaving all their worries (read: children) behind, the couple enjoyed two days of dining, mansions, martinis, enjoying the sites and soaking up some of the best Newport has to offer. Local stops included Newport Harbor Hotel & Marina, Clarke Cooke House, the Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival, Newport Vineyards, Castle Hill, Salve Regina, the Newport Mansions—even a Bird’s Eye View Helicopter tour!
Read her refreshingly honest blog that had us in hysterics (and check her out at Aquidneck Lobster Company hoisting up this larger than life lobster)!
We hope you visit Newport again soon, Lauren!