dracisk

My native state! I only get back there a couple of times a year and don't always get to eat at interesting places due to unadventurous family members. I haven't been to Oberlin or even Hemenway's, which has been around forever. I'm interested to know what you think about both. I enjoyed Mills Tavern a few years ago. I've heard great things about O Dinis for Portuguese food -- there's a large Portuguese-American population in RI -- but I haven't been there. You may want to check out Atwells Avenue on Federal Hill in Providence. There are tons of Italian-Americans in RI, too, and this is RI's Little Italy (very little). Some of the restaurants have been around for decades and at least one (I believe Camille's) hosted a mafia shoot-out, at least according to legend. I'm not sure how GREAT the food will be -- most of it is red sauce Italian -- but it would be a VERY RI experience. The Old Canteen and Angelo's are two other places that have been around forever (Angelo's since 1924). Do you have a reservation for Matunuck Oyster Bar? They used to not take reservations, but it looks like they do now. There used to be insane waits for tables, even for weekday lunches (at least on nice days), but I'm not sure if that's changed. I only went there once a few years ago and don't remember much aside from the dreadful wine list (and I don't even know very much about wine compared to many people here). I'm pretty sure my party ordered a bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon blanc, which is currently priced at $42. Maybe there was a better option we missed. I did enjoy my meal as I recall. The restaurant is in a beautiful location just down the street from East Matunuck State Beach. My grandmother used to have a beach house right on the ocean just down the street from the state beach. Matunuck Oyster Bar didn't exist then! If for some reason you can't get into Matunuck Oyster Bar, Cap'n Jack's is a little further down the street on the other side (but still on the water). It's a very different place (much more rustic and much less trendy) but has delicious seafood. The lobster roll below is from Cap'n Jack's (being consumed at East Matunuck State Beach). Get clam cakes and chowder! Clam cakes are basically deep fried round fritters with bits of clam in them, an RI speciality. What are you doing for fun in RI? ETA: I just remembered @Bob Wells is also from RI. He may also have input!

Enjoy! I forgot that Dominick's is cash only! The Cloisters are awesome, too. I've never been to the Bronx Zoo.

I enjoyed Dominick’s on Arthur Avenue a few years ago.

You don’t have to drive downtown for Ethiopian! Come to Silver Spring. 🙂 (I do get your point.)

The Cranes omakase meal with wine pairings was my first post-full vaccination fine dining restaurant meal in June. I agree it's delicious and unique! The service was also great. I'm not a big sake fan and I wish the wine pairings were heavier on the grape wines, but that's a personal preference thing.

Looks like they're seating people inside now, but I don't think they have table service. Their website said they're closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, but I picked up from here this past Wednesday, so the website isn't accurate. I thought I was ahead of the game when I checked out their website the Monday before Father's Day, but almost everything was already sold out for Father's Day pick-up. Luckily my husband's birthday is shortly after Father's Day, so I shifted to birthday barbecue for him. We ordered prime brisket, pulled pork, and sausage links (a jalapeno and cheddar and a Texas hot link). We both agreed that the brisket had great flavor but was maybe TOO tender. Maybe this is personal preference, but we both like our brisket with a bit more structure. I'm not a huge pulled pork fan, but I really liked theirs. It had some nicely crispy bits and wasn't too fatty and I really liked their barbecue sauce on it. I didn't love the Texas hot link (this is definitely just personal preference -- my husband liked it), but I thought the jalapeno and cheddar link was great. I'm always up for a sausage with cheese inside!!

Does anyone have any tips on visiting Hersheypark? My husband and I are thinking of taking our 7-year-old on a couple of weekdays in June. I've never been and my husband hasn't been since he was a kid. I'm not so much looking for food recommendations (though I'd take those!) and more looking for tips about visiting the park. We're not careless about COVID but we're also not super concerned. Also, the adults will be vaccinated by then.

Thank you so much! I live right by a paved hiker-biker trail (Sligo Creek Trail) and a parkway (Sligo Creek Parkway) that's closed to vehicular traffic every Friday through Sunday. I actually enjoy (slow) running now after starting to run (recreationally -- and did I say slowly?) in college (30 years ago!). Getting out for runs and dog walks has kept me sane during this pandemic!

I ultimately lost 25 pounds since November 2019 but then I gained about 5 pounds back and I've been fluctuating between having lost 20 and 25 pounds for the last few weeks or months. I'm still on full time telework and still running 3-5 miles every other day. I just need to stop cheating so much!!

I made strata for the first time. My husband baked bread a couple of weeks ago and it had been going stale in our fridge (but wasn't yet moldy!), so it seemed like a good use for it. I used this recipe.

Maybe a specialty pharmacy? I used to go to Grubb's in Dupont. Or a Middle Eastern bakery?

Wow, I completely forgot about the Moroccan place. I never made it there.

I think I only went to AV once. I remember the white pizza!

I never heard of spaghetti Caruso. That sounds so good!

Those sound good, too! The other zeppole seemed like an odd choice for an appetizer.

Zeppole as in these? Or is there another kind of zeppole I'm unaware of?

I used the last of my Costco-sized bag of cranberries in this cranberry eggnog coffee cake. It was easy and tasty. I didn't have any eggnog left so substituted half and half, but the nutmeg in the recipe still gave the cake an eggnog-ish taste.

My daughter had a turkey sandwich on wheat -- no cheese, no mayo -- with some apple slices. We're taking a break from cooking and Christmas leftovers.

Everyone's asleep and I'm drinking homemade eggnog with spiced rum and freshly grated nutmeg. Hope everyone had a great day whether you celebrated Christmas or not.

Christmas cookies and coffee with eggnog. 🎄

I'm still getting through the Costco-sized bag of cranberries I bought for Thanksgiving cranberry sauce (I've also made cranberry Moscow mules and cranberry gin fizzes), so I made this glazed lemon cranberry bread. It came out really well even though at the last minute I realized the recipe called for 2% milk and all I had was skim.

After a late night trip to urgent care with my daughter last night (she's fine), we came upon a McDonald's and my husband stopped and ordered two McRibs. I had a bite. I don't think I'd ever had one before, or if I did it was so long ago I don't remember. I knew it didn't have anything to do with ribs, but I didn't realize it was a processed slab of pork product. I guess I assumed it was a slice of pork, I don't know. Anyway ... disgusting.

We had burgers and hot dogs smoked over hickory last night and leftovers of the same tonight. Plus Utz potato chips. No vegetables other than that. 😂 Last night we also had s'mores with marshmallows roasted over our fire pit.

Source of the Spring had an update the day after El Guapo's post that Full Key plans to remain open with some modifications: https://www.sourceofthespring.com/montgomery-county/full-key-restaurant-we-will-continue-to-operate/

That's The Whole Ox, I think.