End of summer Brews…

After a couple of days of allowing writing to get away from me and a few really good meals that should not go without a review, I believe it’s time to get back to business here.

In the spirit of October and those who believe that autumn brews are the best… the new place of dining is Brutopia right on Atwood avenue in Cranston. This is a place that I’d had my eye on for awhile now. With continuous whispers regarding their food I can’t deny that I’ve been curious. Even for someone who does not enjoy the alcohol side of things the way most people do. I am happy to report that I wasn’t disappointed with their dishes!

First of all, the atmosphere is nice, it doesn’t have to much of a “country kick” to it but it does have a kind of cozy and down south feel to it despite its location. The service was kind and on top of things (even though we were sat in a pretty remote and out of the way booth). He gave food suggestions being our first time there, and was quick to introduce the sauces that come in squeeze bottles for you to choose from with dinner. What we ended up with as our plates were the fried pickle chips, pulled pork sandwich, and the pulled smoked chicken sandwich. Typical decisions for a barbecue place I suppose…

Fried Pickle Chips

Not exactly the type that I’d been expecting. These pickle chips were lightly breaded and lightly fried. They really weren’t anything special. They give you a ton of them though. I think that could stand as someone’s meal and someone would be quite content with it. Though they don’t give enough ranch dressing and the dressing that they do give isn’t anything that is all that remarkable. I was not overly impressed with this but they were still okay. Perhaps next time the nachos or the butternut squash ravioli would be a better decision…

Pulled Pork

As far as pulled pork sandwiches go this meat fell apart the second it touched your mouth. The bulky roll it was on was lightly grilled and buttery adding to the flavor and the coleslaw provided a bight crunch. Paired with the honey barbeque sauce was just the perfect dressing to top this off! Though I do believe that the French fries might have been the best part of this meal. They were crispy and perfect, cooked to just the right temperature where they crunched perfectly without being burnt.

Pulled Smoked Chicken

I was pleasantly surprised by this dish. It was full of flavor, with the same easy to bite texture as the pulled pork, served on the same type of roll. All and all this dish was very good, very ordinary. Rather than paring it with the French fries though, I (as always) substituted with sweet potato fries. They were very good, of course they didn’t hold up to the ones from Rhode Rage Foodtruck (that post will come) but I doubt that anything really will! All and all it was a very good but forgettable dish.

I believe what the boyfriend said about this place was that “it tastes like summer” and went on to further explain it as the perfect place to go in the middle of winter when you need a little reminder that the sun is out there and that summer will be just around the corner. I suppose I’ll go with that and agree. And maybe next time I’ll get the mac and cheese, who can go wrong with an entry of mac and cheese anyways?

Brutopia in my opinion is a solid B.

Savings For Salads

As we head full force into the weekend it’s the time for family outings, friendly get-togethers and for date nights! What’s better than spending a night with good food and good friends? How about saving a little it of that hard earned cash that you worked your butt off for all week? Let’s take a look at some of Rhode Island’s best deals of the weekend shall we?

Let’s take a look at Groupon first, shall we?

10 Rocks (Tapas Bar)
1091 Main street, Pawtucket
Friday and Saturday it is $26 dollars for what would be a $38 dollar meal.
This includes tapas and non alcohol beverages for two people.
Not exactly sure what Tapas is but their photos look enticing!

The Pizza Gourmet
357 Hope Street, Providence
$16 for a $30 food voucher
I personally can’t say that I’m a big fan of pizza (the red sauce kills it on many dishes for me depending on the flavor and consistency) but I have heard raving reviews regarding this place.

Taste of India
230 Wickenden Street
$30 for two or more individuals (it is dine-in only)
This place I find intriguing, Indian food sounds like something I for sure would like to attempt and this place makes it sound good, who could deny a deal like that?

Cantro Restaurant and Lounge
1 W Exchange Street (2^nd floor of the Omni Hotel)
$26 for a $50s in food
Who could deny a night out to get dressed up and enjoy the beauty that Providence presents? A side of Italian cuisine would be just the icing on that cake (or a slice of tiramisu).

County Cork Irish Pub
50 Waterfront Drive, Warwick
$11 for $20 worth of food
How about a local Irish Pub to enjoy some fish and chips for the weekend? Country Cork seems to have a good deal going and who doesn’t love the idea of holding onto the last bits of summer with fish and chips?

Contents that stick out from Living Social

Rogue Island Kitchen and Bar
65 Weybosset Street, Providence
$20 for $40 in food
Grilled veggies will always be a weakness of mine! The photo that this restaurant has up of their food makes my mouth water, who can deny grilled eggplant? I know that it would make my boyfriend very very happy!

La Cucina
266 Putnam Pike, Smithfield
$15 to spend on a $30 meal for two
With positive recommendations from Living Social, this restaurant seems to be just the one for those who fancy a night out with Italian food!

Sweet Deals is another sweet site for gift certificates!
(Though please keep in mind that in most cases you have to wait for these vouchers to arrive in the mail)

Like this type of post? Just maybe it’ll be turned into a weekly roundup of sorts!

Fish are friends and food…

Where college life resides in Providence is also where one of the best sushi places is also homed. Over on Wickenden Street in providence is where you will find what in my opinion is the most underrated sushi experience so far to be test tasted by me in Rhode Island thus far. After visiting this establishment for the first time somewhere around two years ago with my aunt, i’ve returned to it multiple times bringing friends along for the foreign food. I’ve watched friends go from not having a clue as to how to “work chopsticks” to looking as if they’ve always had a flawless time with the wooden planks.

The other day for one of my very best friend’s 27th birthday celebrations we found ourself having lunch at a very usual spot for me, a new venture for her. I’d like to believe she enjoyed it. Our orders included California roll, Eggplant Tempura, Yam Tempura, and by birthday girl’s special request: a Tempura roll.

California Roll

Have you ever received your order of a roll only to find that the avocado is already browning? This is an experience that I have had far to many times with grocery store sushi! However, the ingredients within Tokyo’s sushi always seem to be prepared fresh with every order. Their California roll however is what I think of as “The old faithful”. Always good no matter how many times you order it. This is a place that just happens to know what they’re doing and how to do it right.

Eggplant Tempura

When I stared out my sushi expeditions I did so with mango and avocado sushi from a place that is now out of business. What I hadn’t expected was for this love to carry to other places. Eggplant and sushi don’t sound like two things that would typically be paired well. However in a pleasant surprise to my thinking the eggplant tempura is one of the best dishes I’ve had from Tokyo. However, there are moments when it is a hit or a miss. This time wasn’t one of the best but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t still very enjoyable. The eggplant is always flavorful and contrasts very nicely to the rice casing around it. Defiantly something that I would suggest to anyone who enjoys both sushi and the vegetable.

Tempura Roll

With a healthy sized portion it was the first time I’d ever tried script tempura and I must say that it was something that I fully intend to perhaps make a regular thing. With crispy coated shrimp is a delectable contrast to the rice and soy sauce combination that coats it. a great and filling choice to accompany any sushi plate.

Yam Tempura 

This might be my favorite option within the menu! If you enjoy sweet potatoes during thanksgiving time than you might just want to consider giving yam tempura a try! Crispy and flavorful, yam tempura has a unique taste to it that tangos with the taste buds and simply can be described as taking like the embodiment of “happy”. This is one bit of sushi that I would suggest to anyone.

As of now, Tokyo is a must stop for sushi! while the atmosphere might not be a whole lot to look at and the servers aren’t very involved in interacting with customers so long as you have good company and are there simply for the food this place is a very good stop for a late afternoon lunch or even a flavorful dinner! Just whatever you do, don’t forget to try the yam tempura! You most certainly will NOT  regret your decisions!

From me, I give Tokyo a B+

It’s the Sweet Life

Located in the heart of Federal Hill is a cafe called Caffe Dolce Vita. Cannot say that I was expecting very much from a place that has a very high discount on Groupon but I must say that I was pleasantly proved wrong. The atmosphere around Caffe Dolce Vita is a lively one. With outdoor seating when the weather is right for it. Serving breakfast and lunch all day long their menu is expansive and inclusive of many different Italian dishes. Without a doubt this place would be an Italian’s delight.

Today’s trial of this establishment included Melanzane Alla Parmigiana (Eggplant Parmigiana) and Panino Dei Panini (The sandwich of Sandwiches). These two lunchtime portions included a very hardy sized sandwich and a French fries (or a substitute side for a small additional cost).

Melanzane Alla Parmigiana

Where quite a few places undercook their eggplant, Caffe Dolce Vita made sure that their eggplant was perfectly cooked. The menu placed emphasis on the bread being fresh hard roll and defiantly delivered on that! With tomato sauce that had just the right combination of sweetness and savory kick, there was no way that this was an “out of the jar” combination. The French fries fried to a perfect level of crispiness without being overcooked and did not require any additional salt. The taste improved, even more, when the fries were dipped in a balsamic reduction. All in all, this meal is definitely a hit.

Panino Dei Panini

Prosciutto and mozzarella have never tasted better! With hearty slices of mozzarella and thick slices of tomatoes, this sandwich was not only aesthetically pleasing but tasted just as good! The basil, fresh from their indoor herb garden) held the flavor together well. The prosciutto, where sometimes overly chewy in other places, held up nicely in contrast to the rest of the sandwich (this is coming from someone who until recently avoided prosciutto at all costs). A substation of French fries for the side Caprese salad proved to be the perfect decision. Thick tomato slices and wedges of mozzarella were paired with the most decadent balsamic reduction (perfect for French fry dipping).

Accompanying this scrumptious meal was a hot chai. With steamed milk to a foamy perfection, it was topped off with a sprinkle of cinnamon and served at just the right temperature. This drink was a must for ordering again!

All and all, Caffe Dolce Vita is a stop that will be revisited again!

I give this establishment a solid A!