French onion soup (oignon soupe au granitėe) paired with hand-cut fries with la Baleine French sea salt at Plouf Plouf.
I was so excited to contribute to this summer food guide for the Boston Globe RI featuring a dozen “unsung yet perfect places to eat in Rhode Island this summer,” especially as a Newporter, as there are some extraordinary restaurants and eateries that go a little more under the radar and are awesome go-tos during the tourist-driven season. While the City by the Sea’s population can swell as much as tenfold during summer, I often think: what a gift it is to live somewhere people around the world want to come to and see, experience, taste, learn, and explore. (I remind myself of this often when I’m sitting in traffic at the intersection of Bellevue and Memorial).
In this guide you’ll find Plouf Plouf, which is just fun to say, in Tiverton, which I had heard good things about but my dear friend Susanne sold me on. The second we walked in the door, I was transported to a small French bistro in the countryside, if only for a few hours, and the wafting aroma of moules marinières (mussels in white wine sauce), and my ride-or-die dish, oignon soupe au granitėe (French onion soup), seduced me into getting all of the goods on our table. (Also, its BYOB!). Another spot I highlighted? The Gooseberry Beach snack bar. Dining on Ocean Drive with the sand between my toes? Yes, please. As my friend Amy says, “I literally get a Gooseberry seasonal parking sticker for the snack bar…because I hate cooking.”
And I couldn’t forget Anthony’s. I was there, at market, on Monday, and hopefully this weekend, I’ll pick up
Fresh catch at Anthony’s. No Charlie Day sighting today, but he’s a regular when in town.
some of this legendary Kung Pao calamari to enjoy on a blanket at Surfer’s End at sunset. Chef’s kiss.
This guide also inspired me to make it a point to visit a number of Rhode Island restaurants I’ve never been to, including A Guy and His Pie in Pawtucket for Detroit-style pizza, and both The Cooked Goose in South County and O’Dinis East Providence, both of which has been on my wish list for years. Would love to know your favorite summertime under the radar spots!
Click here for the guide!
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