Aye, Aye Captain! My husband had to beg my parents a million times to join them this year on their annual Block Island, Rhode Island vacation. My dad who has taken up boating in the recent summers, drives the boat from the north fork of Long Island to Block, which is about 2+ hours. This weekend, we joined my parents and their friends, Dick and Jane. I am not making this up guys, their names really are Dick and Jane.
It took me many attempts to find a hotel to stay in with such short notice. I was able to book a room at the National hotel, but (yup, there is always a but) there was a catch.We arrived at the hotel on Thursday, had to change rooms on Friday, and had to change rooms again on Saturday! All of the rooms were in the same hotel, but it was still a huge pain in the ass! Most of the hotels and inns on Block Island are older, tiny, and dingy. It is not a bad thing, that is just how it is! Island living!
Friday and Saturday Kevin and I rented a moped and toured the island. First we saw the Mohegan Bluffs, which is one of the most breathtaking places to see. They are large cliffs made of clay (it almost looked like wet cement in some places) and they are about 150 feet high! It took 133 steps (Kevin counted) to get down to the bottom, and then you had to carefully climb down the steep remainder of the bluff using a rope to keep from slipping. I won't lie, it was a bit frightening for me! But we made it down and back up!
After the bluffs we drove around the perimeter of Block Island and visited fresh pond, rodman hollow (I loved this spot), both the South and North lighthouses, BI State Airport and the zoo. The weather was perfect for the moped, and what is better than getting to hold on to your husband all day while you're riding on the back?!
Now some food for thought - see what I did there?
LUNCH: We arrived to BI around noon so our first stop was The Oar for lunch. My uncle, aunt and cousin joined us after arriving by plane!I had to try the fried fish tacos (they offer grilled, blackened or fried) in a soft tortilla. The mahi mahi was crispy and fresh, with lettuce, pico de gallo, monterey jack cheese and a delicious baja sauce. My hubby also stuck with mahi mahi and ordered the blackened sandwich with a side of fries. It was so tender with a kick of spice which we all know he loves!
This was definitely tied for first as a favorite lunch spot (down with another place below).
On the other hand, my husband ordered a great meal - Steak frites. It was a 10 oz. hanger steak with a mushroom demi that had a gravy flavor. It was drenched in the sauce which also gave the steak an explosive juicy and tender inside. We shared the calamari as an appetizer and they were very good.
Friday, August 7th:
LUNCH: The National Hotel's Tap and Grille - yes, the hotel we happened to be staying at and we were visited by my parents, and Dick and Jane. I wasn't too excited to eat here due to the reviews from locals, but I am glad that we tried it because we all enjoyed! We started with one of our favorite appetizers of the trip, crab and shrimp spring rolls. They were served with a sweet & spicy dipping sauce, garnished with scallions and a fresh cucumber/pickle slaw on the side. Kevin ordered the special for lunch, a BLT with a homemade spicy mayo. I ordered the "healthy" burger which was a veggie burger made of black beans and sweet potato. It always makes me feel good to order something like this once in a while.
DINNER: Sigh... I am still dreaming about this place! Manisses is a must visit by all. It is on the more pricey side, but you do get what you pay for! I don't even know where to begin..
The apps included bacon wrapped scallops, pickled carrots, raw oysters on the half shell, and a fresh summery salad.
I ordered the Salmon Sampler. It was the most gorgeous plating I've ever seen! Wild Alaskan sockeye & Wild Oregon king salmon served & cooked with a Maine cedar plank roast. On the side was risotto style farro (farro are grains from wheat) and topped with bourbon bacon spinach. Are you drooling yet?
Kevin ordered lamb two ways. The chef grilled a lamb chop, and craised a lamb shank. He served it with candied carrots, potato jo-jo's (they were like big, crispy steak fries), and drizzled with a spinach pesto butter that was to die for!
My mom who is gluten free due to celiac disease, was able to enjoy the 'Pasta Imposter' - according to the menu it was "spaghetti shaped color medley of beets, carrots, squash & cashew-ricotta pesto." My mom happens to be super healthy and she really, really loved this meal.
This restaurant got 10 stars from all of us!
Saturday, August 8th:
LUNCH: I was most excited to try this place.. Poor People's Pub. Also one of our top favorite lunch spots along with The Oar. Kevin ordered the "junk fries" that were swimming in a spicy nacho sauce, topped with crispy bacon bits, sour cream and scallions. He also ordered the onion burger, which you can see looks amazing! For myself was the lobster mac and cheese after I heard a group of locals raving about it. It was creamy and delicate, with lobster in almost every bite. It did have a steep price of $20, but the atmosphere, drinks and menu choices definitely puts this restaurant high on our list!
DINNER: The Atlantic Inn - if you don't have a very open minded palate, you may have trouble finding a dinner choice in this place. The caesar is served with a poached egg and actual anchovies, while most other dishes are served with heirloom tomatoes or chorizo (Spanish sausage). However, there are many tapas to choose from but you have to order a few if you want to leave full.
I studied this menu and just couldn't find anything I truly wanted. I really dislike asking a waiter or waitress to substitute an item, but in this case I had to. I ordered a pork chop served with a risotto croquette. The croquette was wonderful, the pork on the other hand was very tough without much flavor. The puree was also very plain and had a foamy texture which was so unappetizing.
My husband tried two tapas: the truffle mac and cheese fritters which were dry and very "bready" and the coffee smoked and glazed ribs were tasty but hard to eat. This place is not one that we are looking forward to visiting again, especially for the price.
It was a beautiful view from the front lawn and I would recommend stopping there for a cocktail only outside on the lawn.
DINNER: The Atlantic Inn - if you don't have a very open minded palate, you may have trouble finding a dinner choice in this place. The caesar is served with a poached egg and actual anchovies, while most other dishes are served with heirloom tomatoes or chorizo (Spanish sausage). However, there are many tapas to choose from but you have to order a few if you want to leave full.
I studied this menu and just couldn't find anything I truly wanted. I really dislike asking a waiter or waitress to substitute an item, but in this case I had to. I ordered a pork chop served with a risotto croquette. The croquette was wonderful, the pork on the other hand was very tough without much flavor. The puree was also very plain and had a foamy texture which was so unappetizing.
My husband tried two tapas: the truffle mac and cheese fritters which were dry and very "bready" and the coffee smoked and glazed ribs were tasty but hard to eat. This place is not one that we are looking forward to visiting again, especially for the price.
It was a beautiful view from the front lawn and I would recommend stopping there for a cocktail only outside on the lawn.
We owe a tremendous thank you to my parents. This trip was so beautiful and we are so thankful that they let us be apart of it (and of course helped us pay for a lot of it). Also a big thank you to Dick and Jane, our parents favorite friends for booking the reservations and organizing the trip for everyone. Check out the rest of our pictures below! Cheers!
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