Good morning readers! I apologize for the posting hiatus but sit tight because this one's going to be a doozy! Nate and I are both January babies: his birthday is in the beginning of the month and mine is toward the end of the month, this year instead of gifts we decided we should go on an adventure! So last weekend (January 11-January 15) that's exactly what we did!
I've always wanted to spend time in Boston, Massachusetts. I'd been once as a teenager but We didn’t indulge in any of the tourist delights. Anyway, this trip was all about what Nate and I wanted to do and see and I'd have to say, for a 5 day trip we did a whole hell of a lot.
Day 1
We left Raleigh early in the morning and arrived in Boston at around 11:00 AM. After some quick and friendly instruction from the subway employee on how to buy tickets and get where we were going, we were off! Maybe it's because I haven't had a lot of experience with public transportation, but I love subways. They're so convenient! I would never bother owning a car if I lived in a city with a subway!
After our speedy subway ride, we went to check into our hotel and drop off our luggage. Nate was in charge of the hotel accommodations and I must say, he did an exquisite job! We stayed at the
Harborside Inn located at 158 State Street, Boston, MA; it was an excellent hotel and an even better location! This nautical-themed boutique hotel is located in an old shipping warehouse that was converted in 1997. The rooms were spacious, we were fortunate enough to have a city view and were just steps away from the wharf and Quincy Market. I would gladly stay here again for their décor, hospitality and location, location, location.
 |
| The Atrium-facing windows in the Harborside Inn |
 |
| The Old State House in Boston, MA |
After dropping off our bags, we walked to Boston Common, the country's oldest public park, to meet up with our Freedom Trail tour guide and to find some grub - it was about 12:30 PM by this time and I hadn't eaten anything since about 6:00 AM, I get angry when I'm hungry and much like the Hulk, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry. We were fortunate enough to come upon a food truck with vegetarian options! YAY!
Bon Me!
 |
| Roasted Soy and Paprika Tofu Sandwich and the "shiny gold dome-thingy" |
The food truck was in the right place in exactly the right time because I was about to eat my purse I was so hungry.
Décor: obviously there wasn't much in the way of décor because it's a food truck, however it was perfectly placed at the edge of Boston Common. From our ordering spot we were able to see the whole park, which was covered in white snow and the "shiny gold dome-thingy" that we later found out was the Massachusetts State House.
Food appearance: again, there wasn't much by way of artistic plating but everything definitely looked appetizing, even served in wax paper and plastic.
Food taste: I ordered the Roasted Soy and Paprika Tofu Sandwich and it was everything I hoped it would be. The sandwich was served on a crusty baguette, the tofu was perfectly seasoned, the pickled vegetables were fresh and added an excellent crunch, the cilantro was fresh and green and the house made spicy mayo was the icing on the cake-I mean sandwich to pull everything together. I ordered a Thai Basil Limeade to drink and it was cool and refreshing.
Service: The food truck was speedy enough but I'm fairly certain the cashier was on a federally illegal substance and had to stop every few minutes and ask the diners to repeat their orders. That would be my only knock, service wise.
Cleanliness: The food truck appeared orderly and neat. Considering they have several different trucks plus brick-and-mortar stores, I feel confident this was not a "roach coach".
I would recommend a stop to Bon Me! whenever/if ever you get the chance. The food is good and leaves you craving more. I would, however suggest sitting while eating. We walked around the park with our sandwiches and I was losing chunks of tofu left and right. When I'm hungry, the last thing I want to see is my precious food hitting ice-covered sidewalk. It was a travesty.
After stuffing my face (quite literally), we went on our Freedom Trail Tour. I would most definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to see a whole lot of history in a short amount of time. We walked to 11 different historically significant sites in under 2 and a half hours!
Our guide, dressed in period garb, was hilariously entertaining and gave us some really great tidbits of information you just can't get from walking around on your own. Ever wanted to know why John Hancock's signature was so large on the Declaration of Independence? How about why you raise your right hand while being sworn in at a courtroom? Our guide told us this and much, much more. Seriously, it's really worth it to pay for the tour.
 |
| Our hilarious Freedom Trail tour guide and John Hancock's gravesite |
After our tour, we went back to our hotel for a quick rest up before we went out to dinner. Our guide recommended The Green Dragon Tavern located at 11 Marshall Street, Boston, MA 02108. The Tavern was established in 1654 and was a favorite pub of Paul Revere (heard of him?), John Hancock and other Sons of Liberty during the fight for freedom.
Décor: this is as "pub" as you can get in my book. The lighting is low, bottles upon bottles are shelved behind the bar, a sign above the bar explains the historical significance and chairs and tables were old as the day is long. The Tavern hosts live music Tuesday-Sunday and comedy night on Monday.
Food appearance: food was not presented per se but looked appetizing and hearty nonetheless.
Food taste: we began with the Irish Curry Cheese Fries and my friends, they were life-changing! The flavors of cinnamon and cardamom as well as spices I couldn't even identify made these some of the best cheese fries I've ever tasted! Go to the Green Dragon Tavern for the history and stay for the cheese fries!
 |
Irish Curry Cheese Fries from The Green Dragon Tavern
|
Since we ordered an appetizer, I decided to go light and get a cup of Boston Clam Chowder and a side salad. The chowder was flavorful and had chunks of potato and clam, the salad was nothing special.
 |
| Boston Clam Chowder and a Mixed Greens Salad |
Service: our waitress was attentive though a little unfriendly. Food came out quickly.
Cleanliness: the restaurant was clean and rather empty for 7:00 PM on a Thursday.
Day 2
Before we had left, I scoured travel blogs and websites to find the perfect places to eat and during my research I came across Bean & Leaf Café. This small, unassuming corner café (a less than 5 minute walk from our hotel) was highly rated and turned out some great food!
Décor: the restaurant was very small. There was a bar running through the center of the restaurant with 8 chairs and 2 small 2-seater tables along the window. The menu was written on several chalkboards hanging above a large deli-style counter from which you ordered.
Food appearance: eat-in food was served on thick plastic plates with metal silverware, all drinks were served to-go.
Food taste: we ordered a Cranberry-Orange Scone to split and it was heaven! The scone was flaky and buttery and the cranberries were plump and tart. It went perfectly with my coffee (which I was able to flavor with several complimentary coffee syrups!).
I ordered the Egg, Avocado and Cheese breakfast sandwich on a plain bagel and it was delicious. The avocado was vibrantly green and fresh, the egg wasn't dried out and the bagel tasted fresh - not an out-of-the-bag job.
 |
| Avocado, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich from Bean & Leaf |
Service: the cashier was friendly and waited patiently while we decided what to order. She also served us our food, which I found surprising given it was a walk-up-and-order style establishment.
Cleanliness: everything appeared clean and the cashier walked around periodically to pick up used plates.
After breakfast, we took the subway to the Jamaica Plains neighborhood of Boston, known for it's Cuban cuisine and home to the
Samuel Adams Boston Brewery. Again, this is where I recommend a tour. The brewery offers donation-encouraged tours from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Monday-Thursday, and Saturday; and from 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM on Friday. The brewery is closed on Sunday.
 |
| Souvenir Glasses |
I had read about the "Morning Mash-In" tour online and decided we should take that one instead. In addition to a behind-the-scenes tour of the brewery, the $15.00 ticket gets you an exclusive tasting glass, entrance to the brewery at 9:30 AM (beat the crowds!) and tastes of experimental brews.
Our particular tour consisted of 7 people, Nate and myself included. During this tour, we were given 3 pitchers of various Sam Adams beers, plus 2 64-oz growlers. The rules were simple, they can't pour you anything additional for free, don't drink directly out of the pitchers or growlers, drink as much or as little as you want. I had the luck of being the last to receive the beer-vessels and wound up with them all sitting directly in front of me. I was one happy camper.
 |
| BEER FOR BREAKFAST |
The brewery itself was very different than I had expected considering it's a nationally distributed corporation. The Boston brewery operates more similarly to a neighborhood brewhouse than a large-scale operation.
Nate and I were living the kid-adult dream as far as meals were concerned that day - breakfast sandwiches and beer for breakfast and ice cream for lunch.
After our hour-long brewery tour/bender, we decided to wander around Jamaica Plain and try out J.P. Licks located at 659 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130. This ice cream parlor has been a favorite of New Englanders for the last 30 years.
Décor: the café was cute, decked out in pinks and blacks with 2 large seating areas on either side of the ice cream/coffee bar. The space seemed like it was half-college kid hangout and half-ice cream parlor.
Food appearance: being an ice cream joint, cups were paper, cones were edible, spoons were plastic.
Food taste: If I lived in Boston I'd throw my slight lactose intolerance to the wind and eat here every chance I got! Their ice cream is outstanding! Flavors are unique and sundaes are over-the-top! I ordered a scoop (a huge scoop at that) of London Fog topped with strawberries in syrup. The London Fog tasted divine! All the flavors of Earl Grey paired perfectly with the sweetness of the strawberries - excuse me while I drool.
 |
| Scoop of London Fog ice cream topped with strawberries in syrup and Nate's ultra-decadent Peanut Butter Cup Sundae |
Nate went far more decadent and ordered a peanut butter cup sundae, which was every bit as rich and you'd hope it to be.
Service: the two girls behind the counter were friendly and efficient.
Cleanliness: the café was clean and tidy.
I would recommend a trip here anytime to tuck into some delicious dairy and dairy-free treats.
After a stop back at the hotel, we decided to take the subway to Harvard to check out their museums. The Natural History museum was filled with stuffed creatures, skeletons and other wonders. I especially liked their Narwhal and several dinosaur exhibits.
The Museums were well maintained and the campus is every bit as Ivy-League as you can expect - all red brick and regal-looking.
We spent around 2 hours in the museums and by then I was feeling a bit peckish, we had decided to try out the critically acclaimed Barking Crab restaurant but our hopes were dashed when, after a 20 minute subway ride, 10 minute walk in near-freezing temperatures and several frozen raindrops later we found they were closed for a private event. After scrambling to find a substitute, Nate found Pauli's North End.
Pauli's is located at 65 Salem St, Boston, MA 02113, which was clear in the opposite direction from where we were at the Barking Crab but only about a 5-minute walk from our hotel. With good reviews on Google and Yelp we decided to give it a try and I'm so glad we did.
Boston's North End is home to all the best Italian restaurants in Boston, and apparently also all the lobster rolls since every storefront advertised having "the best", "the biggest", "the most lobster".
Décor: Pauli's was small. There were a handful of tables in the center of the dining area, a small bar in the window decorated in Christmas garland, a wall of drink coolers topped with bags of potato chips and a walk-up counter where you ordered.
 |
| The small interior of Pauli's North End |
Food appearance: everything was served in take-out containers despite the sitting area. However, food was definitely served with attention to detail. Everything looked, smelled and sounded delicious (recall we were hungry and disappointed).
Food taste: I ordered the Lobsta Roll, served hot and poached in drawn butter. You may recall, I'm a lobster novice. I have only been eating this crustacean for about a year now but this lobster was incredible! The soft hot dog bun was positively stuffed with giant chunks of lobster meat coated in butter. My only complaints were I would've preferred the bun be toasted and the richness of the butter and the sweetness of the lobster desperately needed acid. Like a lemon wedge.
 |
| Lobsta Roll, served hot and poached in drawn butter |
Nate ordered the Lobsta Roll, served cold tossed in mayo. He said it was good but after taking a bite of mine he wished he had ordered it hot.
 |
| Lobsta Roll, served cold and tossed in mayonnaise |
Service: the food was served very quickly, there was only about a 5-minute gap from ordering to getting our food. Now that's speedy!
Cleanliness: the restaurant appeared to be clean with tables bussed regularly.
After we were finally fed, we decided to wander through Quincy Market for dessert and settled on Carol Ann's Bake Shop.
Carol Ann's Bake Shop
As I said, I spent many hours researching food and watching travel shows about places to eat in Boston, one of the shows I came across was Rachel Ray's $40 a Day, which frankly they need to bring back because it was an excellent show. The premise is Rachel visits a city and must feed herself 3 meals, plus usually a snack or an alcoholic beverage, for $40 or under. While in Boston guess where she went? That's right! Carol Ann's Bake Shop!
Carol Ann's Bake Shop is located in the Quincy Market shopping center/food court and is known for their fresh baked goods.
Décor: Quincy Market is filled with food stalls similar to a mall food court.
Food appearance: all the baked goods were delicious and decadent-looking, had I wanted to gain 50+ pounds I would've ordered one of everything.
Food taste: we narrowed it down to an individual Boston Cream Pie and a slice of Black Forest Cake. I've never had Boston Cream Pie before so I can't properly compare it to anything but I was not a big fan. The icing on the top of the "pie" and the cream in the center were dry and made it difficult to make a composed bite (cake + cream + cake + icing) without everything separating and falling apart. The Black Forest Cake, however, was magic. The frosting was light and airy, the cherries were slightly tart and the cake was rich and moist. It was nothing short of heaven. It also paired perfectly with the Harpoon Porter we had stashed in our mini fridge back at the hotel.
 |
| Boston Cream Pie and Black Forest Cake from Carol Ann's Bake Shop |
Service: the teenage girls behind the counter were a little haphazard. They weren't communicating with each other and it made our wait for baked treats a little longer than it needed to be.
Cleanliness: the pastry case was clear and clean.
I would return to Carol Ann's for the Black Forest Cake but definitely not for the Boston Cream Pie.
Day 3
Our final full day in Boston was spent touring around the North End. The North End neighborhood of Boston is home to the Paul Revere House, USS Constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument.
We started our day off at another cute and cozy café. This one was located at 227 Hanover St, Boston, MNA 02113. Like the Bean & Leaf, they were close to the hotel and highly rated.
Décor: the theme of Boston seemed to be "compact". The café had a seating area so crammed with barstools I had to shimmy my way in. We were seated along the wall and had the place been busier, I would've felt like a sardine. Even the 6 patrons in there with us made it feel cramped. The walls were lined with sports memorabilia, aluminum diamond-cut siding and a chalkboard menu.
 |
| The small interior of Cobblestone Café |
Food appearance: again, similar to the Bean & Leaf, eat-in items were served on thick plastic plates with silver utensils and all drinks were to-go.
Food taste: I ordered the "Hold the Yolk" breakfast sandwich and I could tell this was no premade deal. The egg whites were fluffy, the feta cheese was abundant and the fresh spinach was just starting to wilt from the heat of the egg. It was delicious! My coffee however was slightly strange. I ordered a Toasted Almond iced coffee and it left much to be desired. The flavor was strange and unappealing.
 |
| Hold The Yolk Breakfast Sandwich on Wheat Bagel from Cobblestone Café |
Service: the cashier was definitely overworked and short-handed. She kept running to the back to check on food orders while the phone rang incessantly and a steady stream of people came through the door. I give her props to having a handle on things but maybe consider employing a food runner.
Cleanliness: everything appeared clean.
After breakfast we walked to the Paul Revere house and boy was that something. There's so much history in Boston that you don't even think about! The tour was a bargain at $5 and every room had a staff member to answer any questions that guests may have.
 |
| Just outside The Paul Revere House |
We wandered through some other North End historical sites like the Old North Church, a burying ground, a memorial to servicemen.
 |
| Old North Church - for you history buffs, this is where the lanterns were lit when Paul Revere did not shriek "THE BRITISH ARE COMING" |
Next came Bunker Hill. I will admit, by this point I was getting very tired of walking around in the cold. And had no real interest in the Battle of Bunker Hill, my brain was beginning to be overloaded with information, as I'm sure any of you still reading this must also feel. I apologize but we only have 2 more day's worth of info! You can make it!
 |
| Bunker Hill Monument |
Remember me saying that Boston's North End was home to some of the best Italian food? We got to try some.
After some research, I came upon La Famiglia Giorgio's Ristorante.
La Famiglia is located at 112 Salem Street, Boston, MA and at 2:00 PM on a Saturday, had a line out the door. I took this to be a good sign. While in line in the small foyer, I overheard a group of tourists talking to a local who said he comes here all the time because out of all of Boston, they were the best. I'm not sure if I believe all that, but if it was good enough for a local, it's certainly good enough for me.
Décor: the restaurant was homey. There was a large fireplace separating the front dining room from the back dining room and paintings adorned the walls. It was a little like having dinner at your grandmother's house, if she owned a Boston restaurant.
 |
| Main dining room at La Famiglia Giorgio's Ristorante |
The top floor of the building the restaurant is housed in contains a living space and a nicer private dining room. Notice the ceiling on the bottom floor has what appears to be soundproofing equipment.
Food appearance: every single morsel of food I saw come out of the kitchen looked like an overflowing work of art. There were giant plates of pasta, seafood dishes filled with every shellfish and mollusk you could think of, giant pizzas and bread oh god the bread.
Food taste: after the 25 minute wait for a table, we were given a basket of the best Italian bread I've ever eaten. The bread had the perfect crunchy crust but an interior soft as cake. It was incredible and perfect for dipping in the olive oil, red pepper flake, parmesan cheese mixture served with it.
Out of their gigantic menu filled with literally anything you could possibly want, we started with a Caprese Salad. The mozzarella was creamy, the tomatoes and basil tasted off-the-vine fresh and the balsamic was rich and deep.
 |
| Caprese Salad |
I ordered the Fra Diavolo Sauce with housemade tri-color tortellini. The sauce was made with hot Italian peppers, red onion, garlic, olive oil and marinara. My only complaint would be I was craving more hot peppers! The sauce was delicious and the gigantic plate of pasta was enough to feed Nate and myself alone, but he of course ordered his own dish.
 |
| House-Made Tri-Color Tortellini with Fra Diavolo Sauce |
Since we were celebrating, of sorts, we ordered a half-bottle of chianti. It was adorably small and the wine went great with the pasta and the salad.
 |
| Our adorable mini chianti and the bread |
Service: this restaurant operated like a well-oiled machine. The dining rooms were completely full and the servers and bussers never once looked the least bit flustered. The busser came by regularly to refill waters, run food, clear plates, etc. Everything worked like clockwork.
Cleanliness: as I said, everything was turned over quickly and clean to accommodate the next waiting guest in line.
I would recommend a trip of several to this Boston eatery! They had anything and everything to please any sort of palate, plus a magnificent wine list.
While I was waiting in line for our table, Nate wandered around the North End and found us some dessert to have after our food comas subsided.
Bova's Bakery at 134 Salem St, Boston, MA 02113 has been in business since 1926 and winning awards nearly as long. Since I didn't step foot inside the store I'll let Nate fill you in on décor, service and cleanliness and I'll stick to the food.
Nate bought us 2 canoli and 1 chocolate éclair. These were no ordinary canoli - we got a Tiramisu Canoli, which was every bit as good as it sounds. The flavors of the espresso and rum shown through beautifully and the crunchy canoli shell was the perfect vessel. The second canoli was Cappuccino-flavored. While it was equally tasty, I am hesitant to call it cappuccino. It was more mocha-like to me. Finally, the Chocolate Éclair: the choux pastry was crunchy and there was very little creamy filling that I could detect. The top frosting was also dry. I'd definitely order another couple canoli but would leave the éclair be.
 |
Left: Chocolate Éclair
Center: Tiramisu Canoli
Right: Cappuccino Canoli |
Day 4
Nate wanted to tour around Providence, Rhode Island as well as Boston so we took the Amtrak. I must say, it was an excellent way to get around! We were out of Boston and into Providence in under an hour! The train itself was clean and orderly, I never once felt concerned for my safety or my belongings and it was an easy on-and-off.
After being deposited in Providence, we walked the short half-mile to our hotel. Nate picked
The Dean Hotel. The Dean is located at 122 Fountain St, Providence, RI 02903 and was outrageously boujie. The hotel had it's own espresso bar, a karaoke bar downstairs, a craft juicery next door and an farm-to-table restaurant in the middle of a funky downtown district. The rooms however were comfortable and minimalistic. No unnecessary chairs, tables, showers that fit more than 1 thin person, etc. We were given a room with a great view of the city, even if it unfortunately was ruined by a loud group of people in an adjoining room.
 |
The exterior of The Dean Hotel
|
 |
Espresso and Tonic, Passion Fruit Brioche Donut from Knead Donuts and Herbal Tea
|
While we got our bearings and decided what we should do with our time, we sat down at our craft espresso bar.
Décor: located near the lobby of the hotel, Bolt Coffee is bustling with activity. There is a 4-person communal table directly in front of the order-counter and several small couches with a table covered in magazines and books to peruse while you drink your locally sourced beans.
Food appearance: Bolt serves several pastries from
Knead Donuts. We ordered a Passion Fruit glazed brioche donut and it was perfectly sweet and tart. It was also massive. You're not getting any dinky donuts here. I ordered a hot tea with honey, which they told me was good for 2 more steeps if I wanted refills, which I did.
Nate ordered the espresso with tonic. He said this is a traditional way of serving, but he would know far more about that that I would.
I'll admit, I knew nothing about providence before we went there. I knew nothing about Rhode Island in general to be completely honest.
After fueling up, we headed off toward The Rhode Island Institute of Design Museum, or
RISD for short. The museum is part-art museum part-history museum. It was also free on Sunday. The museum had Egyptian artifacts, Rhode Island history, art from Monet and a porcelain figurine hall.
 |
Egyptian artifact at the RISD
|
We spent about 2 hours wandering around the exhibits and admiring the pretty things.
After exploring the museum and taking some pictures along the Colonial-style-home-lined streets, we wandered up to Den Den Café Asiana.
 |
| Entrance gates at Brown University |
Den Den Café Asiana is one of two Korean-inspired eateries operated by the Den Den Hospitality Group. Café Asiana hosts a variety of hot-stone dishes, soups and seafood. Den Den Café Asiana is located at 161 Benefit St, Providence, RI 02903 in a quaint little neighborhood.
Décor: the main colors were red and black but it had the vibe of a small neighborhood café. There were large tables in the back perfect for larger parties, a series of smaller tables scattered throughout the restaurant and an abundance of natural light.
 |
| Interior of Den Den Café Asiana |
Food appearance: food was served in large hot stone bowls or on small plates. Everything looked appetizing and Nate said very traditional (he has been to Korea, you know).
Food taste: we began with the Kimchi Pancake appetizer. I have never had kimchi but I can definitely see why it's an acquired taste. I personally loved the pancakes, they were lightly pan-fried just enough to come together with the wonderful spicy kimchi flavor being the star.
I ordered the Ddukbokki, please don't ask me to pronounce it because I wouldn't even know where to begin. The description of this dish, according to the menu, is "Korean rice cake with vegetables and fish cake cooked in a traditional Korean spicy sauce". Now that description stirred up a very different image in my mind, but my dish was good regardless. The stew was a very mild spicy, to call it "spicy" at all is a little misleading and was more soup-like than I was anticipating. I would gladly order it again with a few exceptions: 1) more spicy, 2) there was so much broth left in my bowl that I needed something to sop it up with, rice maybe?
 |
| Ddukbokki from Den Den Café Asiana |
I have no idea what Nate ordered but he said it was good. We each got some Japanese soft drinks to wash down our food; they were White Peach and Lychee flavored.
Service: The food was ordered at a counter and then served to your table. All the staff we encountered were friendly and helpful and willing to answer any questions regarding dishes.
Cleanliness: the restaurant was spotless and well-maintained.
After stuffing ourselves, we wandered over to the Athenaeum. Now if you, like I, have no idea what this is, it's a very nice library located near the Brown University and RISD campuses. However, this is not just any library, it holds history galore! This library was frequently visited by such greats as H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe. There's a self-guided tour (actually it's guided by a series of paper ravens) that walk you through several of the unique features of the Athenaeum. Nate and I both agreed that if we lived in Providence we'd spend many an afternoon hiding among the stacks with a book and coffee in hand.
 |
Exterior of the Athenaeum
|
 |
| Interior of the Athenaeum from the mezzanine floor |
 |
Interior of the Athenaeum from the top floor
|
After we'd had our fill of academia, we decided to stroll along the historic homes before making our way back to The Dean.
When we were finally hungry again, many hours later, we went to Trinity Brewhouse: "Rhode Island's Original Brewpub". According to their website, it "was established in 1995 as one of the first brewpub restaurants in New England."
Trinity Brewhouse
Just a short walk from The Dean at 186 Fountain St, Providence, RI 02903, the multi-story brewhouse features a rotating list of house-brewed beers, dinner specials, multiple TVs and a small game room.
Décor: the brewhouse itself isn't much to talk about. The upstairs level features a long bar and several groups of tables. Downstairs is significantly smaller with fewer tables, a smaller bar and the small game room. There were sports-themed items hanging on the wall as well as your typical bar-fixtures (neon beer signs, metal beer signs, etc.)
Food appearance: we ordered the Margherita Pizza and it looked as good as it tasted. I didn't see anyone else order any food so I can't say how their plating was.
Food taste: the crust of the pizza was delightfully crispy and had a slight wood-charred flavor. The mozzarella cheese was definitely not lacking, the tomatoes and basil were both fresh and the thick balsamic vinegar drizzle on top was essential to bring all the great flavors together. My stomach is growling as I type!
 |
| Margherita Pizza from Trinity Brewhouse |
Service: our bartender was polite and patient while I sampled several beers before deciding on a stout. He also brought out our pizza and made sure we had everything we needed before heading back behind the bar.
Cleanliness: the brewpub had that "old" look to it, if you know what I mean. Not dirty necessarily just in need of some updates. The restroom left much to be desired and looked like it had only been spot-cleaned for the last several years.
I would recommend coming to Trinity Brewhouse for a pint or two, a pizza and maybe to watch a game or play some pool, however maybe use the restroom somewhere else before you come.
Day 5
We woke up on our final day in New England to snow on the ground and freezing temperatures. Lucky for us, we had planned to spend the day exploring outside...lucky us.
We trudged from our hotel across the river to Café Choklad.
Café Choklad
This adorable eastern-European-esque café is located at 2 Thomas St, Providence RI 02903, just down the street from RISD and seemed to be a favorite among the locals.
Décor: the café was very cozy. It felt like having breakfast at your family breakfast table. There were throw pillows, a gas fire place, delightfully tacky Christmas decorations, and paintings of pastures hang on the walls. There are a few tables with mismatched chairs.
 |
| The interior of Café Choklad - please ignore my face |
Food appearance: their pastries are all house-made and displayed in an overflowing pastry case. It was difficult to not order one of everything. In addition to pastries, they offer a selection of European chocolates; vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free items; and a wide range of breakfast and lunch dishes. Everything looked sumptuous and once again, if I lived in New England, I'd probably be massive because everything is so appetizing.
Food taste: We were feeling decadent and ordered a cinnamon roll and a cranberry scone to split in addition to our individual breakfasts. The cinnamon roll was served warm and evoked images of childhood Saturday mornings (not ones I experienced, but ones that they show on commercials). The icing was ooey-gooey (a technical term) and perfect for dunking in a big mug of coffee.
 |
| Cranberry Scone and Cinnamon Roll from Café Choklad |
The scone was buttery and slightly sweet. The texture was a little crumbly (another technical term) for my liking but the flavors were spot-on.
I ordered a Lox and Bagel breakfast sandwich on a seeded bagel. The bagel was crisp on the outside and pillow-y on the inside, the smoked salmon was fatty and rich. Goodness it was so good, I have been craving smoked salmon for about a month now so it definitely hit the spot. It was also held perfectly in place with thick gobs of plain cream cheese and topped with fresh red onion and slices of tomato. My only complaint was this sandwich was missing the best part of any Lox and Bagel sandwich...THE CAPERS! Where on earth were my bursts of briny heaven?! The capers would've fully satisfied my Lox and Bagel craving, guess I just need to get more soon.
 |
| Lox and Bagel on a Seeded Bagel from Café Choklad |
Service: the counter-girl was friendly and polite. I could definitely tell this was a neighborhood joint because at one point a woman in a chef coat (I'm assuming she was head baker/proprietor) came out from behind the counter area and started chatting with a customer about her personal life. It was very friendly and definitely added to the cozy atmosphere.
Cleanliness: everything was clean and tidy. Plates were cleared as customers were through with them and coffee mugs were self-bussed.
I would recommend a trip to Café Choklad for breakfast, lunch, pastries or a nice cup of coffee. Their menus were expansive, their pastries were delectable and the European chocolates were very tempting.
We ended our time in Providence with a trip to
Lovecraft Arts & Sciences. This funky little bookstore is inside the Arcade, a shopping center downtown. This store houses shelf-upon-shelf of H.P. Lovecraft's works, curiosities and t-shirts and gifts. It's definitely worth the pilgrimage if you're a horror-fiction fan.
 |
| The exterior of The Arcade shopping center |
 |
| Interior of Lovecraft Arts & Sciences located inside The Arcade shopping center |
Nate bought himself a book of short stories and I bought myself the most adorable book about Cthulhu, an angry ancient Lovecraftian monster.
 |
| Sweet Dreams Cthulhu by Jason Ciaramella and illustrated by Greg Murphy AKA the most adorable book ever written |
Well congratulations, readers! You made it to the end of our journey! I know this one was long...goodness do I know. Can you believe that it's taken me 4 hours to type all this out?! Goodness me! Stay tuned for some great recipes and one unfortunate disaster!
