Newport Restaurant Week Nov. 2-11, 2012Like many of you out there, I absolutely adore food; especially the fall comforts – from pot roast to pumpkin pie and everything in between it’s all delectable to me! Thanksgiving Thursday, in all of its splendor, is a day I usually indulge the cravings that I fight tooth and nail to ignore throughout the year.
There is one event, however, that puts my willpower to the ultimate test. It’s right around the corner, and after checking out this year’s menu items, I think my mind will once again lose a battle with my stomach.
The event, Newport Restaurant Week, November 2nd – 11th. If you’re lucky enough not to worship food in the way that I do, than use this opportunity to inspire your own Thanksgiving spread this year. Or, at the very least, let it be an excuse to sample the flavors of the more expensive venues you wouldn’t normally frequent. With three courses and 2 meals offered (lunch $16/ dinner $30) at over 45 area restaurants, this year’s event promises not to disappoint!!
If comfort food is what you’re after, take advantage of the opportunity to visit Yankee Magazine’s “Editor’s Pick” and the restaurant voted “Best Table in the Winter” by Rhode Island Magazine, White Horse Tavern. I would start with the clam chowder, follow it with Chef Rich Silvia’s Braised Short Rib Ragu and end on a cozy sweet note with their famous bread pudding.
For the refined of palette, you won’t want to miss Executive Chef, Karsten Hart’s fare. Course options from his kitchen at The Castle Hill Inn include Roasted Duck Noodle Soup, with carrot gnocchi, soy pearls and smoke, Hereford Steak Girardi and Popcorn Pana Cotta for dessert.
If field to fork is your thing, be sure to stop by Thames Street Kitchen. Specializing in localized cuisine, the food is guaranteed to be fresh and delightful! Be sure to make a reservation before-hand, and plan on bringing your own adult beverages. Yes, the Kitchen is a BYOB operation. As if the farm to table food isn’t enough to draw you in, BYOB = bonus in my book!
My personal quest will not be complete without a visit to an old favorite, Pour Judgement, pun intended. Their Lobster bisque, Sirloin Oscar and New York style Cheesecake are calling my name already! The only thing left for me to decide is which of their many craft beers to wash it all down with. And, whether or not to share with my fiancé of course!
A vacation for all of the senses, I encourage you to eat drink and be merry! Newport Restaurant Week boasts budget friendly fare at its finest. It’s an event, in my opinion, championing more than one cause, bringing great exposure to our local chefs and restaurateurs, all the while helping us food lovers feel a little less guilty!
