Month: March 2014

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Pat’s Pastured To Go: From Farm to Food Truck

Chickens roam free and eat grass at Pat's...

Chickens roam free and eat grass at Pat’s Pastured on Briggs-Boesch Farm.

For the past several years, we have been purchasing Pat’s Pastured products at our local farmers’ markets. From their farm in East Greenwich, RI, they raise pigs, sheep, chickens and cows to produce grass-fed beef and lamb, free-range eggs, pastured-raised pork, and, of course, sausage and bacon.

They currently have a week left to raise money through a Kickstarter campaign (http://kck.st/1ieZOIZ) to bring the pasture to plate with a food truck and cart to sell hot breakfasts, lunches, and snacks this summer. We have already backed the project. We thought you might too…

Support their Kickstarter at http://kck.st/1ieZOIZ

Pat’s Pastured
Briggs-Boesch Farm
830 South Rd
East Greenwich, RI.
www.patspastured.com

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Brunch at Barstow Restaurant in Providence, RI

June 2014: Barstow is now closed. Their Facebook page says “The Barstow is now closed. Please look for a new concept and new menu at 800 Allens Avenue coming soon.”

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This Saturday, we had brunch at the Barstow Restaurant in Providence. We arrived about a half hour after they opened at 10 am, and there was no line. In fact, we were the first to arrive — which we decided was either extremely lucky or a bad sign. As it turns out, we were in luck.

I chose one of the specials — a house-made sea salt bagel with Serrano ham, spicy cream cheese, baby arugula and marinated red onion. Apparently, the chef doesn’t always arrive at 5:30 am to make bagels, but I’d certainly be hooked if he did.

The girls shared a mango and ginger steel cut oatmeal with a pomegranate molasses and a buttermilk French toast with grape jam, almonds, and candied ginger. Geoff had the Barstow Benedict — poached eggs, herb-brined pork loin, house bread, and smoked maple hollandaise.

They’ve even got a full bar. Among the brunch drinks, you’ll find a Bloody Mary, a Grapefruit Mimosa, or a Drink Your Cereal with toasted almond scotch, creme de cassis, and Bols yogurt liqueur.

Barstow Restaurant
800 Allens Ave
Providence, RI
www.thebarstowri.com

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Meeting Street Café: The café that’s really a diner

Spinach salad with apples, pecans, gorgonzola and balsamic dressing.

Spinach salad with apples, pecans, gorgonzola and balsamic dressing.

Sometimes I wish we had a diner on Thayer Street. In particular, I fantasize about the Waverly Restaurant moving in within walking distance to my house.

In the meantime, I can still count on Meeting Street Café for breakfast all day, enormous sandwiches (1/2 sandwich = 1 sandwich), homemade soups, fresh salads, and cookies. If you want meatloaf, your partner wants a salad, and the kids want pancakes, you’re in luck here. Meeting Street Café is one of those places that doctors who studied at Brown’s medical school and move elsewhere still talk about years later–a fact I know because my mother-in-law works as a nurse in Ohio.

On our visit today, I ordered their spinach salad with apples, pecans and gorgonzola and asked for a dollop of tuna on there. Geoff had poached eggs.

I still pine for the Waverly’s challah french toast, but, for now, I’ll have to hop the train to NYC or make it myself (with either Seven Stars Bakery challah or Silver Star Bakery Portuguese sweet bread, of course).

Meeting Street Café
220 Meeting Street
Providence, RI
www.meetingstreetcafe.com