Sweets & Treats

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La Maison de Coco

It can’t quite rival the chocolate tarte at Bread & Roses in Paris. Of course, this one’s just a few towns away and pretty delicious too, so I guess I won’t complain…

Honestly, it’s about time that Newport had a charming little tea and chocolate shop, and on Bellevue Avenue no less. Last weekend, we stopped in to Maison de Coco and despite the fact that it was 80 degrees, I ordered a tea-infused dark chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) and a chocolate tarte. The chocolat chaud was perfection — not as thick as Burdick’s, but with an equally rich flavor.

The inside of La Maison de Coco.

Although the shop has a petit café where you can enjoy your treats, Geoff and I had to take turns since the kids were asleep in the car (more chocolate for us). On his trip, he selected a handful of chocolate truffles, also tea-infused and also delicious.

Between the beaches and surfing, Flo’s and Frosty Freez, I didn’t really need another reason to go to Newport. But now I have one.

La Maison de Coco
28 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, RI 02840
www.lamaisondecoco.com

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Yacht Club Soda: Create your own cocktail

Yacht Club Soda's January Signature Cocktail...


I’m not usually a sucker for companies that contact me and ask me to post something, but I do happen to be a fan of Yacht Club Soda. And no, I did not get a free case (or even a bottle) for saying so.

The company, which has been bottling its own soda in Rhode Island for nearly one hundred years, creates over a dozen flavors — cola, cream soda, sarsaparilla, root beer, black cherry, etc. I’ve liked all of the ones I’ve tried except for the pineapple, which reminded me of a medicine I took as a child. The company makes their own flavored sugar syrups onsite without the use of the dreaded high-fructose corn variety. They also bottle only in glass, and you can return your bottles to the winter farmer’s market for reuse. They even have a factory store that you can visit yourself in North Providence (it’s on my list).

In the meantime, if you fancy yourself a ‘mixologist’, you can enter your favorite mixed cocktail recipe using Yacht Club Soda by February 3 at noon to win some prizes. All entries should be sent to yachtclubbeverages@gmail.com.

Yacht Club Soda
2239 Mineral Spring Avenue
North Providence, RI
www.yachtclubsoda.com

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Where to Find Rhode Island’s Past: A Top Ten List

Jerry and Rose take the bus to Foxwoods Casino when they're in Rhode Island.

My step-mother’s parents, Rose and Jerry (aka Bubbie and Zadie), retired to Florida over 17 years ago. Every year, they return to Rhode Island — the state in which they were born, raised their children, and lived most of their lives.

Of course, they come to visit family, but their journey has also become a pilgrimage to their old favorite restaurants and sights. Their carefully culled picks have nothing to do with hot spots that may rise and fall from the Best of Rhode Island lists. Instead, these are the places that have persisted through the generations and have come to represent a moment in time in Rhode Island.

1. At Twin Oaks in Cranston, they always order the baked stuffed shrimp. They say the shrimp are “scrawny” in Florida compared with the five jumbo shrimps at Twin Oaks. But it’s the stuffing they crave. They also like that when you order a cocktail, like a Black Russian, you get “a drink and a half.” Other favorites here include the house salad dressing and the homemade chocolate pudding.

2. Florida may be the “Sunshine State,” but Rhode Island is still the “Ocean State.” Every year, they plan a beach day at either Narragansett Town Beach or Sand Hill Cove (Roger Wheeler). They love the way the land gradually slopes out to the ocean rather than the abrupt way the land drops at the Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale beaches. (Although they admit the Gulf waters on the west coast of Florida are warm, and the beaches have a more gradual dip.) Still, nothing is better than sitting on the sea wall in Narragansett as the sun is rising or setting. Clam cakes and chowder (which they call chowda) are a must at either Aunt Carrie’s, Champlin’s, or George’s of Galilee.

3. At Crow’s Nest in Warwick, they enjoy the lobster salad sandwiches and their sugar-free blueberry pie.

4. Chello’s by the water in Warwick is a must for the Jim Dandy Burger and the banana berry pie, served only in season.

5. Their trip to Rhode Island is not complete without a Conway Bus day trip to Foxwood Casinos in Connecticut. For 24 dollars a ticket, you get bus service to and from the hotel along with food and gambling vouchers. They give you more in vouchers than the price of the ticket expecting that visitors will wind up spending more gambling. But for Rose and Jerry, it’s a deal.

6. They adore the chocolate walnut ice cream from Brickley’s in Narragansett on route 1A. You can also get Brickley’s in Wickford served in the former Ryan’s market.

7. They love to quench their thirst on a hot beach day with a classic Del’s lemonade. Now with locations in over a dozen states, Del’s started in Cranston. Rose still remembers the owner, Mr. Delucia.

8. They love events like the East Greenwich Main Street stroll; concerts in Wickford and Cranston’s Garden City; and tours in Newport, RI and Mystic, Connecticut.

9. They can’t resist the coffee “cabinets” from Newport Creamery.

10. And no trip is complete without some Walt’s roast beef sandwiches.

Twin Oaks (since 1933)
100 Sabra Street
Cranston, RI
www.twinoaksrest.com

Aunt Carrie’s Seafood (since 1920)
1240 Ocean Road
Narragansett, RI
www.auntcarriesri.com

Champlin’s Seafood (since 1932)
See previous post

George’s of Galilee (since 1948)
250 Sand Hill Cove Road
Narragansett, RI
www.georgesofgalilee.com

Crow’s Nest (since 1966)
288 Arnolds Neck Drive
Warwick, RI
www.crowsnestri.com

Chelo’s on the Waterfront (since 1955)
1 Masthead Drive
Warwick, RI
www.chelos.com

Foxwoods Resort Casinos (since 1986)
www.foxwoods.com

Brickley’s (since 1995)
See previous post.

Del’s Lemonade (since 1948)
www.dels.com

Newport Creamery (since 1940)
See previous post.

Walt’s Roast Beef (since 1957)
www.waltsroastbeef.net

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Providence Juice Company: Blackberry and Lavender Lemonade

The Providence Juice Company truck parked at Lippitt Park in Providence.


In the heat of the summer (which surely this is), there’s nothing quite like a glass of lemonade. Make that an iridescent, organic blackberry and lavender-infused lemonade from the Providence Juice Company’s juice truck. Since their Kickstarter campaign last year, the truck has made a success of serving up fresh smoothies and juices at the local farmers’ markets.

Blackberry and lavender infused lemonade.

As it turns out lemonade stands aren’t just for enterprising children…

Providence Juice Company
www.pvdjuiceco.com

Providence / Lippitt Park Farmers Market
www.farmfresh.org/food/farmersmarkets_details.php?market=11

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Rhode Island’s First Pinkberry

My Pinkberry choice: watermelon yogurt with raspberries, chocolate chips and a waffle cookie.


As I make my way from frozen yogurt to frozen yogurt, I have had one thing on my mind: Pinkberry. Still it took me five days to discover that Rhode Island now has its own Pinkberry at Garden City Center in Cranston. Within 24 hours of this discovery, Madeline, Lucy and I were there in a line full of mostly young females awaiting their sweet fix.

Since they didn’t have my usual flavor, pomegranate, I opted for watermelon. As it turns out, the two taste so similar that I’m not sure I would be able to distinguish between them, which is surprising since I can taste the difference between colors of SweeTarts (just ask Geoff). Lucy mooched mine (how old should babies be to eat frozen yogurt?), while Madeline chose a mini chocolate yogurt with raspberries and waffle cookie. They also offer original, mango, coconut, and salty caramel flavors topped with your choice of fruit, candy and nuts.

Although I usually root for the mom-and-pop over the corporate franchise, I am a sucker for Pinkberry. And seeing how many others apparently feel the same, I predict this to be not the only Pinkberry in Rhode Island, but simply the first.

Pinkberry
Garden City Center
53 Hillside Rd
Cranston, RI
www.pinkberry.com

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Wrights Dairy Farm: Cows, Cake and Coffee Milk

See the cows being milked, then enjoy some of that milk (plain, chocolate or coffee milk) at one of their picnic tables.

This may seem strange, but I don’t like cake. I do make an exception for a perfectly conceived cupcake, but I never order it at restaurants, and I always pass on it at weddings and parties.

So recently at a 4-year-old’s birthday party, I instinctively replied “no thanks” to the offer of cake. But when I learned that it came from Wrights Dairy Farm, I immediately admitted I had made a huge mistake and got myself a slice. And yes, the cake from Wrights Dairy Farm lives up to its reputation — soft, buttery and layered with real whipped cream from their very own cows.

The cake at Wrights Dairy Farm -- I wish I were eating it right now.

A few days later, we were at the farm, admiring those cows.  At Wrights Dairy Farm, you can watch the cows being milked every day from 3-5 pm.  As we watched, I realized I’d never actually seen a cow up close being milked by a machine before, which is quite mesmerizing. Apparently, each cow provides about 5 gallons of milk during each milking — impressive output for a diet of corn and grass.

We then made our way into their bakery, which displays an array of pastries, pies, cakes, cookies and more. Ultimately, I couldn’t resist the strawberry shortcake layered with whipped cream. And as I enjoyed it with a side of their own coffee milk on a sunny day at one of their picnic tables, I decided this is definitely one of my favorite excursions in the state.

Wrights Dairy Farm
200 Woonsocket Hill Rd
North Smithfield, RI
www.wriwghtsdairyfarm.com

Note: The farm has a bakers’ vacation from July 18-25, 2011 so you might want to plan your trip before or after that…

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Scarborough Beach and Brickley’s Ice Cream: Summer Starts Now

A chocolate chip ice cream cone from Brickley's.

Summer hasn’t officially started, but as far as I’m concerned, summer starts the first day that I go to the beach, which happened to be today. We drove to Scarborough Beach to find a nearly empty parking lot and to buy our season parking pass before the rate hike. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a spot in the first row of the Scarborough lot — apparently that’s what a weekday in early June gets you, along with a bit of wind and icy water.  But I still loved it.

Of course, where there is a beach, ice cream can’t be far behind, so on our way back, we stopped at Brickley’s Ice Cream for a couple of homemade ice cream cones — chocolate chip for me and chocolate for Madeline.

Ah, summer in Rhode Island…

Brickley’s Ice Cream
www.brickleys.com

921 Boston Neck Road
Narragansett, RI

322 Main Street
South Kingstown, RI

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Imagine Gift Store: Candy, Chotchkes, and Games

One of the several candy aisles at Imagine Gift Store.

It’s always a bit sad to see a theatre converted into some other use, although when that happens,  I am in favor of it becoming a extra-large candy store. Imagine Gift Store, located in the restored Lyric Theatre in Warren, RI, can probably satisfy whatever sweet craving you’ve got — including candy cigarettes.

Madonna in your cup.

Here, you might also stock up on your chotchkes, such as the iPlunge (a mini plunger to use as an iPhone/iTouch stand) or a mug in which the Madonna materializes from a remaining coffee stain (my mother-in-law bought this).

We also left with Bananagrams, a word game created here in Rhode Island, which as it turns out, may be as addictive as candy.

Like Scrabble, Bananagrams enables you to build and connect words, however, the board isn’t fixed so you can change and move words as you see fit. Even better, there’s no taking turns, which means I don’t have to wait a half hour while Geoff patiently contrives a way of using all of his letters. And although this isn’t a win-win situation, it means I win more of the time, which is just fine with me.

Bananagrams, a word game created in Rhode Island.

Imagine Gift Store
5 Miller Street
Warren, RI
www.imaginegiftstores.com

Bananagrams
www.bananagrams.com

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Portuguese Sweet Bread at Silver Star Bakery

Portuguese sweetbread from Silver Star Bakery.

After a disappointing brunch at the English Muffin in Johnston, I decided to console myself with breakfast for dinner. What I craved was the challah french toast from the Waverly Diner in New York City. Since I didn’t know where to get such a thing in Rhode Island, I decided to make it myself. So, on our way home from breakfast, I stopped at Seven Stars Bakery for some challah. But, as it turns out, they only bake it on Fridays. I guess in Providence (or at Seven Stars, at least), challah is reserved for Shabbat — not so in New York.

As it turns out, Portuguese sweet bread makes some wonderful french toast.

So instead, I bought a loaf of the Portuguese sweet bread from Silver Star Bakery — which as its name implies is slightly sweet. There are many renditions of the egg bread, all of which I love — the French brioche, the Jewish challah, the Italian Easter Bread (with anise), and now, the Portuguese sweet bread.

Of course, Silver Star Bakery sells quite a bit of other tasty treats besides sweet bread including cavacas (a sweet, iced version of the popover) and nata (a custard in a pastry shell). So even if it’s something other than challah French toast you’re after, it’s worth a visit.

Silver Star Bakery
150 Ives Street
Providence, RI