Dante's Kitchen

 

Dante's Kitchen is a Southern Breakfast joint that just opened on Main Street in East Greenwich RI. The minute I heard the words "southern breakfast" I started counting down the days until it opened.

Finally this Sunday I made my way over to Dante's with one thing in mind- fried chicken and waffles. I had already taken a peek at the menu earlier in the week, and although I was dying to try the pulled pork hash or the fried green tomato BLT, I had to go with my gut.. and my gut was telling me to go for the chicken and waffles. And boy was I not disappointed.

 

 

The chicken was seasoned perfectly, and was not overly breaded. The waffle was fluffy and the perfect compliment to the chicken.

 

 

The chicken and waffles were served with a side of maple syrup and a cinnamon pecan sauce. I was not a fan of the pecan sauce but since it was on the side it didn't make much of a difference.

 

My cousin wound up ordering the pulled pork hash with the poached eggs, so I would up being able to try both of the breakfast dishes I had been craving!

 

 

The pulled pork and potatoes were flavored beautifully, and I will definitely be ordering this dish on my next breakfast trip to Dante's.

 

A little word of advice though, when they warn you that their house made hot sauce is hot, they mean it. Also, it is awesome.

 

I washed it down with a yummy iced coffee served in a mason jar. I believe everything tastes better in a mason jar.

 

 

Next time I go to Dante's (because there will definitely be a next time) I am going to go for lunch and sample their Fried Green Tomato BLT with pecan smoked bacon. Enough Said.

 

Later that day we headed over to the Washington County Fair for some good ol' American Fun. And more food. Fried Food. Yum. We ordered a sampler platter which consisted of fried onion petals, fried pickles, fried peppers, and fried zucchini. And then of course we had to get in line and have a turkey leg. There's just no question. To me fairs equal turkey legs

 

 

I'd say it was a pretty delicious day.  

 



Farewell Block Island

 

After a long week of biking, swimming, paddle boarding, eating, and exploring on Block Island it was finally time to say farewell. There was one more thing I had to do before I could leave however, and that was to get the lobster roll I had been dreaming about all week long.

 

 

After seeing pictures of lobster rolls from the Old Harborview Take Out place I knew I had to have one before I left. at $22 dollars a pop they are pretty pricy, but every bite was worth it.

 

 

Giant buttery pieces of lobster in a nicely toasted hot dog bun. Doesn't get much better then that my friends. It was the perfect way to end an amazing vacation full of fun, family, and amazing food.

 

Block Island will go down as one of my favorite spots to visit, and I will definitely be returning again soon. Here are a couple of my favorite moments from the trip.

 

 

 

 

Me and my girl Reese taking in the sights

 

First time paddle boarding. I think I just found my new favorite activity

 

 

The Bluffs, one of the coolest places on the Island with crystal clear waters

 

 

We had a lobster and crab bake one night while on the Island. Got the lobsters and crabs fresh right off the boat. We also made our own yummy quahogs from clams that the family caught that morning

 

 

 

Goodbye Block Island, until next time

 

 

 



Block Island Series; Harry's

 

As a food blogger, sometimes you find yourself at a restaurant and you are enjoying the food so much that you don't remember to take a picture before you chow down on your delicious looking meal.
That was the case at our last dinner stop at Harry's, located right across the street from both Poor People's Pub and Captain Nicks.

 

We started off with a bunch of different appetizers, which of course I did not get any pictures of. We got the crab stuffed mushrooms which were very flavorful, spicy shrimp which were indeed very spicy, and of course some quahogs. I did however get a picture of my Greek Salad.. exciting I know.

 

 

For our entrées me and my sister decided to split the steak flautas and the chicken flautas. When they came to the table they were not exactly what I was picturing in my head when I think of traditional flautas, The steak flautas were extremely flavorful. The chicken ones were still good, just a little dry.

 

 

The winner at the table was the orange glazed duck with stuffing and cranberry chutney. I definitely dropped the ball not ordering this. If duck is on the menu on your trip to Harrys definitely order it. For me. And ship it to Rhode Island.

 

My Block Island Series is coming to a close, and I am definitely saving the best for last. But for now my friends I leave you with these simple words

 

 

 

Block Island Series; Captain Nick's

 

Captain Nicks, located right next to Poor Peoples Pub, was a hot spot for me and my family while on the Island. It was a short walk down the street from our house, and was a fun place to grab after dinner drinks.

 

 

 

 

The great thing about Captain Nicks was that every day they had a different event going on. Of course me and my mother checked out Drafts and Crafts on Tuesday for some local shopping.

 

 

On Thursday night we headed over to Captain Nicks around 5 to grab a couple drinks, listen to some live music, and possibly try a little sushi from the famous Sushi Bob.

 

 

Their drink menu immediately caught my eye with drinks named after some of my favorite musicians. I started out with the Jim Morrison, and then took on the Amy Winehouse.

We then ordered a little bit of sushi from the man himself Sushi Bob. We ordered the California roll and the Spicy Tuna roll. They said it would take about an hour, seeing as how Bob is making the sushi fresh on his own. It was definitely worth it.

 

 

The Sushi was fresh and definitely hit the spot.

 

Later on that night we walked back down to check out the Blushing Brides, a Rolling Stones Cover Band. Captain Nick's is definitely a great spot to kick back, have some drinks, some awesomely fresh sushi, and enjoy time with friends and family.

 

Good Vibes and Good Times

 

 

 

 

 



Block Island Series; Mexican on the Deck

 

After a long day of exploring the Island, the family decided to grab some lunch at the Yellow Kittens Mexican on the Deck.

 

 

 

I had been wanting to come here ever since I looked at the menu and saw lobster quesadillas. YUM.

My family started off with some chips and salsa and homemade queso dip. We also got an order of jalapeno poppers. So good!

I could literally eat Mexican food everyday of my life and be totally okay with it.

For my entrée I ordered the lobster quesadillas of course.

 

 

The quesadillas were served with a side of guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. They were filled with nice pieces of lobster and boursin cheese. The tortillas could have been a little crispier, but other than that the quesadillas were a great choice.

The fam also ordered a round of their margaritas. If you are a fan of tequila then you will love their strong margaritas!

Mexican on the Deck was a great choice for lunch and I would definitely go back.

 

 

We also took a little trip to Manisses Animal Farm, where they have animals such as camels and goats that you can pet. You can also walk right into the Alpaca pen and pet them or feed them.The woman there sells yarn, blankets, rugs, hats, and anything else you can think of in a little shop on the farm all made out of the alpaca fur. I got a pair of alpaca socks which I am super excited to wear this winter!

 You can also buy feed for $1 and stuffed animals for $10 based on the honor system, which reflects on the kind of place block island is.

 

 

I also made a new friend

 

 

We are pretty much besties now. 

 

 

 



Block Island Series; Finns Seafood Restaurant

 

After eating enough sandwiches to last us a lifetime we decided to go and grab some lunch at Finns Seafood Restaurant.

 

 

Now I normally do not  post bad reviews here on Simply Casey, but I am here to give you guys my honest opinion. The menu at Finns did not peak my interest, and the items were way over priced. If you are in the mood for a fried seafood sandwich by all means check Finns out, but that is not what I was craving.

We started out with the Cajun Calamari. It had a nice spice to it but was a little greasy. It was served with peppers and a tarter sauce for dipping. Although this was not my ideal pairing, it was good and was comparable to your average calamari appetizer.

 

 

We also ordered clams and oysters which were the main reason we decided to go to Finns in the first place.

 

For my entrée I ordered a cup of New England clam chowder and a small salad with what the menu described as "grilled tuna". The soup was nice and light, and was my favorite thing I tried at Finns. The salad however was not what I was expecting at all.

 





 

 

The salad was served in a very small bowl and was piled with pieces of very raw tuna. Now I know that this is something that many people enjoy. I too enjoy raw tuna when going out for a nice sushi dinner. This tuna however had no flavor, and was very chewy. You could tell that this tuna had been seared off earlier in the day, sliced, and stored in the refrigerator for later use. I know this from my experiences working at chain restaurants. This method saves time, but also produces an inadequate product.

 

When the bill came, I wound up paying a lot more then I expected to for the quality of food that we were served. I did not enjoy my lunch at Finns and I personally would not recommend it. If you do find yourself there however, order the clam chowder..it is the best thing that they have on their menu.

 

 



Block Island Series; Aldo's

 

Our second night on the island we were trying to decide between Dead Eye Dicks and Aldo's Italian Restaurant. After a rude encounter at Dead Eye Dicks we decided to leave and head over to our second choice. And I am so glad that we did!

 

 

We started off with drinks, I got the Sangria and we were served some deliciously seasoned bread.

 

 

The Sangria, although good, simply tasted like a dry red wine. Not what I look for when I order a glass of Sangria. The others at the table however seemed to love it.

 

For an appetizer we ordered the prosciutto wrapped brie with a cranberry chutney. This was absolutely delicious. The toasted garlic bread was a nice accompaniment to the mixture of sweet chutney and creamy brie. This dish was the perfect start to our dinner.

 

 

Next I ordered a nice glass of Riesling to accompany my entrée.

 

 

For my entrée I ordered Aldo's Shrimp with whole wheat pasta. It was packed with flavor and ingredients such as kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, crispy pancetta, and perfectly cooked shrimp. the star of the dish however was definitely the white wine sauce. If it wasn't un-ladylike I could have picked up my plate and drank it.

 

 

Someone else at the table ordered a pasta dish filled with clams, shrimp, scallops, and big pieces of lobster which also featured the yummy white wine sauce. It was a general consensus that the sauce was one of the best we have ever tasted.



 

 

Although I wasn't too excited to be going to an Italian Restaurant on Block Island when there were so many seafood restaurants to choose from, I was definitely proven wrong. Aldo's turned out to be my favorite restaurant that we visited and I thank Dead Eye Dick's for the rude service that made us turn away.  

 



Block Island Series; Poor People's Pub

 

As some of you may know from my continuous Instagram pictures I spent that last week on beautiful Block Island in Rhode Island. My family came up and we took the short (& cheap, only 12 dollars!) ferry ride from Point Judith in Narragansett.

 

 

 

As soon as we got off the boat I was struck by how amazing this place was. I couldn't believe it was part of this little state. We were excited to get on the beach and explore the Island but after settling into our house we had one thing on our minds, food. And not just any food.. lobster rolls.

 

 

 

We walked down to a spot called Poor People's Pub. They had seating outside and a place to play a game of corn-hole. We sat outside, and me and my mom split one of their fish bowls called the Pub Palmer. And boy was it delicious. Like, dangerously good.

 

 

I looked over the menu until I saw the three words that immediately caught my eye: Hot Lobster Roll. Now I am not a fan of mayo.. I don't mind if there is a small amount of Chipotle Mayo on my sandwich, but when it comes to a large amount of that greasy white mayo I just can't do it. Because of this it has always been pretty hard for me to find a lobster roll I could eat, so when I heard that Block Island was crawling with places that had the stuff I was immediately excited.

 

I got mine with a side salad, trying to be all healthy and stuff. But let's be honest it's vacation, calories don't count right?

 

 

 

I give their lobster roll an 8 out of 10. The lobster was very flavorful and was packed into a grilled New England hot dog bun. The only reason that they got a couple of points deducted was because I was missing those big pieces of tail and claw meat that I look for when eating a hot lobster roll. Other then that, Poor People's Pub was right on with their roll.

 

 

We visited PPP a couple nights later for some dinner after listening to some music next door at Captain Nick's (come back for that review later!) because the smells from their smoker were just too irresistible to pass up. The product however was kind of a let down. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich, excited to have some of that yummy pork right out of the smoker. What I got was a sandwich that was loaded down with bbq sauce. The sauce completely over powered the pork and the onion bun that it was served on. PPP definitely missed the mark on this one because their pulled pork could have definitely held its own without so much sauce.

Their humus pizza however was on a whole other level. The amount of garlic in their humus was perfect and the crust was a nice crunchy base for the large quantity of toppings that were loaded on top. The Chorizo Quahogs  also had very nice flavor to them as well.

 

 

Poor People's Pub is a popular spot for locals and visitors alike. The staff, drink selections, and fun atmosphere definitely make Poor People's Pub a hot spot on the Island.