New Rivers, Providence RI

Yikes, I've been "gone" for a while. I could blame it on being pregnant, or having a new baby in March, but the bottom line is that I haven't had a chance to check out new spots over the last six (okay, 10) months like I would have hoped. But I'm back now, and committed to blogging again. What better way to jump start things than by talking about a place I went to just a couple weeks ago to celebrate my fourth wedding anniversary?

The spot: New Rivers in Providence. I'd heard about it via the Phantom Gourmet, and it came recommended by a friend who knows the Providence restaurant scene well. Plus, it was right next door to 3 Steeple Street (no longer in business) - a place I had been to a few times - so I knew how to get there!

Going in, I had pretty high expectations. After all, it was a special occassion, we don't get out much these days, and I had checked out the menu they had posted online (and it looked good). Hopefully my friend who recommended the place isn't reading this because, ouch, after all was said and done, I wasn't that impressed.

For starters, the place was harder to find than I thought, with no visible sign outside confirming that, yes, this was New Rivers (contrary to the picture above, which was front and center on their website). Once inside, the intimate setting was nice and welcoming, but the people who worked there seriously lacked personality, offsetting the cozy digs.

The food - eh, it was good, but not something I'd write home about. While I appreciate that they use all locally grown/farmed ingredients, and I get the whole "seasonal" menu concept, I was disappointed in the limited options. There were only about six entrees to choose from, and for my poor husband who doesn't do seafood, his options were knocked down to about four. Alas, it wasn't like we weren't going to stay, so we made the best of it and ordered with anticipation.

I had leg of lamb with fingerling potatoes, whipped mint butter and roasted veggies. Scott went for roasted chicken with potatoes and beets (which he opted to skip). In a nutshell, the food tasted good... not great, but good... but portions were a lot smaller than the prices, so I left at the end of the meal wondering if it was inappropriate to stop at Dairy Queen on the way home! Let's hope next year, when we're celebrating our five-year anniversary, we have a five-star experience. New Rivers was a three-star date night, at best.

The tab:
Atmosphere – 7
Service – 6
Food Quality – 7
Presentation - 6.5
Average Entree Price - $22
Kid factor – 4 (The place is very small and quiet. Not conducive at all to a toddler meltdown)
Website: http://www.newriversrestaurant.com/

North Hero House Inn & Restaurant, North Hero VT

About four hours north of Boston sits the quiet lakeside village of North Hero. We found ourselves there because my aunt and uncle recently bought a cottage on Lake Champlain in Ahlberg, the next town over. Blink and you might miss downtown North Hero, but don’t try telling that to the host at the North Hero House, where on a Saturday night at 8 pm, the 26-room inn had no vacancies and the restaurant overlooking the water had a 40 minute wait for a table on the enclosed porch.

The restaurant has a cozy feel, with the main entrance leading into a comfortable living room area. Walk through that space and you’re in a large dining room with dimmed lighting, white tablecloths and pretty corner hutches adorned with antique pottery. The dining room is on the formal side, but the overall feel is resort casual – don’t be surprised to see khaki shorts, golf shirts and sandals.

Our server was friendly, knowledgeable and willing to make menu and wine recommendations. And when our salads were still “cooking” 30 minutes after we ordered them, he was very apologetic (after the hiccup with the salads, our entrees came out in a timely manner).

The food at the North Hero House was very good. I had the shrimp fettuccine with scallops, which was served with jumbo shrimp, huge scallops, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and goat cheese in a garlic white wine sauce. The combination was delicious, although there was more goat cheese than I needed, which turned a light wine sauce into a heavier, alfredo-like sauce. Other dishes at the table included Great Lakes walleye (a mild white fish) with spinach, artichoke hearts and a mushroom cream sauce; sesame seed encrusted ahi tuna; and, you guessed it, a NY strip steak for Scott. Portions were all very generous, so – after cleaning our plates – we all agreed to skip the dessert menu.

Whether you’re on the patio, the porch, in the formal dining room or the enclosed green house (check out their website for more photos), the North Hero House offers outstanding views, a friendly atmosphere and very tasty food for a big night out in North Hero village.

The tab:

Atmosphere – 8

Service – 7.5

Food Quality – 7.5

Presentation - 8

Average Entree Price - $18-$22

Kid factor – 6 (pretty quiet atmosphere, not conducive to a toddler meltdown)
Extra perk – Killer views if you’re able to score a table on the patio or enclosed porch at sunset.
Website: http://www.northherohouse.com/

Cambridge Common Cambridge MA

Whether it’s taking in the charm of an historic college town, or watching the regatta in October, Cambridge is one of my favorite spots in Boston. So when a co-worker suggested going to Cambridge Common, I got excited about the prospect of not only going out on a weeknight (a rarity these days), but trying out a new place in the area.

The restaurant sits on Mass Ave. and it’s hard to miss the big, gold lettering adorning the outside. Inside, it’s a comfy bar scene. There are plenty of tables for diners, bar seating for folks who want to be near the 30-plus brews on tap, and high tops for those who want the best of both worlds.

If you missed it, I said THIRTY beers on tap. So, if you’re a beer drinker, you’re sure to find something you like here; and at $4 a glass, the price is right. The food menu was just as extensive as the beer menu. With my “meat and potatoes” husband home with the baby, and a party of eight for dinner, I got a glimpse at a lot of what the menu offered.

From smothered fried chicken to mac and cheese, if you’re looking for comfort food, they’ve got you covered. But you also have the option of something lighter, like a southwestern roll-up or tomato mozzarella sandwich. Around the table, the reviews were mixed: the mac and cheese was less than spectacular; burgers and chicken sandwiches were good; fried chicken hit the spot; and tomato mozz was yummy, but wasn’t served on the thick ciabatta I expected.

Regardless of what you’re in the mood for, though, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t at least try a couple of the appetizers Cambridge Common offers. A couple of the group’s favorites were fried pickles, sweet potato fries and mac and cheese bites.

Service was good. Our waiter was eager to please, and with a large group, did a good job of keeping track of when someone needed another drink. Our appetizer order got mixed up, and didn’t come out until our meals arrived, but the waitstaff was apologetic and didn’t charge us for one of the apps we got.

One of the perks of Cambridge Common... downstairs is Lizard Lounge – a cozy, small venue that features live music nightly. On the particular night we were there we were treated to Jim’s Big Ego and the Oracle ($10 cover). The place was packed and stayed that way until we left around 11:00.

All in all, it was a fun night out with good food, some great entertainment, and another reason to love Cambridge.



The tab:

Atmosphere – 7

Service – 7.5

Food Quality - 7

Presentation - 7

Average Entree Price - $9-$14

Kid factor - 7 (seemed casual enough for kids, but didn't see any on a weeknight)

Extra perk – Free parking out back if you get there early enough to snag one of the 20 spots.



Restaurant Website: http://www.cambridgecommonrestaurant.com/