Pasta Beach – Newport Rhode Island

On this particular night, several weeks ago, we were inundated with snow and there wasn’t exactly a lot of places to park. My companion chose a place he knew had a parking lot but when we got there we realized that it was for the building behind the restaurant and the parking was $30 an hour. I almost spit out a few teeth sputtering when I learned that. That also explained why the lot was nearly empty.

I hoped back into my trusty car and we nearly ripped off the bumper on the entrance to this parking lot which had a big old bump on a steep decline. Sometimes I hate having such a low slung car. I then went on to piss off traffic as I tried and failed at parallel parking before driving up the street and finding three open spots that allowed me just to slide in all cool-like. We walked back, me hoping the $30 parking wasn’t an inclination of how expensive the food would be because WHEW, that would be bad.

This place was bustling. There almost was nowhere to sit but we lucked out and got one of those tall tables for two next to a breezy door behind the fireplace. I looked around. Yuppies. So many yuppies. You know… college students and like-aged individuals who clearly were of the upper middle class and likely living on stipends from their parents or trust funds or whatever. Came with that weirdly tacky beach vibe decor. I raised an eyebrow. Maybe it was the bar. Maybe people came here to get too drunk to notice. But even that seemed unlikely. Though not my normal crowd everyone seemed to be behaving themselves.

We ordered a flatbread pizza and shared a side of potatoes. Both were OK. Just like the rest of this place. We weren’t displeased but not thrilled either. It was just the epitome of mediocre. I will say however if I were a college student who drank I’d probably be more enthusiastic about it.

March 15, 2026 0

Paddy Murphy’s – Main Street Bangor

This could quite possibly be the best place I have ever eaten. Dear God, did we find a winner with this one!

My companion had chosen this place because he wanted soup and he liked what they had on their online menu. When we got there, we realized there was live music (which was good!) as well as an assortment of games and Shakespearean books set aside each table in case we needed something to do while waiting. It was a typical Boston-styled pub, dark and loud, and I knew a place serving pub food was going to be my downfall. So. Much. Comfort Food. And a tin ceiling! Which was also really lovely. I watched out the windows at people walking by the Christmas tree across the street.

Of course, we were on vacation, so we ordered a ridiculous amount of food and tried it all starting with a molten cheese fondue pot that was served with pieces of baguette, kielbasa, broccoli and fingerling potatoes. Oh my God, those were all AMAZING. My favorite was actually the potatoes! This was an appetizer and we’d already eaten ourselves silly. We then had our soups, my companion had the French Onion and I went with the Hungarian Mushroom. He said his was pretty standard fair, wasn’t that impressed with it, but my mushroom? OH! It was so rich and earthy! It just felt like it was feeding my soul. I ate every drop despite already being full from the appetizer.

My main course was Chicken Pot Pie and my companion got Guiness Stew. Both absolutely checked off every box conceivable for comfort food and was exploding with flavor. We even exchanged a bite and his was as good as mine if not better! Very robust and beefy. Everything was a hit here and the service was quick and friendly and the live music playing just completed the whole ambiance. WE ARE SO COMING BACK HERE.

January 2, 2025 0

The Red Lion Inn (restaurant) – Stockbridge Massachusetts

To be honest we would have eaten at Alice’s restaurant if it was open that day (because I’m that big of a nerd) but just down the street there was a brooding inn with gift shop and food and it was just about to open to hungry diners. We were told we could wander the lobby for half an hour while we waited.

This place was… something else. We were immediately greeted by the newest staff – one of two hotel cats, who seemed bewildered at the amount of attention it was getting. It’ll settle in, I am sure. Beyond that there was this crazy metal cage elevator that I couldn’t help but think was haunted. The “lobby” was a set of rooms in a Byzantine maze set up with a series of quirky antique chairs. Beyond that there was a gift shop that was small but entertained us for way too long. It had 1950’s styled colored small appliances, expensive candles, some soft plushies, a nice selection of cookbooks, and apparently the rape whistle to end all rape whistles which came in a moderately decorated box saying, “Your mama will want you to have it!” Apparently, it was less of a whistle and more of a pocket-sized flashing siren. Weird choice of a gift shop item… everything else seemed normal!

Just outside the gift shop there was a chessboard set up next to the most anguished looking rocking horse (unicorn?) I have ever seen in my life. Though I took several photos during this visit it was only the rocking horse who came out. Haunted? Maybe. A patron asked if I was allowed to take photos of the rocking horse, staff assured him I could. Not like anyone was on it??

Anyway, when the clock finally timed out and they started letting dinner patrons in we meandered to the dining rooms. One was a proper dinner restaurant with duck on the menu. The other was a little mini pub with bar food. None of us had planned for this so we went with the cheaper option. I had the fish and chips which was… odd! I expected it to be beer battered like fish and chips normally are but no, it came out in breadcrumbs like a piece of chicken?? It wasn’t bad, it was just different. And I was unable to peel the batter off as I would have been able to do with a beer battered fish (because I’m weird and don’t really like the batter, just the fish.) The chips were also good. My companions were also happy with their options, a smash burger, some “spicy” carrot soup, and something I can’t remember. The only complaint we really had was the fact we were some of the first patrons of the day in a not-very busy setting and it still took us almost an hour to get served. But you know… the ambiance was worth it in this preposterously old building with original wood floors (square nails still visible keeping them down!) Decorations were odd and there was even a stain glass window. Again, all my pix came out blurred to the point of not being able to recognize anything in them despite having worked the rest of the day. Maybe the ghosts like their privacy.

Anyway… I do think this place was well worth a good poke. I do wonder what the rooms in the inn look like!

April 17, 2024 0

Defiant Records and Craft Beer – Laconia New Hampshire

You find the weirdest things when you’re not looking for anything in particular. I remember reading something that was basically a whole belief system based on the power of going on daily walks. And you know what? As kooky as it sounds I’m not going to disbelieve there isn’t some whimsical hand of chaos at play here.

A great example of this was Defiant Records and Craft Beer. I am a teetotaler. I do not go to bars. But on this day we were walking down the street exploring and on the look out for a bathroom. We thought this establishment might be obliging to such a thing and they were! ‘Course there was only one stall so as I waited for my companion I was left to look around and this place… it was nice! A sweet little hipster bar in the middle of Laconia selling used records in the back for five bucks a pop. How cute is that?? Also loved the bloody Jason mannikin at the entrance.

I don’t know man, if I were into alcohol or looking to cruise for a date in the area this might be a fun little stop.

October 6, 2023 0