After a long day of walking through the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery we decided it was probably a good idea to find something to eat before heading the 3+ hours home. At first we had a hard time figuring out where to go as it seemed most eateries in this area were swank and out of our price range but then we came across this little pub in town and we were not disappointed!
It was as small place, dimly lit as a pub should be, and the staff were exceptionally sweet. The menu was very small and simple (which is GREAT if you’re one of those people who have a hard time making decisions!) We decided to try their spinach dip first and it was sooo good I ate way too much! I had ordered the grilled chicken sandwich and my partner in crime was intrigued by the Horseman Burger which read, “As seen on Man v. Food!”
That had to have been the best grilled chicken sandwich I’ve ever had at an establishment like this. It melted in my mouth and popped with the flavor of red peppers and soft brioche bread. Sadly, I ate literally three bites before I couldn’t eat anymore. The waitress came by and asked if something was wrong with it and I emphatically said no, that I’d just filled up on the spinach dip before giving her a big smile. She started to laugh, patted me on the shoulder and brought out of a box. Little was I to know that in that big smile was a piece of spinach the size of Kentucky. She knows I wasn’t lying!! Meanwhile the burger was indeed big (10 oz) but was pretty standard fare for a pub – which isn’t bad but that grilled chicken sandwich was way better!
Before going to see Evil Dead the Musical we first stopped in for a late lunch/early dinner at KCs Rib Shack. The place has a reputation so far reaching that it was apparently on the destination list after being suggested by a Rhode Islander. That’s not to mention even I know about it despite having scarcely ever been to any BBQ joints.
I know I don’t usually blog about restaurants – but I had to say something! There was four of us that day and we decided to go with the $84 Feed Shovel option on the menu. It was served on an actual shovel, covered in tinfoil of course. In it there was quite some choice – pulled pork, a rack of full-sized ribs, some sausage, and of course some chicken all served with two sides of our choice (we did macaroni salad and fries) and finished off with the most delectable corn bread ever. And I am super picky with my cornbread. I don’t like it too sweet, nor too bland, and it can’t be dry. This had the market cornered on all accounts. Just so moist and balanced and delicious.
I am not much of a meat eater. Grew up eating it very infrequently and as an adult I have kept this up. This of course meant I’d never had ribs before. So today was a first. And it was really good. It was falling off the bones tender and moist and to make it all the better there was a choice of four sauces to slather it with. I really enjoyed the apple flavored one. The pulled pork was also good and the chicken was… I don’t even know how to describe it. Almost didn’t resemble chicken it was so moist and falling apart.
I hadn’t eaten for a week previous (first I had covid then immediately following that I had an unrelated migraine so bad I was throwing up for days) so I was proper starved by the time I got there. Good thing because I was stuffed to the gills! They say the Feed Shovel is for 3-5 people. With four of us there was still quite a bit left over!
Definitely would stop back in at this place and recommend it to anyone who eats meat. And even if you don’t eat meat I’m not shitting you the cornbread is still worth the visit!
I admit I don’t do too many eateries on this blog – but it’s not because I am not a foodie at heart, it’s just I usually can’t afford it. WELL, last night I was along for the ride and what a ride it was!
I have nothing against Warwick RI but it is a very busy built-up area humming with plazas filled with the usual chain stores and restaurants. Because of this I wasn’t expecting this new place to be any different but WOW… it was different alright!
The Tree House Tavern runs out of a repurposed 1800’s farmhouse which does in fact have a tree house out in the front yard. The parking lot is…. as a friend would say “Byzantine.” A real confusing jumble of possible parking spaces that somehow works. And once we popped out of the car and started to look around we realized just how odd and unique this place was. Set aside from a very busy roadway it was like we just fell down the proverbial rabbit hole. This didn’t look like anything else in the area. Bedecked with fairy lights to the hilt and supporting an odd country chic it beckoned us to come in. Inside the ceiling was absolutely plastered with brightly colored and open umbrellas mixed with other eccentric decorations. It was…. distracting but only in the most wonderful way.
We were given the choice of indoor or outdoor dining and we decided to go outside. It was a gorgeous evening after all. And so we found ourselves nestled outside amongst a series of little entertainment centers. Little firepits were everywhere, it looked like baskets full of snuggly blankets were on stock for chilly Autumn nights around these fires. There were several more private areas including a little patio with seating for a single couple. Flowers bloomed everywhere amongst even more fairy lights and chaotic decoration.
We sat down across from a somewhat judgmental deer head mounted on the wall of a little roofed outdoor area. Our waitress was young and perhaps a little new to the job but was excitable and happy. She handed us a menu and we gave it a once over. It didn’t have a whole lot of options but the ones that it did have were… something else. And what kind of food was on offer here? I guess my companion had it nailed with his description, “American Style Food Fuckery.” Pretty much the first thing I read was Sweet Potato Pizza and I was way too curious to even care what else was on there. I mean what on earth is a sweet potato pizza??? Meanwhile my companion was having a hard time deciding between a series of options which was made even more difficult when the waitress suggested a special of a crabcake surf and turf. Ultimately that’s what he chose and ended up with half a cow on his plate. No complaints here.
But first we had to try the appetizers! They had a plate of honey orange wings so we went for that, saying that maybe if they were good we’d come back and try the most adventurous appetizer on the menu – the peanut butter and jelly wings. We didn’t wait long at all before they were brought out and they were hands down the best wings I have ever eaten. And I am usually not a fan of wings (I mean there’s not a hell of a lot of meat on them.) They were crunchy, warm, delicious, and STICKY. Holy crap were they sticky! I had an ex once who would get pissed off with me for having sticky hands and this sort of thing would have made him flip right the fuck out. As such it gave a deep perverse joy to be making such a mess. That’s bliss right there. And the waitress was sweet enough to bring out some wet naps for after.
I could have walked out right then and there and been happy but no… there was more. As we waited for our entre I admit I was doing some eavesdropping of other guests and the absolutely bonkers conversations being had fit right in with the decor. My favorite was a whole discussion on a summer camp for horses where humans weren’t allowed and could only reach it by dirt bike after leaving their cars and horse trailers behind. A summer camp for horses. Now I’ve heard it all.
And then the waitress brought out a huge show and tell platter full of desserts to show some of the other patrons and I was just sitting there with my jaw agape. So many absolutely beautiful desserts to choose from! According to their website they rotated and changed depending on the mood of their baker on any given day (and SERIOUSLY how cool a job would that be to just bake whatever the fuck you want from day to day?? The freedom! The creativity!) Oooh lord, we’d have to save room for something delectable.
By the time our main course came out I was already having a wonderful time. My pizza was beautiful – a thin crusted prosciutto pizza with little cubes of sweet potato smattered about for some color and maybe to a lesser extent some flavor. My companion’s half a cow and a crabcake was also beautifully presented and he seemed to be enjoying it to the hilt.
We tried to eat slowly to save room but to be totally honest I was already mostly full from the appetizer! So I ate 2 slices of my pizza and waited for my belly to settle a bit. And when the dessert tray came out there was a lot to choose from – from a rather ordinary vanilla creme brulee, to a S’more cheesecake, to some sort of mutant whiskey filled chocolate ball, to some sweet little macaroons. I let my companion decide on something to share because honestly I would have accepted anything on that platter (save for the whiskey thing as I am not fond of the taste of booze. Yick!) We ended up with some sort of pink cake with green stuffing. It was a berry cake of some sort? I don’t know. It was cute looking and damn was it moist and delicious! Another win.
We were so full by the time we left I am pretty sure we were both waddling like penguins. And we had spent so much time there the mall closed. We’d actually came to run an errand at the mall – this…. was a distraction. A fantastic one at that!
ANYWAY. This was a delightful adventure. I’d HIGHLY recommend this place, especially if you’re looking for something “a little different.”
We decided to eat dinner at Wright’s Chicken Farm after our adventures in the Douglas State Forest. It was not terribly far from where I used to live so I was once again surprised to learn about something I have never heard of – although maybe I shouldn’t be. By the time I moved into the area my narcissistic ex had gotten what he needed out of me and had long forgone the love-bombing process, instead coyly making sure I was isolated and car-free at home while he ignored me to pursue other romantic prospects behind my back. This included date nights and going out to eat so yeah… how was I to know there was a great chicken shack down the road?
I had been to Wright’s Dairy Farm already (they have AMAZING buttercream frosted cakes there.) Wright’s Chicken Farm however is in a different location and it is a large venue hall and restaurant that only serves one dinner so it’s great for anyone who has trouble picking something off a menu. Dinner consisted of baked chicken (both white and dark meat), pasta with tomato sauce, french fries, salad, and buns. All served family style so you could pick and chose whatever you pleased.
The ambiance of this place was… weird. I thought it looked like a hole in the wall casino, the kind you’d find out in the sticks somewhere. My companions thought it looked like the visitors/community room in a nursing home. Eventually we all agreed it had big bingo hall energy. The vast majority of the other people here were old, 100% of them were white, and they all looked respectable. Even I was a little uneasy – and I’m whiter than Wonder Bread! But not terribly respectable. Adding to the weird vibe it had a big gift shop attached with the most random of things in it – including but not limited to tacky glitter covered Christmas ornaments. They know their target audience. That being said they also had fudge and truffles in all flavors and that made up for a little bit of the oddness. As did our bombastic waiter whose rough NYC/Jersey Shore accent was woefully out of place and whose energy was just as loud. Made my brain itch a bit.
Anyway. The place was simple and cheap and had good food so I am not complaining in any way. I particularly liked the dark meat and french fries which I ate far too many of. They offered ice cream after this but YIKES who has room for ice cream after an all-you-can-eat styled meal?! Afterwards I hung out in the parking lot a little bit talking while waiting for the others. We noted how quaint the motel across the street looked and the duck pond in between. Eventually a complete stranger, a woman, came up to me and complemented my laugh out of nowhere. Well that’s a new one! But I’ll take it.
All and all it’s a decent enough place to go to if you happen to be in the area and have a craving for baked chicken and a family style meal.
*Image taken from Wright’s Farm website (sorry, I didn’t bring my camera in with me.)
