Wednesday, August 16, 2017
NEW FOODS AND FAN FAVORITES COMING TO THIS YEAR'S BIG E
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
The Big E
September 15-October 1, 2017
www.thebige.com
This Big E is less than one month away. The annual fair in West Springfield, Massachusetts will feature all sorts of new foods to try, along with fair favorites.
A Belgian Waffle Sandwich will be served by Amy's Sweet Treats for the first time this year. It will be made of two thin waffles with Neapolitan hard ice in between them. Also new, Porky's will be serving up at BBQ Brisket Sundae. Hofbrau's Joe's will be serving up a Burger Bomb, a burger topped with cheese, bacon, onions and sauerkraut before being wrapped in pastry dough and deep fried! The West Springfield Lions Club with be offering their Flatliner Burger, two layers of cheeseburger and chili. topped with fries, cheese sauce and bacon. For dessert, Deep Fried Holy Cannoli will be on the menu at Coffee Break.
The foods fairgoers know and love will be making a return. Marion's Fried Dough will be making Deep Fried Oreos. The Donut Family will have their Cinnamon Caramel Apple Mini Donuts. Poutine Gourmet will be serving plenty of poutine. Moolicious will be making their Blueberry Pierogi Sundaes.
Stop by on September 15 to see V-One Vodka make the world's largest Cosmo. The drink will be made in front of the crowd and smaller portions will be sold for $10 with proceeds going to the Cancer House of Hope in West Springfield. There will also be a Sam Adams Brew Garden with pub food and salads, while the New England Craft Beer Pub will have lobster mac 'n cheese, beef stew, popovers and a fair favorite called Beer-Amisu.
September 15-October 1, 2017
www.thebige.com
This Big E is less than one month away. The annual fair in West Springfield, Massachusetts will feature all sorts of new foods to try, along with fair favorites.
A Belgian Waffle Sandwich will be served by Amy's Sweet Treats for the first time this year. It will be made of two thin waffles with Neapolitan hard ice in between them. Also new, Porky's will be serving up at BBQ Brisket Sundae. Hofbrau's Joe's will be serving up a Burger Bomb, a burger topped with cheese, bacon, onions and sauerkraut before being wrapped in pastry dough and deep fried! The West Springfield Lions Club with be offering their Flatliner Burger, two layers of cheeseburger and chili. topped with fries, cheese sauce and bacon. For dessert, Deep Fried Holy Cannoli will be on the menu at Coffee Break.
The foods fairgoers know and love will be making a return. Marion's Fried Dough will be making Deep Fried Oreos. The Donut Family will have their Cinnamon Caramel Apple Mini Donuts. Poutine Gourmet will be serving plenty of poutine. Moolicious will be making their Blueberry Pierogi Sundaes.
Stop by on September 15 to see V-One Vodka make the world's largest Cosmo. The drink will be made in front of the crowd and smaller portions will be sold for $10 with proceeds going to the Cancer House of Hope in West Springfield. There will also be a Sam Adams Brew Garden with pub food and salads, while the New England Craft Beer Pub will have lobster mac 'n cheese, beef stew, popovers and a fair favorite called Beer-Amisu.
Sunday, August 13, 2017
BIG BEER SELECTION & COMFORT FOOD MENU AT THE BREWERS COALITION
Sunday, August 13, 2017
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| California Club |
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| Many of their draft beers are served in mason jars. |
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| Beer bottles line the wall. |
brewerscoalition.com
Newton, MA
Brewers Coalition in Newton, Massachusetts describes itself as a "neighborhood restaurant and bar with a focus on craft beer." This is a restaurant for beer lovers. They always have so many varieties on tap, like Narragansett's Del's Shandy, Eat Up New England's favorite summer shandy. If you can't decide on what to drink, go for their Brewers Beer Browser, with 5-ounce pours of any four draft beers you'd like. They also list their current draft beer selection on their website.
Their menu goes along nicely with their beers. I often make a meal out of their sliders, three mini burgers with a pile of their homemade fries. I also enjoy their California Club, which is stuffed with chicken, bacon, avocado and tomatoes. Appetizers include nachos, calamari, chicken quesadilla, wings and edamame. Brewers Coalition has many meal-sized salads like their Coalition Stuffed Wedge and Roast Chicken & Apple Salad. They also offers many "Specialties," which tend to change throughout the year. For summer, they have dishes like fish & chips, baby back ribs, mac & cheese, penne ala vodka and a black & bleu sirloin. One year, they featured a tasty turkey & stuffing wrap around Thanksgiving.
Brewers Coalition cooks up Sunday brunch most of the year, except during the summer. Check out their other two restaurants, John Brewers Tavern in Malden and Waltham, Mass.
Tuesday, August 08, 2017
EAT UP NEW ENGLAND FINALLY TRIES SONIC
Tuesday, August 08, 2017
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| The many options at Sonic's drive-thru. |
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| #4 Combo Meal |
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| Sonic in Peabody, Mass |
Sonic
www.sonicdrivein.com
Locations: Stoughton, Somerset and Smithfield, RI
Sonic has been slowly expanding in New England for a few years. Eat Up New England has always wanted to try out this national chain and FINALLY got to. I went though the drive-thru of their Peabody, Massachusetts location. The lunch line went fast on a quiet summer Monday. Customers can also eat inside or outside in their cars, where carhops will deliver the fast food on roller skates.
I ordered the #4 combo meal: a Bacon Cheeseburger Toaster with tots and a small lemonade. The burger was sinfully good, stuffed with lettuce, BBQ sauce, a large onion ring, cheese, bacon, and pickles. The tots were crispy on the outside, yet soft and flavorful on the inside.
So, besides the tots, what puts Sonic on the map? They have a massive selection of drinks. There are several frozen lemonades and limeades. They have slushes in every flavor imaginable. Sonic also has candy slushes, like a Green Apple Jolly Rancher with Hard Candy. Many of these drinks are half off during happy hour. They also have a bunch for hot dogs on their menu like their Chili Cheese Coney, Chicago Dog and Cheesy Bacon Pretzel Dog. Yes, you can even get a corn dog. For dessert, there are milkshakes, waffle ice cream cones and a bunch of candy bar concretes.
Monday, August 07, 2017
KICKING OFF "DINE OUT BOSTON" AT STREGA IN THE NORTH END
Monday, August 07, 2017
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| Course 1: Calamari |
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| Course 2: Fettuccini Carbonara |
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| Course 3: Tiramisu |
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| Strega on Hanover Street |
www.stregaristorante.com
Dine Out Boston is in full swing, and there is no better place to kick off restaurant week than in the North End. Strega is offering a three-course lunch menu for just $20.
We had the best table in the house. Up front, with the window open on a beautiful summer day. It was only made better by this fine food and a parade that just happened to be passing by.
The meal started with their delicious olive bread, olive oil and olives. For course one, I enjoyed their light and fresh calamari, which is served with plenty of warm sauce. I really enjoyed their fettuccini carbonara for my main course. The pasta was homemade and the sauce was perfectly creamy. For dessert, I choose the cold and refreshing tiramisu over a cannoli.
Dine Out Boston is going from August 6-11 and 13-18. Log on to DineOutBoston.com to check out menus from restaurants in Boston and the 'burbs.
Friday, August 04, 2017
OREO COOKIE MONSTER AT MARYLOU'S
Friday, August 04, 2017
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| Oreo Cookie Monster |
www.marylous.com
Marylou's Coffee is one of Eat Up New England's favorite local chains. It's known for their unique flavored coffees like Banana Split, Butterfinger, Chocolate Mint Cookie, Strawberry Shortcake, to name just a few. Eat Up New England's favorite non-caffeinated drink is their Oreo Cookie Monster. I often order it at their Sagamore Beach location before spending the day at the beach. It's so cool, refreshing and amazingly tasty.
Monday, July 31, 2017
CLOVER TO CLOSE DOWN ITS FOOD TRUCKS TO FOCUS ON ITS RESTAURANTS
Monday, July 31, 2017
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| Inside its Boston location near Dana-Farber |
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| Chickpea fritter sandwich |
Friday, July 21, 2017
CAPE COD COOKING FOR EVERYONE AT THE ROCK HARBOR GRILL
Friday, July 21, 2017
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| Chourico Crusted Baked Cod |
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| Rock Harbor Grill |
Orleans, MA
rockharborgrill.net
The Rock Harbor Grill in Orleans, Massachusetts has a menu that's sure to please everyone. On a busy Saturday night, this place was buzzing with families and couples out on summer dates.
Rock Harbor Grill has a refreshing summer drinks menu with drinks like Nantucket Lemonade and an Italian Sunset. Appetizers include Mexican street corn, house fried potato chips, and smoked haddock chowder. There are also shareables like lobster mac & cheese, PEI mussels, spinach & artichoke dip and crispy fried clam bellies.
For dinner, I really enjoyed their chourico crusted baked cod. It's served in a hot skillet, with potatoes, veggies and corm on the cob. The sausage in the bake on the cod complimented the fish very well.
Other main courses include a daily fish catch, lobster roll, scallop platter and fish & chips. They have plenty of entrees for vegetarians and meat lovers like a pork chop, steak tips and portabella burger. Red Sox fans may want to try their Fenway Park grilled sausage sub. Rock Harbor Grill is also known for their wood-fired pizzas, from BBQ chicken and wild mushroom to lamb merguez sausage and Mediterranean.
Monday, July 17, 2017
NACHO MAMMA'S IN BRISTOL, RI IS NO JOKE!
Monday, July 17, 2017
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| Mamma's Sangria |
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| Chorizo quesadilla |
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| Inside Nacho Mamma's |
www.nachomammasbristolri.com
Its name sounds like a Yo Mama joke, but when it comes to food, there's nothing laughable about Nacho Mamma's in Bristol Rhode, Island. Since 2010, Nacho Mamma's has brought Mexican flavor to this picturesque ocean-side town that is known for its seafood.
Sweet plantains, yuca sticks, chips & salsa and their Famous Wings are just some of their appetizers. Nacho Mamma's also serves heaping portions of nachos topped off with chili, chicken, pork, ground beef, flank steak or grilled shrimp. They also have BBQ Pork Nachos, which are topped with cheese, scallions, red onion, black olives, jalepenos and drizzled with avocado ranch.
Entrees include Mexican favorites like burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas, tacos and quesadillas. I LOVED Nacho Mamma's chorizo quesadilla. The flavor of the meat was so good and this sucker was stuffed full of cheese. It was so big and filling that I took half of the meal home.
Signature meals include a Portuguese Burrito (flank steak, fries, cheese, rice, two eggs, Portuguese hot pepper & sour cream) and a Fried Chicken Quesadilla (fried, chicken, bacon, cheese and BBQ-Ranch drizzle). Nacho Mamma's also serves up salads, fried yuca bowls, burgers and even a taco pizza. This is also the home of "The Big Burrito Challenge," where they dare customers to eat a 5-pound burrito in just 30 minutes.
Nacho Mamma's has its liquor license! In the spring and summer, they serve up a wonderfully refreshing sangria. Don't let that red Solo cup fool you. This drink is all class.
Saturday, July 15, 2017
CELEBRATE NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY WITH THESE DEALS
Saturday, July 15, 2017
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| #NationalIceCreamDay |
Carvel: Buy 1, Get one FREE cup or cone of any size
Friendly's: Get a Friend-Z for $2.99
Good Humor: Ice cream truck will be at Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. free Firecracker Jr. popsicles Sunday from 10-Noon. Zoo animals will get ice treats on Sunday.
J.P. Lick's: Giving out one free medium sundae every day in July. Info HERE.
Kringle Candle (Bernardston, MA): Free small cones from 11am-3pm; free vanilla cone candle when you spend $75 or $100
McDonald's: FREE vanilla cones to anyone who downloads their app
PetSmart: Get a FREE doggie ice cream sundae
Pizzi Farm (Waltham, MA): donut ice cream cones, blueberry cobbler mason jar sundaes & an antique car show on Sunday
Friday, July 07, 2017
SUMMER IS IN SEASON AT SYCAMORE
Friday, July 07, 2017
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| Green Garlic Frito Twists |
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| Local Strawberry & Snap Pea Salad |
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| Atlantic Fish Cakes |
sycamorenewton.com
Sycamore is one of those buzzed about restaurants that Eat Up New England has been meaning to try and FINALLY got a chance to. We were able to reserve one last table on a busy summer Saturday night and sat down for a delicious and seasonally inspired meal.
Dinner begins with their fresh, homemade bread and salted butter. It is wonderful, and they are more than happy to bring you seconds and thirds. Up next, we ordered the Green Garlic Frito Twists from their "snack" section on the menu. These homemade twists are inspired by the Fritos twists in grocery stores, but so much better. They're made with just enough spice. We also enjoyed their Local Strawberry & Snap Pea Salad. This delightfully fresh summer salad was complimented by French feta, Thai basil and pistachios. Fantastic.
I enjoyed their Atlantic Fish Cakes for dinner. They were fresh and surprisingly filling. My wife ordered their Caramelized Onion Pierogis. They were served in a mushroom cream with an English pea salsa verde. You don't often see pierogis on menus, so I was happy to try one. They were excellent. A creative and delicious vegetarian option.
Sycamore also has some very tempting summery mixed drinks on their menu, along with wines and beers.
Sycamore is open for dinner only. Their menu is always changing, so give them a call or visit online to see what's cooking before you visit.
Monday, June 26, 2017
CELEBRATING THE DESSERTS AT WELLFLEET HOT-SPOT MOBY DICK'S
Monday, June 26, 2017
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| Strawberry Shortcake |
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| Key Lime Pie: Moby's signature dessert |
Wellfleet, Massachusetts
mobydicksrestaurant.com
Since I was a child vacationing on the Cape, Moby Dick's was always the first place to stop. It's where I learned to enjoy seafood. Moby's is also famous for their desserts. Particularly, their key lime pie. The pie itself is cool and refreshing. The homemade graham cracker crust is amazing. It's no wonder why their key lime pie is their signature dessert.
Eat Up New England also recommends Moby's strawberry shortcake. The whipped cream is homemade and they don't skimp on the strawberries. Moby Dick's dessert menu also has several ice creams, Moby Madness (aka a huge hot fudge sundae) and homemade blueberry crisp. Not to mention, frappes, a root beer float and an ice cold lemonade freeze. The freeze is a blend of lemonade and lemon sorbet. It will cool you off on the hottest of days.
Friday, June 23, 2017
ALL OF THE ITALIAN CLASSICS AT VITO'S RESTAURANT
Friday, June 23, 2017
Wethersfield, CT
vitosct.com
Heaping portions. Generous glasses of wine. A menu full of signature Italian dishes. Welcome to Vito's Restaurant in Wethersfield, Connecticut.
One of my favorite things about Vito's is the basket of bread at the beginning of each meal. Garlic bread sticks and knots. Customers don't go thirsty. Vito's offers a long list of wines, beer and cocktails. I enjoyed two of their red wine sangria's.
Vito's has specialized in family-style Italian dining since 1978. Their dinner menu is separated by chicken, pasta, veal, eggplant and seafood entrees. Many of them are served with a garden salad AND a side of pasta! See what I mean by family style? Guests often get enough food to bring home and they wouldn't have it any other way. With dishes like fettuccini carbonara, sausage & peppers, lobster ravioli, shrimp & scallops romano filling the menu, it was challenging to figure out what to eat. I settled on a classic: meat lasagna. It was meaty, cheesy and filling, everything a lasagna should be.
There are also several grinders, paninis and pizzas on their menu. They even have Chicago-style stuffed pizzas, which look amazingly tempting. Choose from meat, vegetable or a meat/veggie combo.
This Wethersfield location is the original Vito's restaurant, but they also have locations in Hartford and Windsor.
Saturday, June 17, 2017
FOOD TRUCKS GATHER FOR THE ANNUAL METROFEST IN FRAMINGHAM
Saturday, June 17, 2017
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| The Roving Lunch Box |
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| Salted caramel apple pie from The Roving Lunch Box |
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| Roxy's Grilled Cheese |
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| Ham & cheese from Roxy's |
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| Boston Trolley Dogs |
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| Cheese slice from StoneFire Pizza Napoletana |
MetroFest is a sure sign of summer in Framingham, and this year there was an added bonus to the festival, admission was free. Every year, businesses set up tents and live music fills the air at Bowditch Field. The food trucks are Eat Up New England's favorite part. Many Boston-area favorites were here this year including Bon Me, Trolley Dogs, Roxy's, Capriotti's and The Roving Lunch Box. I really try to pace myself so I can sample from as many trucks as possible.
I visited Roxy's Grilled Cheese for my main course. I LOVED their ham & cheese, which is stuffed with black forest ham, Grillo's pickles, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese and a secret sauce. AMAZINGLY GOOD!
Next, I happily discovered The Roving Lunchbox, which specializes in hand pies. They have a rotating selection of the flaky pies including chicken pot pie and beef empanadas. I enjoyed their vegetarian-friendly Truffle mac 'n Cheese hand pie. Don't forget about dessert. Their salted caramel apple pie is served warm and drizzled with caramel. Sooo good!
www.roxysgrilledcheese.com
www.rovinglunchbox.com
Tuesday, June 06, 2017
LOBSTER TOUR 2017: DOOGIE'S & THE CLAM DIGGER
Tuesday, June 06, 2017
The weather may be AWFUL, but we can still think summer by indulging in one of New England's mouthwatering lobster dishes. Doogies & The Clam Digger in Newington, Connecticut is known for their amazing hot dogs, but this time of the year they also sell a tasty hot lobster roll. Eat Up New England stopped by this weekend and enjoyed the large chunks of fresh lobster meat in their roll. It's served with hot butter and a side of cole slaw - all for just $14.99.
Friday, June 02, 2017
IT'S NATIONAL DOUGHNUT DAY! CELEBRATE AT HEAV'NLY DONUTS
Friday, June 02, 2017
Heav'nly Donuts is one of my favorite spots to get a nice, cakey donut in Northern Mass. and New Hampshire. Yesterday, I stopped by their Dracut location where I got a couple of chocolate frosted glazed donuts. Heavn'ly's donuts are good old-fashioned donuts. The kind that stick to your stomach. Eat Up New England wouldn't have it any other way. They also have several tasty flavored coffees like my fav, chocolate raspberry.
Today, Heav'nly Donuts is giving all of their customers a free donut with the purchase of a beverage for National Doughnut Day, so treat yourself on a Friday.
Monday, May 29, 2017
LOBSTER SEASON BEGINS AT DEAD EYE DICK'S ON BLOCK ISLAND
Monday, May 29, 2017
Dead Eye Dick's just opened for the season this past Tuesday. Learn all about them by checking out Eat Up New England's archives. I posted about them in May 2014.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
CRULLER FRENCH TOAST & MAPLE BACON DONUT'S AT LOU'S
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
30 South Main Street
Hanover, NH
www.lousrestaurant.com
Since 1947, Lou's Restaurant & Bakery has been the place to eat in Hanover, New Hampshire. It's the perfect spot for family, friends and Dartmouth College students to gather. Eat Up New England recently stopped by for breakfast on a busy Sunday and discovered some unique eats on their menu.
Lou's is jumping on Sunday mornings. There was a line to the back of the restaurant. I made the best of it by ordering one of the few remaining maple bacon donuts that was glistening in their showcase. It was around $3 and worth every penny.
The line moved fast, and soon, we were seated at the back of the house. Our server came right over and brought us our drinks. I looked over the menu and was intrigued by their Cruller French Toast. They use a sugary sweet cruller instead of bread. I ordered "The Little Green," with the cruller, bacon, scrambled eggs and home fries. The Cruller French Toast was as delicious as it sounds.
Lou's has all of the other classic breakfasts on their menu including waffles, pancakes, omelets and biscuits & gravy. Breakfast is served all day. Their lunch menu is filled with burgers, sandwiches and salads. For dessert, there are frappes and ice cream. Lou's also serves pies, with fillings that rotate in and out depending on the season.
Monday, May 08, 2017
A SWEET TREAT AT FIORELLA'S FOR A GREAT CAUSE
Monday, May 08, 2017
CLICK HERE to see the other restaurants that are participating and what desserts they are whipping up special for this event.
Thursday, May 04, 2017
END BREAST CANCER. TAKE PART IN BOSTON BAKES FOR BREAST CANCER.
Thursday, May 04, 2017
CLICK HERE to see the long list of Boston-area restaurants that are taking part.
Monday, May 01, 2017
NOSTALIGIA OVERLOAD AT THE ICONIC NEWPORT CREAMERY
Monday, May 01, 2017
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| Vermonster Waffled Grilled Cheese |
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| Super Crunchy Grilled Cheese |
There was a Newport Creamery in Mansfield, Massachusetts when I was a child. It was just about 10 minutes from home, so my parents often brought us there for an Awful Awful and a grilled cheese sandwich. The Mansfield location closed long ago, replaced by a Bertucci's, but Newport Creamery and its classic comfort food lives on in Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts.
This weekend my wife and I visited their locations in Middletown and Newport, Rhode Island. Saturday night, we pulled up to their ice cream window in Middletown. We ordered a vanilla Awful Awful. For readers who don't know, an Awful Awful is similar to a milkshake. It's made with ice cream, ice milk and syrup. Everything, the taste, right down to the Awful Awful logo on the cup, brought me back to childhood.
On Sunday, we enjoyed lunch at their Newport location. They still have an ice cream counter, just like way back when. It's wonderful how some things just freeze in time. We sat down in their dining room and ordered some of their "Good Mood Food." I marveled at some of the new items on their menu, like the Super Crunchy Grilled Cheese, a grilled cheese stuffed with mozzarella sticks. They also specialize in Waffled Grilled Cheeses. They put the bread on a waffle iron and it even tastes like maple syrup. I loved their Vermonster Waffled Grilled Cheese. It's stuffed with bacon and caramelized onions.
Two grilled cheeses with side salads for around $15. Newport Creamery is big on quality and value even after all of this time. I don't know why there were so many years in between my Newport Creamery Visits. Time has a way of melting away. But I know one thing, I'll be back soon.
www.newportcreamery.com
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