Pogo's Breakfast & Cafe

Hooray! Pogo's, formerly Pogo's II, is now back at their original location on Route 106 inside Nick & Angelo's Plaza. The new phone number is (508) 697-0008, although they never answer the phone (a machine always picks up). When Mom and I stopped by on Saturday, August 29, around 5 p.m., we heard someone shout "We're closed!" from the parking lot. Can't a person just stop by to check the hours? Speaking of which, the hours are 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. Both Mom and I can't wait to pay them a visit. I just hope that we're not yelled at again. Not fun.

<

*********

*HALIFAX LOCATION CLOSED AS OF JUNE 2009*

COMING SOON TO: 2107 Plymouth St.,

East Bridgewater, MA 02333

(formerly Scramblers Breakfast & Lunch)

*********

<

UPDATE (8/28/07): Since Mom and I were so in love with this place on our first visit, we decided to take the drive to Halifax to have another fabulous breakfast. We were not disappointed. Mom chose to have the Eggs Dublin Benny ($8.99) which consisted of two eggs covered in Hollandaise sauce sitting atop a pile of corned beef hash and an English muffin. I had the hubcap-sized blueberry cheesecake pancakes ($8) and ended up taking half of them home. They were that big. I also, thinking that I might need some protein, ordered a side of five slices of bacon ($1.99). When ten slices showed up on the plate, Mom and I were pleasantly surprised. Everything (even the coffee) was fabulously delicious, and the total came to $22.15. Our waitress, Kimmy, was excellent, and we were proud to see that Pogo's actually framed our review certificate (we send one to every place we visit). We love this place, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a unique and outstanding breakfast.

*****************

Date: 7/23/2007 at the former location (657 Monponsett St., Halifax, MA)

One of the best, if not the best, breakfasts I've had in my entire life.

Mom came across this Phantom Gourmet "Hidden Jewel" one day while cruising her favorite food Web sites. Pogos boasts that they have a very unique and delicious breakfast selection that marries ordinary morning foods like pancakes and French toast with delicious desserts such as cheesecake and tiramisu. We just had to see this for ourselves!

Although a little difficult to find (thanks, MapQuest), Pogos is right on the Halifax/Hanson line. It is definitely not on a main street, but the street that it's on (Monponsett) is just to the right of a huge Stop & Shop on Plymouth Street, and hopefully with this information you won't have the same "experiences" that we did trying to locate Pogos. When Mom and I pulled into the parking lot around 11:30 a.m., the first thing we noticed is that the outside is nothing special. Once we walked in, although it looks inviting and resembles a bigger than average country kitchen, it just didn't look like the place where you would find gourmet breakfast food.

Our waitress, Terry, showed us to a newly empty booth toward the back of the restaurant. We just loved these booths. The black pleather seats looked like something out of an old Buick. They were very roomy and comfortable. She poured coffee for my mother and chatted with her about how busy it had been earlier in the morning. She offered me hot coffee, but I decided to have an iced one instead. Terry went off to retrieve my iced coffee, but quickly returned with two menus that were encased in three-ring binders. The Phantom Gourmet logo is on the front, as is the mention about their "Hidden Jewel" status.

The menu is very extensive. All the pages are kept safe and clean in page protectors, and the first printed page you will see is the history, or in this case herstory, of Pogos. When we got to the descriptions of the dishes, it was like nothing we'd ever seen before. One of the first dishes I read about was the blueberry cheescake pancakes. They are made with real blueberries and fresh cheesecake pieces. Sounds delicious! They also have pumpkin n' spice, pina colada, chocolate chip, banana nut, and many other pancake variations. The little notation above the different choices brags that the pancakes are "as big as hubcaps," although you can always order a short stack just in case hubcaps are too much for you. There is also a note that they can top your pancakes with some added fruit or nuts - whatever you choose. They also have tiramisu French toast, specialty waffles, French toast made with Portuguese sweet bread, and many assortments of eggs Benedict, which is rare in itself as most places only serve one version. There is a children's menu available, and a large selection of omelets with names like The Greek Goddess (Greek style) and The Portuguese Princess (made with chourico or linguica). If you can think of it, they'll make an omelet out of it just for you. Pogos is also famous for their corned beef hash, and this tasty favorite can also be made into an omelet with a side of some of their specialty breads like the chocolate, banana, or pumpkin - all made on the premises. They have the standard one, two, and three egg dishes served with your choice of meats (bacon, maple sausage, linguica, chourico, etc.), home fries, and toasts. They have specials ranging from $5.99-7.99, and they also have a small stand at the entrance that has baskets filled with homemade muffins, pies, and other goodies for sale. Although they are only open until 2 p.m., Pogos does serve lunch. However, we were here for the main event - breakfast.

When Terry returned to our table to take our order, I reminded her that she never brought me my iced coffee. She laughed and told me that she did pour it, but had misplaced it and promised to track it down right away. Mom went with the deliciously described tiramisu French toast ($8) while I chose the pumpkin n' spice pancakes short stack ($3.99). Terry left the table but quickly returned with my iced coffee, which was very tasty as was Mom's hot version.

The interior is very cute. There are hanging country plates, flowered curtains, painted yellow walls, and a long wooden bar with many stools where you could watch the two overhead TV sets. There are a handful of booths, but they were outnumbered by the tables that were set up in the middle of the dining area. There were no tablecloths, but the tables were decorated with the standard place mat with local area businesses. The servers seemed very friendly and there was a very young busboy that was lightening-fast when cleaning up after a table had cleared. Everything was very neat, clean, and cozy.

It did not take very long for our food to arrive, but when it did, Mom and I could not stop smiling. Mom's tiramisu French toast looked like a specialty dessert in a gourmet magazine. Served on an adorable square plate, the dish was made up of four slices of chocolate bread that had been transformed into French toast. Mom said that the bread had a distinct brownie taste. Sandwiched between each slice was a layer of Mascarpone cheese with chocolate syrup drizzled over the top. Little swirls of real whipped cream, mini chocolate chips, a whole strawberry, and kiwi pieces topped the dish. A masterpiece, and the best part was, it tasted just as good as it looked - amazing.

You could smell my pumpkin n' spice pancakes before they arrived at the table. There were three thick pancakes topped with a dollop of real whipped cream and butter. Once I stacked them all on top of each other, I dug in. Absolutely fabulous. The inside was moist and filled with the delicious pumpkin flavor. They were served hot, but even temperature couldn't stop me from devouring my breakfast. It was out of this world.

It is said on the Internet that almost everyone leaves Pogos with a Styrofoam box for their leftovers, but not us. There were only a few small bites that we unfortunately had to leave behind as Mom and I were full to the brim with our heavenly meals. Terry came back over to leave the bill - a whopping $14.81. I did not see one thing on their menu that was over $10, including the omelets. Where else can you get five pieces of maple sausage for $1.99? Here is the bill rundown:

(2) Pancakes - $2.99

Add topping - 1.00

Pumpkin/spice - 0.00

Tiramisu - 8.00

2x - 1.25

#1 coffee/tea - 2.50

Taxable - $12.24

Tax 5% - .61

TOTAL = $14.81

*Hmm ... I just noticed that this doesn't add up. She did have another dish that we didn't order added onto our receipt, but she scratched that out and hand wrote $14.81. Oh well ...

I left $18 for Terry and the bill (including 20% tip). She was an excellent waitress and told us of how much she enjoys the pumpkin n' spice pancakes. She even mentioned that the chef made her a special pumpkin n' spice waffle once and it was such a hit that they put it on their "specials" menu. Mom and I left and vowed to return to our new favorite breakfast place. This is certainly more than a "Hidden Jewel," it is a hidden treasure.

Pogos II is open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. We were lucky to get in and seated right away, as we've heard that on weekends the end of the line is found out in the parking lot.

Bite of the Week - Weight Watchers Candy (Ice Cream) Bar

One of our most popular Bites of the Week was the Weight Watchers Giant Latte Bars, featured in February of this year. I received a lot of feedback on that bar and various other Weight Watchers ice cream products. Since then, Mom and I have tried several of their frozen treats, but were very excited when we spotted a new one - an ice cream candy bar. "The best of both worlds," we exclaimed. We couldn't wait to try it.

THE VERDICT: Excellent! The portion was actually a good size, which is usually not expected from a "diet" product. Speaking of diets, if you're following the Weight Watchers plan, this particular bar is only three points. The frozen candy bar had a great chocolate coating and a light caramel stripe, which gave the ice cream a nougat-like texture - just like biting into a real candy bar. The added peanuts helped to bring out the flavor of the low-fat peanut butter ice cream. Honestly, these bars didn't last too long at my house. They were too delicious!

Minerva's III Pizzeria

1447 No. Main St.

Fall River, MA 02720

(508) 675-9300

We love our fans! After reading a recent comment from Karen on where to get good pizza in the city, both Mom and I were in the mood to have some. Karen suggested Minerva's III, which was a frequent favorite of my former co-workers when I was employed just a block away. I had never ordered anything from there personally, but I saw many a happy face ooh and ahh over their delicious-looking lunches in the break room. Now I knew that Minerva's delivered, but I wasn't sure if we were too far out of their area. Alas, we were, so I had to pick up the pies. Because we didn't have a menu, we just went with our gut and ordered a large linguica and a large extra cheese. I placed the order with a polite gentleman at 6:45 p.m., and was told that the pies would be ready in 15 minutes. Knowing that the on-ramp to Route 79 was just down the street, I patiently waited for a whole nine minutes before taking the six minute ride to Minerva's III, courtesy of the Brightman Street off-ramp. I arrived at 7 p.m.



Minerva's III is located inside of a small neighborhood plaza. Unfortunately, due to the place being quite busy, I was unable to get a photo of the interior. However, it is pretty much what you'd expect from a tiny pizza parlor - booths on each side of the restaurant, a TV perched in one of the corners, and a large ordering window for customers in the center. That's about it! Small and clean - you really can't ask for anything else. No wonder the local crowd is always happy to be there!


<
I approached the counter and asked the young man working at the counter for my order. He didn't give me a confirmation number over the phone, or even ask for my name, so I just described my two pizzas to him. They were waiting for me on top of the large oven, which left them wonderfully hot. My total came to:
<

1 cheese pizza - $8.95

1 extra cheese topping - 2.50

1 one-topping pizza (linguica) - 9.95

Tax - 1.34

TOTAL = $22.74

<

As I was waiting for my change, I grabbed a take-out menu from the stack on the counter. When the young man handed me the pizzas, I started to leave but soon realized that I could not open the door with two pizza boxes in my hand. Luckily, an older gentleman wearing a Minerva's shirt came to my rescue and opened the door for me. He also walked me to my car, parked right outside in the plaza parking lot, and chatted with me for a few minutes because he thought our SUVs looked similar. After some local kids on bikes came by to give the popular man a hug, I took the highway back home with the aroma of hot pizzas filling up my Kia. I was in heaven!

<

We called for Dad, who was watching TV in the other room, and dinner had begun. We tried the cheese pizza first. Now we always say that the best thing to do when trying a new pizza place is to order a plain cheese. If they can master some dough with sauce and cheese on it, they can pretty much do anything. Well, this pizza was a LOT better than we expected. We knew that it looked good, and smelled good, but the taste was outstanding. This was definitely homemade. The crust was sturdy and crisp, yet deliciously chewy inside. The sauce had a slightly sweet taste, while the cheese was real. There's nothing Dad hates worse on a pizza than "fake" cheese (i.e., the stringy stuff on crappy chain pizzas), but this cheese was fresh and melted beautifully over the pie. We had ordered an extra cheese, and they were very generous with this extra topping. The pizza cut perfectly and was gone in a flash. It even reheated well when I had some the next day. That almost never happens!

<

The linguica pizza had all the attributes of the cheese, but was topped with thin slices of the Portuguese sausage. Because the pieces of meat were sliced thin, they had a slight crisp to them. The taste of the linguica also gave the cheese an extra spicy kick. This was another excellent pie that we would order again in a heartbeat. Even Dad was pleased, and he's been quite fussy these days.
<

Minerva's III has a great menu with prices to match. Pizzas range from $4.95-13.95, and include gourmet flavors such as Greek, meatlovers, steak arrabbiata, and chicken Florentine. There is also a light pizza made with vegetables and low-fat cheese. If you're feeling really hungry, or want to be the most popular person in your office, pick up a 20" monster pizza for $13.95 ($3.50 for each topping and $5 for extra cheese). Grinders range from $4.50-6.75 and include eggplant parmesan, Italian, pepper and egg, chourico and chip, Willow Tree chicken salad, buffalo chicken, and gyro. You can also have a gyro plate for $6.50 that comes with fries and salad. Appetizers include onion rings ($2.50), fries ($2), mozzarella sticks ($4.95), and a jumbo combo featuring chicken fingers, wings, mozzarella sticks, and fries served with your choice of sauce for $6.75. Pasta plates include chourico ($6.25), eggplant ($6.25), meatballs and sausage ($7.25), and chicken ($6.25). Salads include Greek ($5.50), buffalo chicken ($5.95), grilled chicken and feta ($6.95), and antipasto ($5.95). You also also order a freshly baked calzone for the same price as a small pizza with your choice of topping. Credit cards are accepted at Minerva's III.

<

There are Minerva's Pizzeria's all over this area. We've found a Minerva's II in Somerset, which is bar and grill, but we still don't know where the original Minerva's is. Oh well, we're very, very happy with number three, and we look forward to many more visits to this popular pizza place. Thanks for the suggestion, Karen. Keep 'em coming!

<

Minerva's II Pizzeria is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Bite of the Week - Pepperidge Farm Swirl Bread

Every Sunday, Mom usually buys something special for breakfast. By special, I mean that she buys pastries, croissants, bagels, donuts, or muffins - anything breakfast-like that we don't normally have in the house aside from cereal, yogurt, and frozen waffles. Since we've gotten to the point where we've had everything over and over again, it's become hard to choose something that will excite us. However, once Mom spotted the Pepperidge Farm Swirl Bread, her enthusiasm over Sunday breakfast resumed. Although we've had several versions of the swirl bread before, it's been a while, so we were really looking forward to having some for breakfast the next morning.

<

THE VERDICT: Delicious! In fact, none of Pepperidge Farm products have ever let us down. This particular bread - brown cinnamon sugar - is sliced on the thick side and contains a heavy swirl of flavor. This bread is not your average slice of white; it is a breakfast bread which goes great with a cup of cocoa or coffee. It really doesn't need anything other than a small pat of butter on each slice - the cinnamon taste stands alone. This is definitely a product that we will continue to buy and look forward to having on Sunday mornings - or any morning for that matter!

Gail's Goodies & More

58 Fairhaven Road

Route 6

Mattapoisett, MA 02739

(508) 758-3900

www.gailsgoodiesandmore.com

Mom and I love taking a drive up scenic Route 6 to the Cape when the summertime weather is at its best. Today was one of those days. The sun was shining, the air was breezy - it was awesome. The only thing that we could think of to improve our drive was a box of pastry. Of course, now that we've become food snobs, we can't just eat any old Dunkin' Donut or stale party cookie from Stop & Shop. We have to have fresh, homemade pastries. Luckily for us, we found those things at Gail's Goodies & More, located right on Route 6. We pulled into the gravel parking area at 4:20 p.m.

Congrats on your first anniversary!

Check out the 3D cupcakes popping off the sign. LOVE IT!

We'd never been to Gail's before, but when we stepped inside the small bakery, we knew what we were in for - homemade goodies! The entire waiting area was filled with the aroma of freshly baked cookies and just brewed coffee. A small cooler filled with assorted meat pies and casseroles stood next to a metal rack which held a variety of bagged cookies and breads. At the center of the store were two large display cases which featured all of Gail's Goodies. There were tarts, brownies, turnovers, cupcakes, muffins, danish, cream horns, and a few other things. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a good picture of the cases because the girl that was waiting on us was standing right behind them. At least I was able to get a shot of the adorable purple decor.

<

Both Mom and I - after seeing the desserts - had no idea what we wanted to buy. At first we were a little disappointed that Gail's didn't have more items available, however, we realized that it was an hour and a half before closing time, and since everything is made fresh, we were pretty sure that whatever was out was whatever that was left over from a busy day of feeding hungry customers. When we finally decided what we wanted, the friendly cashier proceeded to fulfill our request. We chose an apple square ($1.75), a bag of six chocolate chip cookies ($3.50), and a cream cheese brownie. Our total came to $7.22. Before leaving, we took a business card with us and took it home so that we could check out their Web site. After reading the site, we realized that they serve many flavors of pies (apple, blueberry, pumpkin, Boston cream, strawberry, cherry, chocolate cream, lemon meringue, and key lime), breads (whole wheat, French baguettes, traditional white, multi grain, and ciabatta), and ciabatta stuffers (French meat pie, chicken and broccoli, vegetarian, buffalo chicken, and fillet of fish). Gail's also creates wedding, birthday, and party cakes for any occasion.

<

After leaving Gail's, we headed down Route 6, picked up a couple of drinks, and parked the car in Bourne at the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge. As Mom and I tried to figure out how the trains get from one side to the other (the top part lowers down - duh), our yummy treasures started calling our names. Naturally, we grabbed the bag and dug in, and took whatever was left home with us to have the next day ... or later in the evening.


The chocolate chip cookies were excellent. They had a great homemade taste and shape (kinda squarish). The large cookies were crisp on the outside, yet moist and chewy on the inside. The chocolate chips had even melted a little, making it perfectly ooey-gooey. They would be excellent paired with a cold glass of milk.

Both Mom and I could actually taste the cream cheese in this cream cheese brownie. It broke up the density of the batter and made the texture more like soft cake than a fudgy brownie. The flavor was deep and rich without being too chocolaty.

This apple square turned out to be one of our new favorites! It was a lot more moist than we thought it would be, which was probably due to the fresh, real apples scattered throughout the square. The top crust had a nice glaze to it, and we almost felt like we were eating a fresh piece of apple cake rather than an individual pastry. We definitely look forward to trying the other flavors.

According to their sign, Gail's Goodies & More has been in business for one year. Both Mom and I hope that they stick around for many more, and we'd love to go back and try some of their other desserts and pastries. We'll be sure and visit in the morning the next time. You know what they say, the early bird catches the ... pastry?

<

Gail's Goodies & More is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday. They are open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, and they are closed on Wednesday.

Mike's Kitchen

170 Randall St.

Cranston, RI 02920

(401) 946-5320

I can't believe it! Mom and I, at long last, went to Mike's Kitchen after years of reading about its tremendous appeal on the Internet. I think the thing that finally got us to check this place out was when we read Michael and Jane Stern's review in their new book - 500 Things To Eat Before It's Too Late: and the Very Best Places To Eat Them. Mom and I have been using that book as a guide on where to eat in New England, and Mike's Kitchen - located inside of a VFW hall - topped the Sterns' Rhode Island list for authentic Italian food. On a whim, we decided to call and see if it was open as they have weird hours because of all the different functions that the VFW hall has. To our surprise, they were open until 3 p.m. We quickly got into the car and took the drive to Cranston, arriving at Mike's Kitchen at around 1:30 p.m.

A small sign is the only distinguishing mark of Mike's existence!
<

Definitely call to verify the hours ... just in case.

<

Once inside, Mom and I discovered that what we thought was a tiny room with a few long cafeteria-style tables was actually a very cute restaurant! A bit on the old-fashioned side, but we love that. Different awards and banners were scattered along the wood paneled walls, and a large board listing their daily entrees and specials was hung at the front of the restaurant next to the bar which serves beer, wine, and mixed drinks. The crowd was definitely made up of "regulars", and an added feature was that we could sit anywhere we liked (Mom loves that). We chose a table at the corner for ample picture-taking room and were soon greeted by a waitress who handed us two plastic-covered menus. She also reminded us to take a look at the large board for more options, and left us with a small basket of sliced bread with butter.

<

A second waitress came to our table to take our drink order - two Diet Pepsis - which arrived in paper cups. Someone else came by and gave us two plastic glasses filled with water, which you don't really see anymore. We had to pay for the sodas in advance ($3 total), and were told that the money goes to the veterans. No problem. After a few minutes had gone by, we were greeted by a third waitress. My goodness! It wasn't that busy, so I don't know why the waitresses kept changing, but that kind of stuff doesn't bother us. We're just there for the food! Mom and I were still narrowing down our choices, so we asked for an extra minute. When waitress number three returned, we were ready to order. We both ordered entrees off of the board. Mom chose the chicken parmigiana with spaghetti ($10.95), and I chose the tortellini alfredo ($11.95). The waitress asked me if I wanted peas, so I said yes. At this point, I wasn't sure if the peas were going in the alfredo sauce or if they were just arriving as a side dish. She took the menus away as Mom and I snacked on the bread, which was very chewy and delicious like most Italian breads are. We also sipped our soda and water, which had that funky Rhode Island taste. If you live in the area, you know exactly what I'm talking about - that oddly metallic twang. It really isn't pleasant, but the only way to avoid it is to provide bottled water/soda, and that can get expensive.


While we were waiting, Mom and I noticed a sign that informed patrons that Mike's Kitchen does not accept credit cards. Very old school, but that could pose a problem for some people so make sure you come prepared with cash. Michael Stern described Mike's Kitchen as "a great seafood restaurant with a Rhode Island/Italian accent." Mom confirmed this when she told me that some of the menu items are very typical of an authentic Italian menu, and it's nice to know that Mike's incorporates local ingredients into their cuisine. Appetizers include antipasto ($7.95), snail salad ($10.95), clams zuppa ($8.95), fried squid ($9.95), and Italian ham, provolone, olives, tomatoes, and pepperoncinis ($7.95). Entrees include eggplant parmigiana ($9.95), veal cutlet ($13.50), Chicken a'la Mike ($14.95) which is their version of chicken cordon bleu, and shrimp scampi ($14.95). Pasta dishes include linguine aglio ($7.95) which is topped with garlic and oil, cheese ravioli ($8.95), and pasta with tuna ($10.95), squid ($13.95), clams ($11.95), shrimp ($14.95), and clams and shrimp ($14.95). Sandwiches include Italian ham ($7.50), veal and mushrooms ($7.95), sausage and peppers ($6.95), and steak ($8.95-9.95). They also serve Italian favorites - not really found anywhere I've ever seen - like tripe ($11.95), veal and mushrooms ($10.95), sausage and potato ($8.95), squid with tomato sauce ($12.95), sauteed squid ($12.95), polenta ($6.95-8.95), and a combination plate with eggplant, meatballs, sausage, and peppers ($9.95). Desserts include a nut roll ($2.50), spumoni ($2.95), and Bon Bons ($1.50 each)! Who serves Bon Bons anymore? That cracked me up. Please note that these foods were listed on their menu. There was much, much more listed on their large board, including a whole artichoke for an appetizer ($10.95), and several dishes that included rabe, pork chops, and sole. A very, very different menu from the Italian places that Mom and I are used to.

I couldn't get too close because of the large group sitting in front!

<
When our food arrived, brought to us by yet another waitress, both Mom and I were surprised at how quickly we were served. Both plates looked great and were very large, and I finally realized that the mystery peas were placed on top of my pasta dish. Mom's plate was 90 percent covered by her piece of chicken, which was a huge breast that had been pounded flat, was nicely breaded, and topped by a delicious parmigiana cheese and fresh, homemade sauce. Mom said that the chicken was definitely the star of the dish. The coating was crisp, and the chicken inside was white and tender. Underneath the chicken was a good portion of al dente spaghetti which was also covered in that tasty sauce. Mom informed me that this particular dish was now on her list of favorite chicken parmigianas. While there, she ate as much as she could, but ended up bringing home a large piece for Dad who devoured and thoroughly enjoyed it.
<

Yes, that is one piece of chicken.

<
My tortellini alfredo was excellent. Before digging in, I decided to sprinkle on some red pepper flakes that were available on every table. The bowl/plate that the dish came in was filled with tortellinis that had been stuffed with a tasty cheese. The alfredo sauce was warm, creamy, and tasted homemade. I wonder if Mike's makes their tortellini from scratch because I've found that most places don't fill the pasta that much. This dish did not disappoint and I finished every bit of it, but boy was I full. I'm definitely looking forward to trying a meat entree, because after tasting Mom's chicken, I am confident that Mike's knows what they're doing when it comes to good food.


After waiting for a while, we were finally able to get the attention of one of the waitresses who offered us coffee or dessert. When we turned her down, she returned with the bill and a take-out menu which we had asked for. The total came to:
<

Chicken parmigiana - $10.95

Tortellini alfredo - 11.95

Subtotal - $22.90

Tax - 1.85

TOTAL = $24.75

<
Not bad for two huge meals. Mike's Kitchen definitely does not skimp on the portions. We left $30 on the table which included a 20% tip, but we still weren't sure which waitress was going to be the receiver. Since Mom and I had a movie to catch, we decided to use the restroom at Mike's to cut down on time. We both found it to be clean and neat.
<
Once again, a big thank you goes out to Michael and Jane Stern - and the many Internet fans - for recommending Mike's Kitchen. If you're looking for an old-fashioned, home cooked Italian meal with a Rhode Island kick, there's no better place to go.
<
Please see the above photo for restaurant hours, and again, please call before visiting to verify these times. No one likes to drive for nothing - especially while hungry!

Provender

3883 Main Road

Tiverton, RI 02878
(401) 624-8084

<

Thanks to the rave reviews from the guys at Jesse James Antiques in Bristol, RI, Mom and I have been hooked on the sandwiches and cookies at Provender for the last month. We had been driving by this restaurant for years as it is located diagonally from the immensely popular Gray’s Ice Cream at Tiverton Four Corners. I have been trying to get a review on each of my visits, but due to Provender being extremely crowded, there was no way that I could sneak a photograph without being seen. To my surprise, I was finally able to get something on today’s visit. I pulled into the back parking area at around 1:30 p.m., and happily watched a guy slip in the dirt as he tried to beat me to the door. That’s what you get for trying to cut me off!

The inside of Provender is quite adorable, however, I wasn’t able to get a shot of the delicious baked goods or the ordering window as the lunchtime yuppy crowd couldn’t seem to get out of the way. You know the type – they like to be seen and heard – and they don’t care if you’re trying to order a sandwich or perform CPR on someone. Just don’t interrupt their ridiculous stories of self-indulgence and posh living. Once I made my way through the crowd, I found myself at the sandwich window. Now, the thing about getting sandwiches at Provender is that you have to order at the back window, pay for them at the front cash register, and then bring the receipt back to the window when your number is called. A lot of walking around, and I don’t mind the exercise except for the fact that I always have to walk through a sea of people on each trip. A little annoying, but the sandwiches are well worth it.

The sandwiches deserve a paragraph all to themselves. There isn’t much on the Internet about Provender aside from a couple of positive reviews, but their nine specialty sandwiches are made up of ingredients one would never see at Subway or your local grinder shop. Although expensive – $7.90 for a full sandwich and $3.95 for half – to charge any less would be a shame because the sandwiches are very large and made with fresh meats, cheeses, vegetables, and pricey spreads like hummus and mango chutney. The list of sandwiches is handwritten on a chalkboard conveniently located right by the ordering window, and luckily for me, the pretentious kid that was wiping the letters off the board on one of my last visits decided to stay home. The signature sandwiches – available on a few different types of bread – are as follows:

Scarlet Letter – Turkey, cranberry sauce, tarragon mayonnaise, and alfalfa sprouts.

Brideshead Revisited – Roast beef, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and horseradish mayonnaise.

Freudian Slip – Black forest ham, honeycup mustard, garlic and herb cheese, and spinach.

Doctor Bombay – Curried chicken salad, mango chutney, and lettuce.

Mama Mia – Turkey, roasted red peppers, provolone cheese, roasted garlic and basil mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Queen of Hearts – Tuna with black olive tapanade and artichoke hearts, lemon mint hummus, red onion, and lettuce.

Piggly Wiggly – Black forest ham and Swiss cheese with your choice of condiments.

Great Garbonzo – Spicy orange hummus (contains peanut butter), lettuce, spinach, red onions, cucumbers, alfalfa sprouts, and tomato.

Howdy Doody – Peanut butter and jam with gummy bears.

I was greeted by a friendly girl who took my sandwich order. Now, I’ve only had two sandwiches here so far – Scarlet Letter and Doctor Bombay. Both sandwiches were some of the best I’ve ever eaten, but after reading a great story on the Internet about someone happily reacquainting himself with a Scarlet Letter after being out of the area for 20 years, I decided that this would be my feature sandwich. For Mom, who is not a fan of some of the ingredients in Provender’s specialty sandwiches, I custom-ordered one with ham, turkey, and provolone cheese. She has had a Piggly Wiggly in the past, but had the honeycup mustard as one of her condiments and found that it was way too hot to have been layered on so thick. For both sandwiches, I chose a seven-grain bread which I think they make right on the premises. I took my receipt (I was number 81), and headed for the cash register. While I was there, I ordered two of their splendid cookies – the butterscotch chip and the cowboy ($1.95 plus tax). My total came to $20.20. See what I mean? That’s quite an expensive lunch. I’ll probably have to stop coming here as my unemployment check only stretches so far, but when I get extra money, Provender is definitely one of the places I’d like to spend it in.

My cookies and I had a seat at one of the few tables at the front of the restaurant. There are also several benches located on the outside porch where you can have your lunch while watching the traffic pass by. Inside, the light blue wall color and bright, clean décor sort of gives Provender a beachy vibe. Right next to me was a shelf with a lot of different “things to do in Rhode Island” type pamphlets. Also next to me was a large drink cooler and the deli case containing all the meats and cheeses waiting to be sliced. I wasn’t getting drinks here, but in the past I did order an iced coffee which was quite a sight because the ice cubes were not ice at all – they were cubes of frozen coffee! I love this idea because, when the cubes melt, they won’t water down your drink. Love it! Like I said, you pay a lot, but you get a lot. I still wish that I could have taken a picture of the dessert area. All of the homemade cookies are kept in glass containers, and there are several trays of small bundt cakes, brownies, muffins, candy, and other delicious items scattered across the counter that really make your mouth water. Mom and I have only tried the cookies (chocolate espresso, ginger snap, peanut butter chocolate chip, chocolate chip, and oatmeal ginger), but boy were they outstanding. So fresh, so rich, and so chock full of chocolate, fruit, and to our surprise, nuts! I’m glad that Provender isn’t afraid to use nuts in their cookies (with a warning on the jars – just in case). Just because some people unfortunately have food allergies doesn’t mean that everyone has to suffer!

After my number was called, I grabbed my bag and headed out to the car. I put all of the food into my freezer bag because it was around 90 degrees and I had to drive them all the way back to Fall River. I didn’t spend over $20 only to have the mayonnaise curdle on the way home. When I got home and removed the perfectly preserved sandwiches and cookies from the cooler, Mom and I dug in. Boy, what a difference quality makes! Even though most would have considered Mom’s custom sandwich to be on the plain side, she found it to be fantastic. The two deli meats and the provolone cheese were cool, fresh, and tasty, while the bread itself had a nice chew to it yet stayed very soft. Mom agrees that you really get your money’s worth with a Provender sandwich. She knows a lot of people – not herself, of course – that would be satisfied with just one half. Bottom line, Mom wouldn’t feel cheated paying $7.90 for something so delicious.

My Scarlet Letter tasted just as good as I remember. The turkey was lean, the cranberry sauce was more sweet than bitter, and the alfalfa sprouts gave the sandwich a slight crunch. Also, the tarragon mayonnaise – although spooned on a little heavily – had a great creamy texture. The sandwich could have been horribly messy if not for the strong bread keeping it altogether. Not a drop of anything escaped, and – like Mom’s sandwich – mine could have also been shared ... but wasn’t. It was delicious and I can see why the gentleman who wrote the Internet review has remembered it fondly over the years. I’m not even that big a fan of cranberry sauce, but in the Scarlet Letter, it works perfectly.


Like before, our two cookies were Heavenly. The butterscotch chip has become our new favorite. It has a lightly sugared top and is filled with sweet butterscotch chips and nuts. The cowboy is a concoction of several different ingredients like chocolate, fruit, oats, and nuts. They were both excellent.

Butterscotch Chip

Cowboy

The only complaint that Mom and I have – aside from the sometimes annoying crowd inside – is that Provender tends to overdo it with their sauces and condiments. We don’t want to lose the taste of the meats and vegetables, so perhaps they could ease up on the dressings. Other than that, we can’t think of a reason for anyone not to visit Provender, whether for lunch or just one of their huge cookies. It is definitely worth the drive and the money, and we can see why it is such a favorite with locals.

Provender is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Bite of the Week - Kemp's Frozen Yogurt Parfait

Every Saturday night, after a long day of shopping, Mom, Dad, and I usually "reward" ourselves with a pint of ice cream. We've been having pints of ice cream on Saturday nights for years, but now that I'm trying to change my eating habits, I've been opting out of the weekly pint regiment. I'll admit, sometimes I slip up and get one, but I always try my best to go without. A few months ago, Mom and I discovered these tiny frozen yogurt parfaits by Kemp's located right next to the ice cream pints. Although it did have a lot of sugar, it was much smaller than a pint and had a very low fat content. This could be the answer to all my prayers! A smaller, lower-calorie frozen treat to eat on Saturday nights. Over the past few weeks, I've gotten to try a lot of the flavors and my favorite - for now - is the white chocolate raspberry. Tonight, after a long day of healthy(ish) eating, I decided to reward myself with a cup.

THE VERDICT: Awesome. It's small, tasty, and low in fat. This particular cup consists of a tangy, creamy raspberry yogurt topped with a layer of tiny white chocolate pieces. I like to mix in the white chocolate so that I can get the flavor of it with every spoonful. It really is delicious, and the other flavors - some of which include real fruit - are really good as well. When you're trying to change your eating habits, it's good to take baby steps. I'm glad that I've found something to eat that's just as delicious as a pint of ice cream, but won't ruin a long day of diet and exercise. Hooray for Kemp's!

Bova's Bakery

134 Salem St.

Boston, MA 02113

(617) 523-5601

www.northendboston.com/bovabakery

I don't even know where to begin. I guess I'll just start at the beginning ...

Mom and I are slowly becoming hardcore foodies, meaning we like to eat, try different foods, and drive to new and exciting places. On a recent quest to find the best cream pastries, Mom came across a Web site advertising all the lovely restaurants and bakeries in the North End of Boston. One of the bakeries was Bova's. Of course, since we're not anywhere near Boston, we'd never heard of it. However, after about a month of staring at the Web page and after using one of the pictures of the pastry cases as her computer's wallpaper, Mom was adamant that we pay a visit. I, on the other hand, was a little nervous about it. Not about the cream pastries, believe me, but about everything else. The drive. The location. The parking. The price. I was acting like an old lady, but being a foodie is hard work, so I sucked it up and got in the car. The drive couldn't have been better! There were no traffic issues, it was very easy to find (took us about approx. 45 minutes to get there), and I was able to score a parking space right across the street. Both Mom and I knew that this would probably never happen again, so we took lots of pictures and entered the bakery at just about 4:45 p.m.


First of all, the location was amazing. It is located right in the heart of Boston's North End, which Mom and I had never seen before. After we'd gotten off the highway, all we did is ooh and ahh at all the old buildings, little shops, and Italian restaurants and delis complete with sausages hanging in the window to give it that authentic feel. There was even a street fair for a local church that reminded us of the scene in The Godfather II where Don Fanucci strolls around in his white suit and fedora. We even read that Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock once strolled these streets. What a historic area! Once inside the bakery, which had both doors wide open allowing the smell of the baked goods and amaretto to persuade people off the street to come inside and buy something, we were in pastry Heaven. Mom usually spins in every bakery she enters because she tries to see everything at once, but today, I was spinning, too.


We didn't know where to look first. There was a large case of real cream pastries to the left, a large case of Italian cookies and breakfast-type goodies to the right, a few large shelves of freshly baked bread, a cooler filled with cupcakes and whole cakes, and a sandwich area with freshly made sandwiches and humongous Italian rice balls (arancini). They also had a standing case with several beautiful cakes, and a beverage cooler toward the back of the bakery so that people could grab a drink to wash down all the wonderful food. As we were staring at everything with our mouths open, we heard one of Bova employees tell a customer that if the breads are not used, they get thrown away. Obviously freshness comes first at this bakery. Something else that is important to Bova's Bakery is accessibility, and because of that, Bova's is open 24 hours a day! Do you know of any other bakery that is open at 3 a.m.? I don't.

Some of the sandwiches and calzones made with freshly baked bread.

(note the large rice balls in the back)

<

Honestly, there was so much going on inside Bova's and there were so many people ordering food that I'm sure we didn't get to see every single item. However, we did see lemon squares, mousse cups, cupcakes, cookies, tiramisu, whoopie pies, cream puffs, turnovers, Neopolitans, cannolis with all different fillings, eclairs, jelly rolls, rum cakes, lobster tails, sfogliatelle, Sicilian pizza slices, calzones, salads, party subs, chocolate covered strawberries, fruit tarts, individual pieces of cake, and too many other things to name. Mom and I had a hard time choosing what we wanted, so when we were finally able to order, we just chose anything that was close to us plus their two famous pastries - the lobster tail and the sfogliatelle. What we liked about Bova's Bakery was that almost every pastry came in a mini size, which is awesome when you're going to order a large amount because it lets you try a lot of different things for less money.
<

Some covered trays of cookies.

<
The girl behind the counter was very helpful and patient with us because, like everyone else, we didn't know the names of the pastries so we just kept saying things like "that one," "this one," and "those things." We finally narrowed down our choices to two mini cream puffs, two mini lobster tails, two mini sfogliatelle, four mini cannolis (with four different fillings), a lemon square, a rum cake, and a circle bread that looked like a toilet seat. Our total came to $29.75. Wow! Not cheap, but hey, when are we here? Plus, you can't complain when what you're paying for is a quality item. I don't know what each particular pastry costs, but when I saw the numbers being plugged into the cash register, I noticed that a lot of things were over $2. Mom and I walked back to the car with our purchases, which came in clear, plastic trays, and put them into our trusty freezer bag. After taking a short ride around to see more of Boston's beautiful streets, we got back on the highway and headed for home.
<

Some friendly faces that kids just love ... to eat!

<

When we got back home, we decided to head to Colt State Park in Bristol, RI, to hang out and finally try some of these pastries. We couldn't wait anymore! After taking pictures of everything, we decided to try the lobster tail and sfogliatelle first. I grabbed a tail while Mom grabbed a sfogliatelle. Afterwards, we switched and had the opposite. Mom had been dying to try the sfogliatelle because she'd heard so much about it. She knew that it was a thinly multi-layered pastry which had a custard cream inside each of the layers. What she didn't expect - and neither did I, for that matter - was the crispy/chewy crunch. Our jaws really got a workout eating these, because once the thin layers broke away, we were left with dense, chewy pastry. The taste, however, was fantastic. The custard was cool, creamy, and had a great flavor. Mom was very glad that she finally got to try one from a real Italian bakery. The lobster tail was spectacular. It had a similar crisp exterior to the sfogliatelle, but was much easier to chew. It was filled with a delicious real cream that was extremely fresh, and we were happy to have a mini size as there was no way we could have eaten a whole one ourselves (although we'd like to take that challenge right now). The lobster tails were - by far - our favorite pastry of the day.
<

Mini sfogliatelle, lobster tails, and a rum cake.

<

Later in the day, we had the rum cake, and the next day we (and Dad) had the cannolis, cream puffs, and lemon square. At first I thought the rum cake had gotten ruined because it was so wet and sticky. However, Mom informed me that is what a real rum cake is supposed to be. The cakes are usually drenched with rum after they have been baked. You could get drunk on this cake! It was very flavorful, but we both wish it wasn't so wet. The lemon square was large and had a thick lemon filling, which is nice because sometimes there is more crust than filling. The crust was light and flaky, and the filling was cool, tangy, and had a great tart lemon flavor. The cream puffs were great! They had the same real cream inside as the lobster tail, but they had the puff pastry exterior that most cream puffs have. They were light, sweet, and the perfect size. The cannolis came in four flavors - ricotta, ricotta with chocolate chips, and chocolate and vanilla pudding. The pudding cannolis are something that we had never seen before. All of them had a really great cannoli shell, and we thought that all the fillings were fresh and delicious.

<

Mini cream puffs, cannolis, and a lemon square.

<

Onto the bread. Now, looking back, we shouldn't have thrown the bread into our freezer bag. Italian breads are notoriously hard, and freezing it didn't help. Even after it had been thawed for a day, the exterior was rock hard. We cut it anyway, sliced it up with butter, and enjoyed its great taste. However, it was really too hard to enjoy. On our next visit, we will just bring one home in a plain bag - no ice!

<

Circle bread!

<

All in all, our visit to Bova's Bakery was amazing. From the delicious pastries, to checking out the old-world style buildings and cobbledstoned streets, Mom and I really did have a great time on our mini-trip to Boston. Mom just loves walking where famous people walked years before, and she's already talking about coming back and visiting one of the many nearby Italian restaurants and delis for another delicious review. We really can't wait to go back.

<

Bova's Bakery is open all day - every day. That means you can go right now. What are you waiting for?