JUST LIKE MOM’S Mike’s Kitchen, Cranston Mike’s food–calamari, polenta with sausages, stuffed artichokes–is simple Italian that will keep you coming back for more. There’s no sign, because it’s tucked inside a VFW hall, so look for VFW Post 2396 and follow the garlic. Hours can be irregular, so call ahead. Entrées: from $10. 170 Randall […]
BEST ROAD BIKING EAST BAY BICYCLE PATH, Providence Built on the former railbed of the Providence/Worcester line, this 14.5-mile bike bath transports you from an industrialized section of the city through Haines Park, along beaches bordering Narragansett Bay, and on past beautiful Colt State Park to Independence Park in Bristol. Parking for the bike trail […]
BEST ART FIX St. Ann Arts & Cultural Center, Woonsocket Tour “the Sistine Chapel of America.” The walls, vaults, and ceilings of this former church are covered in frescos beautiful enough to convert an atheist. 84 Cumberland St. 401-356-0713; stannartsctr.org BEST ANTIQUE SHOP Heir Antiques, Providence Heir’s natty owner, interior decorator Tyler Doran, displays an […]
BEST COTTAGE RENTAL Kagels Cottages, Narragansett Early-20th-century waterfront cottages nest by a salt pond. Steeped in 63 acres of farmland and views of the Ram Island bird sanctuary, it’s clear why this has been a family business since the 1920s, hosting five generations of families: There’s no reason to leave. Rates: from $1,100 per week. […]
BEST POND-TO-PLATE Matunuck Oyster Bar, East Matunuck Dine a stone’s skip from where the oysters are cultivated by the bar’s owner. Try the “Buck a Shuck” ($1 oysters and littlenecks) from 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays. No reservations, but it’s worth the wait. Entrées: from $13.95. 629 Succotash Road. 401-783-4202; rhodyoysters.com BEST EXOTIC MENU Los […]
Photo snapped of a friend dining with chopsticks
BEST FREE WEEKEND FUN Market Square Summer Series, Bennington Dance to the music of live bands playing blues, folk, country, soft rock, and swing, Fridays from 5:30 to 7:30 and Saturday and Sunday afternoons, from July 22 through August 21 this year. Market Square. 802-442-5758; betterbennington.com BEST SMOKED MEAT Singleton’s Store, Proctorville Puzzled about what […]
RAINY-DAY BROWSE Brattleboro Books, Brattleboro Southern Vermont’s largest used-book store has miles of aisles of books to browse and comfy chairs tucked into cozy reading nooks. 34-36 Elliot St. 802-257-7777 MEAL DEAL Fresh Market, Burlington At 5 p.m. all premade sandwiches are discounted 50 percent; at 6, deli items are reduced 25 percent. 400 Pine […]
BEST MOUNTAIN BIKING Kingdom Trails, East Burke Pull into the parking lot next to Mountain View Creamery and you’ll find cars with license plates from all over the Northeast and Canada. They’ve made the long drive to East Burke to ride atop rolling countryside, past hundred-year-old barns, along streams, and under tall pines, all on […]
BEST DAY PADDLE Batten Kill Canoe, Arlington Plan a two-hour or two-day paddle down the beautiful Batten Kill with the able assistance of the folks at Batten Kill Canoe, who are familiar with every nook and cranny of the river known as “the Valley of Vermont.” Photo Credit: Carl Tremblay Maps for every level of […]
BEST WATERFRONT RESORT Basin Harbor Club, Vergennes You’ll want to pack a trunk and spend all summer at this plush, 125-year-old Lake Champlain retreat. Golf, watercraft, formal dining, and cottage or lodge accommodations. Rates: rooms from $232, $332 with American meal plan; cottages from $369, $448 with American meal plan. 4800 Basin Harbor Road. 800-622-4000, […]
BEST TEX-MEX Rattlesnake Cafe, Bennington Mexican fare with a modern twist is spiced from gringo cool to ay, Chihuahua hot; sangrias are concocted from secret recipes. Entrées: from $9.95. 230 North St. 802-447-7018; rattlesnakecafe.com BEST PUMPKIN PANCAKES Sugar & Spice, Mendon Hunker down to light-as-a-feather flapjacks crowned with maple syrup made right here. Dessert after […]
