Celebrating in Newport

Vacation is all I ever wanted, and with the stresses at work mounting, a vacation was really needed.  So Jenn found a great spot in Newport, RI and we headed down for President’s Day to spend some quality time with the family.  We had taken separate cars since I needed to return to work and Jenn was heading to her folks, and I planned to help my brother with his taxes.  So I stopped by my favorite beer store, Decicco’s in Brewster (http://deciccos.com/OS_SL_Brewster.aspx), to pick up some refreshment.  I love Decicco’s for their selection, for their beer bar with drafts and collectibles, and for the different events.  On this trip, I got a Cigar City Hotter than Helles on draft, a growler of New England Imperial Storm Trooper to share, and Firestone Walker’s Sucaba (Abacus spelled backwards, damn copyrights) and 15^th Anniversary to cellar, and a couple new beers from Mikkeller: Open Windows Open Hills Tiger Baby, a mango and passion fruit beer, and Boogoop, a collaboration Barleywine done with Three Floyds.  With a car full of beer, I spent the night with my brother and headed out to Newport the next day to meet my family.

Newport is special for Jenn and I, I proposed there at the Breakers, the classic Vanderbilt mansion, on 5/15/94, and we wanted to share a part of that with our kids.  Our hotel was over by Easton Beach, with a gorgeous view of Easton Bay, 40 Steps and the Cliff Walk (more on that later).  Jenn had gotten us tickets to the Breakers and we took the tour.  Jessica loved all of it, and even Jacob thought a house with elevators was cool.  We decided to go for a drive, and heading out to Ocean Drive State Park at sunset worked out great.  It was a crisp evening, but we were able to endure the cold to catch the view.  We were all hungry, and Jenn let me choose where to eat for dinner (I love that about her), so we headed over to Coddington Brewing company (http://www.coddbrew.com/).  Jenn got the chowdah (made with dill), while I got a steak salad (a piece of steak on top of a house salad), to accompany my sampler.  They had a blueberry blonde that Jenn was happy to share with me, and a beer called Invierno Calentador, a lager brewed with honey and blue agave, that was fantastic.  It was a great first day.

The kids survived my snoring, and we headed off to breakfast at the Hungry Monkey.  The place was cute, and I was able to enjoy a Portuguese version of eggs benedict.  It used a Portuguese bolo (sort of a sweet bread), chourico hash (I still can’t pronounce it), and a cheese sauce.  Our family then took the Old Colony railroad for a scenic view of Narragansett Bay.  It was cool to get back on the Navy base, even if we had to stay on the train.  Lunch was at the Black Pearl, a family favorite, where we got to try their award winning chowdah, and I got to try Black Pearl mussels (steamed in butter and wine, mostly butter).  Jenn offered to take the kids shopping while I went on a beer tour (the chowdah must have softened her up, I do love her), so I headed over to Coastal Extreme for a beer tasting. 

Coastal Extreme makes Newport Storm (http://newportstorm.com/) beers, and they have their regulars as well as their specialty beers.  I got to sample both their Winter and Spring ales (kind of like the weather having both at the same time), but they didn’t have any of their yearly anniversary or their hurricane named offerings.  I didn’t catch the tour (I would have had to wait for over an hour), so I headed downtown to check Pour Judgment (http://pourjudgement.com/), a local beer bar.  I was able to kick back and relax, enjoy a Mayflower Porter and a Clipper City Black Cannon, and watch a bit of soccer on the TV.  I called Jenn, and surprise, she was done shopping.  So we headed back to hotel for a walk on the beach while waiting for dinner.  And dinner is special, the family favorite and the first place Jenn and I ate after I proposed, the Brick Alley Pub (http://www.brickalley.com/).

Brick Alley Pub is one of my favorite restaurants, and judging by the crowds, there are a lot of people that feel the same way.  They had three Newport Storm beers, but I went for a local classic, Narragansett Lager.  We got the salad bar, and Jenn got the chowdah (again).  I normally get the nachos (I swear by them), but I decided to try the New Bedford Fisherman Scrod instead.  It claimed it was doctor recommended: oven roasted fresh New Bedford scrod with chourico (still can’t say it), kale, chopped tomatoes, white beans, garlic, crushed red pepper and white wine, and finished with chopped red sweet peppers and fresh cilantro. I loved the food, but the kids love the sundae, the Peanut Butter volcano.  We wrapped up the evening we a dip on the rooftop hot tub back at the hotel.

The next morning we had an easy breakfast at DnD (or the Dunk, as the locals called it), and then went to 40 steps and the Cliff Walk.  The weather was beautiful and we got to walk up to the Breakers and back.  I love watching the kids watching the waves, it was so peaceful.  Jenn was heading to her mom’s and I was heading home.  But you always have to enjoy the journey, so I had a few stops in mind.  My first was Track 84 (http://track84.com/) a pleasant bar close to the Providence airport.  The bartender made a nice pastrami Panini (a man has to eat, doesn’t he?), and I got the Berkshire Lost Sailor IPA on cask.  I think I’ll catch all my future flights from Providence.  Next I stopped by Nikki’s liquors to check out their bottle selection.  I went in for one beer, Newport Storm ’11, but I also found Mikkeller Barrel Aged Breakfast and Hitachino 3 Days (brewed during the Japanese earthquake).  I headed home, cutting across CT, stopping at Willimantic Brewpub (try the Eur-IPA-En on cask) and Cambridge House (not nearly as good as it used to be).

I picked up Carlos and made it back to work.  Business is hectic right now, but I am truly glad I was able to share a little of Newport with my family.  5984/12009

“Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” - Benjamin Franklin