Travel
RESTAURATEUR and sommelier Armando Bisceglia has scoured the globe for the best food and wine to use at his Italian eaterie Trattoria Zooma in Providence, Rhode Island.
But his own “happy place” is close to home.
“There is nothing better in life than sitting on a deckchair on the beach at Ocean House,” he said.
My wife Rachel and I had just begun our tour of America’s smallest state. And just a few hours before dining with Armando in the bustling Federal Hill area of Providence, we had flown into Boston with Virgin Atlantic, before driving an hour south in our rental car.
Our hotel for the first couple of nights was the landmark Omni Providence.
It is within walking distance of the college campuses, attractions and entertainment in the Renaissance City, a place that inspired the town of Quahog in Family Guy.
On our first morning, we saw Providence from the sunlit water during a River Boat Tour, as Captain Tom pointed out the city’s landmarks, including the site of the famous WaterFire celebrations, the Manchester Street Generating Station, Fox Point Hurricane Barrier and The Hot Club bar, which may be familiar to movie buffs as a filming location from There’s Something About Mary.
Later, we strolled around the RISD Museum, before an al fresco dinner of clam chowder, paella, lobster and crab cakes at Hemenway’s.
On the second and final morning of our short-but-sweet stay in Providence, we had breakfast at Greek restaurant Kleos in the theatre district, before heading south on the I-95.
From our next base at the new Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott in South Kingstown, we were all set to explore South County, the coastal region centred around Rhode Island’s seasonal vacation communities.
After Armando’s claim a couple s.mclean@ dailyrecord.co.uk of days before, there was only one place to start – Ocean House.
Perched high on the bluffs of Watch Hill, with views of Long Island and Connecticut, this quintessential New England seaside guest house and resort is apparently a firm favourite of the Clintons, among others.
Not only is it a Forbes five-star hotel, its OH! Spa and Coast restaurant are five-star rated.
The lavish property was meticulously reconstructed brick by brick in 2003 to reflect its rich turn-of-the-20th-century history.
Some of its quirky touches – the cosy cinema, colourful gelato stall and pale blue striped towels – are reminders of a bygone era.
But, Ocean House’s pièce de résistance is its beach, where the warm waves of the Atlantic lap the golden sand.
Just down the beach is its sister hotel, Weekapaug Inn.
We spent a morning there and embarked on a tour of the salt pond on board electric boat Quonnie Queen.
During our time in South County, we sampled some amazing seafood, in particular, the lobster, calamari and mussels at Coast Guard House on the Ocean Road in Narragansett.
My favourite dishes of the week were at Matunuck Oyster Bar in South Kingstown.
We sat next to Potter Pond, where the restaurant’s tasty oysters are cultivated, and the