A week-long vacation in Rhode Island gave my family an opportunity to see some sights, make some staple summer recipes, and of course just relax and be together.
Every summer my mom and her wife Deb book a week-long vacation for the whole family. This includes my mom and Deb, her kid Kai, my brother Ben, sister-in-law Julie, niece Scarlet, and my boyfriend Gabe and I. In the past we’ve gone to Provincetown (here’s a post on one Provincetown vacation, and a pasta puttanesca recipe inspired by another). But this year, they booked a VRBO in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. It was by far one of my favorite vacations. We did a little bit of exploration, lots of relaxation, made tons of great food and had quality family time. It ended in an unforgettable way, with a big party in honor of my mom’s birthday. The vacation was so fantastic that I can’t help but share some of the awesome places we saw and a few of the meals we made (some of my new favorite summer recipes)!
EXPLORING RHODE ISLAND
Views from the Newport Cliff Walk, plus a shot of the famous Bannister’s Wharf, and Gabe looking cool there.
I’ve been through Rhode Island before, but despite the fact that the state is nearby, I’ve never really had the chance to explore it thoroughly. So while this vacation certainly included a lot of relaxation by the pool and in the yard of our awesome rental house, it also gave me the opportunity to get to know Rhode Island a little better. Our first outing was to Newport, a seaside city known for its beautiful views and abundance of historic mansions. The town of Newport is charming, but I definitely recommend braving the Cliff Walk if you want to experience its true beauty. Not quite as treacherous as it sounds, the Cliff Walk is a 3.5 mile stretch of (mostly) paved path that hugs the edge of a bluff right against the sea. It has truly spectacular views, and these alone are totally worth a trip to Rhode Island.
LIGHTHOUSES GALORE
If you’re into lighthouses, Rhode Island is the state for you. My sister-in-law and I got super into them on this trip (and yes, our significant others teased us about it). But there’s something so special about standing on the tipiest tip of a piece of land, feeling like you’re on the edge of the world. We got to see two of RI’s most famous ones: Beavertail Lighthouse and Point Judith Lighthouse.
Some shots of Beavertail lighthouse and the amazing rocky bluffs it sits on, plus Gabe looking cool again and an incredibly Dutch windmill in Jamestown with a tiny little baby running by.
Beavertail Lighthouse which sits at the tip of Jamestown, a nine mile long island in Narragansett bay and a short drive from where were staying. The lighthouse itself has a ton of history, and even has a small museum inside. But even better than the history is the incredible view from the rocky cliffs that the lighthouse sits upon. Point Judith is on other side of the bay from the Beavertail lighthouse. While you can’t visit the structure up close or go inside as you can with Beavertail, the views are just as breathtaking. There is a small and beautiful fisherman’s memorial with amazing views of the lighthouse, a jetty full of active fisherman, and an adorable beach.
View of the Point Judith Lighthouse from the fisherman’s memorial, plus the gorgeous fields, jetty and beach that surround it, and my niece Scarlet enjoying the beach.
THE FOOD OF RHODE ISLAND
I also want to take a moment to talk about all the food we had and summer recipes we made while on vacation. We only went out to dinner once, at Matunuck Oyster Bar, and the meal was truly incredible. I ordered linguine with clams (a personal summer recipes favorite) and it was maybe the best I’ve ever had. I’m definitely going to try to recreate it at some point (to the dismay of my shellfish-allergic boyfriend). But the best part of dinner was watching my adorable niece Scarlet explore her new surroundings. We sat outside, overlooking the bay, and she had a blast walking up and down the adjacent dock, taking photos with everyone and waving at the egrets. And she didn’t wave only at the egrets; she greeted almost every employee and patron of the restaurant, grinning and giggling especially hard at the little kids and babies.
Lots of photos of Scarlet with her grandmas “Fifi” and “Deebee”, and the amazing views from our dinner out.
While we only went out to dinner once, we still got to experience some of Rhode Island’s most famous foods. We had award winning homemade ice cream from The Inside Scoop (some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had). And we didn’t only have ice cream; we also got Awful Awfuls, a RI specialty milkshake made with whole milk, syrup and “secret” frozen ice milk, at Newport Creamery. And of course, we enjoyed the abundance of fresh seafood that RI is known for: lobsters, the freshest and tastiest cod I’ve ever had, and clam cakes.
Gabe and I at the pier in Wickford where we got the freshest cod and lobsters; our lobster dinner; waiting for Awful Awfuls at Newport Creamery
AND FINALLY… MY SUMMER RECIPES
While we definitely got to experience a great meal and some tasty treats out, for the most part we cooked and grilled at home. Everything we made was truly delicious: grilled chicken and steaks with fresh veggies, broiled cod, smashed potatoes and grilled hotdogs (another one of my all-time favorite summer recipes) just to name a few. Honestly, I was way too busy eating and relaxing to photograph everything we made. But I did manage to grab a few shots, and those are the recipes I get to share with you.
The first of these summer recipes is for a quick lunch my brother whipped up one day: grilled onion sliders. Much like famous White Castle burgers, these sliders are cooked directly on a bed of sliced onion, imparting them with all the sharp/sweet onion flavor and making them taste like the epitome of summer.
Grilled Onion Sliders
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef or ground burger mix of choice (we used a mix of chuck and ground short rib)
- 2 large white onions
- salt and pepper
- 12 slider buns
- sliced cheese, optional
- oil for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium heat and oil well.
- Slice the onions into thick rounds, about 1/4 inch thick and brush with oil so they don't stick to the grill.
- Form the ground meat into 12 equal sized sliders about 3" in diameter. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Place 6 slider patties and 6 onion rounds onto the grill. Cook the sliders and onions seperately until the first side is done and ready to flip, 4-5 minutes. Flip the onion rounds first, then flip the each slider directly onto an onion round, pressing the meat down into the onion. Continue to grill until the sliders are cooked through, an additional 4-5 minutes. If using, top with cheese for the remaining 2 minutes of cooking time.
- Repeat with the remaining 6 sliders and onion rounds. Serve on toasted slider buns.
The second of the summer recipes I’m sharing is for a cold German-style potato salad. This potato salad is made with an oil and vinegar base instead of mayonnaise, making it perfect for not only my brother, who hates mayonnaise, but as a side for a lighter dinner. We had this with freshly caught cod expertly broiled by Deb with garlic, butter and parsley. It was honestly one of the best fish dishes I’ve ever had, and the German-style potato salad as a side was the perfect light accompaniment.Â
German Style Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lb red or yukon gold potatoes
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 large white onion, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, minced
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Set a large pot of salted water to boil. While the water boils, fry the bacon until crispy, 6-7 minutes. Drain bacon and cut into bits.
- Once the water has boiled, lower the heat to a simmer and cook the potatoes until fork tender, 20-25 minutes.
- While the potatoes cook, make the dressing. Combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper to taste and shake vigorously to combine.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and let them cool for 10 minutes. Then toss them with the onions, dill, parsley, bacon bits and dressing. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Allow to potato salad to chill for at least 2 hours in the fridge before serving.
A FINAL WORD ON OUR VACATION…
All in all, despite all the beautiful places we visited and all the delicious food we had and made, hands down the best part of this vacation was getting to be with family. It’s rare that all of us are together, especially for any extended period of time, and that’s what made this week in Rhode Island so special. My mom’s birthday party at the end of the week, getting to celebrate with even more family friends, was like the icing on the cake of an incredible week. I can’t wait to do it again next summer!
Family portrait at my mom’s birthday party!
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