Weekend Drive-By

April 22 / 8AM

Rue De L'Snore

The lady and I tried out Rue De L'Espoir this past week. It was an overwhelming disappointment. Known state-wide as a Providence staple, I was anticipating a mouth-watering bouquet of flavor and panache.

The reality was anything but.

The youngest person in there was easily twice my age. The scent of decades of bad perfume and bad colognes permeated the air. Not unlike walking into an Elk's Lodge (my grandfather is a member). Food was overpriced and bland - in the interest of full disclosure, we only had appetizers. On the upside, they did have Dogfish Head on tap (!) - a pleasant surprise. Needless to say, I'd make a return visit if only to give them the benefit of the doubt. I vow to try anything and everything at least twice. Who knows? Perhaps the first experience was a fluke?

Mike Doughty's Coming to Providence

The Soul Coughing front man is coming to Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in June! This came as quite a surprise, given that he'd mentioned on his blog that he would likely cut his touring schedule short this year.

Madhouse Cafe

This "under the radar" bistro opened sometime last year right off the highway in Pawtucket, amid a great deal of fanfare to all who were lucky enough to discover it. The burger list makes judicious use of such delectable ingredients as ostrich meat, gorgonzola cheese, caramelized onions, etc. While the beer menu really left me speechless - what restaurant actually stocks Dogfish Head Worldwide Stout? Granted, it's $12 a bottle, but c'mon! No draft beer to be had, but the bottled list won't leave you wanting for more, trust me.

Prices are comparable to any slightly upscale bistro in Providence. But it doesn't feel stuffy or uppity. And the staff is quite friendly. We'd definitely go back.

Scotland

And finally ... 63 days until our Scotland trip. We'll be backpacking from Cork, Ireland - where we're stopping in for a couple days to catch David Gray in concert - to Belfast and then over to Glasgow and a little town just outside the city which I can't even spell to attend a family friend's wedding. All in all, about 12 days on the road through some of the most incredible scenery in the most incredible country I've ever been. I'm giddy just thinking about it.

Mama, I'm comin' home!

What Now?

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Comments

Frymaster | April 24, 2006 03:32 PM

I'm in the bucket and said this about the Madhouse. But I do eat there. $.

Sun and Moon on Warren Ave in EP. True Mom-n-Pop Korean. Don't say I never gave ya nothin'.

Mike | April 24, 2006 04:18 PM

Thanks for the semi-coherent post (and recommendation). I think. I'm not sure what Mom-n-Pop Korean has to do with Madhouse, but thanks all the same.

kimbersfrog | April 24, 2006 06:18 PM

if you have a chance to stay an extra few days in scotland... do it. it's gorgeous. i lived there for two years and liss it terribly. anywhere in scotland has something about it... but be prepared to have a hard time understanding the accent at first.

web | April 28, 2006 09:30 AM

Word. Scotland? Nice! Chez - you are just a worldly travler! All I can picture is some drunk old scotish guy yelling somehting like "Immm skotish and fuukin maad!" and you just laughing your balls off. I hope its as funny in person as it is in my head.

web | April 28, 2006 09:32 AM

P.S. -- Dig the new site. Minimalistic and fast .. I think you need to add just a little more "bling bling" to the "hello my name is mike .." section -- but do I know -- i'm so 1993.

Mike | April 28, 2006 02:21 PM

Oh man, Web. I can't even wait for Scotland. I may buy a kilt and some bagpipes and never come back to this god foresaken state. As for the site design, I agree. It's "too" minimalist. I guess if I weren't so damn busy designing other people's sites and finding "bling" clipart for my Myspace page, I'd probably have time for my own site.