Last summer a dear friend and I took a trip up to Newport, Rhode Island for the day. This cute 11 square-mile seaside city is only about a two and a half hour ride from Connecticut. While the city is steeped in history, it is known today as a major summer resort and is the home of the famous Newport Mansions. One of the most popular mansions open to the public is The Breakers, which was originally built as a summer home for the wealthy Vanderbilt family.
The ride into Newport is mostly uneventful since it's a mostly straight ride up I-95 until you get to East Greenwich, Rhode Island, where you then go onto a couple of Rhode Island state roads. Rhode Island state route 138 brings you into the city after crossing the Pell Newport Bridge (which connects Newport to neighboring Jamestown across Narragansett Bay).
The city itself is fairly compact and is a walker's paradise. Downtown Newport particularly has lots of interesting architecture, some dating back to the 1800's. Other areas of interest include the Bellevue Avenue Historic District, home of the Newport Mansions, and the Newport Cliff Walk, located on the eastern and southern shores of the city.
Parking, especially during the weekends, is challenging and limited as the city is packed with locals and visitors. We lucked out and found a lot close to where we needed to go and they only charged us $5 or $10 to park for as long as we needed to.
Our original plan was to go to the Great Chowder Cook-Off, but tickets were sold out for the day. We took a walk around Downtown Newport - checking out the various shops and other attractions. After a short while, we were hungry, so we start walking towards the waterfront to check out the various restaurants.
Of course, when in New England, you might as well have seafood. The Barking Crab was close to us so we start going towards it. After arriving, we were seated by the host quickly. We opted to sit out on the patio since it was such a beautiful day.
The waitress informed us of the drink specials. I ordered the "Black and Blue Margarita" while my friend ordered a white sangria.
I opted to have my margarita frozen...hell it was hot that day...
For an appetizer, we decide to share an order of their mussels ($9). They were so delicious...especially the broth. I even asked for extra bread to soap it up...it was that good.
I ordered the Lobster Flatbread ($15), which was exactly what it sounds like. 4 ounces of lobster, bacon, and melty cheese on a round flatbread. A lemon wedge finishes off the dish as a garnish. They also seem to love their parsley here at the Barking Crab, as there was plenty of it on our mussels and my flatbread. My friend opted for one of their seafood casseroles which I had a taste of. Not bad.
We skipped dessert but opted for another round of booze. Since my friend raved about the white sangria, I figured I'd try one too. It was perfect in almost every way.
The bill comes to around $80 which isn't bad. As for the overall ambiance of the restaurant, it was pretty enjoyable...not too busy or loud. I didn't see much of the interior of the place, just a little bit when I went to use the restroom. I thought the outside seating area was perfect, since it was slightly covered to protect you from the sun.
An enjoyable lunch in Newport...I wouldn't mind trying them again the next time I'm in town. I rate them a 8 out of 10.
The Barking Crab
151 Swinburne Row
Newport, RI 02840
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