631274 Wed Jun 24 13:24:08 -0700 2009 4 13 General New England Archive 0 4802768 Here's a bit of an amatuer review of some restaurants I went to recently during a 2 day trip to Newport RI with the family. I've stayed and eaten all over Newport RI over the years and never posted, but I thought I would this time to perhaps help other people with young kids and mind you - I love to eat. First and foremost, I posted on another web site the question of best pizza in Newport as I'm a pizza lover and might need a fall back plan if weather was bad (it was but didn't down pour). Overwhelmingly I heard A-1 Pizza is the best. Where we stayed was right near Via Via Pizza on Thames and was about to try it, but felt I should adhere to what people were saying about A-1 because after all it is supposedly the best in the county (even says in the phone book ad). A-1 was not impressive at all. We've had better. Much better. It made me a little disappointed we did not simply walk acorss the street to Via Via which I have been meaning to try for years. A-1's pizza was not bad but nothing special. I felt it did not live to the hype and we even got the plain cheese pizza which is what they insist is one of the best in the whole area if not the state. Okay, negativity aside... We ate at the Red Parrot one day. This is a great place to eat for a family or for the single. It's classy and yet has this huge affordable menu (affordable being Newport affordable which is a notch or two above your local chain but well worth it). I ate the lobster pizza ( I know I know I'm obsessed with pizza). It was very good and by far better than A-1 and Red Parrot isn't a pizza joint. My wife ordered the Mandarin Coconaut Crusted Chicken and enjoyed it as well. The kids had the mac' and cheese - par for the course. Red Parrot is always a staple even before we had kids and was worth it. Here's a few other stops... kobe beef burger at Restaurant H2O ( a first visit for us as it used to be an Irish Pub when we last stopped at that site) which was good. The kids menu was incredible for a hip place with harbor views. 1 child had mozzarella sticks/fries and 1 child had peanut butter and jelly. Wife had fish and chips... claimed it was outstanding. Breakfast at Gary's Handy Lunch on Thames worked for us. I had a solid cheese, broccoli, sausage omelotte that was pretty good. Everyone else had no gripes with their bacon and french toast. Perfect service as my coffee was refilled every time it got halfway, however the place was only 25% full when we were there as where most of where we went due to the weather. One exception was the Black Pearl where we had lunch once and was packed to the gills... I had a roast beef sandwich which was okay but the fries were very good and I'm not a french fry type person ( I guess you figured out I like pizza though). Wife raves, and still does, about the clam chowder. We grabbed coffee and snacks as we went from places like the Cookie Jar for one. We wanted to eat at the Salvation Cafe but never got there - a combo of the weather and just having too many choices for better or for worse. I've never eaten at the Salvation Cafe, but I've eaten a zillion times at the Brick Alley Pub which we were never able to get to as well and is always a good place to eat and bring the family. Big menu. We also like Sardellas for atmosphere and Italian food, but again we didn't get there mostly because our children are too young. Much of what we do and eat now revolves around the childrens wants and menu. We'll be going back for a day or night later in the Summer. Hope this helps anyone. Wed Jun 24 13:24:08 -0700 2009 1088242 Nickmerill 1 4803774 Agree on A-1...it's OK, nothing great. Via-Via is definitely worth it...go when it's not packed after the bars let out, and you'll get a better pie...nice authentic wood fired from the oven! Wed Jun 24 19:37:41 -0700 2009 4802768 1088313 milemarker0 1 4804394 We're all amateur reviewers on this site. Welcome, make yourself at home! Thu Jun 25 03:54:50 -0700 2009 4802768 15908 masha bousha 2 4804570 You know here's the funny thing about Via-Via... I've been meaning to get a slice or even a pizza there for the 13 or so years I've been going to Newport and always end up missing it. This time I'm stuck with my family in a hotel due to the rain/wind and I'm right across the street from it and I end up ordering A-1 and waiting for the delivery. Again A-1 was not bad. Correct me if I'm wrong about Via-Via but didn't it used to have a large sitting section (on the right if you're standing directly in front of the place) that had plants? Though I've never been formerly inside I now notice that section has become kind of a donut/coffee section as if they were competing with Dunkin' Donuts. Was it always like that? I could have sworn it used to be a more restaurant type section with large plants about. Thu Jun 25 05:55:32 -0700 2009 4804394 1088242 Nickmerill 3 4806307 hmmm....I'll have to walk by it this weekend and check it out. In the past, the right side was always quiet until the bars let out, then it was packed with people....during the day, not so much. Since it's order at the counter and then find your own seat, during the day, most people seem to just sit closer to the windows on Thames. FYI, their first place was up just off Williams St just off Bellevue near the Tennis Hall of Fame...it was alot smaller than the one on Thames, and they ran both for a while until they shuttered the place on Williams St. Thu Jun 25 13:57:21 -0700 2009 4804570 1088313 milemarker0