This was our view from our table in one direction, at the Matunuck Oyster Bar yesterday.Mr. F and I have a tradition of going out to lunch together the first Tuesday of his vacation(he's a teacher, which means...yes, lucky him, he gets the entire summer off!). And well, lucky me, I get Tuesdays off from my job, all year long.
We usually like to choose a place with outdoor seating and near the water. Since it's fairly new, but very popular(meaning long waits for dinner), we thought going to lunch in the middle of the week would be a great time to try the Matunuck Oyster Bar. They offer fresh seafood(including oysters harvested from their own oyster beds), fresh ingredients from local farmers(I could tell, because the baby greens in the salads were delicious) and a raw bar. Situated by a marsh near the beach, there was a nice cooling breeze and we were able to sit outside for our lunch, with a fair number of other diners.
Of course, we *had* to try their version of a Rhode Island menu staple--stuffed quahogs, or "stuffies". These were delicious, with a slightly spicy taste because of the added chourico and cherry peppers. And the wine!
For some reason, I never drink Riesling wine, thinking back to when I was younger and my first experience with Riesling was that Blue Nun stuff(yikes!). But, the menu suggested a Newport Vineyard Riesling(many of the wines offered were local) with fried oysters, so I decided to go out on a limb and order a glass. It was dreamy! There were soft fruit flavors--very delicate, yet refreshing. I ended up going to the wine store later in the day, to buy a whole bottle for home(will try to save opening it until Friday after work).
A stuffed clam (or “stuffie”) is bread stuffing (bread crumbs, onions, spices) mixed with chopped clams and baked in a clam shell.
In another direction from our table, we had an entertaining view of some boys jumping off the bridge into the channel. Even with the beach right down the road, these boys preferred to spend their summer afternoon doing this over and over. It did look like fun! 
12 comments:
Great post! Your area looks like a lovely place to live!!!
I love the no jumping off bridge sign....which is the reason the boys didn't go to the beach...that's legal and no fun in that. :-)
Not a fan of that wine either. But you made it sound pretty darn good.
Why do your summers always looks so relaxing and...fresh? Your lunch date sounds great, and looks even better! Good for you! I hope the rest of it is just as nice.
have a great day!
looks like a great lunch. and boys will be boys! teenagers can't read signs anyway can they?
those stuffies look yummy! what a great afternoon : ) and, i bet the reason the boys preferred the bridge jumping to the beach was for that very sign : ) ha
What a lovely setting, and a great way to celebrate the start of summer!
Hmmmm - I may have to try those "stuffies" when I visit MV! I guess the jumpers fall under the category of "Boys will be Boys..." Happy summer to you!
Yum!! Quahogs are my favorite.
I like Riesling too. OK, I'm on my way...
I am making a point of going out to eat on the water more often this summer.
Love your photos
Lovely! You know seeing your images I kept thinking that this could have been taken in my home town. How similar it is. Except for the weather I guess. Although I should no complain; this week it seems that summer has arrived, at least for few days.;))
xoxo
I *love* your tradition of having a lunch date with your hubby in the beginning of summer - so beautiful and romantic!!!:)
The place you've been at sounds /and looks/ perfect - delicious food, refreshing wine and a great view!!!:) And the pictures of those boys jumping off the bridge in spite of the warning sign put such a huge smile on my face!!!:D
I've been feeling a bit stressed out lately and we're having a terrible weather to add up to my gloomy mood so your summery post literally brought me some sunshine!!!:) Thank you for making my day, Tina!!!:)
~Peg,
I only noticed that sign as we were leaving!
I wish I could let you try the Newport Vineyards Riesling(doubt it is distributed farther afield from here)--it's luscious and has changed my mind completly about drinking Rieslings.
~Claudia,
Thanks--I did end up having a great day even after the lunch. We invited R's boyfriend over in the late afternoon and then we all went out(again) to eat dunner at another restaurant.
~Doreen,
What was especially cute were theser younger boys eating with their parents and they were mesmerized by watching the bridge jumpers.
~c.k.,
I don't think that sign's "rule" is EVER enforced(it's very deep water, and there are few boats ever travelling under that bridge during the week days. Our waitress told us she couldn't wait to be done with her shift so SHE could jump off the bridge, too!
~ Kate,
Yes, I felt very blessed to have such a beautiful day, nice dining experience and start to our summer. :-)
~Barb,
Ooohh..yes! I am quite certain you may find "stuffed quahogs" on MV menus, too. :-)
~Erin,
Ahhh...so you were already in on this tasty Riesling wine thing(I feel like I have missed out for years, avoiding it)!
~Zuzana,
I think because we both live by the sea and it is relatively flat? that the locale here makes you think of your hometown?
~Vessie,
Thanks for the visit and comment--I am sorry to learn life has been a little stressful and gloomy for you lately. Hopefully, things will change for the better for you soon.
I was on vacation last week and ate a boatload of stuffed quahogs!
Looks like a marvellous day!! And I *love* oysters so I guess that would be my place to go to as well ;). Cannot eat them over here though so I indulged in France ;)
I love the photos, they beam the relaxed ambiance!! I agree on the Riesling thing, I had the same for years. But I got to experience a few very interesting Rieslings as I got over that feeling lol.
The stuffies sound and look yummie :)
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