The Winner Is? And a big announcement!!

This is the time of year when Ray and I announce the recipient of the prestigious “Pick of the Year” award. This recognition is afforded to the restaurant which, in our humble opinion(s), ranks as the most outstanding breakfast we enjoyed over the past year. We have another announcement, but that will wait. (What could it be?) This year’s award was presented to Cafe Aristao Luka in West Warwick. Let me say first: go there. It is outstanding. Reread our initial review. Ray and I have returned twice – once while we were revisiting our top picks of the year and a second time, with good friend, Rich, (see his impressions), and at each of our three visits our breakfasts were consistently phenomenal. Everything any of us tried was excellent. Ray and I each remarked that the breakfasts we had at the Cafe Aristao Luka are quite possibly the best we’ve had in all our years doing this blog. We cannot remember any better. What a way to end the year! And what a nice segue into our second announcement. Not only was the best breakfast we ever had a nice way to end the 2025 blog season, it is, fittingly, the finest way to retire this part of our lives and move on to something else. We’ve discussed this off and on beginning about two years ago and feel like the time has come to pull the plug. We’ve been doing this for, we think, nine years. In that time, we have visited over 230 different restaurants. 230! Yikes! To continue, we’ve had to venture farther afield each year. A half hour journey, now, is a blessing. There are just no more places to go within a reasonable drive! This past year saw a few new places open, but that is uncommon. Some establishments change hands…we return to those. For the most part, however, we’ve been there, done that. So, we thank you, sincerely, for you who have joined us on this journey. We will miss sharing great places to eat with you and hearing about places you’ve enjoyed. And who knows how we’ll feel in a couple of years. Maybe, like Philip Rivers, these two old geezers will unretire. Who knows? Until then, bon appetit.

Rich Gunther’s review and comments

I was honored to be the guest of two gentlemen who are highly regarded in the field of culinary review, what a great time it was.

But I digress…

This discussion has nothing to do with that. Instead, I accompanied the Breakfast Boys to their choice for Best Breakfast of 2025 and this visit showed that Ray and Mike have it down to a science. Their accumulated breakfast wisdom from seven years of consuming hundreds of breakfasts in numerous configurations really honed their skills. I knew I was in for a treat.

They have already set down their reviews for Café Aristaō Luka and I agree on all points from the coffee to the atmosphere. So I’ll just concentrate on the choice I made for breakfast which was not one of the two already reviewed.

The Spanish Breakfast was right up to par with the American and Portuguese breakfasts. It comes with 3 Spanish style eggs (scrambled eggs with tomato, onion, green peppers, garlic) 2 hand made tortillas refried black beans with Spanish crema, fresh Spanish cheese and thinly sliced Spanish style steak.

Perfection.

The eggs were cooked just right with the right balance of ingredients and spices. The tortillas were light, crispy on the outside and just tender enough on the inside. The refired beans were lighter and more flavorful than I’m used to, just right for a breakfast accompaniment. They are served with a crema which blends well.

The steak was the standout part of the meal. Three strips of marinated and perfectly spiced steak, well balanced flavor and it worked wonderfully with the other items in the breakfast.

We had a great time, lots of great conversation and laughs. I’m always happy to be with these guys and the trip made my week while the meal made my day! Gotta go back!

Here we go off into the sun…rise, the Breakfast Boys + One

Miguel’s Restaurant, New Bedford

Anyone remember Asquino’s in EProv or Archie’s in Pawtucket? The owners ensured that you felt as if you were dining in your own home. You were greeted warmly and someone from the family would stop by the table to make sure everything was all right. It’s like the Hamilton in Seekonk. Ari, the owner, will stop by at some point. These places, old and new, make us feel welcome and at home; that’s one of the reasons we go to them. Well, add Miquel’s, 253 Union St., New Bedford, to that list. Miquel, himself, shook our hands as we entered the door and made us feel at home. He stopped by the table once during the meal and also when we had finished to chat. We even got to see pictures of his house in the old country! Our waitress was friendly and attentive as well. She answered questions and offered us options with each of our orders. That doesn’t happen, often. And my cacoila omelet was amazingly flavorful. I’ve had great cacoila omelets at Cindy’s, in Somerset, and Harry’s, in Fall River, but the one I had this morning is my new favorite. Very nice! The coffee, Boston’s Best, was better than average and deserved a refill. Yes, please. The home fries, or Miquel’s fries were pretty unique. We were asked if we wanted them spiced (of course) but we weren’t expecting what we got! Check out the picture! Potatoes are potatoes but I like a particular shape for my home fries. Thin potatoes, no matter how they’re cooked, just don’t taste the same as the “chunks” that are prepared (with wonderful drippings!) on a flat top. Salt helped, but…Kilian thinks that I’m a grumpy old man. She’s probably right. Ray and I had lots of other adventures today, as well, so I trust he will to you stuff. Maybe he’ll mention our trip to the cape…I don’t know. The cacoila omelet will get a 9.9 and the coffee a 7. The Miquel fries, and maybe this is because they are quite different from the usual, will get a 5. A 7.1 is still pretty solid. The atmosphere gets a score I’ve never given out; a 10! If I lived in the neighborhood, I would be a regular, definitely. I probably wouldn’t get the home fries, though!

A really nice ride TO New Bedford this morning, coming back was another story! Lots of Patriots talk along with news from Mike about the Lions Board meeting. We decided that next week we are planning on starting our visits to our top three restaurants from 2025 and then choose our winner. So it may be a few weeks before you see our posts but it should be worth the wait. Today Mike took us to Miguel’s Restaurant in downtown New Bedford. It is nice old fashioned breakfast/lunch place with a super friendly owner and waitress. The coffee was Boston’s Best and was ok. I thought it was a little weak but not a bad breakfast coffee. I ordered the Portuguese omelet ( what else would I order in a restaurant with a Portuguese owner!) The omelet was really good with a nice mix of ground linguica, well cooked green peppers and onions with just the right amount of cheese. The home fries, sorry Miguel’s fries, were seasoned with his special seasoning. They were sliced potatoes not the traditional cut pieces of potatoes that we usually see on the home fries. I believe these had been previously cooked, then baked or re-heated. The flavor did not come through until I added salt. Then they were ok. I like this style potato when it is done on the flattop with a little oil, bacon or linguica grease to add seasoning. These were a little dry. Overall not a bad breakfast. Hopefully Mike will tell you of the “shot” he had with the owner at 9:30 AM !! Coffee, 7; home fries, 6; meal, 8; overall, 7.

Café Aristaō Luka, West Warwick, RI

It’s been several weeks since our last post but I think we hit the jackpot today. After a long while Mike and I got a chance to chat Patriots, love the new team; World Series and the playoffs, as well as all the other family and general life stuff. Long ride this morning as we braved the Washington Bridge but we found Café Aristaō Luka, 681 Providence, West Warwick, RI. The restaurant is very new, as it was only opened on October 1st. It is beautifully decorated with all black tables and nicely appointed art on the walls, with plenty of seating, which was a little weird as we were the only customers. A few more came in around 9, but if word can get out about this place, it will be a hit in the area. They serve their DownEast Breakfast Coffee in a heat sensitive mug. As you drink your coffee the Cafe name starts to disappear! Freaked me out at first. The coffee was terrific. Usually it takes a few sips to determine whether DownEast is “ok” or not, this was great from the first taste through my second cup. I ordered the Portuguese breakfast with home fries, chourico peppers and onions, and three over easy eggs. Let me tell you right off the bat these were the best home fries I have had this year and maybe of all time. For those of you have ever had the Portuguese “meat on a stick” this was what the chourico tasted like. No fat, all lean and beautifully flavored meat. The menu is not large but they sure do pack a punch with what the offer. Coffee, 9; Home fries, 9.9 ( can’t do a 10 because I have to save that for the impossibly better home fries ); meal, 9.9. Overall, 9.7. Going to come back for lunch sometime.

It took an hour today, thanks to the bridge, to get to West Warwick and the Cafe Aristao Luka. AN HOUR! Go anyway! Go to this brand new (it opened Oct 1st), very stylish, well-crafted space. Go for the small, but incredible selection of thoughtfully reimagined breakfast fare. Go. Just go. I’ll let Ray do the color commentary about everything else. I will talk about the food. Coffee was a diner staple, Downeast. This was a breakfast blend, so, it wasn’t as strong as a full Columbian roast. It was awesome! We’ve talked before about the many factors which may influence a coffee’s flavor. The Aristao must do everything correctly. This coffee was great and served in great mugs. Cue Ray about the mugs. The home fries were THE BEST I’ve had in a very, very long time. The secret, we were told, is “lots of love.” Maybe so, but I tend to attribute the amazing flavor to these well-cooked, red bliss potatoes, was company on a flat top with onions and peppers and chourico and bacon and other wonderful stuff. Perfectly cooked…perfectly flavored. Nice! Eggs. Cue Kevin. And bacon. I mean, it’s bacon. ‘Nuff said. Long ago, Ray and I agreed to never give out a ten for anything as, somewhere out there, there may be something better. I am tempted to not honor our commitment. I will, however, give the Aristao a 9.9 – my highest ever. Go!

Hailey’s Diner, North Dighton, MA

Mike and I have been given many great comments about Hailey’s Diner, 2035 Winthrop St, North Dighton, MA over the past few weeks and finally we got there on this super raining Thursday morning. This is really an odd location that was once Nana’s that re reviewed about 8 years ago, then changed hands to Jesse’s which won our “Best Breakfast of 2923” and was recently purchased by the former owners of Vino’s in Rehoboth. Whew… Long ago Mike and I agreed not to review breakfast places in our home town of Rehoboth, so although we both ate at Vino’s the Breakfast never included it in our breakfast reviews. Well, now it is out of Rehoboth and we have the pleasure of having breakfast and writing our opinion. Hailey’s is not a very big place and when we arrived most table were taken (a good sign). It really has a bright and welcoming decor serving only breakfast. Our waitress brought our coffee, DownEast in these terrific mugs, large and comfortable in the hand. Best of all the coffee was terrific. Our regular readers know that DownEast is one that we run across frequently and is usually just average. However it was really top shelf. As you know lots of variables go into the making of a good coffee, the water, the temperature, the blend, and freshness. This coffee checked all the good boxes and we really liked it. For breakfast I ordered the linguica omelette with a side order of their homemade corned beef hash. Let me start with the hash. The corned beef was perfectly cooked and plentiful in the hash. I was not a fan of the potatoes in the hash which were mashed not in pieces. Not a bad flavor the texture was just different. The home fries were perfectly cooked and had some nice char and very buttery. I would have liked a little more spice on them, paprika, onion powder, or garlic powder would have been a nice addition. The little salt and pepper I added did perk them up a lot. Now the omelette was fantastic! I have to say it was the best one I have had this year. The peppers and onions were well cooked ( hate the raw veggies ) and the linguica, in nice big pieces, was delicious. Hailey’s is going to be a fixture in this area for a long time. Coffee, 9.5; home fries, 7.5; meal, 8,5; overall, 8.5

Wow! Dighton! So close! Today, Ray and I went to Hailey’s; formerly Jessie’s, formerly Nana’s. Usually, we’re not that formal, but here we are. Hailey’s benefits from the renovations which occurred when Nana’s evolved into Jessie’s. I love the light airiness and welcoming decor that distinguishes Hailey’s from a lot of places. Hailey’s was pretty packed when we arrived (during a downpour) and there was a continued stream of patrons throughout our meal. I saw biscuits and gravy on the menu and was transported back to a road trip out west, many years ago, when I first tried this delightful comfort food in Missouri. I’m sure my cardiologist would be horrified, but, OMG! Delicious! The buttermilk biscuits were awesome, as well! Throw in two over easy eggs and I was in breakfast heaven! This made up for middle of the road home fries. They were cooked well with a nice crispiness but were bland. Salt (and golden yolk!) helped. Still. The coffee, Downeast, was really good. It’s amazing the difference in flavor this ubiquitous brand has, diner to diner. We’ve talked before about all the factors which influence coffee making. A lot can bring down our enjoyment of our morning eye opener. However Hailey’s does it, it is great. One more item; home made hash. This was not my favorite. The meat’s flavor was overpowered by the mashed potatoes in which it was mixed. Rats! All is forgiven, though. The biscuits and gravy really impressed! The coffee was 8.2 to the good and though the home fries were only a 6 I’m going with an 9.3 for the meal. Hailey’s gets a well deserved 7.8

Royal Lunch Restaurant, Providence

What a great day! We decided to brave the bridge today and head into Providence. What a delight to travel into the city on a weekend morning and find light traffic…we sailed into Providence, no problem! We may make Saturday on new day to travel to PVD and all points south! Ray and I have avoided Providence for a long time because of the traffic over the bridge and poor parking once we get there. Not today! We ended up at the Royal Lunch Restaurant on 1179 Westminster St. I’ve been by this place a gazillion times (that’s a lot) and not given it a second thought because “lunch” is in its name and we look for breakfast places. Well, duh. A sign outside says, “Established 1899.” I don’t know about that but sitting at the Royal took me back a good many years. Everything about the place reminded me of diners from my younger days, especially the home fries. However these were spiced was like I remember; they were buttery, and a little bit salty with light paprika seasoned in. The look and the taste just brought me back. The bacon was finished under a flat weight on the flat top and was nicely crisp. Oh, so nice. And the coffee, Richard Allen, just “meh”, at first, grew on me through the second cup into the third. I enjoyed this breakfast, and the diner, very much. The home fries were a 9, in my opinion, and the meal was a solid 8.2, the only downside was the inconsistent coffee, from just ok to not bad. I’ll give the coffee a 6.8 for a not too shabby 8!

The Saturday breakfast has become a favorite of ours. No crowds on the road or in the restaurants, and a nice leisurely ride with our usual good conversation. Today Mike brought us to Westminster St. in Providence. We’ve been on this ride a few times in the past but have somehow missed the Royal Lunch, even though the sign our front says it was established in 1899!! This is a very traditional neighborhood diner with hand made signs with specials and favorites. It sort of reminded me of Louie’s on Broad street, super old fashioned. Coffee was Richard Allen, which is my personal favorite, but the first few sips were really off putting. They got better and even had refill. Today for me was a simple breakfast, two eggs over easy, home fries, and a side of ham. The home fries were terrific! Nice and buttery and had a nice extra in the seasoning. Maybe paprika? They could have had a little crispness in some but they were definitely above average. The eggs were…eggs. The ham was just too salty. could not get past the first bite. Too bad as this was a pretty good breakfast. Coffee, 7; home fries, 8, meal, 6; overall 7.

Carmine’s, North Providence

Our mid-week breakfast was a trot over to North Providence for a new/old restaurant, Carmine’s, 1538 Smith St, North Providence. About 6 years ago this was Cal’s, when they closed it changed hands and Carmine’s opened about a year ago. As I remember it Cal’s offered a 4 egg omelette which was truly HUGE and delicious. After discussion of the Red Sox and their possible pitching woes and what the Pats season might look like, Mike and I settled in. Well I settled in, Mike is still trying to remember what he was going to say. Anyway, the decor is exactly the same as when it was Cal’s, down to the flooring. Our coffee was Boston’s Best and it was average, no refill for me. I chose my go to breakfast, the Western omelette. Start with the home fries which were better than average and with a little salt, jumped up a notch. The omelette, on the other hand, was not great. All the veggies and “deli ham” pieces, with a few bits of linguica, were a chopped to less than a quarter inch. I could hardly taste the individual items in the mix. I also could not find the cheese I ordered with it. I looked hard, but unless it was mixed with the eggs it was not there. The best taste I had was when I scoffed up a bit of Mike’s hash, which was quite tasty. Coffee, 5.5; home fries, 7.5; meal 6; overall 6.4….

Nice ride to North Providence today! Ray took the scenic route. Think, “Not the bridge” and you’ve got it right. We traveled over the “other” bridge; the Henderson and moved smoothly around the fairly new round-a-bout there. Love the Henderson, love the round-a-bout. We ended up at Carmine’s. Carmine’s bills itself as an Italian restaurant. I’ve been to Italian restaurants in Italy. Breakfast there is an espresso and some kind of pastry, often with Nutella. I have seen chickens in Italy. They must have eggs. Thankfully, Carmine’s has eggs, and I had mine in a lovely flannel benny. I guess “flannel” means “corned beef hash,” homemade, and really good with that beautiful runny yolk. Honestly, I cannot tell you if the hash was good on its own. I just know that in this benny it was great. Nice choice on my part as I really enjoyed my flannel! The home fries were a bit above average. Griddle cooked, red bliss potatoes with all the stove-top flavor soaked in. Yum. The coffee, Boston’s Best, was just average, though, but two out of three ain’t bad, I’ve heard. I agree. I’m going to give Carmine’s a solid 7.2 overall.

Cafe Amore, Pawtucket, RI

573 Armistice Blvd., Pawtucket. Way back when, during the very first year of our blog, Ray and I ate, here, when it was Heather’s Cornerstone Cafe. One year later, Heather’s became the first, I believe, incarnation of Flavors. We enjoyed each, moderately well. Today, we travelled the well-worn path to the Cafe Amore. This must be a popular place. There were quite a few people there when we arrived. Usually, at around 8:20, we can sit anywhere we want. Not today. Good sign! Cafe Amore is clean and bright and our waitress had on spectacular pink sneakers. Nice! She needed sneakers as she seemed the be the only server. Still, she was unflustered and fun and, as I like to say, put up with these two old guys with aplomb. Hey, look it up! I just learned a new word, “arrogate.” If I can learn a new word, so can you! The coffee was a new one for us; Chef’s Choice, 100% Columbian, according to our server. I’m about 60% sure I liked it. It was ok but tasted more like a blend and didn’t offer that strong, flavorful satisfaction that gets me going in the morning. Still. Coffee. I went with the Hash Bagel Melt, described as homemade hash, eggs, sliced tomato, melted mozzarella cheese over a plain bagel. This was a bit of a disappointment for me. If you’ve read this blog, you may remember that one of my personal dislikes are green bell peppers. Seriously, what are they doing in homemade hash? It may have been the best hash in the world but all I could taste were the peppers! Maybe that’s why the cheese seemed tasteless. The tomato, too, had no taste as, like Ray’s toast, it was missing. Happily, the waitress brought over some hot sauce that, along with the golden yolk, brought more than enough flavor to save the day. The home fries were pretty good! They were nicely crispy and spiced well. They were a bit salty but it wasn’t too bad and didn’t distract from my overall enjoyment of them. So today was kind of a mixed bag. The coffee was a 6.5 and the home fries were a bit higher at 7.8 but that melt was only a 5 for me. That’s 6.4. But I learned a new word!

New.. old location this morning in Pawtucket. We have been here before, awhile ago but it has changed owners and has a new name and a different vibe. NOt much chatting this morning, a little baseball, some Pats, but just a nice ride and talk about family and Lions etc. I like that. Coffee this morning was Chef’s Choice, and it was not very good. A little bitter, and just not even up to Northeast standards. I chose the Farmer’s omelette, which has lots of well cooked veggies, and topped with avocado and some cheese. The eggs were very dry and even using the chipolte sauce that our waitress brought, it didn’t improve much. The home fries were pretty well cooked, maybe a little over cooked, and rather salty. Coffee, 4; home fries, 6; meal, 6; overall, 5.2. And I’m still waiting for the toast the waitress twice said she was bringing. Ah well there is next week.

Jazzy’s Restaurant, Providence

Another Saturday breakfast for Mike and I. I actually like the Saturday breakfast it has a different vibe to it. And another new restaurant, Jazzy’s at 960 Hope St, Providence. One of the nice features of going here on a Saturday in the summer months is that it is right across the street from a great farmer’s market. Patriot’s second pre-season game today and another Red Sox game as well. Lots of hope for both teams with the Sox having the best chances of moving into the post season. Jazzy’s is the sister restaurant to Emilly’s in Johnston which Mike and I reviewed back in 2023. Our coffee came quickly, DownEast, and there were frequent refills. Now DownEast is one of the “regulars” at our breakfast stops, but this must have been a different blend as Mike and I both thought it was much better than what we usually have. Nice bold flavor without an after bite. My choice this morning was Huevos Rancheros. Two nice over easy eggs on a bed of Monterey Jack, re fried beans, salsa and slices of avocado, all on top of warm, large tortilla. We ordered sides of their home made hash and home fries ( neither of us noticed that neither of the meals we chose came with home fries!), The Huevos Rancheros were great, I enjoyed the mix of spicy and avocado cool. The hash was nicely done and was really home made. The home fries were terrific! We asked the waitress to find out the spices the chef used and she came back with, just garlic, salt and pepper. They were a little crispy and had a great flavor. Only a touch of salt needed by me. I think I will bring Barb here for lunch in a week or two and hit the Farmer’s Market, Coffee, 7.5; home fries, 8.5; meal, 9. Overall , 8.4.

What a beautiful morning today! Ray took us to Jazzy’s in PVD, a place we’ve somehow missed over the years. We have been to its sister restaurant, Emmily’s in Johnston, but that was a few years ago. A new place for us two weeks in a row! Nice! So, we had a great ride down Blackstone, passed by the Butler strike camp and did the hairpin turn at Hope, by the farmers market and we were there! It was odd that, on such a gorgeous morning, we were the only ones there upon arrival. Many more filtered in as we ate confirming our observation that our fans follow us everywhere we go. Ah, fame. Jazzy’s is not a diner. Nicely appointed with plenty of seating and what appeared (but not confirmed by us) to be an upstairs dining area. Downeast coffee, a breakfast staple, was strong, bold and flavorful without bitterness or aftertaste. I don’t believe this was a “blend” and appreciated the coffee pot coming around frequently. For something a little different, I went with the breakfast tacos: scrambled eggs, chorizo, cheese and a side of, if I remember, pico de gallo. I gave the pico de gallo to Ray and went with some hot sauce. Good decision! Very, very nice! A taste sensation! Everything was on soft, flour tortillas. Delicious. Ray probably told you about the home fries debacle. I’ll just say they were above average with a “mystery” spice. The (fantastic) waitress at first mentioned the spices were a secret but returned to say the cook just added garlic, pepper and salt. I think I remember this accurately. It tasted like there was something more to me. Just sayin’. I liked the hash as well. Better than usual, tasty, with a nice crisp. I do like the corned beef shredded, this was ground, but it was good nevertheless. All in all, a very good morning! Ray and I lounged for awhile just talking. That’s always a good sign. How about an 8.2 overall. I will go there again

Knotty Pine Diner, Taunton, MA

Taunton man-about-town, raconteur, BB blog reader and bon vivant, Kevin, recommended a brand new restaurant; the Knotty Pine, 772 County St., Taunton. It’s so new, it doesn’t exist on Google maps. Thanks Kevin! Great news! We walked in, and, my heart sank. I know one of the owners! Please, oh please, let this be good! And it was! We talked with my friend, Brad; a lot of thought went into the Knotty Pine. The menu is fairly simple. All the basics. Not upscale. New England coffee, done right. No bitterness or aftertaste. So much goes into making typical diner coffee better. This was better and we never had to ask or wait for refills. Kudos to Liz, our waitress. The big ticket item, the home fries, were a home run. Very well spiced, they had a bit more pepper than usual, but it worked! Nice! And, lately, for those of you who keep up with these things, I’ve been ordering bacon, instead of sausage. Now, as we all know, bacon rules! But not all bacon is the same, right? Some isn’t cooked well, or cooked way too much, or it’s thin or, as is happening more and more, are twins, not triplets. And though bacon, in any form, is better than no bacon, some is just better, tastes better and is cooked just right. Knotty Pine has that kind of bacon. And, seriously, if you like limpy bacon, maybe this blog isn’t for you. So, thank you, Kevin, for putting us on to this great, new place! Because even if you know diddly about eggs, you know a good restaurant! I’ll just give the Knotty Pine an 8.3 and encourage you to go.

Mike promised a new restaurant this morning and it really was new. Only open for a few weeks and it was…well, read on and see. Short ride this morning so we only talked about the Sox for a bit, commiserated with the Yankee fans, and really looked forward to Patriots football starting up. I think we both agreed that this is going to be a better year than last year, but probably a .500 season. Really sparkling clean new vibe to this place with an immediate connection to Mike. I’m sure he will tell all about his meeting an old friend. I will stick with breakfast, and that is all they are serving right now, but we were told that they are planning a lunch menu in the future. The place was hoping, and quite full which is terrific for a new place. Our waitress brought coffee, New England brand, and it was nice an bold, no after bite. I mentioned to Mike I would have liked a larger mug, but the refills were offered frequently so that didn’t matter. This morning I had a western omelet which promised to have baked ham along with the other ingredients, and guess what it WAS !!!. I was pleased to see that they did not serve deli ham. I was also happy that the onions and peppers were pre-cooked not raw. Good job. Now regarding the home fries.. fantastic. They were well seasoned and cooked just right. I would have liked a few “crispy bits” but the seasoning made them so very good. Coffee, 7; home fries, 9; meal, 9; overall 8.5. Knotty Pine is one of my favorites this year. I’ll be looking forward to seeing a lunch menu down the road.

Christopher’s on the Hill. Providence, RI

I think this is a firs for us, a Saturday breakfast and it is a new one to boot. Christopher’s on the Hill, 145 Dean Street, Providence has only been open for about 3 months and is off the beaten track but really only a few yards from Atwell’s Ave. ( Federal Hill ). Mike and I could not coordinate our busy ( read doctor’s appointments ) schedules during the week so we decided to try a Saturday, and heading into Providence using 195 on a Saturday morning is a LOT better than during the week. We might be venturing this way again in the future. A little baseball talk with the Sox doing nose dive after a 10 in a row before the All Star break. I didn’t get to ask Mike if he thought the Sox would be buyers before the trade deadline, but we shall see. Surprisingly no Pats talk with this being opening week of training camp. On to breakfast. This place is really decorated so beautifully simple. Bright colored walls make it very airy and friendly. With not much parking this looks like a place where you need to be directed here by a friend, well here is your friend! Christopher’s on the Hill is a realy good breakfast spot. Their coffee is Northeast, and it was a good cup, a little above average, and lots of refills were offered. My choice was the homemade corned beef benny with two poached eggs. Truly homemade corned beef and it was delicious. The eggs with hollandaise were perfectly cook and the sauce was not broken. Their version of home fries is not traditional, they are sliced potatoes and perfectly cooked with some nice crispy bits. They remind me of my mother’s sliced fried potatoes. I hope you can find the parking in the rear, or over on Atwells, this is a keeper. Coffee, 7; homefries, 9; meal 9; overall, 8.6

I was concerned that Ray had selected a place in Providence, yesterday, for breakfast. What would traffic be like going over the bridge at that time of day? Ray reminded me that, on a Saturday, traffic would be no problem. I had forgotten it was a rare Saturday excursion for us, as I also forgot to write this review yesterday. Yikes! Ray has found a new place nearby! Christopher’s on the Hill is tucked away in the Federal Hill neighborhood. Parking may be tricky on a busier weekday but the hill is a great place to walk around and poke your head into shops. So, even though there is limited parking at the restaurant, if you have to park further away, do it; Christopher’s is worth it. I’ll let Ray describe the place. He found it. The service, throughout, was outstanding. Our waitress was friendly and efficient; the type that is unobtrusive but always there. We got our coffee (DownEast) quickly with two refills during the meal. The coffee was above average for a common restaurant brand. So many factors go into how a coffee tastes: water quality, brewing temperature, freshly ground beans, etc.. However Christopher’s does it, they brought their morning joe up a notch. The home fries in my usual were better than average as well. Crispy, nicely, lightly spiced and plentiful, these were served under a bed of four! slices of bacon! Mmmmmm. Bacon! All-in-all, a very good breakfast! Everything about our visit to Christopher’s was, just, better than most of the places we’ve been to this year. It has a nice setting on the hill, the place is newly appointed, being just three months old, the service is great, the food is very good and the prices are reasonable. I’m going to give Christopher’s an overall score of 8.2! Well done!