If you’re anything like me, food is more than just fuel, it’s an experience that brings people together with the stories and flavors that have shaped our lives, families, and cultures. Whether it’s Sunday asados with my friends or Wednesday nights spent at local restaurants, food has always been a huge part of my life. Now that I’m at Brown, I’m constantly searching for new places to enjoy a great dinner or coffee beyond chicken and rice meals from Andrews or Blue Room muffins.
Johnson and Wales’ Culinary Program dominates Rhode Island’s culinary landscape, but Rhode Island’s vibrant culinary scene extends beyond PVD, with everything from food festivals, farmer’s markets, restaurant weeks, and so much more! I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands and start exploring all the amazing—and local—restaurants, coffee shops, and eateries from Woonsocket to Newport. So whether you’re a fellow Brown student looking for good eats in the Ocean State, a local searching for a new spot to eat on a Friday night, or a visitor to our lovely little side of the East Coast, I’ve got you covered!
Welcome to The Hungry Rhody, a food journey where I share my favorite places (so far) everywhere in the Ocean State, so you can always find somewhere delicious to dine!
Our first stop is Barrington, a coastal town just a short 20-minute drive from Brown.
- The Rind Cheese Shop
From sharp British cheddar to local Massachusetts soft cheeses, colorful selections of tinned fish to international olive oils, and daily, house-made sandwiches to specially-crafted charcuterie, the Rind is anything but your typical cheese shop. As soon as you walk through the door, the smell of cheese and freshly-baked bread instantly fills the air as your eyes take in their artfully stocked shelves lined with everything from tea towels, wooden charcuterie boards, and an array of local and international products.
Behind the counter, you can typically find Ashley LaPlante and Timothy (Tim) Fichera, Barrington residents and owners of The Rind, chatting with customers and sharing the newest cheeses that have arrived at the shop. Ashley and Tim are *true* cheese lovers and connoisseurs, which shines through every local, domestic, and international artisanal cheese and pairings (including wines from next door’s Grapes and Grains) they recommend. Their curated selection of cheese, tinned fish, olive oil, and house-made sandwiches are sure to delight your tastebuds and impress your friends on your next Barrington Beach picnic.
Some of their recent specials have been a roasted turkey, caramelized onion jam, rosemary garlic aioli, sharp cheddar, and arugula sandwich on a baguette and charcuterie boards that pair well with a bottle of Pinot or Shacksbury Cider. My favorite is the rosemary ham, gruyere, french butter, cornichons, and mixed greens sandwich. They constantly keep their refrigerators stocked with their homemade mac and cheese and truffle dip, locally sourced jams and honeys, artisanal salami, and other treats. If you’re lucky, you can even catch Tim making the shop’s famous Raclette sandwiches with either classic salami and cornichons or apple and mustard as a vegetarian option. Tucked between Grapes and Grains (Barrington’s main wine shop) and the Shaw’s on Bosworth Street, The Rind is definitely not a place you want to miss!
- The Black Pear
Next on my list is The Black Pear, an elevated coffeeshop and vibrant eatery on County Road, Barrington’s main street. Everything from the Black Pear is fresh and made with love, including their pastries and all-day breakfast and lunch items which are made in-house. The Black Pear is a champion of supporting local Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts business, as some of their pastries and breads are delivered from Knead Doughnuts and Seven Stars Bakery, their coffee locally roasted by Providence’s New Harvest Roasters, and their teas sourced from Sanctuary Herbs of Providence and MEM Tea of Cambridge. Their local pantry also includes products from local organic and sustainable farms like Poblano Farms in South Kingston, Full Bloom Apiaries in Franklin, CT, and Winsor Dairy in Johnston, among others.
If you’re looking for coffee and a sweet treat, I recommend trying one of their lattes with their homemade syrups, specialty lattes (like the salted nutella latte) or their mango lemonade paired with their gigantic chocolate chip cookies or blueberry muffins. For lunch, I’m obsessed with The Barrington (an open faced grilled sourdough with eggs, arugula, bacon, avocado, and tomatoes), the Figgin’ Pearfect Salad (with baby spinach, pears, figs, goat cheese, pistachios, and a homemade maple mustard dressing), and their classic Huevos Rancheros. Grab your laptops, bring your friends, and enjoy their modern-farmhouse interior, which boasts a rustic community-style table, or enjoy their outside seating when it starts getting warm out.
- Madrid Barrington
In the old Daily Scoop Ice Cream shop off County Road and the East Bay Bike Path, a piece of Spain has finally made its way into the heart of Barrington. Offering similar menu items to their hit Wayland Square store, husband-and-wife duo (and Barrington residents), Sergio Mendoza and Hercilia Corona, are the powerhouses behind Madrid’s sweet success. Hercilia and Sergio treat every customer like family, and sometimes you can find their son, Santi, ringing customers up at the register and teaching his friends how to help out. Like with their Wayland Square location, the smell of buttery pastries and coffee wafts out the front and back doors and their signature glass display cases (topped with their golden decorations, of course) boast Barrington’s most delicious European treats. I’m most excited for when spring comes to take advantage of their outdoor terrace patio seating and enjoy the sunshine and warmer weather.
I’d honestly recommend anything and everything from Madrid, but if I had to choose a few favorites, they would be the raspberry croissant (filled with a delicious raspberry jam and flaky, butter croissant layers), the almond flour (and naturally gluten free) santiago, their massive cinnamon rolls, and the submarino hot chocolate, which has a whole chocolate bar submerged in warm milk. While Madrid in Wayland has been deemed one of “College Hill[‘s] must-trys” by Brown students, I argue that Madrid Barrington ought to also occupy a spot on that list.
- The Blue Kangaroo Café
Ask any Barrington native and they’ll say that The Blue Kangaroo is a town staple. Owned and operated by Barrington’s Gelsomino family, some have taken to call this cafe a “coffee shop with comfort food” with “delicious, wholesome foods for every taste.” Bright and early in the mornings, the cafe is filled with Barrington residents waiting to score their daily morning pastry and after school, all the students from Barrington High, Barrington Middle, and the town’s Elementary schools gather to order their favorite drinks and treats before extracurriculars. The Blue Kangaroo is a taste of true Barrington life—through their homey vibes (it’s Barrington’s own Luke’s) and delicious food and drink, Steve, Max, Monique, and the Roo Crew sure do know how to make any gloomy day into an even brighter one.
Like other cafes, bakeries, and restaurants in Barrington, the Roo Crew are all about supporting local, from local and organic produce, eggs from Baffoni Farms, locally roasted coffee from a Fall River roaster, and home-made pastries from secret family recipes to paintings for sale by local artists that adorn their walls. In their refrigerators, across from the deli bar and register, they have gourmet to-go lunches, berry compote topped cheesecakes (literally drooling), salads, wraps, pasta, and so much more. My usual order is The Thriller deli sandwich with a Vita C smoothie, but I can’t help but glance at their cinnamon rolls, Jitterbug smoothie, and Maple Ave Sandwich—maybe I’ll have some new favorites to try when I go back again!
So whether you’re looking for a cute coffeeshop to grind out your homework or a place to yap with your friends, The Blue Kangaroo has everything you’re looking for and more. They’re open seven days a week (until 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. on weekends) with free WiFi.
- Miku Sushi
Arguably one of the best (and only) sushi places in Barrington, Miku is my go-to whenever I’m in town and want a quick, yet delicious, meal. Owned and run by a local Barrington family, Miku’s sushi chefs pour their love and skill into their rolls, made with the freshest fish in East Bay. Even better, Miku boasts that they are the only sushi restaurant in Rhode Island to receive fresh fish airshipped from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market. Beyond sashimi, Miku also offers hibachi lunches, a chef’s special omakase, deliciously crunchy veggie rolls, and melt-in-your-mouth bento boxes. On weekday and weekend evenings, the parking lot (which Miku shares with The Black Pear) is always filled with Barrington residents waiting to pick up their weekly sushi orders.
When my best friend visited Brown last year, we decided to take our sushi orders to-go for a sunset picnic at Barrington Beach. I got their Snow Crab Avocado Roll, Veggie Tempura Roll, and Asparagus Roll and she chose their Sashimi A La Carte with Salmon Belly, Toro, Scallop, Surf Clam, and Ikura. Safe to say we were both incredibly happy with our orders—we ate them in near silence in the Barrington Beach parking lot. And as two LA girls who grew up eating incredible sushi in the Golden State, we give Miku a 10/10. Whether you’re looking for a sit-down or take-out experience, Miku truly does it all!
- Tong D
Wondering where your favorite Thai Tea from Heng on Angell comes from? Look no further than Tong D, Barrington’s hottest spot for Thai cuisine. Tong D, from the Thai ทองดี, meaning Good as Gold, embodies the restaurant’s mission to “enhance the reputation of Thai cuisine.” In their Barrington location, which opened in 2009, Chef Nick Aree experiments with all kinds of flavors, which create exquisite, comforting dishes. Some favorites include their Chicken Satay, Scallion Pancakes, Papaya Salad, Pad Thai, Pad C U, Tom Kha, and Tom Yum. If you like Thai curry, be sure to try their Khao Soi, a classic northern Thai recipe, that has warmed the hearts of countless Barrington and non-Barrington residents. Of course, don’t forget to order their Thai Tea (or their plant-based Coconut Thai Tea variation) and Mango Sticky Rice. With authentic flavors, a warm ambience, and kind staff (who give the best recommendations), Tong D is a local gem and cozy option for all your Thai favorites!
So, the next time you decide to head to Barrington Beach, whether for a sunset picnic or pre-finals beach day, be sure to check out the town’s local eats, each of which offers a flavorful and refreshing escape from the same five places we eat at each week. Whether you’re looking for a cute brunch date, a cozy study spot, or a casual dinner with friends, Barrington’s restaurants and coffee shops are sure to impress. Each place tells its own story, with passionate owners and chefs crafting dishes, drinks, and pastries that go above and beyond the ordinary. Plus, supporting local Rhode Island businesses helps strengthen our community and gives each of us the chance to discover something new. While these are some of my favorite spots in town, there are so many others left to try—I’m always discovering new places, so stay tuned for more!