le127

le127 t1_j7wwqar wrote

I wish I had an answer to that question. Never had the General Tso's there but since the China Inn closed I've had cravings for several of their dishes like Shanghai Dumplings, Ants Climbing a Tree, Sczechuan Beef, and Dan Dan Noodles to name a few.

Unfortunately I doubt any of the take out joints have anything that matches the Inn. When Louis Yip opened China Inn back in the 1970s it was the first local Chinese restaurant to offer more upscale and specialized fare beyond the Chow Mein and Polynesian style spots. Chengdu Taste makes some pretty good Sichuan stuff but it's a different style menu than China Inn and doesn't fill that void. With luck maybe somebody has a good suggestion.

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le127 t1_j3529j1 wrote

Back in the 1920s there were both trolley/streetcar/tram lines in the cities and interurban rail lines between the cities and even into some of the rural areas. There are still a few remnants of the bed from the Providence-Woonsocket line if you know where to look. When private autos became common everybody saw this as the modern way to go. Looking back now it might be nice to still have some of that infrastructure. The links below are old maps showing the long gone interurban rail lines.

http://www.vizettes.com/kt/ne-interurbans/ri/north-ri.htm

http://www.vizettes.com/kt/ne-interurbans/ri/se-ri.htm

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le127 t1_j2ni0ed wrote

"Tired of getting my fish at market basket..."

Where do you live? You are probably driving by a specialty fish market on your way to Market Basket. IMO fish is just too specialized a product to buy at a chain supermarket. In a pinch stores such as Market Basket, Dave's, and Whole Foods can be OK but there are still many independent seafood markets all around the state. For seafood, I'm going to a seafood market. Many good suggestions have already been made but I did a couple of quick lists below. (disclaimer: I'm not endorsing Yelp, it was just an easy way to generate a list of providers)

Not only are your odds of getting fresher fish better at these independent markets, a number of them are family run by people who want to provide the best and freshest seafood they can.

https://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=seafoodmarkets&find_loc=Providence%2C+RI

https://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=seafoodmarkets&find_loc=Warwick%2C+RI

https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=seafood+markets&find_loc=Newport%2C+RI+02840

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le127 t1_iyykojt wrote

Reply to Seafood by Clamdiving

For shellfish I go to Twin Shellfish on Apponaug Cove in Warwick.

http://twinshellfish.com/

There are still a good number of locally owned and run fish markets around the state. That's my first choice rather than a chain grocery store but Dave's Marketplace is a good choice if you do not have access to a specialty market.

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le127 t1_ixuplqj wrote

That's interesting. After finishing with the salesperson I was dreading the final stop with the F & I guy as this is usually like a mashup of a snake oil peddler/evangelical preacher/door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman. It went just like everything with the sales team, the pitch was relaxed and very low key. No high pressure or pleading at all.

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le127 t1_ixug084 wrote

Bernardi in Natick. I was forced into the used car market last year, perhaps the worst year to buy a used car since Henry Ford was rolling out Model Ts. After 3 weeks of looking and checking dealers in four states to find what I wanted I wound up at Bernardi. The vibe was unlike any other car dealer I had visited in decades of driving. The staff was friendly, chill, and helpful. As the saying goes, YMMV, but my experience was certainly positive.

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le127 t1_ixswc91 wrote

Korbs Bakery was very good and unfortunately long gone along with another nostalgic spot Millers Delicatessen. It's been years since Korbs closed and the last Jewish style bakery in the state, Rainbow Bakery in Cranston, closed a couple of years ago. They made a good rye bread but not quite like the old Korbs. While there is a Jewish community in the Providence area I don't think it has the critical mass required at this point to allow the success of a small and specialized real Jewish bakery. Let me also squeeze in a tearful shout out to the also very much missed Davis Dairy Store where you could buy hand cut slices of smoked salmon and watch it being sliced.

There are a few bakeries in Brookline and Newton which would be about an hour's ride. Locally you can try Bubbie's as already suggested and there is a new bakery at the corner of Cypress and Camp St, Oak Bakeshop, which seems to be more pastry oriented but might do bagels too.

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le127 t1_itlydlg wrote

What's wrong with going to a welding shop? Cranston Welding on Park Ave sells CO2 fills for beverage service to homebrewers.

Let me also put in a plug for my friends at Blackstone Valley Brewing Supply in Woonsocket. They do CO2 tank exchanges. Not open today their days are WED-SUN but they are the best shop in the region if you also happen to be looking for a brewing ingredient supplier too.

https://www.blackstonevalleybrewing.com/

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le127 t1_itggiqo wrote

I was thinking Chowder & Clamcakes. When is low tide on the Missouri?

Yes you can find decent BBQ in the area but the OP shouldn't expect to find something equal to that from one of the BBQ epicenters of the country. Durks is good but it leans towards the Texas style not KC, so there's that too.

Shrimp Mozambique sounds pretty good BTW. I'd encourage the OP try to some Portuguese/Cape Verde cuisine before leaving the area. It's one of our somewhat under the radar regional specialties that isn't easy to find in most parts of the US.

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le127 t1_it0h7r5 wrote

I have not checked recently, but Stop & Shop did carry Moxie in 12oz cans and 2L bottles. That was in Providence and North Providence but it's worth checking.

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