Why Everyone's Talking About This Spot In One Rhody City
So, only a few days ago, the singer John Legend and his influencer, ex-model wife Chrissy Teigen (See her in the latest tv comm for Vita Coco.) were in Newport for Andy Roddick's induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. When Chrissy tweeted how much she loved the city, the Twitter-verse from the OS (That's the Ocean State.) went wild and cray! Of course the city's fantabulous. But if you've only explored spots like Thames - or The Cliff Walk - you're still missing out.
Only a short walk from Thames is Broadway, a street that reminds me of the West Side of PVD and that Broadway. It's a mix of artists and bohos, millenials, middle of the roadies in search of a decent grilled cheese and tomato soup, musicians, students, and everyone in between. Also, betcha won't see tons of ppl wearing oversized sweatshirts with NEWPORT emblazoned across them. With this in mind then, here are a few of my go-to's on funky, cool Broadway to scope out for yourself.
1. Keenwah
So I've searched all over Newport for the last few years, looking for restaurants that have tasty vegetarian options. Besides the house salad. Or maybe the french fries (although the fried sweet potatoes you get on the side with your sandwich here are so good!). While their menu is not entirely plant based, I love that Keenwah has a very nice selection of meat free sandwiches and snacks for breakfast and lunch, as well as juices and gluten free baked goods.
The Vibe: Hospitable, cute cafe. They are only open until 3pm; there's also no table service, so make sure you're in the mood to retrieve your order from the counter, seat yourself accordingly before venturing over. (And if you've struggled with how to pronounce QUINOA - Who among us hasn't? - you'll appreciate the name all the more.)
2. Empire Tea & Coffee
Empire Tea & Coffee Broadway is their original location (They have 4 in totalat this point I believe.), which automatically makes it just a little hipper than the others. So, first, impress your pals with that tidbit, and then, order your drink of choice. All the ones I've sampled (from iced coffee to cortados, cappuccinos, and lattes) have been praise worthy. No bitterness, burnt milk or other coffee related catastrophes to report.
The Vibe: They have tons of seating and local art on display, which will make you feel like you're getting an extra shot of culture with your caffeine. The only thing we struggled with? The individualized WiFi passwords they hand out to paying customers. I imagine it's to discourage squatters looking for free WiFi. Can't blame them, but it did take me a minute before I could figure out what exactly the deal was.
3. Salvation Cafe
This place is everything, atmosphere and food wise. And originally, I was totally torn: Part of me couldn't wait to blog about it. The other part was leaning toward Team Local (aka, not wanting to sing its praises because it can only lead to longer wait times for a table, right?).
The Vibe: Art school whimsy meets kitsch, there's something completely authentic and organic about the aesthetic and decor. But don't start taking too many atmosphere pics for Insta when you go for dinner or drinks because they'll probably turn out fuzzy (So many of ours did!) because the lighting is dim. Instead, put your phone to the side and focus in on the food. You won't regret it. We had the salmon with fried spinach & mashed potatoes (for my blog budddy) and the Pad Thai with tofu (for me).
Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of PattyJ.com