Stop funding technology startups and start funding restaurant startups

Posted on June 12th, 2008, by Andrew Gilmartin

Off Topic

I live along the south west cost of RI in the village of Peace Dale. I love it here. URI is 10 mins to the north and Narragansett Beach is 10 mins to the south, but a great meal is 30 mins north to Providence or 30 mins east to Newport. Why don't we have great food here? A geek can not live on dev-tools and info-glut alone. For RI to be a great info-tech and/or bio-tech and/or med-tech and/or enviro-tech hub it needs a broad variety of restaurant food. Let's stop funding technology startups and start funding restaurant startups. Well, maybe we should fund both because a geek can not live without income either.

Comments

Mark

Submitted on June 26th, 2008 - 12:00am link

I have always enjoyed Spain of Narragansett and a few others. Don't get me wrong, I love a good restaurant but even down in Peace Dale things aren't so bad. I have to travel 40 minutes from Providence just to get to the Mews Tavern...

PBLavallee

Submitted on July 24th, 2008 - 6:53pm link

I guess in Northern RI we are pretty lucky with all the food choices around here !

Never more than 10-15 minutes away. Several places in Woonsocket in the old mills (Gian Carlos, Vintage, River View...) are great, the new Italian place Luciano opened up across from Lincoln mall, the Chinese place in Lincoln Mall, all the amazing stuff in Prov, and the great value at places like Fortune House in Cumberland (who we're calling for take out tonite...) You can eat for $10-40 /person and experience a very wide variety of foods and environments.

meghanRI

Submitted on July 25th, 2008 - 2:01pm link

It's getting better in good old South County. Have you tried Trio in Narragansett Pier? Red Stripe is also opening a new restaurant where the old Cafe Newport used to be (I know, so Rhode Island).

andrewgilmartin

Submitted on August 14th, 2008 - 9:32am link

I have not tried Trio or Red Stripe yet. I will put them on the list. I have avoid Spain mostly because everyone says that while food is good the atmosphere -- sound in particular -- is terrible. I loved the Ugly Old Toad and Willy's, both in the same area, but both of these are closed now. The attrotious Canton Island is currently being replaced by a Japanisse resturant. I have my fingers crossed.

aeg

Submitted on August 14th, 2008 - 9:56am link

Sad that Ugly Old Toad is gone. I wouldnt try trio until after labor day :)

SoCo does have some good food:

Sweetcakes is very good (2 locations peacedale and wakefield...yes both are in walking distance of each other, must be a RI thing)

Town Meats in wakefield.

Valuna in saunderstown is very good

Basil's in narraganset is one of best in the state. Cheeky Monkey is now in narraganset as well.

Crazy Burger in narraganset.

Not to mention farmers markets with oysters harvested that morning.

But programmers really need taquería's and vietnamese food!!! Thankfully, you can get redbull anywhere.

Jennlee

Submitted on August 15th, 2008 - 12:18pm link

Oh my god I love Basil's! Red Stripe the other night was a fantastic array of Monk fish, scallops, mussels and more! We all here had the opportunity to go to Theater by the Sea recently (Thank you Meridian Printing) don't they plan to have a "restaurant" soon? I believe they used to. Don't miss the Producers by the way. . . and the Ocean Mist down the street.. best breakfast and bloodies! (this is so much more of a "yum/fun" conversation than I typically respond to on this site!) :)