Three Tomatoes Trattoria

Three Tomatoes Trattoria (Lebanon location)
1 Court Street
Lebanon, NH
(Check out their website to see all TTT locations)
It was a really long day and I ended up in Lebanon, New Hampshire around dinner time. Three Tomatoes Trattoria looked like a good spot to eat and so I gave it a try. The place was well decorated and it looked like they were running a fine business. I tried the house veal meatballs with tomato basil sauce. These were pretty good but I didn't think they were spectacular or unique in any way. They were also a bit pricey, coming in a $2 a piece. And then there was the shrimp fra Diavolo (pictured). This was a pretty nice blend of shrimp, olives, crushed red peppers, garlic, white wine, and tomato basil sauce. I will say that these guys use a lot of garlic and that's a definite plus in my book.

This would have been a pretty good meal except for the fact that I had terrible service. My waiter didn't seem really friendly at first and I didn't pay any attention to that. She brought out the water, rolls, and appetizer pretty fast. But then I waited a really long time for my entree. She never came back to refill my water and I sat there for half an hour after my plate was very clearly clean before she even came back. And when I asked for the check, that took another ten minutes. I didn't want to pay with cash but I also didn't want to wait for her to come back, take the card up, and swipe it.

Maybe I would have liked the place better if I had had better service. As it stands, I cannot give this place a particularly good rating.

Scarlet Begonias

Pasta special at Scarlet Begonias

Scarlet Begonias
212 Maine St # B
Brunswick, ME

This is probably one of my favorite spots in Brunswick. Now, I sometimes have problems getting to their actual menu because their specials are always so tempting and fantastic. How can you turn down the delicious scallop pizza or the special club sandwich with sprouts and turkey? If you're there when they have their fish chowder or seafood chowder, try it! Everything is made when you order so sometimes this will take a while and they do have limited seating so if you show up during the lunch rush, you might just have to wait a bit. I love the fact that you can just pick up a pitcher of water from the counter and take it over to your seat.

Now, there are some regular items that I really love. If I can resist their specials that day, I go for Sallie's Choice, which is a pizza loaded with sausage, broccoli, roasted red peppers, cheeses, and herbs. There's something about that combination that just hits the spot. Wash it down with an ice-cold Pepsi with ice. That is a fantastic meal right there although you will need a nap. There is no getting around that.

Other people are really drawn to the pasta selection at SB's. The Rose Begonia seems to be the absolute favorite and it's a blend of bacon, chicken, mushrooms, and herbs over penne pasta. The sauce is a tomato cream one and it is wonderfully rich. I think the dish is great but a bit creamy. The portions, by the way, are pretty big and you may end up taking some items home with you.

Pricey? Just a bit but the food is well worth it and hey, this is a local restaurant with a nice decor and great food. Just enjoy the great food and atmosphere.

Spats

Spats
182 Angell St.
Providence, RI

If you're looking for a fun sports bar or just a place to have a meal near Brown, you might want to try Spats at 182 Angell Street. Now, I'm not from Providence so I'm a little confused with the names of the streets. Is it Angel or Angell? I've seen it spelled both ways. In any case, I think they are same place.

Spats has that sports bar feel with monitors everywhere and a dark decor. The service was very good and people seemed friendly. I'm not sure how crowded and smokey (do they allow smoking in pubs in Rhode Island?) it would get if the place were packed with hungry and sports-crazed college students but when I was there, it was a bit early for the dinner crowd and everything was nice except for the overeager patrons at the bar. The Mariners were playing on the monitors and that passed the time well as I was waiting for my food.

I was in the mood for seafood and ended up ordering the "Clams Zuppa," which was angel hair pasta covered with a wonderful tomato sauce (they claimed it was spicy but it really wasn't), littleneck clams, chorizo, and garlic. The meal was very tasty. The clams were fresh and I really liked how the chorizo complimented the rest of the flavors. A great dish overall.

For dessert, I tried the apple crisp, which was just perfect. The crust as nice and gooey and went well with the wonderfully tender apples. The vanilla ice cream may have been too much but it was very good along with the whipped cream. I think the crisp would have been fine on its own but if you're going to go all out in Providence, why not just have the complete meal?

Overall, this was a fine place to dine.

As it turns out, there is this blog about Providence area restaurants ("Eating Providence"), which is interesting. Check it out.