Chelo's Hometown Bar and Grille

In my first few trips to Rhode Island, I was with a less-than-adventurous eating coworker. We never branched far from a couple regular places. This time around, I was with a coworker that was willing to check out new places so M and I did some research for my second week away. On our list was Chelo's Bar and Grille which is a chain restaurant located all around Rhode Island. They offer traditional favorites like burgers, salads, and sandwiches, but they also specialize in local, New England fare. Being in New England, and hearing M lament that she wouldn't be able to eat any of these, I figured I had to try out these specialties. When my coworker and I got there, I was starving.

Clam Cakes and Chowder 

I started out with an order of their clam cakes and chowder. The appetizer comes with 3 of their clam cakes and a cup of their clam chowder as well. They give you the option of red, white, and Boston. I really really like New England clam chowder so I had to go with the white.

Clam Chowder 

It's not the greatest picture, and I apologize for that, but this was a tasty chowder. It's not the best I've ever had, but it was a very solid offering. Not too salty, just the right creaminess, and full enough of clams, potatoes, and vegetables to not be thin while not being dominated. They also add a bit of bacon for that smokiness, but it's controlled so as to not be the overall flavor of the soup.

Clam Cakes 

I wasn't really sure what to expect when it came to the clam cakes. I had never had them before and envisioned something to the effect of a crab cake but made with clams instead. My best explanation for these is that they're like hush puppies with some added chopped up clams. They're a little doughy, they're a touch salty, and they're fried up really nicely. The bits of clam give it a little chewiness and texture as well. The clam cakes were really interesting, and I enjoyed dunking the pieces into the soup.

I probably could have stopped after the appetizer, though, as the clam cakes and chowder were actually quite filling. However, having eyes much larger than my stomach when I walked in, I also opted to order their baked scrod entree which is another New England specialty.

Baked Scrod 

The dish comes with a side of rice pilaf and broccoli, but who cares about that? This is all about the fish! The baked scrod is seasoned with wine and herbs, topped with cracker crumbs, and then baked in a dish that is literally full of butter. I enjoyed the fish with and without the squeeze of lemon that they provide. The fish itself was a little overcooked, but the butter kept it mostly moist. Overall this was an okay dish, but it certainly took a backseat to the clam cakes and chowder. After stuffing my face in the worst (best?) way possible, I was informed that my entree came with a free dessert as well. Thankfully, the waitress said I could take it to go so I got a slice of their chocolate creme pie.

Chocolate Creme Pie

Contrary to the name, it's not a cream based pie. This is chocolate pudding layered into a pie crust and bombed with whipped cream. The crust is a bit hard and tough to cut through with a plastic fork, but the chocolate pudding was really nice. It was more solid than normal pudding since it had to be used for pie filling, and it wasn't overly sweet. It had a nice, subtle cocoa flavor. I didn't eat all of the whipped cream since that's just an absurd amount. The pie itself was good overall but not spectacular.

Corner Bakery Cafe

Ever since M and I moved from Chicago, I hadn't been to Corner Bakery Cafe. It seems like almost every day I was grabbing a sandwich and soup combo since it was right across the street from my first office. It's been over 8 years since I had a chance to eat there, and when I found out that they had opened a new branch near the office of my client in Rhode Island, I was extremely excited.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup and Chicken Pomodori Panini 

When I went, my favorite meal was a soup and sandwich combo of their Roasted Tomato Basil Soup and their Chicken Pomodori Panini so obviously I had to get that again... twice. I had to go twice because I was so excited the first time I basically inhaled my food happily but way too quickly. The good thing is that it tasted just as good as I remembered it.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

The roasted tomato basil soup comes topped with their homemade spicy croutons. They add a nice balance with the mild spiciness and also a bit of crunch to the soup. The soup itself is amazing, though. It has a more than subtle sweetness from the tomatoes themselves, and the basil adds an herbaceous flavor to the whole ensemble. They also added garlic which adds just a hint of flavor to the soup. What I like the most about this soup is that it's not salty. Corner Bakery really lets the sweetness dominate the overall flavor profile.

Chicken Pomodori Panini

I guess the official name for this is Chicken Pomodori on Sourdough. It is described as "all-natural chicken, fresh basil and spinach, oven-roasted tomatoes and provolone cheese with pesto mayo" on their website, and the flavors of the sandwich complement the soup extremely well. The cheese and pesto mayo add more saltiness to balance out the sweetness of the roasted tomatoes as well a little creaminess. The chicken is sliced thin to not dominate each bite, and the bread is crisped perfectly to offer a bite and crunch while staying nice and soft inside. The basil adds that same herbaceous flavor as it does with the soup, and the spinach adds more leafy texture as well as health benefits.

Separately these two components are really tasty, but my favorite way of eating this is to dunk the sandwich into the soup and letting soften up a bit while absorbing some of the sweetness as well. I'm not saying you have to eat it that way, but if you grew up dipping grilled cheese into tomato soup, this might make sense for you.