Grill on Main (East Greenwich, RI)

Since I've been home I've been trying to be really good about saving money for Barbados.  Having a financial planner for a mother makes that task a joy.  So, when I decide to go out to dinner I have to know it's going to be good.  And if my friend who's allergic to wheat sacrifices her digestive tract for some nachos I know they're going to be delicious.  My friend Ariana has been talking about this restaurant and their nachos for a while now.  So, naturally I've been dying to try them.  We decided to go last night, pre-binge drinking escapades, to coat our stomachs.  The Grill on Main is a great locals pub with dark wood paneling, a large bar area and a friendly atmosphere.  All of the food on the menu looked good, some better than others. Guess which some I'm talking about.  Loaded nachos baby.  I was ready to eat, so we ordered them right away.  Our waitress was friendly, but one of those talkative types, you get the whole life story and can't tell if she's sincere or just talking about having a 10 month old at home expecting more pity tips.  Anyways the nachos arrive and they look scrumptious.  They are the perfect size for sharing amongst two or three people, depending on your level of glutton-ness.  The tri-colored chips are served on a long white plate which adds a little sophistication to their presentation.  The chips are covered with chili, cheese, salsa, diced tomatoes, jalapenos, olives, lettuce and sour cream.  Everything tasted really fresh, nothing was too greasy or too heavy and after devouring them I was left with a satisfied feeling rather than a bloated one.  The only change I would make would be to spread out the toppings more evenly as some chips were left bare.  Otherwise the yellow, blue, and red chips were crispy and crunchy just the way I like them and were the perfect base for the "loaded" toppings.  They were great! I would have them for breakfast tomorrow.  I'll have to call and see if they're open.  The nachos get a 8.6/10.  Our night out in Newport following the feast receives a 14/10.  Love me a shwasted Saturday!

Tucker's Bistro (Newport, RI)

On special recommendation of my friend Sarah's dad John, I made a reservation for Thursday night at Tucker's Bistro. "Katie, I didn't know you had a nacho blog! These were some excellent f*ing nachos. You have to try this place- Tucker's Bistro." I was in.  As we know I love trying new restaurants and have been leaning towards more "foodie" places lately.  Tucker's fits the bill perfectly.  It's a cute little French bistro right on Broadway in Newport.  The lightening is red and romantic, the art is eclectic, the service is superb and even the bread bowl was beautiful- nice beading work. Now, Tucker's Bistro has a way with foods and interesting combinations of tastes and ingredients. So, I knew these nachos would be one of a kind.  And they definitely were.  The were listed on the menu as Thai Shrimp Nachos and I thought- this is going to be great, very different, so I prepared my taste buds. They were amazing! The portion was perfect for three people I would say and there were five in our group, but we're excellent sharers and seemed to make it work. They came out in a wide set bowl instead of the usual plate which I thought was a nice touch for their presentation score.  Instead of tortilla chips, the nachos were based with crispy wontons topped with sauteed shrimp, red peppers, scallions and leeks all swimming in a coconut Thai red curry broth.  The taste was fantastic! Honestly, it's a little bit difficult for me to describe in words.  The coconut broth was sweet. but not overwhelmingly so.  The wontons had such great texture, taste and stability that they were the perfect base for the six or so jumbo shrimp.  The sweet bell peppers gave the nachos another unique taste as they were soft on the outside, but the right amount of crunch on the inside. Creating that perfect chip or shall I say wonton required shrimp, red pepper, leeks, scallions and then a spoonful of the curry broth in that order.  The flavors exploded in my mouth and each ingredient perfectly complemented the others.  These sure were some delicious nachos and they are definitely the most creative ones I have seen so far in terms of presentation and experimentation with different flavors. I'm giving them a 9.2/10.