Don't Back Down

For the time being at least, I've turned on coComment integration with the comments.

Effective immediately you'll notice some extra links at the bottom of the comments textarea that allow you to track a conversation simply by clicking it (and no, you don't have to comment to track a conversation - you can actually track it, even if you just want to keep an eye on things). Once you do, you are immediately granted a guest page at coComment where you can track your comments across the Internet.

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Most modern airports have a pretty decent selection of restaurants. Most modern airports look absolutely identical as well, as their selection consists entirely of the exact same chains. At least here you can get a halfway decent bagel (either with cream cheese or as a breakfast sandwich), along with a drink, and it's not too bad, as this chain isn't found everywhere you look.

I debated for a while whether to write a review on McDonald's. I mean how many people don't know what a McDonald's is like? But this place is different.

For starters, the joint is huge. There is indeed free WiFi, which a number of restaurants - including other McDonald's - charge for. But to take it a step further, this one actually provides you with a computer if you forgot your own.

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Walking into a tavern, we expected something a bit less formal. But that aside, we were pleasantly surprised - it wasn't bad at all. The food was tasty, though when ordering "potato fondue" we received what most people would simply call "mashed potatoes". Just a bit of marketing. The food was good.

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I have to admit to being a bit surprised that Baskin Robbins is still around these days, what with the proliferation of the "roll your own" ice cream shops, where you get to select the base and then add whatever you like to create your own flavors. But I suppose there's room for just about anything. After all, not every town can support every shop.

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Basically a sit-down family-style restaurant with some local touches like clam chowder and a roll on the cheese steak that isn't quite a sub roll (not exactly sure what to call it in fact, but it was pretty tasty).

The service was good, very friendly, and quite speedy. The appetizers were good and the prices weren't bad at all. Not a bad choice if you're in the area and looking for something in a rush.

It's not uncommon to find Dunkin Donuts on just about every corner in Rhode Island, but we just happened to stop at this one. We were, in fact, looking for a gas station - which you can find on every corner in North Carolina, but they are amazingly difficult to find in Rhode Island.

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This restaurant, within the Inn at Mystic, has a nice view overlooking the bay. Unfortunately the windows don't seem to have been cleaned for some time, the service isn't very good and the food isn't that great either. You're probably better off stopping elsewhere.

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This is the original location of Flo's Clam Shack. There's another one in Newport, but it's bigger and has none of the funkiness of this location. I can't speak to the food, as I haven't actually eaten there - I'm sure it's pretty similar.

The "stuffy" is a sort of deviled clam, the "clam cakes" are a sort of hush puppy with pieces of clam in them and you can pretty well figure out everything else. The food is fresh, comes up quick and is priced well.

While it doesn't seem large from the outside, the building houses a three-story monster on the inside. The portions are gigantic. Thinking we would keep it light, we ordered an appetizer to share and skip salads, but after just picking at the appetizer we still only finished perhaps half of our meals.

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On a recent trip to Providence, we stayed in this hotel near downtown Providence. We picked it mostly because of location to Interstate 95, which made it east to access from the airport, but also because we had to travel towards Boston, Newport and Connecticut, which means we could easily get where we needed to go. The only problem is that accessing I-95 North from just about anywhere in downtown Providence can be a major hassle. Doing so from the hotel is even worse.

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On the menu we're told that this chain was started by a big guy with a big dream. The food is fairly standard for a chain these days, but there are some nice surprises. The shrimp cakes are patterned after crab cakes, but served with a nice sauce, over cheese grits, and the portion is pretty good-sized (as you would expect from the name), so even as an appetizer they make for a good entree.

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