When last we went to Calabash, we found the food quite good but the service a bit iffy. This trip proved to be a distinct contrast: the service was quite attentive, but the food seemed less interesting than our last visit.
For appetizers we had calamari and the hot jerk wings, both of which proved good. The wings were full-sized and well seasoned, though (still) not hot enough for me. Likewise, the calamari was fairly tender and had a nice light, crispy batter.
However, my jerked pork entree seemed rather plain, which is odd for any jerked dish. Also, despite its designation as the hottest thing on the menu, it still suffered from Where's the Heat. (They also seemed to have both considerably toned down the heat in the house hot sauce and elimiated many of the other hot sauces they used to leave out on the table.) The fries were good, but the white rice needed more sauce than Calabash provided with the pork...
It's possible that I just picked the wrong entree. Other diners seemed more satisfied with their dishes (especially the governor's steak sandwich, which came with a very good spicy mayonnaise spread on the side). Still, where their menus overlap, Cafe Josie provides much more satisfying versions of the same dishes, albeit at a higher price. Still, there's no economic reason Calabash couldn't be as good; all it takes is talent.
I was in Rhode Island.
Here I fall victim to the "good restaurant conundrum": I have very little new to say about Cafe Spiazzo because they've maintained a consistently good dining experience over the years. (In fact, they're one of the few restaurants we've visited in each of the four years we've been keeping these logbooks online). The only drawback this year was that the garlic bread seemed less tasty than before (however, the garlic butter remains first rate, though you have to ask for it to supplant the olive oil they leave at your table). Service remains first-rate, with pepper graters and cheese grinders on stand-bye. For Italian, I think I slightly prefer both Reale's and Carrabbas, but if you're looking for a more intimate atmosphere than they provide, Cafe Spiazzo is a good bet.
Thanksgiving.
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