July 28, 2010 - Newport Bar Crawl

We've been trying to get together with our friends Paul and Sonya off of s/v Event Horizon ever since we got home. They live on their boat just up the coast in Wickford, RI. So you wouldn't think it would be that hard. But somehow it has taken 5 weeks to make it happen. And after last night, I just might need 5 weeks to recover before we do it again.

We started the night at 41 North, a new bar/resto/hotel on the waterfront that began its life as a private club last year, but which is now open to the public. The white bar and loungy furniture makes it feel like something out of St. Barts or Miami. And the prices of the beverages only reinforces that impression. If you are looking to find all the folks who need to be seen at the most expensive bar in town, this is the place to go. If you are looking for a nice place to have a drink and watch the sunset, this would also do, but at $15 a cocktail and $9 a beer, there are much less expensive places to do it.

After one round at 41 North we made for Perro Salado, one of Paul and Sonya's favorite spots. We quickly saw why. The restaurant is set in an old house with a series of small, cozy dining rooms that open onto a colorful patio. With great margaritas, decent Mexican food, and very reasonable prices, Perro is a place we'll definitely come back to.

As we were wrapping up dinner, Paul and Sonya quizzed us about where we had been in town to figure out where to go next. When they found out that we'd never been to the Top of Newport, the roofdeck bar at the Viking Hotel, the decision was made.

The bar is open and airy, as a roofdeck would be, with lovely views. Sonya convinced me to try their Cucumber Cooler - a cocktail made with Blueberry Vodka, Cucumber Juice and Lime Juice, served in a tall glass, and garnished with a skewer of blueberries. It is a surprisingly tangy combination that goes down quickly . . . too quickly for a $13 drink. But it is so delicious that I'm planning to buy a bushel of cucumbers and a pint of blueberries at the farmers' market this afternoon to try to make my own. I'm also pretty sure that it is a hangover cure. After the variety and volume of beverages consumed last night I should be feeling a lot worse than I do this morning.

Our night ended with a stop at Paul's local, the Fastnet Pub, where they pour a great Guinness, in Paul's very well researched opinion. The Fastnet struck us as a friendly local joint and all too soon it was time for us to leave so that we could make it back to Oldport to catch the last launch of the night.