Locavore Weekend In Bristol, Rhode Island
Eating local when you're traveling just got easier. Plan a trip to Bristol, R.I., a charming seaside town, and you'll have access to plenty of delicious and local seafood, meat, and produce. You and your family can sleep at an historic inn on a 127-acre farm, collect eggs in the morning for breakfast, and shop the farmers' market — all before heading out to visit a living farm museum.
Where to Stay:
Governor Bradford Inn is a 1745 country inn at Mount Hope Farm, with an Old World feel, farm and bay views, walking trails, goats and chickens, an edible garden, and a farmers' market. The inn is decorated in antiques and reproductions, and serves a hearty locavore breakfast daily. Guests have a choice of four bedrooms, each with a private bath. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where to Eat:
With help from Market Mobile, a "farm to biz" delivery service, Bristol's restaurants have access to more than 50 local farms and food purveyors, and plenty of seafood from the local waters.
DeWolf Tavern showcases new American cuisine prepared by chef Sai Viswanath with an East Indian/Asian twist, the menu features local ingredients. The menu is a showcase of local fish, oysters, clams, and lobsters, and dishes include Rhode Island mussels in coconut broth, a lobster popover, and a wide array of sandwiches and pizzas made from the Indian naan bread that's cooked daily in the Tandoori oven. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Persimmon serves creative American fare from three-time James Beard Award finalist, Champe Speidel. The menu combines locally and globally sourced ingredients and emphasizes seasonal ingredients, all with some unusual flavor combinations, including Narragansett Bay razor clam with Japanese octopus ceviche in a citrus, ginger, herb and vegetable marinade. Additional dishes may include asparagus soup, sourced from a nearby farm, with locally raised egg and ham; roasted Rhode Island veal loin with a variety of seasonal vegetables; and tautog (black fish) with herb and butter sauce. Atlantic halibut and local John Dory fish are also offered. Dinner only.
The Beehive Café is a quintessential cozy café with local ingredients. The menu features lamb, beef, chicken and eggs, dairy products, homemade sausage, and bacon, and a case full of tasty baked goods and breads that are made in-house. There's great Fair Trade coffee at breakfast. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Where to Visit:
Mount Hope Farm. In front of the Governor Bradford Inn, the farm features a blue-eyed goat buck and his family, hens and chickens, and a large, rustic barn. 250 Metacom Avenue
Coggeshall Farm Museum. A living history farm museum from 1799 that showcases heritage farm animals and heirloom plants. Culinary features include a cooking demo in a hearth using 18th-century recipes, and a pantry of Old World utensils.
Where to Shop:
Mount Hope Farm Farmers' Market. A large, year-round farmers' market held every Saturday with live music and crafts, and featuring everything from seafood, meat, and cheese to produce, honey, and baked goods. Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.