For the Memorial Day weekend I headed down to Portsmouth, Rhode Island which neighbors the popular tourist destination of Newport.  Because I was staying with a friend, I got the local tour of the island of Aquidneck which is home to both towns.  The tour included a stop at the Rhode Island tradition of Del’s Frozen Lemonade.  It was introduced to me as a staple of Rhode Island’s gastronomic experience.  After digging a little bit online, I discovered that not only can this Rhode Island treat be delivered anywhere, but it was founded in 1948 by Angelo DeLucia who brought the recipe from Italy.  The humble beginnings of this legendary beverage started with a small, push cart in Cranston.  Today there’s a store and many trucks peppered around all the popular hotspots in the area during the summer months. 

The trucks sport the tag line, “It’s refreshingly different.”  As soon as we spotted the painted lemons on a one near a beach, we pulled in to see a group of guys in line for the lemonade.  Not only is this a sign of Rhode Island, but a sign that summer has arrived.  After the crowd cleared we ordered our own lemonade.  It gets two thumbs up in my book!  It was refreshingly tangy and tasted like summertime in my mouth.  We enjoyed downing the drink with the help of the popular spoon-straw while watching beach-goers and surfers taking on the waves.  I couldn’t think of a better way to complement the Memorial Day weekend.

The low-down simply is if you’re in Rhode Island, don’t leave without having a Del’s Frozen Lemonade first!

This truck is by the beach which St. George’s boarding school overlooks.

Since I moved to Boston in the fall of 2006, my Uncle Tim who lives in New York had wanted to take me to Kelly’s, a beachside establishment since 1951.  Tim raved about the lobster rolls that a Harvard student once introduced to him.  Kelly’s website and menu highlights roast beef, but really the lobster roll is what you want to order.  After two and half years of hearing about this famous place, in April we finally made the trip to Revere Beach where the little street-side restaurant called Kelly’s resides.

The lobster roll was absolutely to die-for!  It is definitely the best lobster I’ve ever had.  The menu reads “Meat of two 1lb Losters (8 oz)” which couldn’t have tasted any fresher.  It’s worth every penny of the $16.95 price tag that comes along with it.  

Locals were definitely lined up outside of the restaurant that smells of grease for its deep-fried menu items.  You walk up to order and then either take your food to-go or eat it by Revere Beach.  Even though it was a little chilly, that didn’t stop us from enjoying eating outdoors.  We crossed the street and savored the view at dusk of Revere Beach. Sometime I forget Boston has beaches when I don’t stray too far from Cambridge .

While having a car is the easiest way to get to Revere Beach and Kelly’s, there is a subway stop that will get you within walking distance aptly called Revere Beach Station on the Blue Line.  During the summer I can tell that this place is a must-stop with any trip to Revere Beach.  If you get a chance, check it out.  If you have any other suggestions, let me know!