We were called to an appointment on Aquidneck Island last week, and we never turn down an opportunity to partake in one of its many fine eating establishments. The time of the appointment wasn’t conducive to grabbing breakfast beforehand, so by noontime with only a large Dunkin’ Donuts Decaf Iced Coffee in my belly I could feel the coffee sloshing around and I was ready to eat.

One of our favorite restaurants when we lived in Portsmouth was Sea Shai, a Japanese – Korean place in Middletown in a small plaza. Not much to look at from the outside, but very serene and zen on the inside. The name means “Quiet River”, apt for the space. Not that we see much of the inside, as we sit at the sushi bar and watch the sushi chef preparing the tasty tidbits in which we are about to partake while sipping on Kirin Light and fruity beverages. The day we were there it was quiet, just a couple of tables and us. We were happy to see the same waitress we’d had over ten years ago, one of the most beautiful Asian women I’ve ever seen, and I must say she gets lovelier with age.

They have a new menu with LOTS of special rolls. It was hard to order our usual boring old assortment when faced with easily 24 of the most interesting and delicious looking combinations of flavors I’d seen in a while. So in going for the gusto I ordered things called Wild Tuna Roll and Taco Roll, and a couple of others whose names I can’t remember. One of them was smoked calamari and spicy salmon wrapped in rice and nori with white tuna, tobiko and a spicy sauce on top. Steve said it was lumpy and chewy, not words one usually uses to describe food in a good way, but he ate them and enjoyed them, as did I. I have a tendency to over order sushi, and I was certainly at capacity when we were done. When I showed my cousin Claudia a picture of our choices she looked at me and said, “Just the two of you?” That says it all.

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The lead singer in Steve’s band is involved in a new venture. Her husband’s family opened June Love’s English Bakery just down the street from Sea Shai on Aquidneck Avenue. We decided to stop in to check it out. Big mistake. HUGE. Scones with more butter and cream than the normal sort and studded with chocolate chips. Some of the best looking cakes I’ve seen in a long time – and I’m a cake girl. And sticky toffee pudding. My friend Octavia confided that her perfect last meal would be a glass of Champagne and sticky toffee pudding. June Love’s is swoon inducing; it could kill you it’s so good. They are using 100-year-old English recipes and there is nothing artificial in their ingredient list. It is all fresh, buttery and delicious. They even have a photo of the village from which they hale, and pointed out Nana’s house! It is worth the trip if you are anywhere near Newport or one of the farmer’s markets they attend. Their Facebook page is here.

Carpio Update

Claudia, John and family were back to Enfield for July 4th, but still no sign of the carp. I think he moved to Maryland. My cousin Mike, who lives there, commented on my blog that his boat’s name is Carpio Diem, which I had no idea about until he told me and sent a photo. He named it such because of the carp he caught when he first got it.

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Great minds think alike, as they say. Or just goofy ones. There’s usually just one in a family; we got a million of ‘em. Any of you that have seen the Pixar flick Inside Out will recall the “islands” in the girl’s consciousness; Relationship Island, Friendship Island, and our favorite, Goofball Island. I leaned over to my cousin Anita and said, “Yours is a continent.” My family. I’m so proud.

Deborah