i am not going to lie when i say that there is absolutely nothing better than eating with a view. i guess that is why i have always enjoyed picnics outdoors and restaurants situated on hilltops or even in skyscrapers. its almost like the concept of having dinner and a show.. the spectacular view (hehe rilo kiley) is what the show is all about. nothing thrills me more than eating a good meal beneath a beautiful blue sky (patches of clouds included) while overlooking distant figures, objects, or buildings. maybe this is the sightseeing part of me that i really love.
so the beginning of my last week at risd... i am amazed at how much free time i have in comparison to the rest of the foundation students; i feel like this is a pure sign of goodness; that someone up above is maybe finally rewarding me after the yearlong torture of being trapped on risd's campus and not being able to fully explore the possibilities of food and adventures due to my constantly busied life of making art. at last, this window of opportunity has given me until friday to do just that.
i am trying to organize my days according to what restaurants and local eateries i want to try... today, knowing that i had to start and finish the dreaded six page essay for one of my liberal arts classes, i knew that if i strategically accomplished this task at the starbucks down by 15 west, i could easily make myself accessible to farmstead, the local sandwich shop that everyone has been recommending me to go. for a while now, i have passed by this little cute shop, with my curiosity peaked by the assortment of cheeses that decorate the store front. now let me just say, i am a HUGE sucker for cheese. i even revealed to my friend yung-kee, who is previously mentioned in my trip to wickenden street, that one of my life long achievements would be to become a certified cheese connoisseur.
i am not quite sure how the whole process of being a cheese master would work out, but i bet it would be a great conversation starter! so anyways, after picking up a nice grande soy green tea frappacino at starbucks and convincing myself of not leaving starbucks until i finished my paper, i took this opportunity to set eating at farmstead as a reward for completing the horrid task of writing that essay. eating a good sandwich at the end of the day would motivate me to finish the paper in one sitting, as quickly as i possibly could. of course, it that process was difficult and i had a few setbacks (thank you facebook and starbucks wi-fi...) but i managed to finish everything within a span 4/5 hours.
while at starbucks, i even ran into natalie, this upperclassman furniture major who was in my machine knitting class during winter session. after congratulating me on completing (or very close to finishing) my freshman year at risd, i mentioned my planned food adventures all across providence. she suggested red stripe, then briefly talked about her experience at farmstead. right then and there, i knew that choosing farmstead could not have been more perfect. this friendly ed encounter only increased my motivation to finish and finally get that sandwich!!
3 'o clock. finally. done. and i quickly packed everything up and made my way down westminster st. hungry stomach. jitteryness from the green tea. but i was ready for farmstead; i walked through the familiar boutiques, and saw the huge conspicuous banner with the iconic cow. i knew i was in for a treat.. upon walking in, i was greeted by a friendly sandwich maker as i turned to my left to see a very limited menu of sandwiches. apparently, according to their website, they have only a small selection that is specially made based on the season. with only one vegetarian friendly sandwich to choose from, i acceptingly chose the fava bean hummus sandwich; i could not have been happier with my selection.
within the store, i was surprised to see the selection of other goods they were selling; in addition to the wide variety of cheeses lined above the counter, i also saw breads, preserves, local made desserts, crackers, you name it! fine food goods and specialties are not in short supply at farmstead; with a quick few minutes, my sandwich was handed to me, wrapped in an ordinary brown paper.. the warmth of the sandwich that seemed to emanate through the paper and into my hands.. such a momentous occasion of food called for a perfect/epic viewing spot of providence.
i was patient enough to walk all the way towards the architecture studio, following the boardwalk that runs by the providence canal. i walked until i knew where to stop; right by an oddly shaped silver sculpture with steps that seemed to flow into the water. after setting all my things down and neatly situating my back against a huge step, i was ready to unwrap my delicious present.
i must admit, it did not look like the most appetizing of things, but hey, the very nature of hummus gives it that odd look... (the taste is what matters!!) with one bite, i was in looooove! this sandwich was extremely satisfying.. devoid of extreme saltiness and with the right bite and consistency. i could not have asked for a better reward; a delicious sandwich and a free view of the providence skyline underneath blue skies. i was extremely happy with my decision to wait until finishing the six pager and finding the right spot to eat.
at that moment in time, i knew this would set the tone for the rest of my week of food adventures across providence as i finally finish my last week/foundation year at risd. life does not get any better than this...
oh and i forgot to mention, farmstead is actually just an extension of their main restaurant up on wayland called la laiterie. my friend tamar plans on taking me to la laiterie later this week, and i am more than thrilled!!!
www.farmsteadinc.com
No comments:
Post a Comment