Catching up...

As the photo of Koi suggests, I have some serious catching up to do...we will have details from some recent visits, which include:

The Spiced Pear (Newport, RI)
Koi (New York)
Roy's (Newport Beach, CA)
Bern's (Tampa)
And many more...
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Koi, New York (Sept. 1, 2011)

So, my companion for the evening, one Amy K. Nelson (also known as AK-47 for the destruction she has been known to leave in her wake) says to me, "It is a bit embarrassing to be in New York and have dinner at a chain."

I respect that, and I wouldn't have run afoul of such an immutable law had I *known* Koi, located in the Bryant Hotel in Bryant Park *was* a chain. One demerit for the foodie...I would try to plead this down, but ignorance is no defense against lawbreaking....
Howard Bryant
Senior Writer
ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine
Cellular: (413) 695-8142
Office: (413) 628-4544

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Beef Carpaccio

After a long absence, I present the beef carpaccio at the Grand Met, the Grand Hyatt, Dallas...
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The Chanler at Cliff Walk

Start with a breathtaking setting. The Chanler was built in 1875 and stands at the foot of the Cliff Walk, a 3.5-mile pathway that curves along the Atlantic Ocean with the opulent Newport mansions of the Gilded Age (1880-1920) overlooking.

Then consider the level of disappointment in an experience that offered history, scenery and lousy food. Such pressure is the burden of The Spiced Pear.
Howard Bryant
Senior Writer
ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine
Cellular: (413) 695-8142
Office: (413) 628-4544

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The Spiced Pear, Newport, RI

Located in the splendid Chanler at Cliff Walk, The Spiced Pear offered a three-course dinner menu that was both solid and spectacular...
Howard Bryant
Senior Writer
ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine
Cellular: (413) 695-8142
Office: (413) 628-4544

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The definition of spectacular...

I cannot speak for myself because of my numerous deficiencies and delinquencies. The Carpaccio Files was advertised as an "adventure in gastronomy," meaning it would be a running tale of wonder, of wondrous places and wondrous foods and some not so wondrous, but consistent with the theme that food, for better or worse, brings people together.

Instead, the blog has become sporadic, infrequent, ineffective - all because of me. It is my fault, and today, August 8, marks the day this blog returns to its mission, intent on reaching its full and hilarious potential.

Where are we? Newport, Rhode Island, 90 years beyond the Gilded Age, but still dining superbly. For my return, I present to you The Spiced Pear, located in the Chanler Hotel. The following will be a runway of gastronomic offerings...

Howard Bryant
Senior Writer
ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine
Cellular: (413) 695-8142
Office: (413) 628-4544

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Caffe Roma, Millbrae, CA

Today's offering is a Toscana, steak sandwich with onions, green and yellow peppers and goat cheese, with a lemon soda.
The goal of this Bay Area trip is not simply to find good information, but to overcome the poor food choices from the Arizona trip, where every restaurant was subpar...
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