The Diary of A Simple Man

We went to a new restaurant tonight.

There had been another restaurant there for years, but a month or two ago I noticed that it was gone; the new restaurant was an ice-cream stand plus (apparently) a restaurant. We ate there tonight, and I was so pleased at the experience that I went over to Yelp. They didn't have a listing for the new restaurant, so I marked that the old one was closed, and added the details for the new one. I also wrote an extensive review of the new place.

And when I clicked on "Submit", goddamn Yelp told me that the restaurant had already been added - and showed me the listing for the OLD restaurant! Maybe the problem was that they had the same address. But what really pissed me off was that they apparently deleted the review, too.

But this isn't my first time around the block. I saved it before submitting.
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I wrote to Yelp support. We'll see what happens.

Santino's Italian Cuisine
24 East Southern Avenue
Williamsport, PA 17702
(570) 326-4044

Four out of five stars

A nice surprise. Really good Italian food, far better than the usual pizzeria fare. I ordered a meatball sub and garlic bread, and was delighted that both were made from what was clearly fresh-baked bread - excellent! The sauce was a little sweet but very good.

There was a broad selection in the menu; this is the only restaurant I can recall that specifically offered cheese and no-cheese options for meatball subs, for example. The portions were large, and the service was excellent (our waitress was Erica). I just wish there was a place like this closer to my home! As it is, it's unlikely that I'll ever get to go back.

I, my wife, and our little boy had dinner there for $31.15, not including the tip.

Kay's Restaurant
1013 Cass Ave
Woonsocket, RI 02895
(401) 762-9675

Category: Sandwiches

Ah, Kay's. What am I going to say about you? I'm giving you three stars. But if I could, I would give you a split decision: two stars and four stars.

The place is, I'll admit, really cool: it's the antithesis of a chain restaurant. Step into Kay's, and you've stepped back in time. It's quiet, dim, and tastefully decorated, yet not overly formal. The atmosphere is incredible.

Ample parking is available in a free lot across the street, and on the street itself.

The menu is, as others have mentioned, on a napkin. A SMALL napkin. There aren't many choices; five or six sandwiches, and nachos as an appetizer. Most sandwiches can be ordered hot or cold, and all come with excellent wavy chips, sour dill pickle slices, and pepperoncini (spicy!).

There's a wide selection of drinks; the soft drinks used to come in tiny cups, but now are closer to standard restaurant-size. You may want to ask for water as well when you order a soft drink if you're the thirsty type, because there are no free refills.

The sandwiches are simply PILED with meat. I usually stick to their ham or (more often) roast beef, but they also have steak, pastrami, and (sometimes, at least) lobster. The usual add-ons such as cheese, mushrooms, and onions are available.

But here's the thing: sometimes the sandwiches are great, but sometimes they're awful. I'm specifically talking about the roast beef sandwiches in this case. I've had great ones, hot and juicy, a dauntingly high and aggressively meaty pile of beef. But I've also had roast beef sandwiches at Kay's that had a lot of gristle and were simply inedible - in fact, I had gristle-beef sandwiches on three visits in a row.

Three times in a row is too damned many. I refused to go back to Kay's for a year. Recently I agreed to give them another try (my wife loves their food) and was pleased and surprised to get a good roast beef sandwich. But I'm not sure I'll ever feel comfortable taking that first bite at Kay's again, because I can't know if they're having a good day or a bad one.

I may have forgotten to ask: is anyone here on Yelp.com? I don't have any friends over there yet.

Castle Luncheonette
420 Social St
Woonsocket, RI 02895
(401) 762-5424

5 out of 5 stars

Excellent local food, definitely not "chain" food. An extensive menu, including seafood, standard American fare, Italian food, and local favorites such as dynamite sandwiches (a mildly spicy meat mixture with peppers and onions, if you didn't know). The prices are *extremely* reasonable.

I'm partial to their meatball subs. My son likes their franks and beans. Their french fries deserve special mention: they're hand-cut, home-made, and the portions are HUGE.

Not long ago they started serving breakfast, at least on the weekends. I'm not sure how that worked out for them, and they may not still be doing it. But we gave them a try. The food was excellent, better than we expected, and very reasonably priced.

A bit of history: The Castle was closed for nearly a year (or perhaps more) because they had a fire (I believe it was a fire in the exhaust system above the kitchen) and their insurance agency apparently dragged their heels. I feared that they wouldn't be coming back, but eventually they did - with an improved dining area, to boot.

This is the opposite of the usual boring, standardized fare that you get at the chain restaurants; it's cheaper and better. Service is pleasant and friendly. It's definitely worth coming back again and again.

Diamond Pest Control Inc
PO Box 416
Woonsocket, RI 02895
(401) 333-3395

1 out of 5 stars

We picked him out of the phone book when we had a problem with bees, several years ago. He did a fine job, so we agreed with him that we'd pay him a flat amount, three times a year, and we could call him whenever we had a problem with pests.

We called him a few times over the next year or two; not TOO often, I think. Nonetheless, he suddenly stopped answering our calls. I left messages, but he never called us back and never came back to the house. I have no idea why he suddenly chose to drop us. This was EXTREMELY annoying and unprofessional.

I know he's still alive and in business, because we were behind his truck at a red light not long ago. I almost felt like hopping out, knocking on his window, and asking what had happened. But I didn't, of course.

I can't recommend him, for obvious reasons.

Five stars.

River Falls is an outstanding addition to the Woonsocket area. Located on the opposite side of the bridge from the waterfall that gave the town its name, it would command a spectacular view of the river if the stone walls of the building weren't so very thick, and if the deep-set windows weren't so relatively high and narrow. If they could have a deck built overhanging the river, the view of the river would be absolutely incredible - but their prices would probably have to go up, I suppose.
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River Falls has picked up on one of the nicer features that Box Seats had, by offering unlimited soup - although that might only come with certain meals, I'm not sure. They also managed to add to their menu the authentic berched chicken that used to be served at the famous but now-closed Ma Glockner's Restaurant, although that's available on Sundays only.

All in all, River Falls is a top-notch restaurant, well worth repeated visits.

Five stars.

A hidden treasure, and a real gem. I didn't like roast beef until I tried Beef Barn. Their hot roast beef sandwiches are like none other: small (about hamburger-sized) on soft grilled rolls, piled high with perfectly-cooked thin-sliced roast beef.

On some days the roast beef is better than others, I think; I try to go on Thursdays through Sundays.
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They only accept cash, and there is no ATM machine on the premises. The closest machine is at the Stop & Shop a few minutes up the street.

What can I say? The Beef Barn is a really special place. There's nowhere else like it!

[Edited 5/28]

Four stars.

A classic burger place. The burgers are large, plump, and delicious; there's a huge variety, too. They're not cheap, though! The fries, onion rings, and sweet potato fries are all likewise outstanding. Try the sweet red pepper relish at the tables; it's great.

It's almost always hopelessly crowded, though. There's often a long line to get in. Once in, expect to get jostled and bumped quite a bit. My seven-year-old son was hit once in the head by a chair that a waitress was moving, and bonked several times on the head by elbows (he's okay). Odds are you'll end up at the long central table, seated shoulder-to-shoulder and face-to-face with strangers if it's at all busy.
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There's a small dish of parsley by the cash register "for fresh breath". It works really well, but occasionally I've found a grain or two of sand while chewing. Just an FYI in case you have delicate dental work.

All that said, a day spent shopping and hanging out with friends in Harvard Square punctuated by lunch or dinner at Bartley's was my idea of heaven for many years!