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Franklin Spa

Friendly and flavorful by the sea
By JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ  |  August 11, 2009

You know how some places just seem like they have a story behind them and you keep meaning to stop over the years but somehow it's never the right time of day (diner-type places mostly close by 2 pm)? That's been my relationship with Franklin Spa until I finally placed it squarely in my sights for a trip to Newport last week. My instincts proved true: it has many stories and much good food in the bargain.

The Spa sits on the corner of Spring and Franklin, where streetcars used to turn down toward the post office on Thames Street to make a loop. The earliest known mention of Franklin Spa was in a Mercury newspaper from 1892. In the '30s, it was an apothecary that morphed into a candy parlor (there was still a candy counter as late as 2002). And the eight red bar stools lined up at the counter are from the original candy store. Rocky Botelho bought it in 1997 and started serving up eggs and ham, and it has grown from there into a Newport favorite for breakfast all-day or old-fashioned lunch sandwiches.

When we arrived at the Spa, we had one of those Rhode Island moments, where we ran into a work colleague of mine from the early '80s and then mid-'90s. Dennis was finishing up a hot dog with chips ($2.25) which he pronounced "pretty good" — how much judgment can one pass on a wiener, after all? There is also a chili dog ($3.25) topped with "Franklin Spa chili" and cheese.

We were eager for a brunch meal with sandwiches to go (our rule of thumb is the more food you order, the more complete review you can write). We perused the breakfast menu and the specials board. They included the 6 to 8 am "early bird" two eggs, toast, and home fries for $3.25; crabcake, sirloin, or lobster Benedicts; blueberry stuffed French toast; an Azorean grinder; and a sirloin tip Caesar salad.

I was captured by the Brenton Reef Benedict ($11.95) — two poached eggs over lobster meat on a bed of steamed spinach and grilled tomato over a grilled bolo roll (Portuguese sweet bread) with Hollandaise sauce over all. It was precisely as good as it sounds: the eggs poached just right, the veggies nicely cooked, the lobster fresh, the bolo a welcome change from an English muffin. The Hollandaise seemed thin but was a tasty topping nonetheless. The accompanying home fries (browned crescents of red bliss potatoes) were dynamite.

Bill agreed. They were also served with his Azorean sandwich ($6.95). This featured the same ingredients as the grinder: grilled chourico, onions, peppers, and melted cheese, with the addition of fried eggs. It was served on thick Portuguese bread, and he loved the whole thing.

I'd heard that the chicken sandwiches were particularly good, because they use grilled chicken breast. The chicken pesto and the Southwest chicken were both appealing, but our waitress mentioned that her favorite was the pesto, so that was the one that came home with us, extra cheese melted on top, fresh-made pesto, between two grilled pieces of bolo. Bill found it quite tasty.

I also considered the turkey options: a club as a double-decker with bacon (not my thing), an Islander turkey melt (also with bacon, plus Thousand Island dressing — it could be your thing), or a "turkey supreme," fresh roasted turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce ($7.75) — why not? Of course, bread between bread (this time, whole-wheat) makes for a filling sandwich, to say the least, so this provided me with two holiday-nostalgic meals, not just one.

We both had potato salad as our side, large chunks of red bliss potatoes, seasoned with a bit of bacon, and crisp sweet pickle slices accompanied our sandwiches (my favorite over dill slices). We seriously considered a smoothie, because the hand-lettered sign near the cash register promoted strawberry, mango, peach, and blueberry pomegranate. They also have a variety of thick frappes and juices, including fresh-squeezed OJ.

Franklin Spa is a bright, well-lighted space, with windows onto Spring Street and its constant parade of tourists. The staff is friendly but not intrusive. And if you know anyone from your past who lives or works in Newport, you're apt to bump into them here.

Related: St. Clair Annex, The Place, Editors' picks: Food, More more >
  Topics: Restaurant Reviews , Culture and Lifestyle, Food and Cooking, Foods,  More more >
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ARTICLES BY JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ
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  •   FRANKLIN SPA  |  August 11, 2009
    You know how some places just seem like they have a story behind them and you keep meaning to stop over the years but somehow it's never the right time of day (diner-type places mostly close by 2 pm)? That's been my relationship with Franklin Spa until I finally placed it squarely in my sights for a trip to Newport last week.
  •   MATUNUCK OYSTER BAR  |  July 29, 2009
    Oyster and clam farmer Perry Raso, whose harvests have become quite popular over the past three years, has taken his livelihood one step further and opened his own eatery: the Matunuck Oyster Bar. It sits on a beautiful cove just north of East Matunuck State Beach, where many a restaurant has come and gone.
  •   BLOUNT CLAM SHACK  |  July 22, 2009
    The scene at Blount Clam Shack on a Sunday summer afternoon is like a well-orchestrated block party: large white tent for keeping out rain or providing shade; long, family-style picnic tables; outside the tent, more picnic tables and beach chairs; a large cooler with bottles of water; and live music from 3-7 pm, often provided by Warren resident Otis Read and friends.
  •   TIME TO DANCE? DANCE. DANCE!  |  July 21, 2009
    Although Island Moving Co. has moved their summer dance concerts inside, after 20 years of battling the elements at outdoor venues around Newport, they have chosen an unusual and historic site — the 1699 Great Friends Meeting House, the oldest surviving house of worship (Quaker) in the city — for Dance? Dance. Dance! (through July 26).
  •   UNITED BBQ  |  July 08, 2009
    Reviewing the dishes at a barbecue eatery feels a bit like judging a family dinner. Most of us have specific expectations of what the meats and the sides should taste like — sensory memories that grabbed us the first time we ate pulled pork or collard greens, and they won't let go.

 See all articles by: JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ

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