Block Island: Bloody Mary's

Block Island is an island off the coast of Rhode Island. It's twelve miles from the coast in the Atlantic Ocean. 7 miles long, 3 miles wide and a LOAD of pure Summer fun. The town of the island, New Shoreham, is the smallest town in the smallest state in the US! With approximately 1000 year round residents, the island jumps to a whopping almost 20,000 seasonal party hoppers visitors a day in the warm Summer months (between Memorial Day and Labor Day).

My First Bloody Mary Romance

It was Block Island where I fell in love with Bloody Mary's... It was a hot summer day as I pulled myself up off the beach for a bit of refreshments. I walked into the restaurant The Beachhead and the rest, as they say, was history. I had one there with lunch and then proceeded to go back before getting back to our boat for two one more.

So naturally, when my husband told me he was sweeping me away the weekend before Memorial Day, when the Island would just be setting up after the long winter months for their busy season, I thought of two things: food and Bloody Mary's. It was the perfect chance to travel with my wonderful husband while exploring new exciting food and trying even more Bloody Mary's! So if you are going to or on Block Island and have a craving for a delicious Bloody Mary, here are some things to keep in mind:

(MAKE SURE YOU GET TO THE END TO SEE MY VIDEO BLOOPER REEL!)

Finding the Yummiest Bloody Mary on Block Island

Before I even get started, let me start my saying my mission to find the YUMMIEST Bloody Mary on Block Island was inconclusive. For two reasons:

1. It was still the pre-season so there were still places that were not open for a few more days.
2. Have you ever tried to have more than a few Bloody Mary's in one day?!

BUT, I can give you my own personal rankings of the places I did get to try! --Of course if you follow the Search for YUM on Twitter, you already got the play by play! So, here they are from worst to best out of the places that I tried over the weekend:

#4. Ballards. Not even a contender. This was my last Bloody Mary on Block Island and by far the biggest disappointment. I am fairly certain it's tomato juice with just a little tiny bit of vodka in it. I was so desperate to make it better, I poured some steak sauce and pepper that was on the table into it...needless to say, it didn't quite do the trick. (I switched to dirty martinis after this and those weren't awful). But their Bloody Mary's were putting them at the bottom of my list.

#3. The National. My first Bloody Mary of the weekend left something to be desired. I knew immediately that this wasn't it. Honestly, I panicked at first because it wasn't even on the menu. But when I asked the server he said they could make it. It was refreshing, but clear that their focus wasn't Bloody Mary's as mine was! 

#2. The Oar. As you will see in my Block Island blooper video (also below), this was in the running for the best. The only thing was - every single one I had, I got black chunks (pepper?) stuck in my teeth! Of course, any drink you can sip while playing corn hole outside by the ocean is pretty high in my book.

#1. The Beachhead! It was my first favorite Bloody Mary and remains my favorite! The bartender here is a year-round resident and Knows His Stuff. This delectable treat of a drink is rimmed with celery salt and garnished with pickled green beans and a huge olive. And the drink itself....simply amazing. JUST RIGHT in EVERY WAY. I'm not sure of his secret recipe, but even my husband was in love with this drink - and he doesn't even like Bloody Mary's!

Enjoying my favorite Block Island Bloody Mary at the Beachhead

One of my goals is to do video blogs as well. I have a Search for YUM YouTube account all ready to go! Unfortunately, all I managed to get this trip was a blooper reel. My husband and I couldn't stop laughing! It is pretty funny. Hope you enjoy....my first Search for YUM video attempt:

Part 2 of my Block Island Adventure is coming soon: Block Island: Food and Travel