I've stayed at the hotel a couple of times. I think you'll enjoy it. Watching them build it from a completely gutted interior was rather impressive. If your dates fit, someone above mentioned water fire which is a nice hit.

http://waterfire.org/schedule/2013-w...vent-schedule/

Otherwise head up to Federal Hill Little Italy/Atwells Ave. There are a couple of decent grocers that we visit to stock up on things.

No water fire our weekend! Doubt that we'll stock up on groceries to sit in the car for three days. And doubt they'd be open before 8 on Sunday morning anyway.

Gosh excuse me for offering some suggestions. It was a legitimate suggestion. I know lots of people enjoy visiting ethnic markets to browse thru imported oils and vinegars, imported pottery and cutlery, dried goods,and tinned products. Half the people that go thru Grand Central stations market aren't shopping for dinner. I thought it might be something you would also enjoy if you happen to dine in the hood. I guess I thought wrong. Duly scolded.

What? Sorry if it seemed I was scolding you. I wasn't. But I HAD checked for that water fire as mentioned above and sadly found out it is not our weekend. Was it wrong of me to say so? I wish it were, but it just isn't!

And while I love markets, isn't it logical for me to assume that they won't be open before 8 in the morning on Sunday. I had just finished saying in a previous post we will arrive just in time for dinner on Saturday and leaving immediately after breakfast on Sunday with no time for exploring (or clearly anything else) . For that matter would they be open after dinner on Saturday -- say around 11 PM? Or am I missing something? Are they 24 hour markets maybe?

I'm sorry, if you got offended, but honestly I was just saying that the suggestion wouldn't work for us -- would it? Was I supposed to simply say "wow. Thanks, can't wait to shop there" knowing full well we wouldn't be able to? Come on, Lookin_Glass, you need grow some thicker skin if you're going to make suggestions that don't match the requests.

Duly scolded a second time. Never did I consider that you would go with any of my suggestion, but my suggestions need not be dismissed and mocked. This is the US boards, not the Lounge.

When you follow a fake apology with a 'but' the apology no longer exists. You might consider adding two words to your vocabulary when asking strangers for suggestions. 'please' and 'thankyou' regardless of whether their suggestions, although matching your request don't fit in with your personal preferences.

Oh come on, Lookin_Glass. You chose to take my blunt but short and concise and honest comment as being rude. Only you can explain what in that simple answer made you think it was an attempt to scold when it wasn't.

Now if I wanted to be rude, I could have said what I cleary avoided saying -- something like "did you even read my last post?" since clearly your suggestion did not match anything I had just described -- why WOULD someone recommend market shopping right after it was just explained that we would be arriving after dinner and leaving early the next morning right after breakfast? But instead of saying ANYTHING rude, I chose to simply explain (again) why those suggestions would not work for us -- without ANY attempt to scold or be rude because you hadn't really answered the question. Yet, STILL you chose to be insulted. Wow. It's a no win situation.

And if saying "I'm sorry you got offended" is a "fake apology" so be it. But for the life of me I honestly don't think I had anything else to apologize for.

What a different reaction from you than from Fra_diavolo, whom when I similarly mentioned that her recommended inn required a two night stay replied with "sorry, I didn't check that" not "I've been scolded" or "gosh, I'm sorry I made a suggestion". Some people read negativeness into posts, some people don't.

Unfortunately, its pretty hard to read tone in internet posts (much like texting or email). Maybe we could keep it at that.

Who are you calling she? ;^)

That would be great, steviegene, rather than reading negative tone into a post that didn't have any and even insisting it did after it was explained it didn't! I'm still scratching my head though how my post was "dismissive" (well, maybe a little, since it didn't apply to me) and MOCKING? What was mocking about it? Really. One has to try awfully hard to make that post into mocking!

Although it seems pretty clear what the tone was of "Gosh, I'm sorry I made a suggestion". And speaking of "false apologies" isn't that one?

A comment on your wish for not having a "loud" place. Many Newport Reataurants (including the White Horse Tavern and the Rhumbline) are very old buildings with wood floors and small rooms. If they are crowded, or if you happen to be in the same room with a large party (or even a small party that happens to be enjoying their libations which of course is VERY common in Newport in the summer) it will be loud. Of all the spots mentioned, the Castle Hill Inn will have the least chance of being loud. Another small intimate place that would probably be on the quiet side would be Bouchard (French cuisine) but that is very pricey as well.