Tacos, apples, cider donuts: The best things we ate in September

September was a wild month for Rhode Island.

We endured tornados, a near-miss by a massive hurricane, flooding, an unbearably hot first week of school and more. Some restaurants were being featured again by Guy Fieri. A manatee visited. We found out Jimmy Buffett’s last concert was right here in Portsmouth.

Still, we had to eat. And some Providence Journal staff members are sharing the best dishes they ate last month. You may want to give some of these a try!

Cider donut, Hard Pressed Cider Company in Jamestown

I like my food outside, with a view and delicious and this cider donut from the Hard Pressed Cider Company in Jamestown delivered on all three points. The donuts are fresh as can be and perfectly warm when they toss them in cinnamon and sugar in a brown paper bag just before handing them to you. And as someone who strongly believes that mulled cider is the superior hot drink, I am qualified to say I think their mulled cider is perfection. Katie Landeck, reporter – Katie Landeck, reporter

Calamari, Red Door in Providence

I was lucky enough to do some traveling this month, and one of the places I went was Milos in Greece. While I was there, I went to this restaurants that often makes the guide lists called Medusa, beautiful view of the Aegean sea and the staff was showing pictures to customers of when Justin Bieber ate there a few weeks before. I ordered the calamari, and it was, in a word, disappointing. Fast forward to when I'm back at the country, and I go to the Red Door to scope them out because of the cocktail poll and I order their calamari. It's unbelievable, restores my faith in squid. They serve it with charred scallion aioli, pickled shallots and pepperoncini peppers, which is basically a souped up Rhode Island-style. And what else can I say, Rhode Island does calamari best. – Katie Landeck, reporter

Gluten-free banana bread, Oak Bake Shop in Providence

I’m a gluten free guy, which my kids claim is for attention, but I’m convinced I’ve got some intolerance, so I’m always appreciative of finding good GF stuff. Which I did not long ago at the Oak Bakeshop in Providence, at 130 Cypress Street, which bills itself as a “Jew-ish bakery.” They have an awesome gluten free banana bread there. For all fellow GF comrades – or anyone really – highly recommended. – Mark Patinkin, columnist

Chile relleno, from Plant City's Besina

It's poblano peppers stuffed with rice, walnuts, butternut squash and huitlacoche -- also known as Mexican truffle, or even more literally, corn fungus. Yes, it's good, and no, I did not know what it was until I Googled it. The peppers are surrounded by salsa and topped with an imitation crema made of cashews, which is just slightly sweet, perhaps because of the nuts. I cut out meat about seven months ago in an effort to embrace a more environmentally-friendly diet and get healthier. This dish made me feel like I wasn't missing out. – Amy Russo, reporter

Tacos, Norman Bird Sanctuary Harvest Fair

At the Norman Bird Sanctuary’s Harvest Fair, I tried three tacos (fried fish, lobster, and wild mushroom) from the Little Fish food truck. Their focus is on local, sustainable seafood and they also do a great ceviche. The wild mushroom was by far my favorite of the tacos — usually mushroom dishes are an afterthought thrown on the menu to satisfy vegetarians, but this one was extremely flavorful. – Antonia Noori Farzan, reporter

Homemade (and homegrown) salad, Antonia's house

Salad made with homegrown lettuce, dill, and edible borage flowers and topped with homemade sea salt. The only thing I didn’t make or grow was the olive oil. – Antonia Noori Farzan, reporter

Pizza, Boulevard Pizza in Cranston

Almost every Friday night since 2015, we've made a tradition of ordering pizza delivered from Boulevard Pizza on Narragansett Boulevard in Cranston. – Katie Mulvaney, reporter

A feast, from Feast & Fettle in Pawtucket

Quinoa kimchi fried rice, Greek quinoa salad, sautéed corn with shiitake mushrooms, from Feast & Fettle, East Avenue, Pawtucket. – Paul Edward Parker, reporter

Macoun apple, Young Family Farm in Little Compton

The weekends have been a bit rainy of late, so when we saw a break in the downpours, we headed to Young Family Farm in Little Compton, where we picked a bushel full of my husband’s favorite variety, Macouns. Tart and crisp, I’ve been enjoying one a day ever since (hoping it keeps the doctor away!). Supermarket apples just don’t compare, frankly. – Lynne Sullivan, executive editor

Black sea bass, Coast Guard House in Narragansett

For parents weekend at URI, we decided to skip the football game and took my son out to dinner at the Coast Guard House (a nice ride and only a short distance from the school). My mom joined us (Grammy was eager to lay eyes on the boy and make sure he was happy!). My Black Sea Bass was pan-seared and served with a coconut curry sauce, charred broccolini and pureed parsnip. It was so, so good – but not as good as seeing my “baby” after a month away from home. – Lynne Sullivan, executive editor

Pork al pastor burrito bowl, Tijuana Burrito Grill in Newport

The best thing I ate in September was the pork al pastor burrito bowl from Tijuana Burrito Grill at 66 Broadway in Newport. Tijuana Burrito Grill is a local version of something similar to Chipotle, offering choices from grilled chicken to carnitas and my favorite, the pork al pastor. While you can choose burritos, tacos and other options on this day I went with the burrito bowl. A mixture of a little bit of heat and some sweetness, it seemed to be finished on the restaurant's flattop grill offering little bits of caramelization.  I found myself shoveling the food into my mouth, fortunately, I was back in The Newport Daily News office where no one could see me eating. – Will Richmond, managing editor

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Projo staff food picks: Best things we ate, from tacos to cider donuts