What's the best thing we ate this summer? Check out our favorites from around RI

That’s it, folks, summer’s officially over this week, and we are left with just memories.

Here at The Providence Journal, we may be too old to write “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh” letters from camp, but we can sum up some of our favorite summer memories – and what better memories to focus on than our favorite meals?

We all live and work in Rhode Island, and we all love to eat – and if you love to eat as much as we do, why not give our picks a try?

Note: This wasn’t a fancy assignment. I just asked everyone to write a little blurb about a food item they ate (drinks count, too!) and loved. Could be a scoop of ice cream. Could be a new flavor of Del's. Could be a high-end piece of steak. Doesn't matter – anything counts, with a heavy emphasis on dishes/items from the Ocean State (or at least easily accessible to Rhode Islanders). And please, feel free to send me your favorites at lynne.sullivan@gannett.com.

Here’s what we came up with:

Bahn Mi sandwich from Teddi's Asian Cuisine food truck

Enjoyed this super tasty Banh Mi sandwich (from Teddi's Asian Cuisine food truck) Sunday at the first-ever You Rock the Neighborhood Music Festival in Pawtuxet Park. – Katie Mulvaney, reporter

Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan from Spaghetti Lane, Barrington

One of my big challenges when dining out is deciding on the entree, especially when there are lots of good choices. Spaghetti Lane, 8 Anoka Ave., Barrington, offers a solid menu of Italian favorites in a cozy and very friendly setting. And to my great delight, they offer a "Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan" dish – so I didn't have to wage that internal battle of should I get the meat or the veggie. Both is better! And it was fantastic! – Bill Corey, sports editor

Coffee with Love, Ocean Mist, Matunuck

Coffee with Love is the signature drink at one of the state's best casual/beach/brunch/live music bars.

What's in it? Better off not asking. The bartenders won't tell you, and you probably don't want to know when it's all said and done.

It looks like the average iced drink you'd find at any Dunkin' – straw, clear glass, light brown color, additives optional – and plays like alcohol rocket fuel. Order a second if you wish, but you probably won't be served a third. Just like New Orleans staple Pat O'Brien's and its famous Hurricane cocktail, there is something to be said for too much of a good thing.

Not a drinker? Fine. Grab an order of the breakfast tacos or the carnivore omelet. To be truthful, I only order this drink once in a blue moon. Much more of a simple beer guy, especially in the summer heat.

Coffee with Love is more of a concept for me. The sand, the water, the deck overlooking both, the clear view of Block Island on a nice day, the time I've spent there with good friends over the years – it's all a reminder. Rhode Islanders almost by nature like to complain about where we live, but it really can be a beautiful home if you know where to look.

This is one of those places.

– Bill Koch, sports reporter

Washington County Fair foods

At the Washington County Fair, reporter Antonia Noori Farzan enjoyed lobster rolls, seaweed salad and oysters from the Ocean State Shellfish Cooperative, and salt potatoes from the Episcopal church’s booth.

Chicken Tikka Masala, from Kinnera in Lincoln

Reporter Paul Edward Parker tried the new Indian restaurant in the Blackstone Valley, Kinnera, on Front Street in Lincoln, and loved the Chicken Tikka Masala. (He loved it so much, he even had it again a couple nights ago, he said!)

The Pork Osso Bucco Special, from Spain of Narragansett

One of the best dishes I had this summer was a Pork Osso Buco Special from Spain restaurant, 1144 Ocean Road, Narragansett. Slow-braised, the pork shank came right off the bone and was accompanied by an apple-based sauce that provided just enough sweetness to balance the richness of the meat. The serving included two large shanks, so I brought one home and made a grilled cheese with the shredded pork the following day. This was almost as good. – Will Richmond, managing editor for Communities, Outreach, Rhode Island

Cowboy cookie, The Nitro Bar at Walker’s Roadside Stand in Little Compton

Walker’s has been a family favorite ever since my daughter was really little, and a visit to the farmstand puts her in a good mood every time. So the weekend that she moved into a new apartment (stressful) and began training for her fellowship (even more stressful), we took her for a ride out to Little Compton. Lo and behold, The Nitro Bar is there now, too, and while the iced latte and lemonades we got were great, the true star was the Cowboy Cookie. It was huge, so everyone got a bite (or three, in my case), and the combo of dark chocolate and coconut and pecans was the perfect snack on a late summer afternoon. (The blueberries and tomatoes from Walker’s weren’t too shabby, either!) – Lynne Sullivan, regional executive editor

Iced Mocha Latte, Gray’s Daily Grind in Adamsville

The Projo took part in Leadership Rhode Island’s annual Scavenger Hunt, and I literally took one for the team by finding a clue outside Gray’s Grist Mill and then grabbing a coffee at Gray’s Daily Grind to complete a challenge (we had to take a photo drinking an iced coffee). I am on a hot fudge kick lately (made all the more clear by the tightness of my fall clothes) and the iced mocha latte at Gray’s didn’t just have thin chocolate syrup, but rather a thick, fudgy ribbon of chocolate lining the cup. It was the perfect pick-me-up to get me back on the scavenger trail! – Lynne Sullivan, regional executive editor

Lobster rolls from The Surf at Block Island Beach House and Beech in Jamestown

When it comes to lobster rolls, for me, it comes down to the quality of the lobster, whether the ingredients enhance the lobster or overpower it, and the scenery. Both were everything a lobster rolls should be – light, fresh, not overwhelming, and perfectly seasonal. The Surf might get a slight edge because it's hard to beat eating a lobster roll on the beach on Block Island, but it’s a slim margin. – Eryn Dion, Managing Editor

Garlic knots cacio e pepe from Mother Pizzeria in Newport

I am somewhat of a garlic knot connoisseur and these were lifechanging. Absolutely slathered in butter, the perfect amount of pepper, the texture was somehow crunchy and soft all at once. It's almost a crime that you only get a few in your order.  – Eryn Dion, Managing Editor

Chicken 'n' waffles from Kin Southern Table + Bar

Legitimately the best chicken I've ever had, and the waffles are also fantastic.  – Eryn Dion, Managing Editor

Pizza strips from Borrelli's Pastry Shop

Pizza strips are truly Rhode Islander's hero summer food. Going to the beach and need a lunch? Pizza strips. Hiking a mountain and need something lightweight but also filling? Pizza strips. If the question is – what are we going to back for (X), the answer is always pizza strips.  – Eryn Dion, Managing Editor

Compost cream ice cream from Wright's Creamery at Farm Fresh RI

Fantastic. Incredible. Those cows deserve everything.  – Eryn Dion, Managing Editor

Tres leches cake from Fogo De Chao in Providence

Just the right amount of sweet and soft after a super-heavy meal, plus the toasted meringue adds a dynamic dimension to it.  – Eryn Dion, Managing Editor

Cranberry Del's from Del's in North Kingstown

I'm normally a Del's purist, but the cranberry flavor comes really close to being as good as the original. The cranberries have the exact right amount of tart and sweet, and there's chunks in the drink, just like the original lemon. – Katie Landeck, engagement reporter

Black Girl Magic cocktail from Kin Southern Table + Bar

Ciroc Peach, Lemonade + Magic Dust. Very fun to drink and STRONG. – Katie Landeck, engagement reporter

Old Green Eyes from Mother Pizzeria in Newport

Gin (or vodka), pistachio, cocchi americano, lemon. Was kind of skeptical of pistachio in a drink but there have been several times this summer we have talked about driving all the way to Newport just to get this again. – Katie Landeck, engagement reporter

Cucumber Mint Smash from Fogo De Chao in Providence

Tito’s Vodka, muddled cucumber, fresh mint, lime. Super light and refreshing. Great contrast to the heavy steak and other meats. Runner up is the Caramelized Pineapple Old Fashioned. WhistlePig PiggyBack 100% Rye, muddled caramelized pineapple, orange, Luxardo cherry. – Katie Landeck, engagement reporter

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Projo staff picks for best foods of the summer from around RI