One of the highlights of summer when I was a kid was the company picnic that American Standard (where my Dad worked) held each year at Rocky Point. I have such great memories of that place, such as the time my brother Steve and I rode the new "loop" coaster over and over. There was almost no line (and hence no rest between dizzying turns) so it was almost constant riding. It was terrific fun then - now the thought of being forced to ride a coaster continuously sounds more like torture than entertainment.

While I loved the rides and games and all the fun the park had to offer, I always dreaded meal time. My parents and all my brothers, however, were always very excited to head to the Shore Dining Hall for clam cakes and chowder. Being the incredibly picky pain-in-the-ass that I was back then (sorry Mom!) I wanted nothing to do with food with clams in it. So in all the years that I went to the park, I never ate a clamcake or a bowl of chowder. Instead, I would nibble away in my usual fashion at a chicken dinner while waiting to get back into the park.

These days I love clam cakes and chowder and never fail to stop for some at Seafood Haven when I go to Misquamicut Beach. But in an ironic twist for my tastebuds, Rocky Point is no more. In 1996 the park sold off most of its rides and a few years later the Shore Dining hall closed as well. However, the Rocky Point Chowder House on Post Road in Warwick is still selling those clam cakes and chowder. So when Steve suggested a trip to the chowder house the other day, it sounded like a great idea.

We ended up with a good sized group as Steve and his fiancée picked up my parents and then my lovely girlfriend and me. We arrived at the chowder house and wondered why there was only one car in the parking lot. Then we went in and got our answer - the place was, well, a little disgusting. There was a strange odor, and the place looked straight out of the 1970s. Or more accurately - that it hadn't been cleaned since the 70s. The staff was less than enthusiastic about their work, and I even had to clean our table. But with nostalgia powering us on, we ordered and awaited that taste from years gone by.

When the food was ready, the first thing I noticed was that my chowder was gray instead of white - actually it looked like mashed up brains. I decided to pass on risking food poisoning. The red chowder others ordered look much more normal. And the clam cakes were very good - delicious even. If you absolutely must have their clam cakes, I highly suggest using the drive thru to keep your appetite intact. After we finished eating we headed down the road to Gregg's for dessert and enjoyed more than one laugh at the chowder house's expense.

Rocky Point the park may be gone and the chowder house a health hazard, but the memories of those great summer trips with my family will always be with me. And so will the fun trip we just took.