Rhode Island's Most Nostalgic Summer Food Revealed

A survey of more than 3,000 respondents determined Rhode Island's most nostalgic summer food.

"Some summer dishes carry far more weight than their ingredients suggest," said a media release accompanying the results of the survey.

"The smell of barbecue can transport someone straight back to a family cookout, while peach cobbler, crab cakes or blueberry pie may bring to mind childhood vacations, crowded kitchens and evenings that seemed to last forever," the release said.

Mental Health Treatment Centers A Mission for Michael commissioned consumer survey and polling provider Cherry Data Signals to conduct the survey of 3,011 respondents and determined Del’s frozen lemonade is the most nostalgic summer food in the Ocean State.

"A cup of Del’s frozen lemonade is hard to separate from a Rhode Island summer," the release said.

Tart, icy and served with small pieces of lemon still mixed through, it is made for beach trips, roadside stops and hot afternoons spent outdoors," according to the release. "The drink is often picked up from a familiar stand or truck, then eaten slowly as it begins to soften. Bright and refreshing, it carries the easy nostalgia of summer routines repeated year after year."

Finishing second and third were clam cakes and chowder and coffee milk.

"For many Rhode Islanders, clam cakes and chowder belong together," the release said.

"The crisp, golden fritters are made with chopped clams and served alongside a bowl of chowder, creating a meal that feels especially at home near the shore," according to the release. "It is the kind of food eaten at seafood shacks, summer festivals and family outings, often with paper napkins and little ceremony. The combination can bring back memories of beach days, harbor towns and familiar stops along the coast."

As for coffee milk, it "offers Rhode Island comfort in one of its simplest forms," the release said.

"Made by stirring sweet coffee syrup into cold milk, the drink is familiar to generations of families across the state," according to the release. "It may appear at breakfast, beside a sandwich or as a quick treat during a warm afternoon. Its appeal lies less in occasion than recognition: one sip can recall school lunches, kitchen tables and a flavor so closely associated with home that it barely needs explanation."

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