My visit to Newport, RI

I am home now from school. I am home until March 30th, then I go down to Newport, RI for my externship at the Mooring Restaurant where I will work in the kitchen until August 3rd. This is a required piece of the school's curriculum. I met the chef when i went in for my interview back in January. I scheduled to go down to the restaurant to check it out and so that Chef Adi could meet my parents. It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive to Newport from NH, not bad.
The restaurant is located RIGHT on the water, no joke. The view is amazing, even though we went when it was snowing, the view was still incredible. I can just imagine it on a summer day when the marina is LOADED with yachts of all sizes. I am excited to see the town of Newport come to life.
Before we went to lunch, we drove around the town to see the mansions. They are just breathtaking. My mom kept commenting on how I would be better off bringing a bike to get from point A to point B because it is so busy there with cars. It is also healthier and nothing is really that far away in Newport. Biking is going to be my means of transportation, even though I will have a car down there.
As for the restaurant itself, they just completed a renovation. It is very nice inside and they have deck seating in the summer. We were sat in a separate room from the main dining room to allow for a view of the water. Chef came out almost immediately and all four of us (my parents, me and Chef Adi) talked about working at the restaurant, the accomodations, and about how Chef ended up at the Mooring Restaurant. My parents took an instant liking to him because they could tell he enjoyed working and enjoyed taking externs. I am very excited to work for him. He even said himself he is not a screamer, not a yeller, or a pot thrower, or a throat grabber, but he pushes you. People respect him because of his warm personality.
Chef brought out two complimentary appetizers, which coincidentally, where the two that I wanted to order the most. Duck confit tacos with white bean salsa and seafood fritters. Those appetizers were soooo delicious!! I am so excited to work there!!
After our meal, chef drove us to the apartment that I would be staying in, which is only 2-ish miles from the restaurant, so I will be riding my bike to work every day, most likely. I cannot wait to start working. I will also be getting two days off a week, which is excellent because then I can tour the town, ride around, and even take trips to Block Island and Providence. I am going to be spending a lot of time outside.