Adventures In Rhode Island Dining

The Bonefish Grill Comes To Cranston

2013-05-20T17:59:00.001-04:00

Just outside of Providence, there’s a pretty section of Cranston known as Garden City. There are two high end shopping centers which include the Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Alex and Ani and Talbot’s. Dining options have been increasing in the Garden City area with the opening of the Chapel View Grille and now the opening of an outpost of the fresh seafood chain, the Bonefish Grill. This Bonefish Grill opened in January, but the chain has been around since 2000 when the first restaurant opened in Tampa, Florida. There are now 158 locations across 28 states. Just as the name implies, the restaurant specializes in fresh fish. The fish comes in to the restaurant fresh everyday and is inspected for quality by the restaurant’s manager. The drinks from the bar are all handcrafted with fresh ingredients, and the theme is definitely fresh.

Bridget and I had a reservation for a busy Saturday night (it was Kentucky Derby night) and were glad we did because there were no vacant tables or seats at the bar. Unfortunately, we were seated at a crappy table at first. The sun was in Bridget’s eyes, and we were squished between two other tables for two. Our waitress, Brittnie, was on top of the situation and had us moved before we could even complain. The restaurant is large and open with plenty of natural light pouring in from the floor to ceiling windows. The windows offer a stunning view of the city of Providence. The atmosphere is inviting and promotes a casual, fun environment.

The cocktail menu is upbeat and reasonably priced. I tried the Black Cherry Guava Mojito, and it was very tasty but very weak on the rum. Bridget tried the Sparkling Mango Sangria. She thought it was very sweet and didn’t like the sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Cinnamon wasn’t listed as an ingredient, and she wouldn’t have ordered it had she known. With our cocktails, we were served a delicious loaf of warm bread accompanied with a nice nut-free pesto.

The menu included something for everyone. I did joke, however, why they called their lobster bisque “authentic” and why a fish restaurant had a chicken dish as one of its specialties. The most popular appetizer was the Bang Bang Shrimp, and at least half of the tables around us had ordered it. Of course, I’m not one to bow to peer pressure, so I started with an order of ceviche. I was impressed. The ceviche had more flavor than I was expecting from a chain restaurant. The seafood (scallops, shrimp and fish) were all fresh. The seasoning was a nice blend of cilantro, jalapenos, citrus, and the unexpected kick of ginger. Like the cinnamon in the sangria, the ginger in the ceviche wasn’t listed on the menu. We both like ginger, but if you didn’t, it might not be such a happy surprise. The ceviche was served with warm fresh tortilla chips.

Ceviche with Tortilla Chips

The specialty of the Bonefish Grill is its wood-grilled fish served with a variety of sauces. Bridget and I both ordered the sea bass since it’s not something we get very often. The fish was perfectly cooked and the freshness of the fish oozed from its flaky interior. I chose the chimichurri sauce, and it was fine. Nothing over the top, but it was a good solid sauce. Bridget ordered the pan asian sauce and said it was very good. With each entrée, you are able to pick two side dishes. There is always a side dish of the day. On the night we were there, it was garbanzo beans with tomato and sausage. Again, it seemed like the sausage might be something you’d want to tell people about ahead of time rather than surprise them with it. In addition to the garbanzo beans, I also enjoyed the potatoes au gratin which were rich and cheesy with a delightful crunch. Bridget went with the jasmine rice and also enjoyed that.

Grilled Sea Bass with Chimichurri Sauce

Too full for dessert, we passed on what we saw were enormous portions of key lime pie, coconut cream pie, and a brownie sundae as big as Beethoven’s head. As we left, I noticed all of the happy families enjoying their meals and happily sipping their Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio. This is a great family spot. The food was quite good and offered a decent value (you can even add a salad to your entrée for only $3.90). There was a large variety of dishes on the menu and something for everyone. The service was friendly and went out of its way to make sure everyone was satisfied. It’s not some place I need to visit again, but I’m sure it will do well. Bridget thought it was an excellent place to “bring your nana,” and she’s right, Grandma O. would love it!

Boston Bites Back

2013-05-11T15:43:00.001-04:00

I remember where I was on April 15^th when I heard the news about the bombing at this year’s Boston Marathon. I was in my kitchen tackling Julia Child’s recipe for French Onion Soup. I was about to post on Twitter that I was making the soup when I saw the first post about the bombing. “Explosion reported at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.” I turned on CNN and watched in disbelief as the explosion racked through the crowd. Boston’s awfully close to Providence. I knew people who were running in the race and their families who were there watching. As the fallout from the attack played out across the news, New Englanders joined together. The One Fund was established by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino to aide those most effected by the tragic events. To date, it has raised $29.759,05.

On May 15^th, nearly 100 Boston area chefs will converge at Boston’s hallowed baseball stadium, Fenway Park, for a night of eating, drinking, celebrating the city’s culinary riches with hopes to earn up to $1 million for the One Fund. There are 5,000 general admission tickets being sold at $200 a piece and VIP tickets cost $1000 each (which includes premium wines, a full bar and exclusive dishes prepared by Ming Tsai and Ken Oringer). The event runs from 6-10PM, and tickets can be purchased online at bostonbitesback.eventbrite.com Chefs participating in this event include the aforementioned Chef Tsai and Chef Oringer, as well as Mario Batali, Todd English, Jasper White and many more! The full list is available at www.bostonbitesback.org/

To get more information on this amazing food event, I was lucky enough to interview Ken Oringer, who is one of the event’s organizers. Celebrity Chef Oringer is the owner of several popular and critically acclaimed restaurants in Boston including Clio, Toro, Uni and La Verdad (located just steps from Fenway Park). He’s been nominated 4 times for a James Beard Award as Best Chef in the Northeast and won Best New Chef in the Northeast in 2001. He competed against Cat Cora in an Iron Chef battle and won.

What inspired you to take part in the Boston Bites Back Event?

I just knew I had to do something, and it had to be something big, immediate and with high impact. I asked some friends to get involved like Ming, Mayor Menino, Governor Patrick and the Red Sox ownership, and eventually it became Boston Bites Back.

What dish (or dishes) are you planning to prepare for the event?

We’re going to do a variety of ice cream sandwiches served out of the freezers used in the stands at ball parks, a Japanese fried chicken dish and seared foie gras with rhubarb. For our VIP guests, we will also have a pasta dish with black truffles, fava beans and pecorino romano.

Are you excited to be cooking in Fenway Park?

Absolutely. I love baseball, and I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to be a concessionaire. I’ve been going to Fenway for a long time, and I have always been quietly excited about the idea of cooking there. It’s like the food truck fantasy but more extreme.

If you are a baseball fan, are you a Red Sox fan? If not, who do you root for?

Yes. I’m a huge Sox fan.

What makes Boston such a great food city?

I think that it’s the perfect mix of really small, funky, independent restaurants and neighborhood restaurants. People in Boston aren’t afraid to take risks. We have every kind of food from Sri Lankan to Mexican to Asian street food concepts. It took a while, but Boston has gotten over conservative dining, and I think it now represents the globe.

When visitors come to Boston, what foods shouldn't they miss?

Of course they shouldn’t miss Clio, Uni, Toro, Coppa and La Verdad, but other than my restaurants, you hav, and in my opinion, you have to take a trip through Chinatown.

Why do you love Boston?

There’s so much pride and camaraderie in Boston, but there’s also an edge to it. It’s a blend of exactly what I like. I live right in the city, and I’m raising my kids right in the city, and it’s just a great place to be.

Celebrate Wine Wednesday at Todd English's Tuscany

2013-04-19T14:50:00.000-04:00

Celebrity chefs – In this day and age, you can’t go anywhere without running into them (or at least the products they are schilling). In the grocery store, you can find Ina Garten frozen meals. In the airport, you can grab a Wolfgang Puck sandwich from a kiosk. Gordon Ramsay sells his pans on QVC. Everyone’s out looking to capitalize on their celebrity status. I even have a set of Bobby Flay glasses. Everyone knows about the famously harsh critique by Pete Wells of Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen & Bar. When I read it, I thought “did he really expect it to be good?” I’ve had both good and bad experiences in celebrity restaurants. The steak at Emeril’s Delmonico in Las Vegas was one of the best steaks I ever had in my life, and his banana cream pie haunts me in my dreams. Yet, the worst meal I’ve had in the last 10 years was at a Wolfgang Puck establishment in the O’Hare Airport (eggs and bacon that made McDonald’s breakfast look gourmet).

In the Providence area, we have few, if any, celebrity chefs. Matt Jennings from The Farmstead and La Laiterie is probably the most well known. To find true celebrity, you have to drive South down Interstate 95 and head to the land of casinos. Foxwoods boasts restaurants by David Burke and Tom Collichio. The Mohegan Sun has restaurants by Bobby Flay and Todd English. I was invited to Todd English’s Tuscany to check out the Mohegan Sun’s latest promotion -Wine Wednesday. I’d never been to a Todd English restaurant before, and I count Wine Wednesday as one of my favorite holidays, so I decided to check it out.

The Mohegan Sun Casino is visually stunning, carrying out the Native American theme in a tasteful way. Todd English’s Tuscany is located under a 55 ft. high waterfall, and the crashing of the falls draws diners into the restaurant. Seating is available on the terrace by the falls and inside the Tuscan inspired restaurant. My mother and I were seated in a quiet back room, which upon further review was the best place to sit in the restaurant. On this Wednesday night, the restaurant was quite full with very few tables available.

Since we were there to try the Chef’s Tasting Menu as part of the Wine Wednesday promotion, we had no choices to make from the menu. My mother loved this since she always has such a hard time deciding what to order. The promotion includes four courses with wine pairings for $90 (which is $5 less than what Mohegan Sun promotional materials advertise). Everything we ate was good, but the wine pairings weren’t very exciting. For $90, there is probably better value found elsewhere in the casino.
Before our first course came out, we were given a large basket of warm, soft bread. The bread was delicious and served with a tasty hummus and an excellent tapenade. Our first course was a caprese salad. Caprese salad is one of my most favorite foods. For the season, the tomatoes were good, and the mozzarella was excellent. Instead of balsamic vinaigrette, the salad was dressed with a flavorful basil pesto. My mother proclaimed it “the best Caprese salad I ever had”. The salad was paired with a Charles Krug Chardonnay. The wine was good, but not anything out of the ordinary.

Caprese Salad

Before our salads were finished or cleared from the table, our pasta course arrived, and we both wished it had come a bit later. We felt the food runner was the one crimp in the whole Tuscany service experience. She wasn’t friendly and tended to slam the food plates down. The pasta course was ricotta gnocchi topped with a dollop of ricotta. The gnocchi was just okay, and I’ve had better. It was a huge portion, and the heavy pasta filled us up quickly - too heavy in my opinion for a tasting menu. The gnocchi was paired with a garden variety DaVinci Chianti.

Ricotta Gnocchi

Our next course was grilled veal chops served with mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and grilled asparagus topped with a Marsala reduction. The chops were well cooked, and I liked the mashed potatoes so much, I wished there were more on the plate. The chops were paired with a Ferrari-Carano Meritage. I love Meritage, so no complaints here.

Grilled Veal Chops

When it was time for dessert, the waitress came over and said the Fallen Chocolate Cake on the tasting menu contained coconut oil, something I’m very allergic to, and all the chef could recommend was sorbet or fresh berries. I was really full at this point, so sorbet seemed better anyway. In fact, my mother chose the sorbet too, and it was really good. We had a scoop of lemon and a scoop of blood orange, and it was accompanied with biscotti, and an Italian dessert wine. Even if you think you don’t like dessert wine, you should give Ben Rye a try. It’s complex, and every sip seems to offer you a new flavor – orange, peach, pineapple, herbs and honey.

Lemon and Blood Orange Sorbet

Casino dining is an interesting concept. Many of the people around us were dining on casino comps and seemed pleased to be using their comps on Todd English’s hearty Tuscan fair. My mother and I had a nice night out, and the food was good. I don’t know if it was worth $90, however. All in all, Wine Wednesday seems to be a winning concept – perhaps I should try Bobby Flay’s Bar American Wine Wednesday menu . . . just to compare.

P.S. If you’re wondering how I did gambling, I came out $1 ahead! Oh well, at least I didn’t lose.

eat drink RI Festival - You'll Need A Loose Pair of Pants

2013-04-18T17:29:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, my entire school boarded 10 yellow school buses and headed up Route 95 to the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium. For many of these kids who never had the chance to leave Exeter, this was quite a bus ride. Our 500 students were invited to see the Rhode Island Philharmonic’s production of “The Orchestra Moves”. In collaboration with the Carnegie Foundation, the program provided recorders, workbooks and a chance for the students to perform with a live orchestra. I teach in a district committed to music education, and a school committee member actually said to me “Music is not optional.” I get support, but my budget this year for equipment and materials was $200. For 2013-2014, it’s $0. Through the Rhode Island Philharmonic’s Music School, my music program was given brand new curriculum materials, and the students loved their books and recorders. They loved the performance too. Comments ranged from “I never thought I’d have classical music stuck in my head and LIKE it” to “Beethoven – that was cool” to “the only thing I wished was that the concert was longer.” There’s nothing like having kids sing “The Toreador Song” by Bizet and liking it as much as if they were singing an Imagine Dragons song.

How does this all relate to a food blog? You, my fine foodie friends, have a chance to eat, drink and support the Rhode Island Philharmonic’s Flex program. This program sponsored my field trip and organizes many outreach programs throughout the year. As part of eat drink RI’s Festival on April 21^st, Gracie’s is hosting a benefit brunch. For $65 a person, you can enjoy an all you can eat brunch, which is being prepared by some of Rhode Island’s top chefs (such as Derek Wagner from Nick’s on Broadway and Melissa Denmark from Gracie’s). I have word Jonathan Cambra from the Boat House will be preparing pastured silver fox rabbit ragout with a spring vegetable goat cheese frittata! There is also an open bar featuring cocktails prepared by bartenders from around the state. If that all doesn’t sound amazing enough, some of the Rhode Island Philharmonic members and Music School students will be performing.

Not free on Sunday? The eat drink RI Festival kicks off on Friday night. Though the food truck event is sold out, you can check out the Cocktail Couture event at the Biltmore. On Saturday, the Biltmore is also hosting educational panels on Eating Local, Terroir in Winemaking, Rhode Island Top Chefs and Beer Brewing. The highlight of Saturday is the Grand Tasting (also at the Biltmore). This event is to showcase the best food and drink Rhode Island has to offer.

You can get your tickets ahead of time by visiting http://eatdrinkri.com/festival/. Rumor has it events are selling out quickly, so get yours today!!

Adventures In Lamb Cooking - The Lamb Pro-Am

2013-04-15T08:49:00.004-04:00

Up to this point, my blog has focused on restaurants, with an occasional post about my travels. Dining out and traveling are two of my favorite pastimes, but I also enjoy cooking and baking. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always loved to cook. My mother and grandmothers are good cooks – there was never an empty cookie jar at Grandma O’s house, and Grandma P made a lard pie crust so good it would make you cry. I won the state-wide Girl Scout Bake Off as a 10 year old and have been cooking ever since. As a music teacher, I treasure the hour or so of quiet solitude every night as I cook dinner. While chopping, sautéing, searing and whisking, the stress of the day melts away (and the glass of wine I drink while I cook helps too).

So when I was invited by the American Lamb Board and BostonChefs.com to participate in their American Lamb Pro-Am Competition, I was ready to put my cooking chops to the test. For Round One, I was given a gorgeous leg of lamb to cook, photograph and write about. I am writing this article about my experiences, and you can vote for my recipe at http://bit.ly/ProAm2013. Voting begins on Wednesday, April 17th. The top six vote getters (though only one will be from Rhode Island) move onto Round Two. In Round Two, each blogger finalist will be paired with a top chef from their city to collaborate on a dish to serve at the culminating event on May 19^th at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Boston. As the Chairman says at the start of every Iron Chef America show, “So now America, with an open heart and an empty stomach, I say unto you in the words of my uncle ‘Allez cuisine!’” I’m off to cook.

To begin this culinary adventure, I started with a spring cocktail that pairs nicely with the lamb and will start this lamb party off right ---- my take on a mint julep kicked up a notch with a sparkling finish.

Sparkling Mint Juleps

1 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup chopped mint

Bottle of sparkling wine

1 cup bourbon

6-7 mint sprigs

Start by heating the water, sugar and chopped mint in a sauce pan. Bring to boiling and allow the sugar to dissolve. Allow the syrup to cool in the pan and then strain the mint from the syrup.

Add one tablespoon mint syrup and two tablespoons of bourbon to each champagne flute. Fill the glass with sparkling wine and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Garlic, Mustard and Rosemary Roasted Leg of Lamb

1 6-8 pound boneless leg of lamb

6 cloves of garlic, sliced

Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon flour

½ cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons chopped mint

Preheat over to 325 degrees F. Using a sharp knife, cut 25 deep slits into the leg of lamb and insert a slice of garlic into each hole. Rub the leg with kosher salt and pepper (be generous). Spread the Dijon mustard over the leg and then sprinkle with the chopped rosemary. Place lamb in preheated oven and roast for 20-25 minutes per pound. The internal temperature should measure 145 degrees F for medium-rare or 160 degrees F for medium. Let the lamb rest 15 minutes before carving the meat. In the meantime, place the roasting pan over medium heat on the stovetop, and whisk the flour into the pan drippings. Add the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce, and cook until slightly thickened. Stir the mint into the prepared sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Feta, Asparagus and Mint Couscous

½ cup chopped asparagus

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup pearl shaped couscous

4 cups water

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

¼ cup finely chopped mint

Blanch asparagus in a small saucepan of boiling water until just crisp/tender (don’t overcook). Drain asparagus. Heat butter in a heavy saucepan. Add couscous to the melted butter. While constantly stirring the couscous, toast it until it’s golden brown. Add water to the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the pasta is softened (about 20 minutes). Stir the blanched asparagus, feta cheese and chopped mint into the cooked couscous. Season with salt and pepper.

The Locals - Local Ingredients, Live Music in North Providence

2013-03-29T09:08:00.001-04:00

My brother and I have often talked about opening our own restaurant. It’s a conversation we have even though we both know neither one of us has the drive to actually follow through on it. We came up with the name first – Arthur’s, named after our dog we had growing up. We agree on the menu concept – small, local, seasonally driven and focusing on comfort food. The must have foods we would include on the menu are an amazing pickle plate, fried chicken, and a dessert donut plate. It’s fun to dream but another thing to actually follow through on it.

Andrea LaFazia is living her dream as the owner and “bossman” of The Locals in North Providence. From the moment you meet Andrea, you can sense The Locals is the exact restaurant she had in mind when she opened three years ago. The décor is funky and eclectic (even the silverware doesn’t match), there’s live music to dine by, and the food is all sourced locally from area farms and food purveyors. She spent the morning I was there helping with service, heckling the line looks and calling out requests to the singing/guitar duo. You could tell she was happy to be there and wouldn’t have wanted to be anyplace else.

Bridget and I arrived for brunch soon after the restaurant opened and were glad we did because it filled up quickly. We took two seats at the comfortable bar overlooking the open kitchen. The brunch cocktails looked good, especially one called the Local Screw with orange juice, Yacht Club “Yacht Up” and Tito’s Vodka. We had enough vodka the night before, however, so we instead ordered two mugs of coffee (which that day came in regular or dark chocolate). The half + half was served in a glass milk bottle from Christiansen’s Dairy which is located in North Providence. The creamer was so fresh, the bottle hadn’t been opened yet, and I looked like an idiot trying to figure out how to get the cap off.

Deciding what to order was tough because it all sounded good. Usually I’m afraid to order Eggs Benedict anywhere but at Nick’s on Broadway because it usually never lives up to my expectations. However, I was daring this Sunday and ordered it anyway. I was glad because it turned out to be pretty damn good. The eggs were perfectly poached from Baffoni’s Poultry Farm in Johnston. The bright yellow yolks ran in a liquid stream to soak the prosciutto and excellent grilled herb toast underneath. The Hollandaise was well prepared and flavorful showing off the kitchen’s solid cooking technique. The Benedict was served with a small salad of greens topped with a slightly sweet Champagne vinaigrette. Being the glutton I am, I also ordered a side order of bacon. The bacon could have been crisper, but I enjoyed the slightly sweet contrast I tasted from the brown sugar which was baked on. It wasn’t as sweet and decadent as the Praline Bacon I once devoured at Elizabeth’s in New Orleans, but it was good.

Eggs Benedict

Bridget ordered the Local Crabby. Reading the menu description, she wasn’t expecting a sandwich, but that’s what she got. The soft, housemade Brioche roll was topped with a flavorful crabcake and fried egg (the sandwich also comes with creamed spinach on top, but she ordered it without). This menu item was also served with a small salad, and she ate every bite of it.

We snuck a peak at the dinner menu before we left and agreed we needed come back. The prices are reasonable, so even though some grumble about the portions being small, you can order an appetizer, entrée and dessert and make a night of it. The wine list was small yet interesting and reasonably priced. The most expensive bottle was $30. The local seasonal beers were $5, and the list was varied with something for every taste.

I am embarrassed to admit, The Locals is located only five minutes from my house, and this is the first chance I’ve had to dine here. There are certainly flashier, better publicized restaurants in Downtown Providence, but the Locals has a charm of its own. Maybe the coffee house atmosphere won’t appeal to everyone, but the well made, locally sourced food should be on everyone’s wish list. You might sit through a performance of Sarah McLachlan’s “Building a Mystery” while you eat, but I have a feeling “bossman” Andrea wouldn’t want it any other way.

Are You Ready for the eat Drink RI Festival?

2013-03-20T18:54:00.002-04:00

Get ready Rhode Island because the eat drink RI Festival is just a few weeks away. From April 19^th-April 21^st, the Providence based festival is hosting a gathering of the who’s who in the Rhode Island culinary field. Chefs, farmers, bartenders and food artisans are putting their wares and expertise on display. Events range from educational forums to grand tastings to truck stop benefits.

The festival kicks off on April 19th with a food truck extravaganza, and all proceeds benefit the Rhode Island Community Food bank. The night continues with a cocktail/fashion event and then a late night cocktail tour with drink specials being offered at bars around the city. Saturday, April 20^th features a plethora of educational panels with discussions on eating local, taste of terroir, top chefs of Rhode Island and brewing. The day culminates with the Grand Tasting. This includes over 40 Rhode Island businesses offering samples of their best food and drinks. The festival concludes on Sunday, April 21^st with a Grand Brunch at Gracie’s featuring food prepared by some of Rhode Island finest chefs and cocktails provided by the United States Bar Guild RI Chapter.

David Dadekian, eat drink RI Festival Coordinator

I had the chance to interview festival founder, David Dadekian, about the festival and RI food in general. Thanks to David for sharing some of his precious time to complete this interview!

What inspired you to start the eat drink RI Festival?

There are many of wonderful multi-day Festivals which bring in people from around the country but none that specifically celebrate food and drink in our area. I wanted to produce a Festival which is dedicated to showcasing Rhode Island food and drink. This Festival, unlike many others, is about our local chefs, farmers and producers. They are the reason Rhode Island is a major culinary spot now, and we want more people to make this state their dining destination.

How are preparations for the festival going so far?

They’re going strong,, but we’re still filling in a few spots. For example, I just nailed down the aquaculture farmer who’s going to pair with Chef Benjamin Sukle for his demo during the Grand Tasting.

How many people are you expecting to attend the festival?

It’s going to vary depending on the event. I think we could see around 400 people at the Truck Stop since it’s been such a big in the past. The Cocktail Couture event and Grand Brunch will be a bit more intimate, and the tickets are limited, so we expect to sell out. Saturday’s Grand Tasting should be jam-packed with hundreds.

What event(s) are you most excited about?

All of them! We’ve got such fantastic chefs, farmers, food producers, winemakers and brew masters at all the events. I have to say, everyone in our food community has been great. I just reach out and ask, and they say yes. I appreciate it.

How can people get tickets to the festival?

http://eatdrinkri.com/festival

Is there anything else you want people to know about the eat drink RI Festival?

I want to thank our sponsors Johnson & Wales University and Daniele Inc., along with our media partner Providence Monthly who is presenting our Grand Tasting, and many thanks to the Providence Biltmore and Gracie’s for being such good hosts. Also, I want to mention how helpful the City of Providence has been—Art, Culture + Tourism, City Hall, the Police Dept., Tourism—everyone has been very supportive.

When you’re not organizing festivals, what keeps you busy?

Lots! Two little girls keep me busy and going. The eat drink RI site is constantly growing. It’s amazing to see more and more readers who are apparently starved for good local flock to the site. I still do a lot of photography, not only of food for local and national media, but weddings and portraits as well. Plus there’s my work at Blackbird Farm and the cooking classes and private chef work around the region.

Providence has garnered lots of national recognition for its food culture recently. Why do you think that is?

Talent and passion. Clearly Johnson & Wales has something to do with the talent part of it, turning out many excellent cooks each year. But they would just be excellent cooks without restaurants if the public wasn’t clamoring for great places to dine. On top of all that, there would be excellent cooks and a hungry public. Also, there wouldn’t be anything good to cook and eat if it weren’t for the hard-working and dedicated farmers and food producers here. And somehow, those of us with passion for it can’t seem to escape from Rhode Island!

When people ask for restaurant recommendations in Rhode Island, what restaurants are on your “must do” list?

I always hesitate to offer this list because invariably I miss a place and feel bad. There are the “usual” suspects: Persimmon, New Rivers, Nick’s on Broadway, The Dorrance, Gracie’s, Farmstead, Chez Pascal, Tallulah on Thames, TSK. See, I’m sitting here knowing I’m forgetting someone right now! Oh boy, how about adding: Los Andes, Ebisu, El Rancho Grande, Enn, North, Broadway Bistro, Easy Entertaining, Flan Y Ajo. Oh boy I’m on the spot!

I’m a huge brunch fan. Where off the beaten path in RI can I go to get a great brunch?

Off the beaten path? Hmm. I used to say The Sunnyside, but at the moment it’s closed (it’ll be back!). Nick’s on Broadway is hardly off the beaten path, but it’s definitely the king. North does a brunch, as does Cook & Brown, Julians and XO Café. See, I told you I forgot places in that “must do” list!

You’re a champion of the locavore food movement. What makes buying and eating locally sourced foods better for Rhode Islanders?

There are many reasons. First and foremost is flavor, since food can be more than just sustenance. The products raised and made here are delicious. In the case of meat, it’s clearly healthier than buying from gigantic national processors who’ve shown over the last few years that they can’t keep our meat supply safe. Our produce growers raise everything they can in our climate, and fruits and vegetables are so much better freshly picked than picked and shipped thousands of miles. Regarding that thousands of miles, local food is better for the environment, not only because of shipping, but also in keeping our land fertile. Plus, RI is a leader in aquaculture, and we’ve got some of the tastiest and healthiest seafood in the world here. There are a lot more reasons!

What local products should Rhode Islanders be on the lookout for?

Aquidneck Honey, Dave’s Coffee, Poblano Farm which makes the best salsas and sauces, Narragansett Creamery cheeses, Rhody Fresh dairy products, Providence Granola, Simmons Farm goat cheese, Granny Squib iced teas, and Yacht Club sodas. Again, I’m sure I’m forgetting someone and feel bad!

Word has it you’re an accomplished cook. What is on your St. Patrick’s Day menu this year?

This year, as every year, I brined a Blackbird Farm brisket for 7 days and then made the traditional boiled dinner for my wife’s Irish family. You haven’t had corned beef until you’ve brined a pasture-raised brisket and cooked it low and slow to melt all that great fat into the vegetables. Slainte!

Pot au Feu - Mastering the Art of French Dining

2013-03-18T16:29:00.001-04:00

I’ve been reading Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child written by Bob Spitz, and the story is amazing. Julia’s life is fascinating and reads like a novel. She grew up in a wealthy family in Pasadena, California; traveled the world as an office worker for a spy organization during World War II; studied at Le Cordon Bleu while in Paris; wrote the masterpiece Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and took America by storm with her ground-breaking PBS series The French Chef. At six foot 3 inches tall, she was larger than life, yet her warbled voice gave her a softer edge. Little did I know, there was a restaurant here in Providence with a connection to my beloved Julia.

Pot au Feu, which is located in Downtown Providence, claims to be the oldest French Bistro in the United States. It opened in 1972 and was visited by none other than Julia Child. In fact, a picture of Julia hangs in the entrance way to the restaurant. Julia once said of Pot au Feu, “I wish we could have a restaurant like Pot au Feu right here in Cambridge. It’s what one would hope a nice restaurant would be.” Though it opened the year before my birth, I’ve never dined at Pot au Feu. Deciding if it was good enough for Julia, it was good enough for me.

In its heyday, Pot au Feu was the grand dame of the Providence fine dining scene. Housing two levels – the fancier salon upstairs and the more casual bistro downstairs – Pot au Feu brought fine dining to Providence. They proudly take credit as being the catalyst for Providence’s “Restaurant Renaissance.” Now, with a myriad of fine dining choices, Pot au Feu seems somewhat forgotten. The night Bridget and I dined here, the upstairs salon was ominously dark (though the downstairs bistro was alive and well).

Choosing to sit at the bar, Tom, the bartender, took good care of us. He offered to make an original cocktail when we couldn’t decide what to drink. We were a bit perplexed, however, when we asked for something “not sweet” and got a martini composed of Henderick’s Gin, St. Germain and muddled orange. Although it was good, it tasted a bit sweet to us, so we only had one. While we sipped our cocktails, we enjoyed the ubiquitous French Bread which was initially served room temperature, though a second helping seemed to be straight from the oven.

I ordered the French onion soup as my starter because the night was cold, and I needed some comfort food. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The onion soup was adequate, but the amount of cheese broiled onto the crouton wasn’t enough. I wanted the cheese to be thick and decadent, and this Gruyère barely coated the crouton.

French Onion Soup

Before our entrées, we were given a small and very plain salad. The greens were fresh and the dressing homemade. We both opted for the Dijon dressing which was quite pungent. Tom suggested blending the Dijon dressing with the raspberry dressing, and I think he was onto something! The raspberry would have cut the tang of the Dijon.

For dinner, I went with Tom’s recommendation and ordered Caneton Framboise, aka duck with raspberry. It was a gigantic portion of duck with both a slow roasted breast and a confit duck leg. The sauce was a rich reduction of both raspberry and orange. It was amazing – complex and rich, complementing the duck perfectly. Unfortunately, the duck breast was way overcooked for my liking. It was well-done (temperature not quality) and very dry. The duck was served with crisp green beans and a choice of potatoes or quinoa. I opted for the crispy, fried white and sweet potatoes with sour cream and dill sauce, and they were good. I brought home my leftovers wrapped in foil shaped like . . . you guessed it, a duck.

Caneton Framboise

Bridget selected the unpronounceable Coquilles St. Jacques et Crevettes Lorraine. In this casserole of shrimp and scallops, the seafood is baked with a horseradish, bacon and sour cream sauce and served in a giant scallop shell. Bridget enjoyed it and said the sauce was just right – not as heavy as she had assumed it would be. However, it seemed a bit ridiculous that her tiny portion of casserole cost over $30. She finished her entire meal and usually never does!

Coquilles St. Jacques et Crevettes Lorraine.

Dining in the subterranean basement at the bar, we watched a steady stream of diners enter the restaurant, most dressed in suits and dresses (rare in Providence these days). The patrons were festive and many greeted the owner as a friend. For me, I felt like it could be 1972, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. Times have changed and in the Providence restaurant scene, they changed for the better. Pot au Feu seems to be stuck in time. I kept waiting for Julia Child to make her way down the stairs and say to me “Bon Apetit”. I did sort of enjoy my foray into the past, because sometimes as Pitbull eloquently says “to understand the future, we have to go back in time.”

The Blue Grotto - A Federal Hill Classic

2013-03-16T08:09:00.001-04:00

As a food lover and food writer, often times I am drawn into writing abut the newest and hippest restaurants in the area. Let’s face it; when people are searching for information about restaurants, they’re usually looking for information about newly opened spots. Unfortunately, I don’t always make it to the “tried and true” restaurants in the area. Places like Capriccio’s, Café Nuovo and the Parkside have been open for years and always do an amazing business. You don’t last in the restaurant industry for 30 plus years without at least doing some things right!!

One restaurant I’d never been to is the Blue Grotto, which is located in Providence’s Federal Hill. I’ve passed it many times (it’s been there for over 30 years) and never took the chance to go inside because the décor seemed a little dated and the menu a bit old-fashioned. Yet, I sampled their homemade ravioli at the Taste of Federal Hill Event this past fall and loved it. Then I heard from someone that their steak is the best in Providence, and days later I got a Groupon offer for the restaurant. Destiny was calling, and I was ready for my virgin voyage into the Blue Grotto.

First impressions upon entering the restaurant weren’t great. The décor is dated, just as I surmised from my window peeping. The crowd was a mix of senior citizens drinking cosmos and hipsters with ponytails. Right off the bat, we adored our server John. He was upbeat and offered some great recommendations from the wine list and the menu. His energy lifted our spirits, and we began to overlook the old-fashioned room and our table which was at the furthest back corner of the room by the server’s station. To start, we were given a loaf of excellent bread (not the typical, boring Italian bread from a package given at many Federal Hill spots) with olive oil for dipping and a tasty garlic hummus spread. I ordered a glass of Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio (included in my Groupon) from the interesting but overpriced wine list.

We went all out for our appetizer and chose the Anipasto Caldo, a sampler platter which included most of the appetizers off the menu. My favorite was the lightly breaded house made mozzarella cheese. The cheese was creamy and delicious, and I could have eaten an entire platter. Bridget enjoyed the calamari drizzled with balsamic vinegar and topped with sundried tomatoes and fresh basil. She said it was very crispy and not greasy. The garlic shrimp was fine, yet nothing I’d order again. I enjoyed the arancini (fried risotto balls), but Bridget thought the gorgonzola was overpowering. The crabcake was pretty blasé without much texture.

For dinner, I ordered the grilled filet mignon topped with whipped gorgonzola butter and a red wine reduction. I am extremely picky about my steak, and I usually find filet mignon to be too bland, but I took a gamble and ordered it anyway. And you know what? I actually liked it. The outside had a nice crust and the inside was (gasp!) actually perfectly cooked, tender and flavorful. The gorgonzola whipped butter was a nice touch, but I could have used a tad bit more for the large 10 oz. portion of filet. As flavorful as the steak was, the polenta was a huge let down – it was neither crispy nor tasty. John recommended a glass of a red Palazzo blend to pair with the steak. He was right, it was an excellent pairing.

Grilled Filet Mignon

Bridget took my suggestion and ordered the lobster ravioli since it’s one of her favorites. She was presented with three large handmade ravioli swimming in a pink, sherry cream sauce and garnished with a huge, tender lobster claw. The sauce was less creamy than she would have liked, but she enjoyed it otherwise.

Lobster Ravioli

Many years ago, my brother and I started a quest to eat at all of the restaurants on Federal Hill. Now I can cross the Blue Grotto off of my list. The restaurant scene in Providence is very competitive, and the Blue Grotto has been holding its own. The night we were there, every table was taken. The restaurant has started offering brunch, cooking classes, wine dinners and 4 course tasting menus ($75 with wine pairings, a hell of a bargain). All and all, I did like my meal at the Blue Grotto, and I was glad I gave it a try. I’m not sure I’d go back unless I found another Groupon with a similar deal.

Return to Paradise - Another Week at Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita

2013-03-04T18:56:00.001-05:00

I recently spent a restful week being pampered at Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. As someone whose anthem is Ben Harper’s “She’s Only Happy In The Sun”, getting away to a warm weather location in February is a must. The week provides a much needed break from the cold and snow. I’m not someone who usually travels to the same resort multiple years in a row, but there was something about the peace of Zoetry that drew me back. I enjoyed my week immensely, as the six pounds I gained and brilliant suntan can attest to. Here are the reasons I love it.

The Peaceful Beach at Zoetry

The Peace and Quiet – During the week I spent at Zoetry, the resort was operating at 60% capacity. With a mere 90 rooms, 60% seemed practically empty, which was wonderful! Sitting on the beach, Bridget and I felt like we were at our own private beach, the nearest people being hundreds of feet away. For some, the lack of people and activity might be a turn off, but for us, it was perfect. We don’t want to be resting on a beach with the sounds of a poolside Bingo game in the background or people doing a conga line around the pool. I teach music, so my days are filled with noise. On my vacation, I prefer quiet.

Ahhhhhh! The Solitude!

The Awesome Staff- For an entire week at Zoetry, not once did I ever hear the word “no.” Every request I made was cheerfully met and carried out. One day I craved pizza at lunch but was dining at Kaax, so Antonio ran (literally) over to the grill to pick up a Mexican Pizza for me. The servers (Miguel and Antonio) on the beach set up our area every day with towels and an umbrella when needed, and then brought us drinks all day long without us even having to order. They would remember we like iced tea at 9:30 and a Tom Collins at 2:30, and they would deliver the drinks without prompting.

A Blue Hawaiian Served Beachside

The Food – I am a food writer, and when I’m on vacation at a beach resort in Mexico, expectations have to be tempered. At Zoetry, especially for breakfast and lunch, I was in food heaven. There are no buffets at Zoetry. Every meal is a sit down experience. At breakfast, the homemade, often still warm from the oven, pastries were to die for. Who would guess that a Mexican beach resort would have amazing chocolate croissants? We enjoyed much of the breakfast menu – pancakes, fruit plate (with mucho papaya), French Toast, eggs scrambled with smoked salmon or sausage and crispy bacon on the side. Breakfast was a meal to be savored. Lunch was also filled with favorite dishes. I loved the pizza or calzones from the wood burning oven, fresh fish tacos (not on the menu, so make sure you ask for them), Caesar salad, the guacamole, pico de gallo and anything with shrimp. The avocados at Zoetry were all delicious. I would have been happy with a plate of avocados for lunch. Dinners were less successful, often because the dishes were more ambitious than they needed to be. Our favorite dinner was Mayan night at Kaax with its authentic Mayan food.

Amazing Fish Tacos

The Drinks – At Zoetry, drinks are made with premium spirits and fresh squeezed juices. Grey Goose Vodka, Havana Club Aged Seven Years, Don Julio Tequila, and Bombay Sapphire gin were some of the choices. Most drinks were expertly mixed. I couldn’t get enough of the Don Julio margaritas, both on the rocks and frozen. The wine was the typical all-inclusive Chilean or Mexican stuff – not great but certainly potable. The “Champagne” was a sparkling wine from Mexico which by itself was pretty horrible, but mixed with fresh squeezed orange juice was decent for mimosas.

A Frozen Don Julio Margarita at Lunch

The Rooms – Every room at Zoetry is actually an oceanfront suite. The suite was very large and gave plenty of room to spread out our things. The view from our third floor room was spectacular, and I loved lying in bed gazing out at the Caribbean Sea and hearing the ocean waves crash. The bathroom was spacious and except for one day, we had very hot water and decent water pressure. The housekeeping was phenomenal, though not three times daily as advertised. Do you really need it three times a day?

The View From My Bed

So far, I have yet to find a perfect all-inclusive resort. Zoetry comes the closest for me, but here are some reasons it was less than prefect and why I may not return for a third stay.

Kids – This high end all-inclusive resort built for peace and relaxation allows children. Of course, there are no activities for children and children must pay the full adult rate, so the resort doesn’t actively encourage bringing kids. Yet, the week I was there, there were twenty or so kids ranging in age from infant to pre-teen. For the most part, they were very well behaved, but sometimes kids will be kids. We didn’t sit at the pool, so their rambunctious behavior didn’t bother our beachside tranquility. At dinnertime, however, sometimes you just don’t want to be around a tired and crabby kid being forced to eat at 8pm.

The Beach – Unfortunately, the beach problems at Zoetry are things the resort can’t control. The sand in front of the hotel is well-maintained. There were plenty of lounge chairs on the week I was there, and we never felt like we had to rush out and save a lounge chair at the crack of dawn. Yet, the water in front of the resort had so much seaweed and debris, we didn’t enjoy going in swimming. I’m from Rhode Island, and I know the ocean is filled with seaweed, but even for me, this was more seaweed (and trash) than I could handle. Also walking down the beach was less than a thrilling experience. We walked for at least an hour every day and passed huge mounds of trash and seaweed.

A View of the Beach Beyond the Zoetry Property

The Menus – The menus at Zoetry are static. The menus from last year were identical to the menus from this year. For breakfast and lunch, this is a good thing. There were so many enjoyable breakfast and lunch items, I still didn’t get to try everything I wanted to. Dinner, however, was a different story. There weren’t as many dinner entrées which peaked our interest, and the ones that did weren’t anything we would be dying to have again.

Despite these criticisms, the positives at Zoetry far outweigh the negatives. I had an amazing week. Last year, when we checked out of Zoetry, the staff said its good-byes, and we promised to be back. This year, Bridget and I felt like despite our magnificent week at Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita, it might be time to try something new. In fact, we’re checking out Zoetry Agua Punta Cana as an alternative. Zoetry isn’t for everyone. There are no nightclubs or nighttime entertainment or poolside Bingo games, but for people looking for excellent service, delicious food, rest and relaxation, all in a peaceful quiet atmosphere, you can’t do much better than Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita. As the waiters at Kaax said, a week at Zoetry isn’t just “bien”; it’s “super bien.”

The View from my Beach Chair

More in-depth articles about Zoetry from last year's trip can be found here: Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, and Post 5.

Bright New Start for the Former DownCity Restaurant Space -- Circe Has Arrived!

2013-02-01T14:17:00.002-05:00

If you live in the Northeast, you know how cold it has been these past couple of weeks. I expect it to be cold, but there’s cold, and then there’s bone chilling, can’t feel your face cold. Taking the Providence Visitors and Convention Bureau’s suggestion to “take a bite out of winter,” I made my reservation for Providence Restaurant Weeks at Circe in Downtown Providence. Parking my car on a side street and walking to the restaurant, I was swearing as the cold wind whipped into my face. Perhaps I should have used their valet parking!

The Updated Dining Room

Circe is located in the former home of DownCity Restaurant, which some of you may remember from Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay. DownCity closed in December of 2011, and Circe renovated the space and opened in October of 2012. It’s a good space, though located in a rather forgotten part of Providence. The restaurant was opened by Carlo Carlozzi, the former well-known bartender of Ten Prime Steak & Sushi. In the kitchen, Carlozzi has Simon Keating (most recently of XO Café) running the show. The space of the restaurant hasn’t changed from the DownCity days, but the color scheme (from orange to cream) and overall vibe has. We missed the comfy booths which have given way to rows of tightly packed tables.

Since Carlozzi made his name as a bartender, it’s no accident the cocktail list is stellar. There’s even a $180 drink made with Louis XIII Cognac. I ordered the restaurant’s signature cocktail (the Shiso Martini), which is made from muddled shiso leaves (herb from the mint family), cucumber vodka, lemon juice and a splash of simple syrup. In the summertime, I would say this was a refreshing drink. In the winter, it warmed me up from the inside! I loved it! With my cocktail, I enjoyed their warm bread (loved that it was warm) with olive oil and balsamic dippers. Our waitress was excellent and had just the right amount of perky.

I thought The Providence Restaurant Weeks Menu at Circe was among the most innovative and interesting in the city. Since Chef Keating did not skimp on portions, I would highly recommend trying it when Summer Restaurant Weeks hit in July. For my starter, I chose the Crispy Pork Belly with Braised Shoulder Beignet. They had me at “braised shoulder beignet.” The pork belly was beautifully prepared, but the beignet stole the show. I would compare the beignet to a dough version of a clamcake with pork instead of clams. I don’t know why anyone hasn’t done this before in Rhode Island because it was awesome! Bridget ordered the Seared Bomster Scallops with Bacon and Creamy Leeks. She thought the scallops were perfectly cooked, and she especially loved the bacon. It made her want to come back and try their weekend brunch!

Crispy Pork Belly with Braised Shoulder Beignet

Bridget and I both ordered the Grilled Scottish Salmon for our entrées, and it was grilled to the rare side of medium. The fish was simply prepared, though it was served with a flavorful sweet corn salsa and garnished with arugula pesto, so it had plenty of flavors. The piece of fish was enormous, and neither of us could finish it.

Grilled Scottish Salmon

Restaurant Weeks give me a good excuse to order both a starter and a dessert. I tried the Silver Star Bread Pudding, and even though I’m not much of a bread pudding fan, I liked this version. The bread pudding was nicely made, but it became even better with the delectable caramel sauce it was served with. Caramel like that makes me very happy indeed! On the side of the dish, there was a sugar basket filled with Toffee Apple Sorbet. Maybe it was my cold body rejecting the cold dessert, but the sorbet left me, well, cold. Bridget ordered some decaffeinated coffee to contradict the huge portion of ice cream she was served. The waitress said it would be three small scoops of vanilla, chocolate and coffee ice cream, but we didn’t think they were small at all. The flavors were all good, but Bridget did particularly like the rich chocolate flavor the most.

Silver Star Bread Pudding

Circe is on the right track in many ways. I really hope its slightly off-the-beaten path location won’t deter people from stopping in to check it out. Hopefully the old DownCity ghosts have been exorcised. I know one thing has changed. Owner, Carlo Carlozzi is taking on the role of impeccable host. I noticed him chatting with guests and making sure everyone is happy. I'm eager to come back and try brunch, especially their Bottomless Mimosas!

Footnote: When DownCity Restaurant closed its doors in December of 2011, I was saddened but not really surprised. Looking back through the history of Kitchen Nightmares, the record of restaurants staying open is not good. In Season 4, besides DownCity, five other restaurants have already closed. Seven restaurants from Season 3 have closed and a stunning 100% of the restaurants from Season 2 have closed. Is Kitchen Nightmares really that much of a scam, or is it possible that the featured restaurants were so flawed, change was impossible?

Celebration Dinner at Gracie's Restaurant

2013-01-30T17:09:00.000-05:00

This is my 19th year of teaching music in Exeter-West Greenwich, and for the most part, it has been a job I love. Every day is different and never boring. Most of the students are enjoyable to work with . . . it is Exeter-West Greenwich after all. My food blogging, however, is only in its infancy. I started Adventures in Rhode Island Dining two and a half years ago. It has taken me places and introduced me to many new people. For the past two years, through the sponsorship of Gracie’s Restaurant, I have been able to merge my two worlds. My music teacher side gets to spend time with my food writer side. I’ve set up a writing contest for my students, and the winners get to dine with me at Gracie’s.
This year, 50 + Metcalf students participated in the writing contest. The talent improved this year, and it was harder to narrow down the pool of contestants. Their writing pieces ranged from a love story about macaroni and cheese to a hateful diatribe about the Cracker Barrel. The three winners wrote about very different subjects. Ethan Jedson wrote about a memorable meal at the Chanticleer in Nantucket, which included the best hamburger he ever ate. Avery Daigle wrote about an ill-fated experience at an Asian hibachi grill which was highlighted by the chef accidentally throwing an egg at her grandmother. Kinjal Gupta wrote about an Indian meal she ate in the United States and compared it to the food from her native country of India.

The winners with our vice-princical and me!

     The winners, thanks to the graciousness of Ellen Slattery (owner of Gracie’s Restaurant) were awarded a free meal for themselves and their parents. Since the winners were announced in early December, but the celebration dinner wasn’t held until mid-January, anticipation for this event ran high. We arrived at Gracie’s at 5:30 on the first night of Providence Restaurant Weeks. The restaurant already was noticeably buzzing, but my party of 14 was given a prime spot in front of the windows overlooking Trinity Repertory Company. For four hours, we ate and chatted and were treated like VIPs by Gracie’s impeccably trained staff. Even on a VERY busy Saturday night, we felt like we were the only table of guests in the restaurant. The students were very well behaved, as I knew they would be. Four hours is a long time for adults to sit and enjoy a meal, yet these students didn’t squirm or fidget. I was overwhelmed with teacherly pride by their behavior!
     The kids singled out two highlights – the bread basket and the dessert! Gracie’s bread basket has always been one of my favorites too. Now the bread is baked at Gracie’s sister bakery, Ellie’s Bakery, located in the Biltmore garage building. The bread basket made appearances at our table five or six times (I lost count), and the students tried every flavor (including the honey-beer), then started in on seconds of their favorite flavors. The kids also enjoyed the palate cleansing passion fruit sorbet (who doesn’t like ice cream in the middle of dinner) and trying the olive oil ice cream course. The olive oil ice cream wasn’t a hit, but they did enjoy trying it! All of the kids at my table ordered the Chocolate Cheesecake for it dessert and it was two thumbs up all the way around. Between the bread and multiple desserts, the kids all declared the food to be “Da’ Bomb.”
     The appetizers, though not their favorite part of the meal, were universally praised by the students. Jeffrey’s Greens Salad was a huge portion for anyone. I think most people would have been happy splitting it with a friend. Ethan’s sister in particular praised the salad said “I thought this was just going to be a salad, but this is way better than just a salad.” I don’t think it hurt to have potato chips on top of the salad either! I was surprised Avery ordered the Roasted Beet Salad for her appetizer, but she enjoyed every bite!
     Although Emily enjoyed her entrée, the other kids thought the sausage in the Rigatoni Campanaro was too spicy for their young palates. In fact, Ethan conned his father into switching meals with him and enjoyed the Crescent Farms Duck legs instead. Kinjal and her family are vegetarians, so they were given a special tasting of winter vegetables which included risotto, mushrooms, and various other winter vegetables. Kinjal said it looked so good she “just wanted to devour it.”
     Other than the food, another highlight of the meal was the meet and greet time the students had with Gracie’s Executive Chef, Matthew Varga. I’ve known Matt for a while now, and his enthusiasm for food and the restaurant business is infectious. Even on a night with the restaurant bursting at the seams, he took the time to come out multiple times to pose for pictures with the students and to answer a few questions. The kids (and parents) all loved him.

The winners posing with Chef Matthew Varga

For me, sitting down and enjoying a meal with my students was a real treat. During each school day, I teach seven music classes, and that doesn’t leave much time for me to get to know the each and every one. In four hours of dining, I learned a lot about these kids. I also learned to be very careful what I say at school because they can recite verbatim everything that happens in music class!!! Luckily, the parents seemed to enjoy my sense of humor and enthusiasm.
As we left Gracie’s and our meal came to end, I was grateful for the opportunities both teaching and writing have given me. It’s been quite a ride in both ventures so far. My advice to students has always been they can do anything they put their minds to as long as they make a commitment and work hard at it. As the motto of Gracie’s attests to, “Follow Your Dreams” and they just might one day come true!!

Providence Winter Restaurant Weeks 2013 - An Interview with Brendan Roane from Gracie's

2013-01-16T17:21:00.002-05:00

Now that the holidays are over, winter seems to have settled in for the long haul. For me, I have two reasons not to despair. 1) I have a week planned at Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita in Puerto Morelos, Mexico; and 2) Providence has two weeks of foodie bliss known as Providence Winter Restaurant Weeks. For two weeks, you can dine at some of the cities top restaurants, enjoy three course meals and only spend $14.95 for lunch and $29.95 for dinner. Restaurant Weeks span from January 13 through January 26 this year, and it’s a great opportunity to leave your house, stop watching hours of Homeland reruns from under your electric blankets and support local businesses. You know there’s a restaurant you’ve always wanted to try . . . now’s the time! It’s Winter Restaurant Weeks 2013!!

Gracie’s is one of the fabulous restaurants on the docket for Restaurant Weeks. It’s located on Washington Street in Downtown Providence, and if you haven’t dined at Gracie’s, you are missing one of the great restaurants in Providence. I’ve written about it many times because it’s the real deal – a complete package of outstanding food, service, atmosphere and attention to detail. I had the chance to interview Brendan Roane, Gracie’s Director of Special Events, to find out more about Restaurant Weeks from the business’s perspective.

How do Restaurant Weeks help Gracie’s business?

At a time of the year when restaurants are generally a bit slower, Providence Winter Restaurant Weeks keeps things “alive” and busy for the month of January. It’s really nice for guests to enjoy the same level of service and menu selections made from the highest quality ingredients at a reduced price for these two weeks. After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season each year, most people generally monitor how often they dine out, as they “regroup” and focus on the new year. Winter Restaurant Weeks makes it really easy for diners to still get out and enjoy the wonderful area restaurant and not break the bank.

What is Gracie’s main objective for participating in Restaurant Week?

To create memorable dining experiences for existing and new guests at Gracie’s. While some of the guests who dine at Gracie’s for Winter Restaurant Week have visited our restaurant before, the majority of diners are first-timers to Gracie’s. It’s wonderful to know that it’s someone’s first visit, and can share with them our experience. I often say that anyone can go out for a nice dinner. But to create lasting impressions is what we really strive for each night and keeps our team motivated each and every day!

Is it still as popular as it was in the beginning?

Absolutely! Providence has held its Summer Restaurant Weeks for many years now. When the idea came around to hold a Winter Restaurant Week, we signed up to be on board right away. It’s been a great success thus far. Actually, I remember the other year receiving a call from the convention and visitors bureau half way into the winter “edition” of Restaurant Week. Providence’s restaurants were so busy and full that they were debating to extend for one more week (which ended up working out quite well!) Now it’s consistently two busy weeks during the Winter each year. It’s also been a great help ever since American Express signed on to be one of the largest sponsors for Providence Restaurant Weeks.

How does Chef Matthew Varga develop his menu?

Through inspiration surrounded by him. Just as he does the rest of the year, the dishes prepared at Gracie’s are seasonally inspired. Whether learning new cooking techniques from reading books, changes in the weather and therefore changes in availability of product, or a simple idea, we are constantly changing our menu items. It’s great that many restaurants develop seasonal menus. One thing which I believe sets us apart at Gracie’s is the frequency as to how often we change our items to keep things new, exciting and continues to inspire us.

Gracie’s Dinner Menu for Winter Restaurants Weeks 2013

COURSE ONE

Jeffery's Baby Greens Salad
Great Hill Blue Cheese, Red Onion, Yukon Potato Crisps, Soy Sherry Vinaigrette

Sherry Roasted Beets
brown turkey figs, goats milk yogurt, brown bread, whipped honey

Westport Turnip Soup
Duck Fat Turnips, Pickled Apples, Crispy Confit, and Spicy Greens

COURSE TWO

Gracie's Rigatoni Campanaro
sweet & spicy sausage, plum tomato, ricotta salata

Crescent Farms Duck
glazed sweet potatoes, parsnip puree, chestnuts, pomegranate jus

Idaho Brook Trout
Frenche green lentils, garlic fondue, tomato preserves, shaved fennel

COURSE THREE

Honey & Banana Bread Pudding
golden raisins, oat crumble, butter rum ice cream

Chocolate Cheesecake
caramelized pecan tuile, red currants, salted caramel ice cream

Gracie's Crème Brulée

Madagascar

vanilla bean

So, if the cold weather has started to make you feel down, “take a bite out of winter” as the Providence Convention and Visitors Bureau says and check out Restaurant Weeks. It might not be sun and warmth you crave, but it’s a surefire way to give you a quick emotional boost. Before you go, I suggest you read through the menus found HERE and pick something that sounds interesting to you. Cheer up! There’s only about 60 days left of winter!!

Plum Point Bistro - A Suburban Dining Adventure

2013-01-09T17:29:00.004-05:00

After ringing in the New Year at Jackie’s Waterplace in Providence, my next dining experience for 2013 took me back to my roots . . . the suburbs. I went back to North Kingstown, the town I grew up in, and to a building I’d been in many times as a youth because it housed an ice cream parlor called Heffie’s. The restaurant is actually located in Saunderstown, a village an historic district within North Kingstown. The place has changed hands many times since then and is now known as the Plum Point Bistro. A bistro is pretty highfalutin for North Kingstown.

Vicki, Bridget and I met Cheryl this past Saturday night, and the restaurant was already bursting at the seams by 6pm. The parking lot was full, every seat at the bar was taken, and people jammed the entrance to the restaurant waiting for their table. Vicki checked us in at the hostess stand for our 6:00 reservation, and then we stood there for 35 minutes. Never once did the hostess apologize for the wait or tell us why we were waiting. The owner was also at the front of the restaurant and never offered an apology or explanation. Maybe a glass of wine on the house would have been nice! We were never told how long to expect to wait, and Cheryl joked my review should contain a warning to bring some peanut butter crackers to nibble on as you wait for your reserved table. To add insult to injury, Bridget overheard the hostess and owner talking about what happened. It seems our reserved table was given to regulars who had reserved for a party of two but showed up with four. When a table for four finally opened up, the hostess asked if we were the Vicki party and Cheryl said “Yeah, but it was almost the Donner party” (if you don’t get the reference, Google it! It’s funny). Even when we were finally brought to a table, no one ever apologized. Frankly, they didn’t care. I guess when your restaurant is overflowing with guests, you don’t need to worry about treating the customers well. Vicki said she’s been “treated better at Ruby Tuesday’s” and I agree.

The Plum Point Bistro opened in June of 2012 by the Conte family, most recently known for their Raphael Bar-Risto restaurants in Providence and East Greenwich. The former Heffie’s has been gussied up. There is a large bar, an open kitchen and a small cozy dining room. We loved the design of the space and the warm feeling it gave. Everything was well thought out from the tin roof (not rusted) to the artwork on the walls. The menu is an eclectic mix of Ralph Conte’s specialty homemade pastas, classic bistro fare like steak with frites and some new fangled treats like short-rib dumplings.

Short-Rib Dumplings

Thankfully our server was much more warm and friendly than the cold reception staff. He got us started with an excellent loaf of warm bread and butter. As we recovered from starvation and the food started coming out, we relaxed and began to enjoy ourselves. We split a bottle of Malbec from the small yet well-crafted and fairly priced wine list. For appetizers, we split the Short-Rib Dumplings and also the Eggplant Roulade. The Short-Rib Dumplings were delicious, though not heated through. The short-rib meat was tender and well seasoned, and they were served with an intriguing Meyer lemon cream. The Eggplant was tasty as well, but I thought the spinach slightly overwhelmed the flavor of the excellent tomato sauce.

Eggplant Roulade

Vicki and I both ordered the Espresso and Cocoa Braised Short-Ribs for our entrées, and we weren’t disappointed. The steaming, overflowing bowl of comfort food goodness was rich in flavor. Three large short-ribs with super tender meat were the centerpiece of this dish. They were swimming in the delicious braising liquid on top of a huge mound of mashed potatoes. For a winter’s night meal, this really hit the spot. Neither one of us is known as a light eater, yet we each had a good sized portion to take home for a weekday lunch.

Espresso and Cocoa Braised Short-Ribs

Bridget and Cheryl both chose beef options as well. Bridget ordered the Bistro Steak served with garlic butter and frites. She liked it but didn’t love it and said it was a little too rare and chewy (she just may be spoiled by the steak at the Dorrance). Cheryl ordered the Butcher-Cut New York Strip which was served with a shallot, peppercorn and Armagnac (brandy) demi-glaze. Although it was cut more like a filet than a strip, it was cooked to her specification, and she enjoyed it.

Butcher-Cut New York Strip

The food at the Plum Point Bistro was good. In fact, for North Kingstown, it was very good. Yet, I won’t go back. With a small restaurant, reservations are probably tough to keep organized, but when mishaps occur “I’m sorry” goes a long way. The man at the table next to us told us he drives up frequently from Westerly to eat, and we overheard many other people there on repeat visits. South County is a culinary wasteland dying for some good food. Although the Plum Point Bistro delivers on the food, they could use some lessons from the big city on customer service.

Celebrating the Holidays in Style at the Dorrance

2012-12-19T17:06:00.002-05:00

Ahhhhhh …. the holiday season is upon us. No matter what your religious beliefs, it’s hard not to get drawn into the spirit of the holidays. Though some people in my town put up their Christmas decorations way too early (before Thanksgiving) and some are more garish than nice, I enjoy seeing the displays of lights. I love Christmas music - - especially Harry Connick’s “Frosty the Snowman” and strangely enough Vanessa William’s “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” Another great part of the holidays is having an excuse to eat, drink and be merry … not that I need one! Once my holiday concert at school was over on Wednesday night, I was ready to celebrate and hit the town on Saturday evening.

The Dorrance's Beautiful Dining Room

Even before the Dorrance landed on Bon Appetit’s list of the 50 best restaurants in the United States, I wanted to dine there. In eager anticipation, I planned an end of the school year meal there, then an end of the summer meal and then a birthday meal. Through a variety of circumstances, it wasn’t meant to be, so my anticipation only grew. I almost didn’t want to eat there, afraid my anticipation would only lead to a let down. Would one of the best 50 new restaurants in the United States with a kitchen overseen by a James Beard nominee, Benjamin Sukle be able to live up to the hype? Saturday night, I found out.

First, the ambiance at the Dorrance is gorgeous. The restaurant is housed in the former Union Trust Building on the corner of Dorrance Street and Westminster Street. The architecture of the building is stunning, and the space is wide open with high opulent ceilings. We didn’t feel so much like we were dining in a former bank but rather in a Newport mansion. Even with such opulent surroundings, it was comfortable. Sitting at the bar, the bartenders made us feel right at home. One might think the atmosphere at such a fancy looking place would be stuffy and pretentious, but we found it to be the opposite. Everyone we met was friendly and provided excellent service. Besides the bartenders being super friendly, they were also incredibly dexterous crafting the cocktails from the interesting and well designed cocktail list. It was fun watching them work. One cocktail I tried, the Vesperlini, used the Perlini system for carbonating the drink. All of the ingredients are added to the Perlini shaker, then attached to a CO2 tank, shaken for five seconds, and you then have a carbonated drink without it being watered down by soda. My only regret is I was only able to try two of the cocktails from the cocktail list. With 17 cocktails on the list, there were only a few I wasn’t longing to sample.

Sitting at the bar, we were offered both the standard dinner menu as well as the special bar snacks menu only offered to patrons at the bar. The bar snacks menu included tasty treats like Jonah Crab Hush Puppies and Duck Liver Mousse . . . not your typical bar fare (no sliders or nachos at this upscale bar). We ordered the Jonah Crab Hush Puppies and were rewarded with a plate filled with crispy, light as air hush puppies drizzled with Tabasco honey and served with a pepper vinegar mayo. If you’re guessing these were good, you’re right. We also sampled the ceviche off the dinner menu for a starter. It was light and refreshing and made from fluke on this night. Like many of the dishes on the menu, the ceviche encompassed many textures with chili threads and sweet potato crisps blended in. Along with our appetizers, we enjoyed the housemade pretzel bread with outrageously good butter. So far, the meal was living up to the hype.

Jonah Crab Hush Puppies

Thinking we were done with our appetizers, we ordered a second cocktail before our entrees came out. Then Chef Sukle sent out two extra appetizers, neither of which I would have ordered on my own, but I am so glad I got to try them. The first was a Roasted Mushroom dish. I took one bite and couldn’t stop eating it. The roasted mushrooms were combined with smoked beef belly, thin apple slices, cranberry beans and then topped with a slow, barely cooked egg. Breaking through the egg and letting the rich yolk mix with the mushrooms and the beans, I couldn’t get over the rich flavor. The other appetizer was Roasted Cauliflower with wild laurel butter, and it was accompanied by crispy aramanth (like a quinoa), which was just plain amazing.

Roasted Mushrooms

After all of these wonderful starters, I couldn’t imagine it getting much better. Then out came our entrees. One of the house specialties is the Dry Aged Duck. It’s the one dish on the menu that has remained since day one, so I ordered that. Dry aging meat does two things – it concentrates the flavor of the meat by evaporating moisture from the muscle, and it breaks down the connective tissue leading to a more tender meat. As one of the bartenders said, dry aging the duck brings out flavors you wouldn’t even think a duck could have. The meat was perfectly cooked with plenty of the delicious, crispy duck fat still there. On the side were roasted beets, toasted seeds and kohlrabi (crisp texture of water chestnut with the flavor of a cross between a cucumber and broccoli). The accompaniments all paired nicely with the duck, but the duck was the star of the plate.

Dry Aged Duck

Bridget ordered another house specialty – the Dry Aged Sirloin. Chef Sukle dry ages the beef for a minimum of 21 days. In a city filled with steak houses, the Dorrance took Bridget’s prize for the best steak in Providence. When some hipsters from Hartford sitting next to her overheard her say it was the best, they didn’t believe her and thought she was joking. Bridget does not joke about steak, hipsters! Chef Suckle cooked the meat to a perfect medium rare while retaining all of its juicy dry aged deliciousness. The fact it was served with an oxtail au jus was the icing on the cake. No A-1 or béarnaise needed with this piece of meat heaven. On the side, there was a marrow-potato puree (as good as it sounds) and some radish and broccoli raab.

Dry Aged Sirloin

Much too full to order dessert, we enjoyed the small sweet treats the kitchen sent out - some chewy chocolate pecan cookies, strawberry gelées and yummy lemongrass marshmallows. One of the bartenders was using the Perlini shaker to whip up a cranberry/vinegar palate cleanser for someone, and I managed to snag a sample. It was weirdly delicious and really cleansed the palate in a way sorbet never could.

Leaving the Dorrance on Saturday night, I was exhilarated, and it was definitely worth the wait. I feel so blessed to live in a city with such a richness of food culture. The hipsters sitting next to us at the bar said, and I quote, “We’ll have to look into Providence more. It might have better food than Hartford.” Ummm . . . I would say Providence can hold its own against many, many cities. With talented chefs like Benjamin Sukle, Derek Wagner, Matthew Varga and Matt Jennings here, I would say it’s an embarrassment of riches.

City Dining Cards Providence Edition - Support Local Businesses, Help The Local Food Bank and Save Money

2012-11-26T16:44:00.000-05:00

Providence area foodies have a new reason to give thanks this holiday season. City Dining Cards have burst into the restaurant scene with a great way to save money. Each deck of cards (yes, it’s an actual deck of cards) sells for $20 and contains 50 cards. Each card is good for a $10 savings at locally owned restaurants. You must spend a minimum $30 (liquor not included) before tax and tip. Some of the Providence restaurant participating are standouts such as The American, Hemenway’s, Pane e Vino, Providence Oyster Bar and the Waterman Grille. If supporting local restaurants and saving money isn’t enough, 5% of the proceeds for each deck of cards go directly to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Saving money, giving back, eating good food . . . how can you lose with this deck of cards?

I tried out my first City Dining Card last weekend at Rasoi, which is located in Pawtucket on the border of Providence’s East Side. I was planning to dine there anyway so having a $10 coupon was just a bonus. Using the card was a piece of cake, though the bartender who checked me out said this was the first card he had seen. At most restaurants, $10 is equal to an appetizer, dessert or a good glass of wine. At Rasoi, we enjoyed a sampler basket of of naan for $8.99 – definitely worth the coupon!


My City Dining Card For Rasoi

My excellent meal at Rasoi

With the holiday season of gift giving now approaching, City Dining Cards are the perfect gift for the food lovers on your gift list. Don’t tell my dad, but he can expect a deck of cards under the tree. With 50 cards offering $10 off a piece, your gift recipient could be getting $500 worth of value.

Looking at the list of restaurants included in the Providence pack, there’s a bunch I want to use. At the Abbey, $10 can get me a Sausage and Caramelized Onion Pizza. On XO Café’s new dinner menu, $10 will buy me a Harvest Salad with baby greens, candied pumpkin seeds, poached pear, fresh goat cheese and roasted cranberry vinaigrette. At New Rivers, $10 will get me a bowl of chicken barley soup with pumpkin and leeks. I could go on and on, but as you can see, using your $10 coupons could be lots of fun!!

You can find a full list of restaurants participating, order your own set of cards, or find a retail location where the cards are being sold (I bought a deck at Nikki's Liquors) by visiting the City Dining Cards website.

If you would like to win a free deck of Providence City Dining Cards, be the first person to e-mail me the correct answer to the following trivia question:

What Providence restaurant opened in 1990 in the middle of a recession and within 7 years of opening was pulling in $4 million in annual sales?

Send your answer to ridining@gmail.com

The American - Find Your Way To Iron Horse Way

2012-11-20T17:05:00.002-05:00

With all the excitement surrounding the election (yeah, Obama!) and the celebration of Veteran’s Day, I was feeling ultra-patriotic last week. Whether or not your candidate(s) won in the election, as Americans we can be thankful to have a voice to express our opinions through the voting process. Say what you want about President Obama, but he was elected by the people . . . twice! So when it came time for a dinner choice, what could be better than a restaurant called The American?

The American is located in Providence on Iron Horse Way, which is off of Valley Street. It’s not far from Downtown Providence, and it’s very close to Federal Hill, but it’s not a place one stumbles upon while out and about. The American is located in a former steam locomotive manufacturing building that later served as a manufacturing location for the French Berliet luxury car. Walking into the American, I was slightly startled by its posh, polished interior. You walk into a room of dark wood, a roaring fire in the fireplace and classic crooners on the sound system. There were portraits hanging on the walls of the titans of industry which gave the room a country club feel – not what I was expecting on Iron Horse Way! The American is the 3^rd restaurant opened by the Adirondack Restaurant Group (the others are The Abbey in Providence and Buster Krab’s in Narragansett).

As is our custom lately, Bridget and I chose two seats at the large wooden bar. We like sitting at the bar (away from families with children) and enjoy the quick service and friendly banter with the bartenders. The bar was featuring four fall themed cocktails, all which sounded good to me, but none that I thought paired well with the food I was planning to order. The wine, beer and liquor list was extensive and also featured a set of classic cocktails. The atmosphere of the restaurant put me in the mood for a Manhattan, which was skillfully prepared with Woodford Reserve Bourbon. Bridget opted for a Harpoon UFO to pair with her meal.

Along with our drinks, we nibbled on an order of House-made Russet Potato Chips drizzled with truffle oil and sprinkled with Parmesan Cheese. Okay, nibbled isn’t the right we word. We chowed down on these delectable pieces of heaven. We’re both potato chip fans; in fact chips could very well be our downfall. The American’s chips were the perfect thickness – thick enough for a nice crunchy bite. We ate every last chip, and my quibble that there wasn’t enough truffle flavor was so nitpicky, even I laughed as I said it.

Russet Potato Chips

For dinner, I ordered the St. Louis Ribs. I love BBQ, and it’s not often I get a chance to order it out. The pork ribs at the American are braised in beer until tender and then basted with the restaurant’s signature BBQ sauce. For $22, you get a huge portion of tender, fall off the bone ribs. I’m not known as a light eater, and I was only able to pack away a half of the rack. These ribs were very meaty, the sauce was tasty with a nice kick to it, and they were accompanied by crispy onion straws. I will say the extra sauce served on the side was ice cold and not great for adding to piping hot ribs.

St. Louis Ribs

Bridget was torn between the Lobster Mac & Cheese and the Lobster Ravioli. The bartender said it depended how hungry you were. She said the Mac & Cheese was a huge portion of cheesy goodness, but the homemade Grey Goose pink vodka sauce on the Lobster Ravioli was also amazing. Bridget chose the Lobster Mac & Cheese hoping it would be big enough to bring some leftovers home for a lunch during the week. When the food arrived, the giant casserole of Lobster Mac & Cheese was everything the bartender had promised it would be. The cavatappi pasta was blended with a super rich cheddar cheese sauce and large hunks of fresh, tender lobster meat. It was the perfect pasta to cheese to lobster ratio. The breadcrumbs on the top gave the dish a contrasting crunch, but Bridget wished for slightly more of them to complement the huge portion.

Lobster Mac & Cheese

Leaving the American, we were laden with leftovers and stuffed to the gills. The American delivers high quality service in a polished atmosphere and excellent upscale comfort food. As fall gives way to winter, pull a seat up by the fire, order a Sloe Gin Fizz from the classic cocktail menu and get ready to be warmed from the inside. You may need to plug in your GPS to find your way to Iron Horse Way, but you’ll be glad you did.

Celebrating A Birthday And Newport Restaurant Week At Persimmon

2012-11-08T16:10:00.001-05:00

On November 5^th, I turned 39. Next year, like it or not, I will hit the BIG 4-0. When people hear how old I am, especially those older than me, I get a loud chorus of “Once you hit 40, it’s all downhill from there.” That’s just what I want to hear. Thanks for the encouragement. Rather than wallow in self pity on my birthday, I chose to spend it as any good food writer would do … eating as much good food as I could. Saturday night, I popped over to Persimmon in Bristol for the start of Newport Restaurant Week. Sunday morning, I woke up and braved the 45 minute wait at Nick’s on Broadway to eat the best breakfast in Providence – Blackbird Farms Hash Benedict. After a brisk walk around Lincoln Woods State Park, I stopped at Twin’s Pizza for dinner – a large cheese pizza, half pepperoni and half meatball. Then on Monday night, I grabbed chili sliders, cheese fries and beer at Harry’s Burger Bar. You don’t think I missed out on a birthday dessert, do you? No way. Bridget bought me my favorite Banana Cream Tart from Pastiche on Federal Hill. So, 39 turned out to be a damn good birthday. Bring on 40!

Anyway, this is not an article about my birthday, but an article about my trip across the bay to Bristol. As a happy coincidence, my birthday fell right at the start of Newport’s annual Restaurant Week. In Newport, Restaurant Week runs from November 2^nd though the 11th and features 3 course lunches for $16 and 3 course dinners for $30. This year, I was ready to venture out of my Providence comfort zone, and at the recommendation of my mother’s boss, I chose Persimmon in Bristol.

Persimmon, Bristol, RI

Persimmon is located in the downtown, waterfront district of Bristol. The town boasts several restaurants and some cute shops, but it’s best known for its amazing annual 4^th of July Parade. Arriving at dusk, we didn’t get much of a chance to explore Bristol, but we plan to take Mikey, my retired greyhound, for a walk there sometime soon. Persimmon is a small, cozy, upscale restaurant. Its elegant atmosphere reminded us of dining in a person’s formal dining room. There is a small bar tucked away in the back corner serving up pricy, but well crafted cocktails.

I began the night with a Pious Pear Cocktail which had rye and muddled pear. I enjoyed every sip, but at $15 decided to forego a second. My mother had a Ginger cocktail that she loved but said it was weak on the liquor. My father went with a traditional Ketel One Martini, and the server didn’t blink an eye when he asked for extra ice on the side. Mmmmm, a watered down martini, how delicious! Bridget ordered a glass of Bordeaux from the excellent, if pricy wine list. Along with our drinks, we enjoyed an Amuse Bouche of Bay Scallop Ceviche with Grapefruit. Since my parents won’t eat anything with the word ceviche in it (they had a bad ceviche experience in Mexico), Bridget and I enjoyed their portions too. I also have to say the bread served at Persimmon is excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed my two pieces served with salted butter.

Even though it was restaurant week, only my father ordered off of the restaurant week menu. I wasn’t really tempted by the dessert choices when I had a Pastiche Banana Cream Tart waiting for me at home! My father began with a Warm Salad of Winter Squashes with Lamb Pancetta. He wasn’t thrilled with the salad but managed to eat every bite. Continuing my trend of ordering ceviche whenever it’s on a menu, I went with the Massachusetts Sea Scallop and Japanese Octopus Ceviche. The super fresh seafood was flavored with Meyer lemon, ginger, cucumber, celery, radish, avocado, fresh chilies, basil and cilantro flowers. This ceviche was light yet complex. The spice from the chilies and sweetness of the Meyer lemon gave the dish great balance. My only complaint was the portion size. It was served in an extra large bowl with a big spoon, yet there were perhaps five bites of food in the dish. I’m all about quality over quantity, but for $13, I would have liked a few more bites. Yes, it was amazingly good, but it was not at all satisfying.

Ceviche

Off of the restaurant week menu, my father ordered the 36 Hour Beef Brisket served with roasted potatoes and Bordelaise Sauce. He seemed satisfied with it, but it certainly wasn’t anything too exciting. My mother and I opted for Vermont Lamb 3 Ways off of the regular dinner menu. There was a slow roasted leg, shoulder rillette and lamb sausage served with native eggplant, glazed fennel and black mission figs, lamb jus with garlic and sage. My favorite of the three preparations was the rillette. Rilette is known as “potted meat” and is made when the lamb is cooked slowly and blended with the rendered fat and usually served on toast or bread. This creation was savory, fatted lamb goodness. Again, the portion was small, though very tasty.

Lamb 3 Ways

Bridget ordered the largest meal we saw served at Persimmon. She had Pan Seared Halibut Filet served with wilted greens, native string beans and creamy leeks, crispy potato galette and a red wine sea sauce. Her piece of fish was huge and cooked to crispy goodness. She particularly liked the creamy leeks it was served with. I can vouch for this dish as well since she couldn’t finish it, and I was still hungry after my little lamb tasting.

Pan Seared Halibut

We all passed on dessert – did I mention I had a Pastiche tart waiting for me – except for my dad who ordered Chilled Native Apple Soup off of the Restaurant Week Menu. This seemed to be his favorite course of the night. As a birthday thought, the kitchen sent out a flourless chocolate cake with a lit candle for me. This piece of cake was not only flourless but also flavorless and the driest cake I’ve had in a long time!

I’m very much a Providence girl. It takes a lot to lure me across the bay to Bristol and Newport. I did enjoy my food at Persimmon, and kudos to James Beard nominated chef, Champe Speidel for providing deftly prepared, locally sourced food. But for this city girl, 70 minutes commuting time, high prices and small portions will probably keep me from returning.

Los Andes - Vacation To South America Without Leaving Providence

2012-11-06T08:41:00.000-05:00

Most Rhode Islanders haven’t experienced a trip to the Andes Mountains. I hate to say it, but some Rhode Islanders probably couldn’t even locate the Andes Mountains on a map. The Andes Mountains are the largest continental mountain range in the world and span across seven countries – Venezuela, Columbia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Luckily, for the people of Rhode Island, we have a local restaurant called Los Andes. This unique restaurant has taken the cuisine of Peru and Bolivia and given us a way to experience the Andes without leaving the country.

Los Andes is located on Chalkstone Avenue in Providence, and it’s very close to Roger Williams Medical Center (so close that we parked in its well lit parking lot). The restaurant features a large bar at the entrance with a brand new fish tank, and a large dining area. The dimly lit dining room is packed tightly with lots of tables. I made a reservation through the restaurant’s website, and I’m glad I did because the restaurant was mobbed. There was a long line of walk-ins anxiously waiting for tables throughout the night. Bridget and I brought along our expert on Peruvian cuisine, Vicki. Vicki has actually been to Peru where she dined on such delicacies as beef heart, alpaca and guinea pig. She will try anything once (including raw oysters) even though seafood isn’t her favorite.

We started the night with two of the specialty cocktails on the Los Andes menu. Vicki and I chose their house specialty – a Pisco Sour. Pisco is a grape brandy produced in the wine-making regions of Chile and Peru. The drink blends Pisco with sour mix, bitters and egg whites, and it’s topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon. The drink was tasty . . . so tasty I had a second one. Bridget ordered the classic South American cocktail called Caipirinha. However you pronounce it, it’s a delicious drink. It’s made with cachaça (sugar cane rum), lime and simple syrup.

The menu at Los Andes is vast and interesting. There were so many things I wanted to try. For appetizers, we couldn’t decide, so we ordered three different things to share. I heard a rumor the ceviche is the best in the state, and given my love of ceviche, I knew I had to order it. The ceviche is served in martini glass and features tilapia, squid, Prince Edward Island Mussels and shrimp (only one shrimp, however, and Bridget ate it before Vicki and I could even take a stab at it). The seafood is marinated in Leche de Tigre which includes lime juice, sliced red onion, salt, pepper and a bit of fish juice. The dish is garnished with cilantro and dried corn (aka corn nuts). Bridget and I both loved this dish. It rates right up there with some of the best ceviche we’ve had in Mexico. The dried corn gave it an extra added dimension.

Ceviche Martini

Vicki loved the beef heart she had eaten in Peru and was excited to see it as an appetizer on the Los Andes menu. It’s listed as Anticuchos and is marinated in chili and garlic then served kabob style. The heart was tender and well flavored. It was slightly gamier flavored than traditional beef kabobs but still tender and good. It was served with grilled potatoes and a flavorful peppery dipping sauce.

Anticuchos

Ever since Bridget was in a Mexican gang during her days as an elementary school student in Colorado (really, I am NO T kidding), she has loved empanadas. Los Andes offers both cheese and chicken (queso o pollo). The chicken empanada was outstanding – the dough on the outside was flaky and buttery, and the chicken on the inside was tender and well seasoned.

When it came time to order my entrée, I was stumped. The menu offered too many options, and they all sounded good. When the manager, Omar, came over and asked if I needed a recommendation, I did indeed. Omar was a character and in rapid-fire fashion explained the preparation of several dishes to us. I was in the mood for seafood, so I chose Omar’s recommendation. Pescado a lo Macho is a savory seafood stew. The dish started with a pan-fried tilapia filet, and it was surrounded by little necks, PEI mussels, shrimp, calamari, panca (chili), garlic, cilantro and pureed onion, all reduced with Cusqueña Beer. This dish burst with flavor, but the flavor did not overwhelm the freshness of the seafood. I ate every bite (except for the squid rings, which I’m not a fan of). The menu description says it is served with rice and yucca fries, but I only received the yucca fries. I didn’t miss the rice, but I would have liked a couple of extra yucca fries because they were so yummy, especially dipped in the broth of my stew.

Pescado a lo Macho

Bridget has a slightly less adventurous palate than I do, so she had a harder time deciding. Omar recommended a chicken dish that she wouldn’t have otherwise ordered. The Envuelto de Pollo is a dish combining Peruvian, Bolivian and American ingredients to create a unique sensation. The chicken is layered with roasted red peppers, queso blanco, spinach and mushrooms (Bridget requested it sans mushrooms but got them anyway) all rolled in Ritz Cracker crumbs. The dish is finished in the broiler and then topped with a red pepper cream sauce. Bridget was pleasantly surprised by the flavor, particularly the rich pepper cream sauce.

Vicki really wanted plantains with her meal, so she ordered the Majidito de Charque. In this entrée, house cured beef is shredded and then sautéed with caramelized onions, tomato broth and yellow rice. The whole dish is topped with two fried eggs and served with a side house salad. When our waiter brought the meal to the table, he said to mix everything together with red wine vinegar and oil. We weren’t sure if “everything” included the salad, so Vicki left that out. In case you aren’t sure about the idea of fried eggs on top of your meal, let me say egg yolks mixed with just about anything are a terrific idea. I was lucky enough to try a bite of this dish, and it was awesome. If I didn’t think Guy Fieri was such a tool, I would recommend he get on this bus to “flavor town” . Seriously though, this was an intense flavor experience.

So, if you can’t make it to the actual Andes Mountains, instead hop in your car and drive to Los Andes. The view won’t be the same, and they don’t offer alpaca on the menu, but Los Andes provides a chance to experience something new. You can fly to Lima, Peru for around $850 a person (according to Expedia.com) or you can enjoy a meal at Los Andes which came to $108 for three of us. I’ll be headed back to Los Andes before too long because there are so many other things on the menu I want to sample. Good food, friendly service, reasonable prices, and you don’t need a passport. It’s a win-win-win-win.

The ROI - Providence's Newest Comfort Zone

2012-10-17T17:20:00.001-04:00

It’s not often that I find myself being the youngest person in a restaurant anymore. Getting a little closer to 40 than I’d like to admit, it’s rare that I look around and can’t find anyone younger than me. Last Saturday night, I was out in Providence at a fairly new restaurant and was stunned to find myself being the youngest diner in the room. I’d found the place where Baby Boomers hang out on Saturday nights.

I chose the ROI based on the fact that their Chef is Paul Shire. Chef Shire was part owner and the original chef of Downcity, but I knew his work more from when he owned and cooked at Oak on the East Side of Providence. I lived on the East Side in those years and spent many nights and Sunday brunches enjoying this neighborhood gem. Hearing the news that Chef Shire was back, I knew I wanted to check out his new place.

The ROI is located on Chesnut Street in what I still call the Jewlery District, but the city now refers to this area as the Knowledge District. I was kind of surprised the Baby Boomers all found their way to this spot because to me it seemed off-the-beaten path. The restaurant was empty when we arrived (yes, it was before 6:00, but I was really hungry), but the hostess told us most tables were already reserved, so we took a seat at the sleek bar. The restaurant is dark because it’s located in a basement, but the darkness matches its cool interior. We were surprised to find both tv sets in the bar tuned into TBS reruns of The Family Guy. Nobody was watching tv, but why would they want to watch that? The music didn’t befit its atmosphere either. The soundtrack was depressing to me – James Taylor, Air Supply and Elton John, but it did fit the age of the crowd.

The bartender was really good and especially patient with one patron who kept insisting on inventing her own drink and explaining how the last drink she invented was later put on the menu. She was getting on our nerves but didn’t rattle him in the slightest. The cocktail list seemed overpriced at $12.95, but my French 75 Part Deux (Plymouth gin, lemon juice and Champagne with a hint of thyme) was large and flavorful. At $12.95, I didn’t order a second, however. The wine list, in contrast, was reasonable but not extensive.

The menu at the ROI includes a little bit of everything and something for everyone. It varied from sandwiches to salads, pizzas to pasta, and salmon to filet. We started out with an appetizer of Polenta Fries. The thickly cut sticks of creamy polenta were fried to a golden crisp and then dabbed with marinara sauce and gorgonzola cheese. As was the case with much of what we ate at the ROI, we wished there was just a tad bit more sauce and cheese to complement the fries. We managed to eat every bite and sop up every last bit of sauce.

Polenta Fries

For dinner, I ordered the Herb de Provence Salmon. The salmon was cooked crispy on the outside, and it was moist and flaky on the inside. The salmon was topped with a citrus butter which was tasty but so tasty I longed for more. On the side, there was a generous portion of creamy mushroom risotto and a helping of garlic green beans with roasted red peppers. The serving was more than generous for $18.95 – I even had some to bring home for lunch the next day.

Herb de Provence Salmon

One of my favorite meals at Oak was the crab cakes with sweet potato fries, and Chef Shire brought this dish along with him to the ROI. Bridget ordered this for her dinner and was glad she did. The crab cakes were as good as she remembered, and the sweet potato fries were even better than she remembered. The red pepper aioli on the crab cakes was super tasty but again it left her longing for more.

Crab Cakes with Sweet Potato Fries

We were too full for dessert, but at $5.95, the desserts are some of the biggest bargains in Providence. In hindsight, I should have ordered a piece of Turtle Cheesecake to go . . .

We had a nice night out at The ROI, mostly because we enjoyed the attentive, friendly service from the bartender and the excellent food. The food, the music and the service were comfortable and safe, and I can see why this would be a place to eat before taking in a show at PPAC. In a world filled will 12 course tasting menus, molecular gastronomy and communal dining tables, sometimes we all long for the taste of comfort, and the ROI is comfort all around.

Taste of the Hill - Federal Hill's Premier Wine, Food, and Art Event

2012-10-09T16:52:00.000-04:00

As fall arrives in New England, our beach days come to an end and give way to foliage drives and apple picking. Or, you could attend the Taste of the Hill Event at Johnson & Wales Culinary Museum on October 24^th from 6:30PM-9:00PM! This food festival is sponsored by the Federal Hill HouseAssociation which was founded in 1887 to provide assistance to Italian Americans arriving to the New World. Today, the Association still provides support to local families such as an Early Child Learning Center, the After School Program, senior meals, emergency food, victims of crime assistance, and a Bundles of Joy Family Support Services Program. Its broad range of services is continually evolving to meet the community’s needs and what better way to support this worthwhile cause than a night of eating and drinking?

A chef from Venda Ravioli works at last year's event.

At the event, restaurants and purveyors will be there to provide samples of their creations. Restaurants committed to the event include Palmieri’s Bakery, Venda Ravioli, Siena, Angelo’s Civita Farnese, Rasoi, Fireworks Catering, El Rancho Grande, Blue Grotto, D’Vine on the Hill, Pane e Vino, Millonzi Catering and Trattoria Roma. In addition, Grey Sail Brewery will be on hand with its outstanding locally brewed artisan beers, and Douglas Wine and Spirits will be pouring 8-10 varieties of wine. Narragansett Creamery will be handing out its fine cheeses, and you can top off the night with chocolates from Godiva and fruit from Edible Arrangements. The Chabot Art Gallery and Flaunt Boutique will be there as well.

Mmmmm . . . a crepe from last year's event.

You can purchase tickets online at www.tasteofthehill.org. My lucky readers get a $5 discount, so make sure to use code TOH2012 when purchasing online. Otherwise, tickets are $40 in advance or $50 at the door. I’m looking forward to this event and hope you are too.

One Glorious Day In Newport at the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival

2012-09-30T11:35:00.001-04:00

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to spend a glorious Saturday at the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival. From September 21-23, Newport played host to some of the countries foremost experts in wine and food. The three day festival included gala dinners, wine seminars, two grand tastings, an exclusive brunch with Jacques and Claudine Pepin, cooking demonstrations and book signings. For a wine lover, this weekend was nirvana, and to top it off, it was set within Newport’s rich history and beautiful scenery.

Gorgeous Weekend In Newport, View from Marble House

Because I was working, I missed out on the Friday events which included three wine seminars at the Newport Grand Hyatt, and a Gala Dinner at Rosecliff. I arrived bright and early on Saturday morning, however, for the first event of the day. By 10am, I was seated in front of a flight of Italian wines. Wine at 10am? Yeah, I knew it was going to be a good day. The seminar was titled “The Adventures of Italian Wine Grapes: From Italian Sparkling to VeniceSpriz” and was hosted by International Wine Master, Sam Ramic and Thirsty Girl wine celebrity, Leslie Sbrocco. Leslie was entertaining and provided a nice balance to the informative but “business like” Sam. We enjoyed seven different wines and a wine cocktail during this seminar. I didn’t love all of the wines we tried, but I gained some fascinating insights into Italian wine. For example, did you know you’re supposed to drink a bottle of Prosecco within three years of its vintage? My favorite wines of the seminar were the Casa V, Montepulciano D’Abruzzo DOC and the Bastardo Rosso, Bin 26. I wish I’d had time to attend more than one seminar because I found this one really informative and fun!

10AM Flight of Wines at the Italian Wine Grapes Seminar

After leaving the seminar at the Hyatt, I made my way to Easton’s Beach where you parked to take the shuttle bus to the Grand Tasting at Marble House. It took a good 45 minutes to park the car, wait in line take to take the bus, then wait in line again for them to collect our tickets and wait in another line to pick up our free tote bag and wine glass before finally making it into the Grand Tasting tent. The best advice I can offer is to arrive early and plan on the wait so you’re not disappointed. We met a nice man who dropped off his whole family at Marble House and then parked and took the bus by himself. For the $125 ticket price, he was expecting four hours at the festival and was only going to make it there for three hours.

Grand Tasting Tent

The main tent at the Grand Tasting was bustling by the time we arrived. The tent is set up with restaurants on the outside perimeter (so they can cook in the area behind their station) and wineries and other booths on the interior. There were over a hundred booths with the emphasis being on wine (only 29 were restaurants). Some of our favorite booths included Georgetown Cupcakes with their decadent and luscious cupcake creations; The Spiced Pear served a great braised lamb over fall succotash; 1149 served a delicious pulled pork taco; the Belgian Beer Garden was serving pints of Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe Blond in glasses you could take home; St. Germain served two signature full sized cocktails and the Champagne Nicolas Feuillate booth provided real French Champagne. I missed Jacques Pépin’s cooking demonstration but did see him after it was over and snapped a picture of him with his daughter Claudine. Overall, we had a wonderful time at the Grand Tasting but wished we had seen more. I realized I missed the Mulderbosch and David Burke Prime booth, both of which I really wanted to visit.

Jacques and Claudine Pépin

I’m already planning for next year because after one visit, I know I can make better use of my time and resources. My advice for anyone attending the 2013 Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival?

1) Arrive as early as possible to minimize waiting in lines and to get the most out of your admission ticket.

2) Plan your day ahead of time. Mark down which cooking demonstrations you want to see and also the locations of the booths you most want to visit.

3) Use the bottled water provided throughout the tent to hydrate and rinse out your glass between pours.

4) Bring some Ziploc baggies to safely carry home your used wine and beer glasses.

5) Pick up brochures from your favorite wine and food places so you have a record of what you liked.

6) Definitely attend one or more of the excellent wine seminars offered.

7) Get your tickets early - - many of the events were sold out as much as a week prior to the event.

Stella Artois Glasses Waiting To Be Filled

I’ll see you at the 8^th Annual Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival September 20-22, 2013. It’s a Rhode Island food event not to be missed.

Luxe Burger Bar Hosts The Build Your Own Burger Contest Finale

2012-09-28T16:35:00.000-04:00

I love burgers. If you’ve been a regular reader of my blog, you already know that about me. So when Luxe Burger in Downtown Providence asked me to be a judge in their 2^nd Annual Build Your Own Burger Contest, it didn’t take me long to say “yes”. It has been narrowed down to five finalists, and I’m lucky enough to try each of their creations. The winner gets the contest title, a spot on Luxe Burger’s menu for the coming year and a $500 Chow Fun Gift Card.

The five final burgers are a diverse bunch and culled from 200 entries. The contestants drew their inspirations from the 45 Luxe Burger ingredients and were allowed to add two additional ingredients. The finalists are:

Fire From The Gods – Created by Scott McClure of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. This burger combines ground turkey, bacon, caramelized onions, goat cheese, fennel and peppadew on a sesame bun.
Benefit Street Burger – Created by Camron Parker of Providence. This burger features a grilled chicken breast, provolone cheese, prosciutto, baby lettuce, caramelized onions and pear and ginger chutney on a whole wheat bun.
Mac ‘N’ Cheese Burger - Created by Amanda Grace of Warwick. This diet busting burger has two beef patties, mac & cheese, iceberg lettuce, dill pickles, Bermuda onions, horseradish mayo and spicy catsup on a sesame bun.
Baltimore’s Finest Burger – Created by Paul Sinclair of Providence. This burger includes a Maryland blue crab cake, Old Bay Seasoning, baby lettuce, ripe tomatoes and chipotle aioli on a sesame bun.
Chicken ‘N’ Waffle Burger – Created by Laura Hebert of Wakefield. This unique burger contains fried chicken breast, sharp provolone, baby lettuce, caramelized onions, fried egg, chipotle aioli and maple syrup between two waffles.

The finale of the 2^nd Annual Build Your Own Burger contest takes place on Saturday from 12:00PM-1:30PM at Luxe Burger Bar, 5 Memorial Blvd, Providence, Rhode Island. The public is invited to attend, and the restaurant is offering free samples of all of the final burgers. I hope to see you there!!

Temple Providence -

2012-09-12T16:37:00.000-04:00

Living in Providence, I have many choices when it comes to dining out. There are so many options, sometimes it becomes hard to decide where to eat. I want to try all of the new places, and I still want to visit my favorite haunts. Temple Downtown is one restaurant I have always really wanted to like. It’s in a beautiful building, the dining space is magnificent, and the food is usually quite good. Yet, there’s something about it that has always left me feeling like it should be better. Maybe it’s because it’s inside of a hotel . . . maybe it’s because it never feels very full . . . not sure . . . Recently the restaurant took on a new General Manager, Vincent Lobuono (who came to Providence from the Todd English empire), revamped its menu and refreshed the interior. I decided to give it another try.
Temple is located in the old Masonic Temple building in Downtown Providence. The building was constructed in 1929 as a meeting hall for the Freemasons but was abandoned before it was finished due to financial difficulties from the Depression and World War II. In 2004, the building was purchased by Sage Hospitality Resources who converted the building into the Renaissance Providence Hotel and opened for business in 2007. The restaurant Temple is located on the bottom floor of the hotel and offers stunning views of the Rhode Island State House.
My dining experience at Temple didn’t start off well. The first night I was supposed to dine there, I had a 6:00 reservation and arrived to find a sign that said it was closed for a private party and would reopen at 7:00. I tried to call the restaurant to find out what happened, but no one answered my call. For my second try, I pulled up for the valet since there was a severe thunderstorm approaching. I had checked online beforehand and saw the restaurant offered “complimentary valet parking”. When no one came out to park my car, I went inside and was sent to the front of the hotel. Noticing a sign that hotel valet parking cost $8, I asked one of the attendants if someone visiting the restaurant had to pay as well. He said we did so rather than pay $8 to park, I went and found a spot on the street. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but it didn’t leave me with a good first impression.
When we arrived, the large bar was very crowded, but the restaurant was practically empty (meanwhile, a line of people snaked out of the Cheesecake Factory at the mall). We were lead to a nice, comfortable circular booth. As the night wore on, more people filtered in and many appeared to be guests in the hotel. The inside of the restaurant is beautiful, but our particular table wasn’t peaceful. We were on an aisle where hotel guests coming back from their trip to the Providence Place Mall cut through to get back into the hotel. It was a constant stream of people walking by, and we found that to be distracting. Our very efficient waiter came over and took our drink order.
The cocktail list is very interesting, so we had a hard time deciding what to order and asked our waiter several questions. Bridget ordered the Megalomaniac – house infused mango chili vodka, mango and muddled lime. She was concerned it might be too spicy but instead found it to be void of spice, which for her was good but may not be as good to someone looking for some heat. She did like the mango flavor though. I had the Smoking Money – cachaca, grapefruit juice and smoked sugar. It was interesting, and I was glad I tried it. For my second drink, I went with our waiter’s recommendation and ordered the Mason’s Jar – Svedka Vodka, ginger puree, lime juice and ginger beer. Other than the fact that I don’t know why they advertised using Svedka Vodka and they charged $10 for a Svedka Vodka drink, I really, really liked this drink. It should be noted that it took a long time to get our drinks. Our waiter said the drinks were very labor intensive and required a lot of muddling and that was the reason for the delay. The bar was VERY busy, and we only saw one bartender.
The dinner menu at Temple veers more towards the idea of tapas. There is a large selection of appetizers, pizzas and small plates just screaming out to be shared. Unable to decide between the Ceviche and the Lobster Corndogs, we ordered both. The ceviche was delicate and light with just the right amount of spice balanced with the tart tang of lime juice. It was topped with crispy fried shallots. I couldn’t wait to see what a Lobster Corndog was, and I wasn’t disappointed, but they are a bit misnamed. The core of the Corndog is a lamb casing enclosed mixture of scallops and lobster meat. The casing is breaded in the cornbread coating and then deep fried. Bridget thought the whole thing was a bit messy, but I enjoyed the novelty of it. I can admit it. I like corndogs, so trying a Lobster Corndog was fun which was enough for me. The Temple spiced mustard dipping sauce had a real kick to it, so be prepared!

Lobster Corndogs

Sometimes I need to look back and heed my own advice. Recently I wrote about how I vowed to only order scallops from Gracie’s and yet here I was at Temple ordering the Pan Seared Sea Scallops. I was in the mood for risotto, and the scallops were served over a cracked pepper risotto. The risotto was delicious, and I loved it, but as usual, the sea scallops were lacking. They were cooked well (pan seared on one side just as Gracie’s does) and topped with a savory, briny and flavorful caponata, but they didn’t live up to the scallops Matthew Varga prepares at Gracie’s.

Pan Seared Sea Scallops

Bridget ordered the Handcrafted Lobster Ravioli. She gave high marks to the quality of the pasta, the amount of lobster meat and the light tarragon butter sauce but felt the lobster in the ravioli was overwhelmed by the unexpected, rich flavor of gorgonzola cheese. Though she enjoyed the dish, it wasn’t what she had been expecting.

Lobster Ravioli

At first we were too full to order dessert, but once we saw the menu, we were enticed by the light sounding Tiramisu. I had more room left in my stomach than Bridget and managed to polish off most of it. The Tiramisu was presented with chocolate spoons which was an interesting touch.

Tiramisu

Leaving Temple, I was left still wanting it to have been better. The food was quite good, and we both loved our waiter. Yet, some of the other inconsistencies (confusion with the reservation, the strange valet parking situation and the slow drink service) made me leave feeling less than satisfied. My grandfather was a Freemason, and we always begged him to tell us their secret. Unfortunately, I was in Mexico when he died, so there was no deathbed confession (come on, mom, you didn’t get it???), and the secret of the Freemasons went to his grave. I hope Temple uncovers the key to restaurant success before it’s too late because they’ve almost got it right! So close and yet not close enough.

Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival - an Interview with Leslie Sbrocco

2012-09-11T16:31:00.003-04:00

As summer fades into fall, most people feel a little sad, especially those of us who live near the ocean in the northern part of the country. Weekends at the beach are exchanged for weekends raking, but I’ve found a few things to look forward to this fall – Patriots football season, dinner at The Dorrance in Providence (The Dorrance is one of Bon Appetit Magazine’s Best 50 new restaurants in the US) and the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival!

The 7^th Annual Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival is being held September 21-23, 2012 in the dazzling seaside town of Newport, Rhode Island. The three day event is hosting more than 100 vintners from around the world as well as restaurants, caterers and exhibitors. Celebrity chefs Jacques Pépin, Claudine Pépin and Emeril Lagasse will be making appearances during the festival’s Grand Tastings to provide both cooking demonstrations and autograph sessions. On Friday night, there is a Wine & Rosecliff gala being held at the Rosecliff mansion, and on Saturday night there is a Collectible Wine dinner being held at the Elms mansion. There is also an opportunity to be part of an exclusive brunch featuring Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte with chefs Jacques Pépin and Claudine Pépin in the spectacular setting of the Gold Room at Marble House. Throughout the weekend, wine seminars are being held at Hyatt Regency Newport which features a host of wine professionals.

One of the wine professionals making a couple of appearances at the festival is Leslie Sbrocco. Leslie hosts the PBS series Check Please! which has won a James Beard Awards, three Emmy Awards and two Taste Awards. She is a regular on the series The Winemakers and also appears as a regular guest on NBC’s the Today Show. She’s written Wine for Women: A Guide to Buying, Pairing and Sharing Wine (William Morrow) which won the prestigious Georges Duboeuf Best Wine Book of the Year award. Leslie is known for her witty and entertaining approach to wine education, and she will be presenting “Thirsty Girl’s Wine 101” on Friday, September 21^st at 4:30PM and also “The Adventures of Italian Wine Grapes: From Italian Sparkling to VeniceSpriz” on Saturday, September 22^nd at 10:00AM.

Leslie Sbrocco

I recently had the chance to chat with Leslie through the wonders of technology. After hearing from Leslie, I’m even more excited about the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival and can’t wait to sit in on her seminars.

Stacey: What are you looking forward to most about the Newport Food and Wine Festival?

Leslie Sbrocco: The setting is magnificent, the wines in the tasting tent are world-class, and the seminars are educational yet approachable, which all combine to make it one of the best events of the year.

Stacey: Have you ever been to Newport before?

Leslie Sbrocco: Yes, I spoke two years ago and we poured wine in our Thirsty Girl booth. Even though I travel more than half the year, I knew I wanted to return to Newport, I was hooked after that.

Stacey: Wine is intimidating to many people, what have you found is the best way to make it less intimidating and more fun?

Leslie Sbrocco: Through an entertaining take on wine education, I strive to make learning about wine enjoyable. In my speaking sessions, on my tv shows, and in my writing, I hope to make people laugh while they build their knowledge. My goal is always to empower wine lovers with nuggets of information that help them make smart buying decisions based on their own preferences. As I always say, “wine is not to fear or revere but drink and enjoy.”

Stacey: Do you have any easy tips of what to look for when shopping in wine shop? How do you narrow down which wines are worth trying?

Leslie Sbrocco: Find a good wine shop and get to know the staff. They’ll help you with recommendations and work within your price point. The best way, however, is to buy and try. Many stores also offer discounts on cases (12 bottles) and you can get together with friends and buy a mixed case to sip and learn.

Stacey: When pairing wine with food are there any unexpected pairings you recommend people try?

Leslie Sbrocco: I love salty and tart so bubbly with potato chips is one of my favorites.

Stacey: What, in your opinion, is an over-rated style of wine, and what do you wish people would try instead?

Leslie Sbrocco: I have to admit, I’m not a huge Cabernet Sauvignon drinker. I find it too heavy in most instances except when it’s been aged for a decade or so (Bordeaux or versions from Washington state come to mind). I’m a drinker of Italian reds so I recommend hearty reds from native southern Italian varieties such as Negroamaro from Puglia and Aliagnico from Campania as well as Malbec from Argentina as Cabernet alternatives.

Stacey: What wine varietal is the most underrated? And you can’t answer Riesling!

Leslie Sbrocco: Oh but I do love Riesling! I’m going to answer Rose sparkling wine as an under-appreciated wine style because people have preconceived notions that it will be sweet. Not true. Many pink bubbles including Champagne from France, Cava from Spain and domestic versions are deliciously dry. I am helping to spread the word, too, as I’ve got a tattoo on my leg (LA INK television show last year) of a glass of pink Champagne. Share the love.

Stacey: What do you love the most about introducing people to wine?

Leslie Sbrocco: When the light goes on and they learn something that makes them more confident with wine. It could be a way to describe wine, a food and wine combination that’s unexpected, or a new wine they didn’t think they would like.

Stacey: What are your favorite everyday drinking wines?

Whatever is in my glass! I call myself an equal opportunity drinker – if it’s good, I’ll drink it. I’m partial to Albarino from Spain, French and South African Chenin Blanc and Grenache Blanc from Santa Barbara area for whites, and my red tastes lean towards the elegant side of the scale with pinot noir ranking high on my list along with cool climate Syrah. Does Gin count? I find myself craving some sort of gin drink almost every day.