ridaily - July 2010
2010-07-30Almost the End of JulyLast night I harvested three enormous tomatoes from my garden. I've been picking little ripe cherry tomatoes for weeks, but to get these big guys, bright red and sweet, before August seems odd to me. Of course I'm an amateur gardener, so maybe it's not as strange as I think. But these plants weren't started in a greenhouse or planted out early under covers. I grew them from seed under an inadequate lamp and stuck them in my straw bales right after Memorial Day weekend. Now, they've formed an intimidating jungle that I already have to carefully peer through to spot the ripe fruit. Not that I'm complaining - it's one of those moments when the effects of global warming seem like they may actually be liveable. As long as I can ignore my fears about big hurricanes that could come charging up... |
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2010-07-28Best of RI party TONIGHT!Okay, this really is your last reminder. If you haven't bought tix for tonight's Best of Rhode Island party, pick up the phone and call over to PPAC at 421-ARTS. Now! As you can tell, we're pretty damn excited about it! The marketing department has put together a stellar line-up that mixes music (the East Side Horns), booze (Absolut martinis, anyone?), food (Marra Restaurant Group is bringing the goods) and charity (proceeds benefit ArtReach, a nonprofit that supports the visual and performing arts in local classrooms). And, of course -- drum roll, please -- we'll be revealing the 300-plus winners of our annual Best of RI awards. Who got voted the best restaurant in the state? Where can you get a great rooftop cocktail? What day spa will rid you of all that stress? Find out... |
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2010-07-27BuriedYesterday, I met up with local screenwriter Chris Sparling to interview him about his upcoming movie, Buried, which hits theaters in October. If you haven't heard of the movie yet, you will. It's just one of those things. Sparling took a simple idea and pulled it off with director Rodrigo Cortes and actor Ryan Reynolds pretty brilliantly, by all accounts.It was neat to talk to Chris, who couldn't have been a nicer, more low-key guy, right on the cusp of huge success. I have to save the interview for our October issue, but I liked that he didn't talk about luck or "paying your dues" and "getting that big break." He talked about ten-plus years of actively learning, working, making sacrifices, taking chances, always trying to move forward, always pursuing, always trying... |
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2010-07-26Eat Delicious SeaweedNo, I don't like nori wrappers much either. I mean, I pretty much like everything that comes inside them, but the sheets of dried seaweed themselves are pretty meh - as you'll know if you've ever been at a sushi rolling party and decided to try one plain. Dry mouth alert! Time to chug that Sapporo. Of course I like that sesame-oiled seaweek chukka salad that you can also find at sushi restaurants, but that was as far as my seaweed taste went until I was at the Block Island Farmers Market a couple of years ago and tried some there. It was locally harvested by Jen Lighty, an island resident who's an intrepid snorkler, poet, spear fisher, gardener and, now, forager. She had both laver and rockweed, both roasted in the oven and lightly dressed in sesame or olive oil, salt and pepper. Yum! I... |
2010-07-22The Perfect Summer Side DishI recently had dinner at a friend's house where the main dish -- grilled, simply seasoned tuna steaks -- were accompanied by a terrific side dish that I'm definitely going to be making myself: ratatouille, the classic French dish made popular by the eponymous Disney movie about that lovable rodent that takes over a failing Parisian restaurant's kitchen. Slightly labor-intensive, what with all the chopping prep work required, it's well worth it, particularly if you have a burgeoning crop of summer squash (and herbs) you're looking to use up. Plus, served chilled or hot, with some good crusty bread, it can be a meal all in itself. Inspired? Here's a recipe that seems pretty true to the dish that I had, although I'd probably add a shot or two of vinegar (either balsamic or red wine would... |
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2010-07-21Pigging OutWe're off to the PawSox for our annual RIM summer outing. In the spirit of the day, which includes a lot of dogs and beer, I wanted to pass along this piece on Preppy Pig BBQ that appeared in July's edition of The Dish. Preppy pitmaster Patrick is awesome... and so is his food. Check it out and -- shameless plug -- sign up for The Dish here. 6 Questions: Preppy Pig BBQ A pork-centric catering company that feeds our carnivorous cravings.Who: Patrick DeSocio, the popped-collar pitmaster -- a one-time yacht broker, current high school history teacher and avid home cook. What: Preppy Pig BBQ -- the ultimate mobile meat experience. DeSocio trailers his eleven-foot-by-four-foot smoker behind, appropriately enough, a kelly-green Jeep with pink stripes. He scored the smoker, which he... |
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2010-07-20Love, Travel and LeisureYesterday, Yahoo posted on its front page Travel + Leisure's recent list of top cities for singles, ranking Providence as number 10. Our lovely city has been on such a head-spinning number of Best and Worst for Singles lists in recent years, it's clear that nobody has any idea what on earth goes on in Providence. It reminded me of our "Love in Rhode Island" story last October, where we tried to figure out if it really is tougher to find love in a tiny state. I think the bottom line came in a classic piece of dating advice from local matchmaker John Holt that was pretty much straight-up De Niro in Goodfellas, giving advice to Ray Liotta: Smarten up. Men, give up on the supermodel. (Unless, of course, you are one yourself.) Women, stop it with the must-have list of tall,... |
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2010-07-19Call For Beaches and LakesFor both personal and professional reasons, I'd really love to hear from readers about their favorite places to get wet. We're starting work on a water guide for next year, and we'd like to document the different characters and special spots along Rhode Island's coast and waterways. Oh, and in Massachusetts and Connecticut too - just as long as it's not much more than an hour's drive to splash around, we want to know. And on a personal level, I really need to broaden my repertoire of places to go cool off. Favorite spots of mine include Narragansett Beach, up where it meets The Narrows; and Veill Beach on Block Island. How about you? |
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2010-07-16Restaurant Weeks: Do The Math FirstWe're almost half way through Providence Restaurant Weeks, which run July 11 - 24. And I have advice for anyone thinking about taking advantage of the set-price meals that the 90 participating restaurants are offering: Make sure you check out the regular menu prices first. Especially at dinner. The promotion is well-intentioned (full disclosure: the magazine is a sponsor) but interpretation is left up to each restaurant. And some are actually charging more. That's right, you pay more for the same food if you order it off the RW menu than if you went a la carte off the regular menu. I noticed this at dinner at a West Side restaurant the other night, and a little online investigation revealed it's not the only place; dishes are in many cases similarly priced, and occasionally more... |
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2010-07-15No One Should be Bored this WeekendThere's a TON going on around the state this weekend. (Let's just hope the weather holds out -- and the temps stay low enough -- for people to enjoy all these great events.) If you're still looking for something to do, you can start by reading our events e-newsletter, The Weekly Round-up, for some of our top picks. And if you're not on the Round-up email list, click here to sign up. |
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