ridaily - June 2009
2009-06-30Just Think of It As a Little Humiliation for the Sake of the Greater GoodFor our October story on love in RI (maybe you've heard of our little survey? Take it!), we've been rounding up dating diaries from some very game daters who've agreed to spend two weeks on the Rhody singles' scene and anonymously report back their findings. Now we're addicted. We want more diaries. We want yours! Because yes, it's kind of comforting to know we're not the only ones enduring the occasionally hideous experience (like having your seemingly nice date follow up dinner by peeing on the sidewalk like a dog, which totally did not happen to me) but it's also highly educational to hear how other people are meeting and being met, finding love or keeping up their spirits until they do.Will you write one for us? It's super easy-- you tell us everything, and we'll protect your... |
|
2009-06-29Sunglasses requiredOur July issue is out with a guide to summer in Rhode Island as the cover story, which, you know, seemed reasonable back when we were planning it, because usually by July it IS summer. Be that as it may, here's a web-exclusive tie in. (That's a nice way of saying some info that didn't make the cut for the print edition, but is still pretty good so we'd like to get it out somehow.) It's a continuation of the guide to great bar/restaurant patios where you can hang out and get some drinks and maybe a bite without blowing a hole in your wallet. At some point, you may even need sunglasses, too. Boats dock just feet from Harborside Lobstermania’s roomy outdoor deck on Greenwich Cove. The two outside bars attract a substantial crowd of all ages and local bands perform five nights a... |
|
2009-06-26Please take our Love in RI survey!It takes about 5 minutes and we'll be forever grateful. We're trying to assemble as much information as we can about love and dating in Rhode Island so we can distill it and finally get some dates ourselves, I mean pass all our collective wisdom back to you. So it's in your own best interest, really. And don't worry, it's completely confidential. Much as I for one would love to nose around your personal lives, the damn survey protocol won't let me. Click on this link or hit the pretty blue box on the right of our home page. Let's get lucky informed. |
|
2009-06-25Key West: Banana-ramaLike many things in Key West, the Dade County pine shack that’s home to Blue Heaven has had many previous lives: billiard hall, bordello, boxing ring (where rowdy matches where refereed by Ernest Hemingway back in the 1930s).Then in 1992, with little culinary experience other than a family cookbook, locals Richard and Suanne Hatch turned it into a fun, offbeat eatery with an island Caribbean menu that’s still going strong. You can dine indoors, but al fresco, under the lush canopy of almond and banyan trees, is where the action is. Just be prepared to share the space with the occasional feline, a Key West fixture, as well as the Rhode Island reds who wander the premises. Every dish is yummy but the culmination is a dessert called Banana Heaven, spectacular in its own right.... |
|
2009-06-24Strike Up the Band Bristol-StyleIt may not exactly feel like summer, but if you need a reminder that our favorite season is, in fact, here, head out to Bristol tonight. The biggest and longest-running 4th of July celebration in the country kicks off at 7 p.m. with the first of ten concerts marking the occasion. Tonight, the New Era Jazz Band takes the stage; the seventeen-piece orchestra belts out the big band sounds of Glenn Miller, Doc Severinsen and Harry James. Each night brings a different style of music — jazz, swing, military, Broadway hits; there’re even Buffett and Beach Boys tribute bands and a night devoted to the little ones (RI magician and ventriloquist Steve Zany performs this Sunday). The concerts are all free, and they’re all held at the Colt Memorial School on Hope Street. Those in... |
|
2009-06-23Eat At Your Own RiskA few times a week, I google "Rhode Island" with something weird, just to see if anything turns up that might make a good story. Today, because I have been on a coconut binge for weeks that I can only attribute to feeling literally starved for summer, I typed in "Rhode Island coconut." This is what came up. What is this? RHODE ISLAND POTATO COCONUT CANDY 1 med. sized potato2 c. sifted confectioners' sugar1 tbsp. corn syrup2 c. shredded coconut1 tsp. vanillaMelted chocolateBoil and mash potato. It should make about 1/4 cup. Add sugar, corn syrup, coconut and vanilla. Mix or knead until well blended and smooth. Press into 1" thick layer in buttered pan. Spread top with thin layer of melted chocolate or cut into squares and dip into the... |
|
2009-06-22It's summer!... obviously. That's why it's still pouring rain outside. Apparently New England has lost the "New" and become just like the country I grew up in. Which, quite frankly, is not why I moved here. Well, at least there's hot soup. I tried the Mexican soup menudo for the first time last week, and while I was too chicken to actually eat the tripe, the broth was delicious. Slightly spicy, red with roasted chili and tomato, but still fairly light; plus it comes with lime, cilantro and onions, which make anything better in my book. The place was Sanchez Tortilleria and Mexican Market at 802 Atwells Avenue, where they also make corn tortillas so good that the tacos sold at the little counter in back of the store were even better than the menudo. Nothing here is more than $8, and you... |
|
 |
2009-06-19Float Your BoatBummed about the endless rain we've been getting? Try some sweet relief in the form of a free root beer float.In honor of the chain's 90th birthday, today from 2 to 8 p.m., Rhode Island residents can grab a free small float (served frosty cold and straight from the tap) at the Smithfield A&W restaurant located at 460 Putnam Pike. The only A&W in the state has been cranking out drive-in fare since 1958. Read more about the local institution here. |
2009-06-18Taking Back Our BeerIf you happen to be walking through Kennedy Plaza around 5 p.m. today and see a lot more commotion than usual, it’s the rally that Narragansett Beer is holding to get a brewery built in the good old Ocean State. ‘Gansett is currently brewed in Rochester, NY, and owner Mark Hellendrung wants to return the local beer back to it’s rightful home. Hellendrung will be speaking at the rally and afterward the crowd will be heading over to a bar in the area to, most likely, drink some ‘Gansetts. If you can’t attend, there is also an online petition on the Narragansett website, narragansettbeer.com, to voice your support for bringing Rhode Island’s beer back to where it belongs. |
|
2009-06-17Lunch at the FlatsI’ve always been a fan of Tortilla Flats. It’s the perfect neighborhood hangout — great crowd, super laid back vibe, drink prices even a starving artist can swallow. When I lived on the East Side, I found myself perched on a stool there maybe once a week (with friends, of course). I went through a Pacifico phase, followed by a Negra Modelo phase. Then I was all about their sangria.I hadn’t been back in a while (moved, drinking buddies all have kids), but yesterday I went to a rollout of their new lunch menu. Yes, the Flats is much more than just a watering hole. It felt good to be back. I got a “you look really familiar” from bartender-turned-co-owner, Joanne Everett, and I got to enjoy a strawberry margarita in the middle of the day. As Courtney... |
|
