ridaily - June 2010
2010-06-30The Perfect Basic Burger RecipeTo me, the Fourth of July -- and the days that surround it -- are an eating and drinking free-for-all. There's no better time to break out the beer and the burgers and fire up the charcoal grill. (I guess now that fireworks are legal in Rhode Island, you could break those out, too). In that spirit, I looked up this no-fail recipe from Bacaro's Brian Kingsford for summer’s all-American staple (slathered in homemade ketchup, of course): Brian's Basic Burger 3 pounds 80 percent lean ground chuckhamburger buns (brioche are fine but soft, store-bought is often best)kosher salt fresh, cracked black pepper • Prepare a medium-hot, wood-charcoal fire. If you hold your hand about 4 inches above the coals, you should be able to stand the heat for about 4 seconds.... |
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2010-06-29Sweetest Little NightI don't know how I feel about our state's mad quest to become New England's own South of the Border,* but to each his own. Just the other day, I spotted an empty pack of Saturn Missiles out on the sidewalk next to our office, accompanied by the carnage of a dozen blown-to-bits Dunkin Donuts. I can't really imagine the chain of events here, but obviously, fun was had.Meanwhile, I have my own reasons to love Rhode Island, starting with my official crush on the South County. Partly inspired by Pippa's "Shacking Up" feature this month, on Friday I headed down to Theatre by the Sea in Matunuck, which was doing its best impersonation of a Country Time lemonade commercial. Glowing green farms! Pink skies! Golden-blue ocean! I saw a barefoot kid giving his little sister a piggy back,... |
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2010-06-28Trailer Park QueenShe’s a far cry from the Trailer Park Boys, worthy though they are.On our homepage, you’ll see a link to “Shacking Up," a really stunning photo essay on Carpenter’s Beach Meadow , the summer campground in Matunuck that’s one of the last of the neighborhoods of beach shacks and trailers once such a big part of middle-class summers in the Ocean State.This is the kind of thing that really doesn’t translate well to the web, so I’d urge anyone interested to check out the July print issue to see Ron Cowie’s gorgeous photography at its best. Props also to associate art director Dean Welshman for the stunning, low-key layout.Visiting Carpenter’s was a highlight of last summer and this spring for me, and best of all was meeting Mary... |
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2010-06-25Weekend Primer: PVD Block Party!Just in time for the festive weather, there'll be a mini music festival right here in Providence with the recently organized but somehow already huge Sycamore Street Block Party tomorrow. A neighborhood event has grown into the first real happening of the summer, pulling in talent from all over the state for an awesome lineup of entertainment, food and general festivities. Watch out Newport! With this and Wooly Fair coming up July 31, Providence is mounting a serious festival offensive - and all much easier on the wallet than any of the City By The Sea events. And let's not even talk about the July 4 goings on at India Point Park and Thursday concerts at John Brown House and Friday Waterplace jams... gee what a swell place to live.Here's the Facebook post that went out today:Huge... |
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2010-06-24Resort Season and a New Local LineThe seemingly endless resort fashion season just ended. It seemed to get a lot more attention than usual, between the press from the Times' Cathy Horyn and other fashion bigwigs denouncing the use of the word "resort" to describe the season (too pretentious-sounding, they say) and just some really solid collections. Probably the top trend to come out of the shows and presentations was the maxi skirt, a super-wearable, comfortable piece that will no doubt be in every department store and local boutique come next spring (even this fall, I'm guessing).Speaking of resort, I wanted to alert everyone to a new lifestyle line with local ties. Former Rhode Islander Elise Fargnoli launched her line, Francesca Joy in March, and it can already be found at several local stores: The Studio... |
2010-06-23July 4th Comes EarlyBreak out the red, white and blue. And the beer. The Fourth of July may be a week and a half away, but the party’s already begun in Bristol. No surprise, really, as there’s no place in the entire country that puts on a better patriotic party. Tonight marks the start of the twelve-night concert series. All the concerts take place at Independence Park, overlooking Bristol Harbor, and they’re free. Opening ceremonies kick off at 6:30 p.m. and The Doug Botelho Band takes the stage at 7:15 p.m. It’s beautiful out. Grab a lawn chair and get thee to Bristol....For a complete schedule of concerts, click here. The Fourth of July may be a week and a half away, but the party’s already begun in . No surprise, really, as there’s no place in the country that puts... |
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2010-06-22A Tale of Nothing and the Office Good GuyHere's a neat story.I just got an email from Michael Cerio over at the RI Community Food Bank, updating me on their Nothing campaign. He let me know about some recent goings-on at RBS Citizens in Cranston.It seems that Eddie Webb, head of their Change Management Business Services Delivery ("He's not going to want to be identified," said his assistant, Jeannie, so I hope I don't get her in trouble), was over at Whole Foods a little while ago when he spotted a pyramid of Nothing cans. He thought they were a great idea, so he bought ten of them to bring back to his office and sent a note to his team, saying that "nothing" was on his desk if anyone would like to pick up a can.This kind of snowballed into an immediate competition between several departments (I love this... Posted at 03:10 PM in ridaily State of Mine | Permalink | Comments |
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2010-06-21Summer CocktailsDave Phayre, the handsome and lightning quick bartender from Local 121 (he's there Saturday nights, among others) who graces the cover of our June issue on Bars & Nightlife, supplies some yummy cocktail recipes from the restaurant's about-to-be-released summer drinks menu: Sazerac3 oz. Sazerac Rye WhiskeyAbsinthe coated glass1 Sugar Cube3 dashes Peychaud's BittersLemon TwistBlackberry Margarita1 1/2 oz. Jose Cuervo Tequila1/2 oz. Cointreau1/2 oz. Blackberry Puree1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice1/2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice1/2 oz. Simple Syrup1/2 oz. Lemon & Lime GarnishGrapefruit Tarragon 2 1/2 oz. Grapefruit and tarragon infused vodka1/2 oz. St. Germaine 1/2 oz. Grapefruit JuiceLemon TwistThe Sazerac was the first American cocktail, says Dave, originally made in 1830s New... |
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2010-06-18Double the Fun At Children's MuseumA recent trip to the Children's Museum paid summery dividends - the museum has two new exhibits, both outside, which for me at least really ups its ranking as a warm-weather play spot. One, called Underland, features tunnels, wooden toys and furniture, all cleverly mimicking an underground ecosystem - watch out for the worms! And I covet the tree-stump chandeliers, which took sculptor Chris Sancomb all winter to make after he reclaimed the stumps from a clear-cut lot behind a gas station. The other, The Climber, is a super-cool leaning Tower of Pisa-type structure, only with an internal architecture of lovely, gently curved platforms that kids can race up. It's all encased in open netting so that parents can see where their kids are - and kids can experience the visceral thrill of being... |
2010-06-17Get Your (Green) Drink OnIt's shaping up for be an absolutely gorgeous weekend! Start yours off early with drinks on the roof of the super-sleek Peerless Building from 5 to 8 p.m. On the third Thursday of each month, Providence Green Drinks meets to bring otherwise disparate folk together, toast, and talk about environmental issues that are near and dear to them in either a professional or personal capacity. This month's meeting just happens to take place against an amazing cityscape backdrop, so if you were looking for a reason to check them out, here it is. |
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