ridaily - May 2009
2009-05-29Weekend RecommenderSometimes (especially in the depths of winter) it’s a struggle to find five recommendation-worthy happenings to highlight in our events e-newsletter, The Weekly Round-Up. Other times, there are so many great things going on that it’s tough to winnow it down to just five.This week turned out to be jam-packed, so here are three more things worth checking out this weekend: GreenStreets - A Fashion Fundraiser: A fashion show featuring environmentally-friendly apparel designed and modeled by kids participating in the RiverzEdge Arts Project, a Woonsocket-based program that gives disadvantaged youth paid employment in the arts. There will also be raffles, music, a silent auction and an art exhibit.May 30, 7-10 p.m., $45 in advance; $50 at the door, The Atrium at the... |
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2009-05-28What's Playing at the Newport Film FestivalThe 2009 Newport Film Festival takes place June 3 through 9. I always make it a point to go to at least one film each year. Why? The lineup is always incredible, the movies are screened mainly in the quaint theaters at the Jane Pickens and the Opera House, both cinematic treasures in our state, and it’s one of the most ideal times of the year weather-wise to visit Newport. Just last week the festival announced its line-up and I already have a few picked out that I’m going to try to see. Tabarly. This is a documentary about Eric Tabarly, one of the greats in the yachting world to this day. The film includes footage of Newport when Tabarly sailed in after winning the OSTAR, one of sailing’s greatest races. Paris. A narrative film that follows several characters through... |
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2009-05-27Feeding the Hungry (Hopefully)Last week I attended an inspiring community meeting in Providence. The aim? To end childhood hunger. Though certainly no easy feat, the folks at Share Our Strength have a pretty good national track record, and now they’re looking to expand their reach to Rhode Island by bringing their Operation Frontline program to the state*. So far Operation Frontline — a cooking-based nutrition education program that pairs families in need with volunteer chefs and nutritionists — boasts twenty programs in fifteen states. The classes are super hands-on and deal not only in cups and calories but also in dollars and cents. The model is long-term and self sustaining: teach participants how to cook healthy (and delicious) wallet-friendly meals, and it will lead to a lifetime of good... |
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2009-05-26Excuse Me, Who Are You and Why Do We All Love You So Much?So, after Lisa posted about last week’s Tweet-Up at Providence Piers, Cheryl Phillips, a.k.a. TheDailyBlonde, wrote in to praise the event and playfully mentioned that Ashton Kutcher now follows her on Twitter (he sought her out after she criticized his recent Twitter publicity-no-wait-it’s-for-charity stunt). Nice: One minute, a Rhode Island mother of five starts blogging about everyday life after a car accident leaves her bored at home; months later, her Twitter page is one of the world’s most-followed, and the Hollywood A-lister she just picked on wants to get on her good side.I was curious how a person might feel about this meteoric rise through the Twitterverse, so I got in touch with Cheryl on Friday. She turned out to be warm, funny, down-to-earth and lovely,... |
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2009-05-22Farm AidOne of my favorite things about May is it's when the spring/summer farmers’ markets start opening. And, based on some impressive data from the recently released Census on Agriculture, it sounds as though a lot of other Rhode Islanders are as psyched as I am. Some highlights from the report: - Since 2002, farmers' market and farm stand sales have nearly doubled. - Rhode Island saw a sharp increase, the highest in New England and likely the U.S., in the number of farms and total land in farms. - Nationally, RI ranked third in direct marketing sales on a per farm basis. Many markets don’t open until June, but here are a handful that are already up and running: - URI Farmers’ Market: Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to... |
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2009-05-21Valentino On-ScreenIf you’re into fashion –– and even if you’re not –– you must get down to the Jane Pickens in Newport tonight to see Valentino: The Last Emperor. It’s the last night the documentary is playing. I saw it last week and, trust me, you’ll love it. Producer and director Matt Tyrnauer managed to capture an ultra-insidery view of the world of this iconic designer –– a world most of us will never get so much as a glimpse of in real life –– despite some protestations of Valentino himself to get the camera out of his face. You’ll see the design process behind his to-die-for gowns –– all made by hand by dozens of Italian seamstresses –– and the planning of his forty-fifth anniversary party in 2007,... |
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2009-05-20Providence’s First Tweet-UpThe Perry Group, a local PR firm, hosted the area’s first Tweet-Up at Providence Piers last night. More than 100 people — all having heard about the event @Twitter —gathered for the panel discussion. The much-buzzed about event featured some of the state’s top Twitterers talking about how to brand your business — or yourself — through social media.A few observations from the meet and greet:Contrary to what most people might think (or wish) Twitter isn’t going anywhere any time soon.Twitter is not just for the young. Grandmothers were (proudly) in attendance.Or the super tech savvy. All industries were represented: tourism, publishing, marketing, hospitality, higher education, media, etc., etc., etc.140 characters is not a lot of space. 2 b... |
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2009-05-19GQ Hearts Providence PizzaFinally the world knows what we at RIM have known all along: Providence produces some damn good pizza. Well, to be fair, the world has known about the to-die-for free-form grilled pies coming out of Al Forno’s kitchen for decades, but now another smaller star is getting it’s doughy due: Bob & Timmy’s, a twenty-five seater just off Atwells with plenty of hole-in-the-wall charm.In the latest issue of GQ, food writer Alan Richman travels the country (visiting 109 pizzerias and eating a whopping 386 pies) in an exhaustive search for the twenty-five best pizzas you’ll ever eat. Providence secures two spots on the lofty list with Al Forno clocking it at number 18 (“Al Forno’s grilled pizzas are more than legends; they’re beauties.”) and Bob... |
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2009-05-18Miss you MexIt's Monday, which is always, always the day that I think I'd like to get a lunchtime huarache from the little Mexican take-out place tucked improbably in a parking lot near where I work. (A huarache is a long, oval shaped cornmeal flatbread topped with yummy stuff like refried beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese and cilantro. It's sort of the made-to-order Mexican equivalent of pizza, but more salady.)It's also the day that El Taconazo is closed. None of Angelina's awesome spicy fresh salsa or green hot sauce for me. I've tried to find substitutes, and Sanchez Mexican Market on Atwells comes close. It's a small bodega but in the back are a couple of tables and a lunch counter. The menudo is outstanding. The tacos are pretty good too. But if you want the best Mexican street food around... |
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2009-05-15The Dish: The Providence Granola ProjectWe hate to stereotype, but it's no secret that granola lovers also tend to support progressive causes. Enter Keith Cooper and Geoff Gordon, whose artisan granola business, The Providence Granola Project, helps newly arrived refugees gain footing in Rhode Island. "It came together like many ideas do, over beers and late night conversations about how to solve the world's problems," says Gordon. With help from a handful of immigrant workers (who are paid by the hour), Cooper and Gordon produce and bag the small-batch granola on Friday nights in the nonprofit Amos House's kitchen. "It's not just oats and sugar and raisins," says Gordon. "We pre-toast the dry ingredients, which gives a depth to the flavor." They combine organic grains with ingredients such... |
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