ridaily - October 2009
2009-10-30Eats WeekThe countdown is on. Newport Restaurant Week starts Sunday (and runs through the following Sunday) and I'm already poring over the menus online. The whole concept intrigues me. How do restaurants serve food that will wow first-time guests enough to draw them back on a regular week, avoid losing money (they're only charging $16 for three-course lunches and $30 for three-course dinners) and put enough on the plate so big eaters aren't tempted to stop at Mickey D's on the way home? Sounds like a challenge. But restaurants keep signing up (nearly 40 are participating this year) and diners continue to fill tables, so the idea must be mutually beneficial for both.Of course, not all Restaurant Week menus are created equal. Here... |
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2009-10-29Rhody Gets CraftyHalloween may be this weekend, but the holidays will literally be here before we know it (I’m predicting a full-on decoration and commercial onslaught come November 1). I’d decided a while ago that I was going to make a concerted effort to get all of my gifts locally this year, so I was super excited to find out about Rhody Craft 100, a group of local crafters and artisans who are going to be showcasing their wares every Saturday in November, December and January at the Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket. I’d venture to guess that it’s similar to Craftland, on Westminster Street in Providence, with lots of one-of-a-kind clothing, jewelry, home decor and art. You know, gifts with that little something special that you’re always looking for but can never find?... |
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2009-10-28To Market (Finally)Lately, Warren has been going through a bit of a rough patch in the food department — we’re talking markets and restaurants. I know, I live there, and I’ve had to rely way too heavily on gas station marts for quick sustenance (this is a problem because I can’t walk past a package of Skittles). First, India closed up shop. Then Feast of Famine followed. And so did Three Rivers and Basically British. The Nat Porter has closed. Twice. And the Cutler Market did the same. Twice. So, needless to say, when Tom’s Market opened this month (in the old Cutler Mills space) there was pretty much a collective sigh of relief (could be the hunger talking). You mean I don’t need to go to Cumby’s to get my just-about-to-expire milk? Or cross the... |
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2009-10-27Here’s the BeefUntil three weeks ago, I’d never tasted wagyu beef. Waygu beef, for those who don’t venture deep into the land of carnivores, is very expensive and very marbled, the product of grass-fed cows, and is sometimes called the foie gras of beef – if you can wrap your brain around that concept. But in the last twenty-one days, I’ve had it twice, as waygu beef cheeks no less. (Who knew cows have cheeks; I certainly didn’t.)The first time was at American Seasons, a small, artsy restaurant on Nantucket that specializes in locally sourced ingredients with a creative twist. The beef was rich, tender, and virtually dissolved under the pressure of my fork. The second time was last weekend, at the Windham Hill Inn, a small, pretty inn in southern Vermont, with a... |
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2009-10-26Jack O LanternsThe pumpkin thing at the zoo really is amazing. I went last Friday, and it's definitely worth getting there early (or going late, post-kiddie bedtime). And being prepared for being in a long line (it actually prepped me for a NYC trip the next day - thanks all you other people who went Friday at 6 p.m.! You made the line at the Shake Shack on Sunday afternoon seem like a walk in Central Park). There was so much to see, from pop stars to famous writers, from the victims of the Summer of Celebrity Death 2009 to headless horsemen and trompe l'oeil landscapes, all set around the zoo's freshwater pond walkway with music and lights reflected in the water. Magical. It's over this Sunday, Nov. 1, so put on your coat and hat and get down there. Thousands of pumpkins can't be wrong. |
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2009-10-23Halloween HappeningsCelebrate the scary season with these spooky upcoming events.Festival Ballet Providence The Widow’s Broom Providence author-illustrator Chris Van Allsburg’s books “Jumanji” and “The Polar Express” have been made into blockbuster films, of course.... |
2009-10-22Primetime With a RI TwistI was flipping through channels the other night when a scene on the Discovery Channel caught my eye. It looked awfully familiar, and I realized I wasn’t imagining things: I had stumbled across “Lobstermen,” a new documentary-style show in the same vein as “Deadliest Catch” with (almost) as much drama. But making this show even more intriguing than the one that follows Alaskan king crabbers is that it chronicles the trials and tribulations –– lost traps, sand flea infestations, etc. –– of lobstermen based out of ports in Hyannis, Mass., and Point Judith, RI. Currently, the plot centers on the vet lobstermen fending off the new guys as they try to infringe on territory off George’s Bank in the North Atlantic that their families... |
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2009-10-20Drop And Give Me TenI’ve been working on a short weight loss piece for our (post-holiday-binge) January issue that centers around all things self improvement. While weight loss issues obviously come in all shapes and sizes, I’m most interested in shedding that dreaded last ten (or perhaps fifteen) pounds. To guide our readers through the process, I’ve enlisted the help of Dr. Vincent Pera; he’s the top guy at the Miriam’s Weight Management Program, so I can ensure you that this piece is not going to be about any of those crazy fad diets (all set with the grapefruit). His approach is totally practical and goal oriented and he deals with the issue from both physical and behavioral angles.I’m not going to give away any secrets – you’ll have to spring for the... |
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2009-10-19For the BirdsFor Rhode Island Monthly readers who haven't received their November issue yet (in the mail this week; on newsstand October 29), we have an intriguing story about the vanishing herons, egrets and other shorebirds of Narragansett Bay. Here's a cool multimedia preview: http://www.kathyhodge.com/web_design/birds/ |
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2009-10-19Let's ShabuI've been hearing about a new Japanese restaurant that's near my new work digs and serves hot pot, and serendipitously, it's where Connect Providence is meeting this month. Prescription for fun! On a Wednesday night, no less.Ebisu is the name of the restaurant, at 38 Pontiac Ave in South Providence near the Cranston line. It's the brainchild of three former Haruki employees, including a chef with Japenese and French training. They offer shabu shabu, a way of cooking your food at your own table in a big pot of steaming broth, as well as kushiyaki (yummy things on skewers), noodles, tempura, and lots of sake and interesting sounding sake cocktails. Everything but the (sushi) roll, in fact. I think I can live with that.Connect Providence, with its usual spot-on foodie instincts... |
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