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chefs & restaurants cooking farms news

News Bites: Mill’s Tavern Wagyu Program / Farm Fresh RI Thanksgiving Box Donations / RI Hospitality Association and RI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Partnership

by David Dadekian September 22, 2025

written by David Dadekian

Current news releases—Eat Drink RI is not the source for these items—please follow any links for more information.

Mill’s Tavern Showcases Australian and Japanese Wagyu in the most Distinctive Program in Providence

Guests can enjoy a variety of cuts or a flight of the luxurious beef for an experience not found anywhere else in New England

Mill's Tavern Wagyu Flight — Mill’s Tavern Wagyu Flight

Mill’s Tavern, located at 101 North Main Street in Providence, is proud to offer the most distinctive Wagyu program in Providence. From rare Japanese A5 to premium Australian Grade 6–7 Wagyu and prime grade steak, each cut comes from carefully selected vendors who share Mill’s passion for quality. For more information, visit www.millstavernrestaurant.com/wagyu/. To make a reservation, please call (401)-272-3331 or email info@millstavernrestaurant.com.

Wagyu is world renowned as the pinnacle of exceptional beef. Extensive marbling from fine intramuscular fat melts at a lower temperature than regular beef, resulting in melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and a buttery taste. Japanese Wagyu offers a sweeter, richer flavor profile, primarily due to higher marbling and a longer feeding period (600+ days) while Australian Wagyu features a robust, buttery taste, though typically less sweet and slightly firmer due to its shorter feeding time (350–450 days). Wagyu’s unique characteristics stem from specialized breeding, meticulous care of the cattle, and strict quality control measures, making it a highly sought-after delicacy.

Mill’s Wagyu menu includes a 5 oz. Imported Score 7 Australian Wagyu Manhattan Filet; an 8oz Imported Score 7 Australian Wagyu True Petite Strip; and a 32 oz. Imported Score 3 Australian Wagyu Tomahawk Ribeye, each served with Mills’ Steak Sauce and the option to add Roasted Bone Marrow, Wagyu Herb Butter, or Peppercorn au Poivre.

Guests looking to experience the full spectrum of Wagyu indulgence can enjoy the Wagyu Flight: Wagyu Tartare on roasted bone marrow, a 3 oz. Japanese score 5 Kobe, and a 5 oz. Australian score 7 Wagyu with chef’s accoutrements. This is an offering unique to Mills and not found anywhere else in New England.

“We are proud to offer this exciting Wagyu program to our guests, built on a commitment to education, transparency, and exceptional flavor,” said Lesley Hall, General Manager, Mill’s Tavern. “Just one bite of this luxurious beef cooked over our wood grill will provide an incredibly memorable dining experience.”

Mill's Tavern Wagyu Tartare on Roasted Bone Marrow — Mill’s Tavern Wagyu Tartare on Roasted Bone Marrow

A Holiday Meal, A Stronger Community: Farm Fresh RI Calls for Thanksgiving Box Donations Amid Rising Food Insecurity

Farm Fresh Rhode Island Thanksgiving Boxes

For many Rhode Islanders, a nourishing Thanksgiving dinner is not guaranteed this year. With federal cuts to SNAP benefits, rising food prices, and growing demand at local food pantries, thousands of families face the possibility of going without a holiday meal.

Farm Fresh Rhode Island is working to change that–one meal at a time. The nonprofit has launched its annual Thanksgiving Harvest Box sale, inviting the community not only to purchase boxes for their own celebrations, but also to donate boxes directly to local families in need.

Each Harvest Box is filled with locally grown vegetables, fresh herbs, and handcrafted seasonings from Rhode Island farmers and producers. Short of a turkey, the boxes include everything from Brussels sprouts and butternut squash to a jar of traditional cranberry sauce and a spice rub, as well as a recipe guide.

“This holiday season, families across Rhode Island will be forced to make hard choices: between groceries, rent, and heating bills,” said Kellie Beretta, Assistant Director of Development at Farm Fresh RI. “A donated Harvest Box doesn’t just put food on the table. It gives families the dignity of a joyful holiday meal with their loved ones, and the comfort of knowing that their community cares.”

The Thanksgiving Harvest Box program is unique in its dual impact: every box donated not only feeds a household in need, but also supports the local farms and food businesses whose products fill the boxes. “It’s neighbors helping neighbors,” Beretta added. “When you donate a box or purchase one for your own meal, you’re supporting our entire local food community.”

Farm Fresh RI has set a goal of donating 350 Harvest Boxes this year—feeding around 3,000 Rhode Islanders this Thanksgiving. All donated boxes will be distributed directly to food banks and hunger relief agencies in Rhode Island. The organization is also partnering with local businesses and community groups to sponsor bulk donations and help meet this year’s growing need.

This year’s Thanksgiving Harvest Boxes will include:

Brussels Sprouts (1 lb) from Ward’s Berry Farm
Butternut Squash (1) from Ferolbink Farms
Carrots (2lbs) from Four Town Farm
Cranberry Sauce (12 oz) from Harvest Kitchen
Delicata Squash (1) from Schartner Farms
Fresh Herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley) from Allen Farms Organic Farm
Garlic (2 bulbs) from a local farm
Leek (1) from Zephyr Farm
Parsnips (2 lbs) from Four Town Farm
Shallots (1/2 lb) from Zephyr Farm
Mushrooms (8 oz) from RI Mushroom Co.
Turkey Rub (0.4 oz pouch) from Sanctuary Herbs
White Potatoes (5 lbs) from Schartner Farms
Sweet Potatoes (5 lbs) from Schartner Farms
Onions (5 lbs) from Schartner Farms

Boxes are $75 each, for purchase or to donate, and the order form closes on Sunday, November 16th, 2025. To order a box or donate one to a family in need, visit www.farmfreshri.org/thanksgiving

Farm Fresh Rhode Island Thanksgiving Produce

RI Hospitality Association Launches “Juntos Prosperamos” Partnership with RI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

New Initiative to Strengthen Latino Representation, Membership, and Advocacy in Rhode Island’s Hospitality Industry

Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Oscar Mejias (left) and RI Hospitality Association President/CEO Farouk Rajab (right) shake hands after signing the “Juntos Prosperamos” partnership agreement.

The RI Hospitality Association (RIHA) is proud to announce a new partnership with the Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to launch the Chairman’s Initiative: Juntos Prosperamos (Together We Thrive), a collaborative effort designed to elevate Latino voices in the state’s restaurant, lodging, and tourism sectors.

The partnership was formalized during a signing event yesterday morning at the RI Hispanic Chamber’s headquarters in Providence, where RIHA President/CEO Farouk Rajab and Hispanic Chamber CEO Oscar Mejias signed the agreement. As part of the initiative, RIHA’s Chairman of the Board will sponsor complimentary RIHA memberships to qualifying Hispanic Chamber members working in hospitality through December 31, 2027.

“The RI Hospitality Association is proud to partner with the Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The Latino community is an essential pillar of our industry—contributing talent, leadership, and entrepreneurial spirit that enriches hospitality across our state,” said Farouk Rajab, President/CEO, RI Hospitality Association. “We deeply value the Chamber’s commitment to advancing opportunity, representation, and success for Latino-owned businesses, and we believe that together, we can build a stronger, more inclusive hospitality industry that reflects and celebrates the diverse communities we serve.”

Beyond membership, the partnership will create new opportunities for engagement through bilingual food safety training, tailored workforce programs, and joint advocacy efforts designed to strengthen the voice of Latino restaurateurs and hospitality professionals statewide. By working side by side with the Hispanic Chamber, RIHA will expand its ability to deliver resources that support business growth while also cultivating the next generation of industry leaders.

“This partnership is about creating opportunity and strengthening representation,” said Oscar Mejias, President & CEO, Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “The heart of RIHCC is to continuously work on making alliances that benefit the local Latino entrepreneurs and workers. We believe that working hand in hand with RIHA we can provide the community with the tools, training, and advocacy they need to succeed and make an even greater impact on Rhode Island’s hospitality industry.”

Maria Jacobo, RIHA’s Director of Latino Affairs & Insurance Services, noted the personal and professional importance of the partnership: “To work side by side with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is not just symbolic, it’s a meaningful step toward lasting collaboration. This is about more than an agreement on paper; it’s about empowering Latino leaders and creating a platform where their expertise, traditions, and contributions to hospitality are fully recognized.”With the launch of Juntos Prosperamos, RIHA underscores its role as the statewide voice of the hospitality industry and reaffirms its dedication to serving Rhode Island’s diverse and dynamic hospitality community.

September 22, 2025 0 comments

chefs & restaurants cooking farms news

Cooking with David Dadekian on The Rhode Show at Blackbird Farm

by David Dadekian December 2, 2012

written by David Dadekian

The Rhode Show Search for a Star Finalist Tashanea Whitlow with David Dadekian

Each year The Rhode Show runs a “Search for a Star” competition to see who will be a host of the show for the following year. Out of countless video entries and live auditions, online voters choose 20 semi-finalists and then another round of online voting produces the top 5 finalists for the position. Tashanea Whitlow is one of those finalists and a few weeks ago she contacted Eat Drink RI for her competition assignment “Eating Well.”

Whitlow and her videographer came to Blackbird Farm where Eat Drink RI‘s David Dadekian showed them around the barn with Farm owner Ann Marie Bouthillette. After capturing some video of the pedigreed Black Angus cattle and American Heritage Berkshire pigs, Dadekian took Whitlow into the farmhouse kitchen where he prepared Steak Fajitas as a demonstration of a quick and easy dinner.

Below is the “Eating Well” segment with Dadekian. You can watch Whitlow’s “Search for a Star” videos on the WPRI site, and cast your vote for her to be the next Rhode Show Star.

Eating Well: Tashanea Whitlow’s story

December 2, 2012 0 comments

chefs & restaurants news

Gracie’s Star Chefs Series with Chef Ciril Hitz – Monday, August 6, 2012

by David Dadekian August 2, 2012

written by David Dadekian

The wood burning oven on a trailer that Chef Hitz brings to Gracie’s for one special dinner each year.

It’s time again for one of my favorite dinners of the entire year, and I have some pretty spectacular dinners—just recently I tasted most of the items on 2012 James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist Chef Benjamin Sukle’s new menu at The Dorrance and had incredible wines with dinner at the Troquet wine cellar clear out sale, still going on through August. Maybe this upcoming Gracie’s Star Chefs dinner is my favorite because Chefs Ciril Hitz and Matthew Varga are friends of mine. Maybe it’s the impeccable service and atmosphere at Gracie’s that reminds me of New York. Or maybe it’s because I vividly remember how the lobster tail from last year’s Gracie’s Star Chefs dinner with Hitz was hands-down the best bite I had in 2011, and that includes putting it against some, again, very spectacular dinners of last year.

Here’s a few more accolades to entice you. The year before there was an astonishing dessert (let’s not forget Gracie’s Pastry Chef Melissa Denmark who studied under Hitz at Johnston & Wales University) and the year before that I recall one of the best lamb preparations I’ve ever had. I haven’t even mentioned the overabundance of delicious bread that Hitz, one of the world’s best master bakers, bakes for this annual dinner. Also, because of my work with Blackbird Farm, I happen to know one of the many dishes Varga and Hitz have planned for Monday and I can’t wait to taste the combination of Hitz’s bread and the Bouthillette’s beef. As if all that wasn’t enticement enough, this year’s dinner will feature pairings from award-winning craft brewery Smuttynose Brewing Company in New Hampshire (or wines if you prefer).

Chef Ciril Hitz adding wood to the wood-burning oven outside Gracie’s

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it unabashedly and unprompted again and again, this is not a dinner to miss. Not just if you love food like so many people trumpet nowadays as if food is a new discovery, but if you truly care about where your food is from, how it is thoughtfully prepared and what you put inside your body. Here’s the link to last year’s piece about the dinner, and here’s a story on Hitz’s baking classes that he gives at his facility in Rehoboth. I hope to see you at dinner on Monday.

Below is the text of Gracie’s press release with the Star Chefs dinner details.

Gracie’s Showcases Award-Winning Bread & Brews
Gracie’s to host Star Chef Dinner featuring nationally recognized Chef Ciril Hitz, Master Bread Baker, and Peter Egelston, founder and President of Smuttynose Brewery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – For Chef Ciril Hitz’s fourth annual return to Gracie’s as part of their Star Chef Series, award-winning craft beers from Smuttynose Brewery will be paired with the tasting menu, as Smuttynose Founder and President Peter Egelston collaborate together with Gracie’s Chef Matthew Varga and his culinary team on a bread and brewery adventure for the first time at Gracie’s. This event will include the ever-present Gracie’s touch, offering unique and memorable culinary experiences with the utmost attention to detail.
“It’s a great opportunity to be working with one of my former instructor’s again, and see the return of Chef Hitz’s wood-fired ovens,” said Melissa Denmark, Pastry Chef of Gracie’s. “With the Summer season upon us, I’m excited to see craft beers being paired with the amazing dishes created by Chef Hitz.” This Star Chef Dinner will mark the fourth time we’ve had an opportunity to integrate his passion for creating dishes inspired by his wood-fired oven with our passion for surprising our guests with inventive, seasonal dishes.”
Details about this event are as follows:
Monday, August 6th, 2012
A true Star Chef of Gracie’s, Ciril Hitz returns to Gracie’s for his fourth appearance to the restaurant. This year, he will be joined by Peter Egelston, Founder and President of Smuttynose Brewery in Portsmounth, NH.
With his signature outdoor wood-fired oven parked on the sidewalk, guests will be enjoying a truly special menu highlighting some of his award-winning breads, dishes created in collaboration with Chef Matthew Varga of Gracie’s, and perfectly paired with the craft beers of Smuttynose Brewery.
Hitz has been recognized with numerous awards and accomplishments, both in the industry and as a faculty member at Johnson & Wales. In 2007 and 2008, he was selected as Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America by Pastry Art & Design magazine. In 2010, he was named to Dessert Professional’s annual list of the Top Ten Bread Bakers in America.
Peter Egelston originally opened what is now the oldest brewpub in the northeast: The Northampton Brewery. Peter was head brewer there until 1991. That year, he and his sister opened the Portsmouth Brewery, the Granite State’s first brewpub. In 1993, he purchased the brewery that was to become Smuttynose. In 2011, out of over 10,000 breweries rated, Smuttynose was ranked 28th – in the top 0.3% – on Ratebeer’s 2011 Best Brewers in the World list.
The Star Chef Series, now in its fourth year, combines the talents of extraordinary chefs from around the country and pairs them with the Gracie’s team. Working collaboratively, the Star Chef and the team create a five-course menu that is expertly paired with wine. The informal and intimate setting allows the chefs to step out of the kitchen from time to time to talk with guests about the meal and their experience. The cost for a Gracie’s Star Chef Dinner (paired with wine) is $100. To make reservations call Gracie’s at 401-272-7811.
To learn more about these events, visit www.graciesprov.com. You can also follow Gracie’s on Facebook at http://bit.ly/GraciesProv.
About Gracie’s
Established in 1998, Gracie’s in downtown Providence, R.I., provides guests with a culinary experience that is anything but expected. The 70-seat restaurant, located at 194 Washington Street just steps from Trinity Repertory Theater, entices guests with seasonally inspired American cuisine that is fresh and inventive. In addition to the main dining room, Gracie’s also offers a private wine cellar for up to eight guests and a private dining room that can accommodate up to 70 people. In addition to award-winning food, guests can enjoy five-star cocktails and a wine list of more than 200 wines. Gracie’s can also cater a wide and unlimited range of events through Grace, Events by Gracie’s. For more information, visit www.graciesprov.com or call 401-272-7811.

August 2, 2012 0 comments

cooking

Charcutepalooza December: Thank You

by David Dadekian December 6, 2011

written by David Dadekian

Charcuterie Board (see lower photo for descriptions)

And so it goes. Our year of meat has come to a close. For the final Charcutepalooza challenge we were told to show what we learned all year. In Cathy’s own words, do some “showing off” with a celebration. Personally, I think a lot of the Charcutepalooza participants have been showing off all year long—and I mean that in a very positive way. I’ve had an immense amount of fun, a little frustration and a minor failure, but mostly huge fun.

The final challenge for me involved my family and the weekend after Thanksgiving, a leisurely weekend of chopping down a Christmas tree and putting up lights and decorations, all while enjoying the meats and cheeses you see on the big board above. The bresaola I had made for the previous challenge, all the rest of the charcuterie I slowly assembled over the month of November in preparation for the bittersweet end.

As I said, it was the weekend after Thanksgiving. My parents were visiting us from their home in Florida. My wife had four days off from work. My daughters were constantly excited from all the grandparent attention and all these Christmas decorations coming out—there’s a tree in the house! I knew I wasn’t going to want to cook too much after the multi-day extravaganza that is Thanksgiving, but I knew we’d want to eat something else besides leftovers so thought, what’s better than a spread of charcuterie that we can pick at as we work and play?

I made all these photographs and then we proceeded to clear the board over the weekend, cooking up the sausage and some of the lamb bacon, steaming the pastrami until it was moist and tender. My mother loved the pâté, something she doesn’t get that often, and I avoided mentioning to her that using Jacques Pépin’s very classical recipe calls for half a pound of livers with 3/8 of a pound of butter as the base. As much as I would love to see my girls eat everything on the board, they’re not there yet, though Brigid did sample all the Farmstead cheeses at the Wintertime Farmers’ Market and helped pick out two of them.

When I was making the pâté the day before I had taken out a bottle of Armenian “cognac.” I use quotes because it’s obviously not made in the French region of Cognac, but that’s what Armenian brandies have been called for many years. Supposedly Armenian cognac was Winston Churchill’s drink of choice. My dad hadn’t seen a bottle in years and wanted to try it so my wife, in perhaps a bit of whimsy, took out a couple of shot glasses with shamrocks on them for us to have a drink. The bottle from Armenia alongside the Irish shot glass kind of summed up our whole family so I made a photo, but this being a Charcutepalooza feast I had to stick the pâté in the photo too.

So with that memory and image of all my now eaten charcuterie (there’s a little lamb bacon left, but won’t be for long) I close my year of meat. But I certainly can’t end without a huge thank you to Cathy Barrow and Kim Foster for coming up with all this fun. I’ve been making charcuterie for years, but never as regularly or as focused as I did for the last year. Also, for me, the best part was expanding how I would photograph these things. I started with some different ways with the duck prosciutto, became really happy with my style as I got to the pancetta and the last three months of meat pie, galantine and bresaola have been very satisfying for me. I appreciate all the kind comments and Kim’s choosing a few of my photos for her monthly wrap-ups. I can’t thank her and especially Cathy’s inspiring challenges and tweets enough.

Special thanks also to Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn, authors of our manual for the year Charcuterie. I eagerly await their salumi book. Finally, I can’t possibly think of a way to say thank you enough to all the wonderful Charcutepalooza participants. I can’t say enough about the joy of “conversing” with all of you on Twitter. If I begin to try and list everyone’s Twitter name I know I’ll miss someone, so check out this great archive of every tweet with the #charcutepalooza tag and follow them all.

Thank you again, Cathy @MrsWheelbarrow and Kim @KimFosterNYC!