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March of Dimes 12th Annual Signature Chefs Auction Coming September 19, 2013

by David Dadekian August 29, 2013
written by David Dadekian
March of Dimes Rhode Island's 2013 Signature Chef Kevin Thiele of the Hotel Viking / One Bellevue

March of Dimes Rhode Island’s 2013 Signature Chef Kevin Thiele of the Hotel Viking / One Bellevue

It’s almost time once again for one of the year’s best chef and restaurant events in Rhode Island, the March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction. Where else can you find 24 of the area’s best chefs preparing their fantastic food in the same place, while also benefitting a great charity? The event is coming up on Thursday, September 19 in Newport and tickets are available here. Full details follow in the March of Dimes Rhode Island release below.

 

 

Something’s Cooking In Newport and the Key Ingredient Is . . . You!

Twenty-four of Rhode Island’s top chefs “come to the table” with their signature dishes to support the State’s tiniest citizens at 12th Anniversary of March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction Event

Ever have one of those nights where you want to dine out but just can’t decide which of your favorite restaurants to go to or what kind of food you’re in the mood for? Problem solved for at least one day anyway. Head to Belle Mer on Goat Island in Newport on September 19 at 6 p.m. and enjoy the company and signature dishes of 24 of Rhode Island’s leading chefs. The chefs will leave their restaurant posts for the day to lend their culinary talents to the March of Dimes’ 12th annual Signature Chefs Auction. By attending the event, you’ll be helping R.I.’s tiniest citizens – its babies – while partaking in a culinary extravaganza with a front-row seat of the ocean.

“We are so fortunate to have such top-tier cooking talent all under one roof for this important event,” said Betsy Akin, director of March of Dimes Rhode Island. “These leading chefs have graciously donated their time to prepare samplings of unforgettable dishes to help support the March of Dimes, and subsequently, to help give babies a healthy start in life.”

Ellen Slattery, owner of Gracie’s and co-chair for the sixth consecutive year of the Signature Chefs Auction, added, “This is a true show of collaborative spirit and combined talents for a very important cause. As someone who has been personally touched by the March of Dimes and knows all too well how scary it is when a baby is struggling, it means so much to me that all of these skilled chefs are sharing their gift for cooking in support of this great organization which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.”

Serving as co-chair of the event with Slattery is Annette Picerne of East Greenwich.

In addition to the “Signature Chef” samplings, a tribute will be “on the menu” as Chef Kevin Thiele of Newport’s Hotel Viking/One Bellevue will be presented as March of Dimes Rhode Island’s 2013 Signature Chef. The evening will also include participation of celebrity auctioneer and entertainer Sir Jeremy Bell of Edinburgh, Scotland, who will auction off superb culinary, accommodation, theater and vacation packages. To give a “taste” of the evening, one of the superb items on offer during the Live Auction is an 8 day cruise, with stateroom river view accommodations of the storied Danube River and through 4 of Europe’s most enchanting countries – Austria, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia – courtesy of Viking Cruises.

Participating chefs include: Kevin Thiele of Hotel Viking/One Bellevue, Karsten Hart of Castle Hill Inn, Michael Hervieux of Belle Mer – all in Newport; Matthew Varga of Gracie’s, Brian Kingsford of Bacaro, Josh Herring of CAV, Massimiliano Mariotta of The Dorrance, Melissa Denmark of Ellie’s Bakery, Joe DeQuattro of Pane e Vino, Rolando Robledo of Aspire at Hotel Providence, Edward Bolus of Mills Tavern, Jennifer Luxmoore of Sin Desserts, Maria Meza of El Rancho Grande, Kaitlyn Roberts of Easy Entertaining, Jon Dille of The Grange – all in Providence; Champe Speidel of Persimmon, Sai Viswanath of DeWolf Tavern – both in Bristol; Joe Simone of The Sunnyside in Warren; Kevin Gaudreau of The Boat House in Tiverton; Andrew Shotts of Garrison Confections in Central Falls; Ben Wood of Wildwood Catering in Kingston; Raymond Montaquila of The Coast Guard House in Narragansett, Ben Lacy of Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro in Foxboro, Mass. and Kevin Des Chenes.

The Signature Chefs Auction begins at 6 p.m. and tickets are $150. Corporate and host tables are available, and the March of Dimes hopes that individuals and companies recognize the opportunity to help babies and their families while enjoying inventive and succulent dishes in an elegant venue.

For more information or sponsorship opportunities and tickets, contact Neil Sharpe at March of Dimes at 401.228.1932 or visit www.marchofdimes.com/rhodeisland

Proceeds from the Signature Chefs Auction will help support the March of Dimes mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org.

August 29, 2013 0 comment
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chefs & restaurantsnews

March of Dimes Rhode Island 11th Annual Signature Chefs Auction

by David Dadekian September 28, 2012
written by David Dadekian
From left to right, in the alternating back row: Johnson & Wales Executive Director of Alumni Relations Steven Shipley, Edward Bolus of Mill's Tavern, Rizwan Ahmed of Hourglass Brasserie, Raymond Montaquilla of the Coast Guard House, Ryan Escudé of Centro, Jules Ramos of 1149, Tim Shook of Gracie's, Ben Lacy of Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro, Champe Speidel of Persimmon, Benjamin Sukle of The Dorrance, Mike McHugh of Julian's, Reddick Vaughan of Julian's, David Cardell of Temple, Joe Simone of The Sunnyside and David Lieberman of Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro. In front from left to right: Danielle Lowe of Gracie's, Matthew Varga of Gracie's, Melissa Denmark of Gracie's, Michael Hervieux of Belle Mer, Jennifer Luxmoore of Sin, unnamed from Temple, Kevin Gaudreau from Trio and Jonathan Cambra from the Boat House. Not pictured: Matt Gennuso of Chez Pascal, Karsten Hart of Castle Hill Inn and Kevin Thiele of One Bellevue.

From left to right, in the alternating back row: Johnson & Wales Executive Director of Alumni Relations Steven Shipley, Edward Bolus of Mill’s Tavern, Rizwan Ahmed of Hourglass Brasserie, Raymond Montaquilla of the Coast Guard House, Ryan Escudé of Centro, Jules Ramos of 1149, Tim Shook of Gracie’s, Ben Lacy of Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro, Champe Speidel of Persimmon, Benjamin Sukle of The Dorrance, Mike McHugh of Julian’s, Reddick Vaughan of Julian’s, David Cardell of Temple, Joe Simone of The Sunnyside and David Lieberman of Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro. In front from left to right: Danielle Lowe of Gracie’s, Matthew Varga of Gracie’s, Melissa Denmark of Gracie’s, Michael Hervieux of Belle Mer, Jennifer Luxmoore of Sin, unnamed from Temple, Kevin Gaudreau from Trio and Jonathan Cambra from the Boat House. Not pictured: Matt Gennuso of Chez Pascal, Karsten Hart of Castle Hill Inn and Kevin Thiele of One Bellevue.

In what has become the best annual culinary event in Rhode Island, on Thursday, September 20th, twenty-two of Rhode Island’s best chefs assembled at Belle Mer in Newport for the 11th Annual March of Dimes Rhode Island Signature Chefs Auction. This year’s honoree was Jonathan Cambra of the Boat House in Tiverton. A proud husband and father of two, Cambra has been involved with the March of Dimes event since it’s inception, has have many of the chefs pictured above and in the below photo selections. For the full set of  95 photos from this year’s event, please see this Eat Drink RI Facebook album.

Every year in the United States, more than half a million babies are born too soon, over 1,300 of them right here in Rhode Island. With your help, we work to improve the health of babies and support families if something does go wrong. – March of Dimes Rhode Island site.

Duck croquette with rosemary apple cider bourbon by 1149's Chef Jules Ramos

Duck croquette with rosemary apple cider bourbon by 1149’s Chef Jules Ramos

Lobster corn custard by Gracie's Chef Matthew Varga

Lobster corn custard by Gracie’s Chef Matthew Varga

Ceviche by The Dorrance's Chef Benjamin Sukle

Ceviche by The Dorrance’s Chef Benjamin Sukle

Terrine of Ratatouille by Hourglass Brasserie's Rizwan Ahmed

Terrine of Ratatouille by Hourglass Brasserie’s Rizwan Ahmed

Centro's table with Chef Ryan Escudé's Citrus Braised Pork Belly Crostini with Apple Calvados Chutney

Centro’s table with Chef Ryan Escudé’s Citrus Braised Pork Belly Crostini with Apple Calvados Chutney

MC and auctioneer Sir Jeremy Bell presenting the 2012 Signature Chef Jonathan Cambra with his honorary kilt

MC and auctioneer Sir Jeremy Bell presenting the 2012 Signature Chef Jonathan Cambra with his honorary kilt

March of Dimes Director, New England Collaborative Betsy Akin in center with Chef Jonathan Cambra at right

March of Dimes Director, New England Collaborative Betsy Akin in center with Chef Jonathan Cambra at right

Johnson & Wales University volunteer group

Johnson & Wales University volunteer group

September 28, 2012 0 comment
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chefs & restaurantsfarmsnews

Celebrate Earth Day with a local Earth Dinner to benefit Chefs Collaborative

by David Dadekian April 18, 2012
written by David Dadekian

The Earth DinnerThis week a number of Rhode Island area restaurants are participating in Earth Dinner events. The Dinners are a series of events sponsored by Chefs Collaborative and Organic Valley to promote local, sustainable and organic foods. Over 100 restaurants around the country are participating in this event and donating a portion of their proceeds to help Chefs Collaborative’s work of “changing the sustainable food landscape using the power of connections, education and responsible buying decisions.” Organic Valley will provide a matching contribution up to $10,000.

The local restaurants participating are:

      • Gracie’s – details below
      • La Laiterie at Farmstead – all week
      • Local 121 – details below
      • New Rivers
      • Nick’s on Broadway – Thursday, April 19 & Friday, April 20, contact the restaurant for details
      • Tallulah on Thames – Earth Dinner on Sunday, April 22
      • Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro – all week and Dinner on Sunday, April 22, details below

Below is additional information on the dinners at Gracie’s, Local 121 and Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro. La Laiterie at Farmstead is providing Earth Dinner specials every night this week during regular service hours, so ask when you dine there. Please contact the other restaurants for more information. For a complete list of participating restaurants around the country, please see the Chefs Collaborative site.

Gracie’s Earth Dinner will feature a unique menu created by Executive Chef Matthew Varga. On Friday, April 20 and Saturday, April 21, Gracie’s will offer guests an Earth Day menu to select from in addition to its spring menu. The prix fixe menu ($40 per guest) will be broken down into three courses with one choice for each course. “The Gracie’s team is always thrilled to be involved with this initiative as it is a natural extension of all that we already do to celebrate local foods and their vibrant flavors and nurture a more sustainable food supply,” said Ellen Gracyalny, owner of Gracie’s. “Taking part in the ‘Earth Dinner’ event is also an expression of our appreciation for local farmers and purveyors who provide us with the fresh ingredients we insist on using in our menu offerings.” Call 401-272-7811 for reservations.

Local 121 is hosting an Earth Dinner on Wednesday, April 18 to celebrate with our patrons and partners our commitment to local, sustainable and organic food. Join Chef Dave Johnson at the Chef’s Table along with honored guests Patrick Beck from New England Grass Fed and Captain Rich Cook of the Local Catch for great food and a good time sharing the bounty of our pastures and waters in support of the important work of the Chefs Collaborative. We are joining over 100 restaurants around the country hosting similar dinners supported by Organic Valley and the Chefs Collaborative. Dinner specials will include housemade rabbit sausage with lentils, pasture raised veal loin chops, grilled stuffed squid, oysters and the first spring lettuces from Scratch Farm. Call 401-274-2121 for reservations.

Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro will be having our yearly Earth Dinner to celebrate Earth Day on Sunday, April 22. In addition to offering a 3 or 5-course prix fixe on Sunday, we will be offering the 3-course prix fixe menu option Wednesday, April 18 through Saturday, April 21. 3-course menu $45. 5-course menu $60. View the menu online. Call 508-203-9463 for reservations.

April 18, 2012 0 comment
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chefs & restaurantscookingfarmsnews

A Local Thanksgiving: Purchasing a Turkey or the Whole Meal

by David Dadekian November 9, 2011
written by David Dadekian

turkeysWhether you cook a big Thanksgiving dinner yourself or purchase a complete meal, there are several options for locally raised and produced dinners. This isn’t a comprehensive list of everyone in the area doing turkeys and Thanksgiving meals, but a select group for truly local eats. Here’s to a southern New England Thanksgiving! Raise a glass of local wine or local beer.

Turkeys

If you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner, locally farm-raised turkeys are definitely the way to go. They’re  more flavorful with better skin than mass-produced turkeys and, since they’re available fresh they’re usually much more moist than frozen birds. Broad-breasted whites, your typical meat turkey, are well raised on pasture with no hormones or other chemicals. The turkeys I’ve had from local turkey farms have been so juicy that I don’t brine them, something I had been doing to grocery store turkeys for years.

There are several farms in the area raising pastured turkeys so please look around your home. I mention these two farms because I’ve had their turkeys. The first is Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm near my home in Sterling, Connecticut (the farm is about 4 miles over the R.I. border). They’re well into their reservation period right now, but because they raise so many still have turkeys available, though I would advise calling now to get the size you’d like. We regularly buy Ekonk Hill turkeys and they’re some of the best birds I’ve ever cooked.

The other turkey I recommend is from the farm I work with, Blackbird Farm. I cooked last year’s turkey from Blackbird Farm on my charcoal grill and everyone raved about it. Unfortunately, our turkeys are already all reserved at the farm stand, but I’m happy to pass along the inside scoop that Persimmon Provisions, a marvelous butcher shop in Barrington, has purchased 30 of the birds to sell at the store. I have no idea what their reservations are like, so I would recommend calling.

Catering

So you want to have a big family dinner at home but aren’t able to cook? You’re going to want to look into one of these options:

Easy Entertaining, Inc. is offering a number of complete dinner packages or a la carte choices. From their order form, “Easy Entertaining Inc. prides itself on sourcing over 70% of products from a 250 mile radius, year-round. Serving a Thanksgiving package from Easy Entertaining Inc. is serving locally raised vegetables from Schartner Farms, Confreda Farms, Cooks Valley, Barden Family Orchards and many more. Feasting with Easy Entertaining is roasting a humanely raised, hormone and antibiotic free, grain fed, happy bird from Baffoni Poultry Farms. Thanksgiving with Easy Entertaining is serving a homemade cranberry-apple sauce, with cranberries grown in bogs less than 30 miles away.” Easy Entertaining’s form with directions can be found here. The deadline for ordering is November 17.

Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro‘s Chef Ben Lacy is putting together a Thanksgiving dinner to be picked up, based around an organically raised farm fresh turkey from Misty Knoll Farms, which you can also purchase uncooked if you want to prepare the bird but not the rest of the meal. Tastings is offering several soups, salads, pies, rolls and 11 different side dishes. Their deadline is November 18 and the order form can be found here.

Tallulah on Thames in Newport is offering a “Farm to Table” Thanksgiving to Go for the second year in a row. The meal includes a heritage breed turkey from Brambly Farms along with many sides made from locally farmed produce. More information can be found on their “To Go” page. The deadline is November 19 and the order form can be found here.

Ripe Hospitality is offering a Thanksgiving meal that not only feeds your family but also gives back to feed others as well. “Ripe Hospitality is donating a portion of all of the proceeds from Thanksgiving meals to several Rhode Island and Boston based non-profits including the Rhode Island Food Bank, the Genesis Center, and Kids Can Cook! As always, we’ve created a menu using organic, all natural products that come from the finest farms, local producers, and specialty suppliers New England has to offer!” Ripe Hospitality’s deadline is November 19, though they recommend reserving sooner if you’re interested in the unique in-home preparation option. Their menu and contact information can be found here.

November 9, 2011 0 comment
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