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Giusto Chicken Parm Sandwich
chefs & restaurantsnewswine & drinks

News Bites: Giusto “Secret” Winter Menu Items and Lunch / Track 15 Dining Igloos and Curling / Anna’s Taqueria Opens

by David Dadekian February 13, 2026
written by David Dadekian

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


Giusto “Secret” Winter Menu Items and Lunch

Giusto Chicken Parm Sandwich
Giusto Chicken Parm Sandwich

At Giusto in Newport there are two off-menu ‘secret’ items now available for the winter months only. Both are in limited quantity, so they are available until they sell out each night.

On Sunday evenings, it’s the Chicken Parm ($28), Giusto’s take on a Sunday Supper. The pan-fried crispy chicken breast is topped with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella and served with housemade bucatini pasta. Image attached.

On Monday nights, it’s the Giusto Smashburger ($19), a double stack burger with fontina cheese, sweet and tangy housemade bread & butter pickles and n’duja aioli on Martin’s potato roll.

Additionally, lunch is back at Giusto, on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm – 2:30pm. Giusto’s sandwiches are back on the lunch menu. New this year is the Chicken Parm Sandwich, alongside the Giusto Smashburger, Local Fish Sandwich with pickled jalapeno and Porchetta Sandwich with giardiniera and white bean and harissa spread. All sandwiches come with a choice of salt & vinegar potatoes or green salad with baby gem, pear and dill.

View the full lunch menu here.

Giusto Porchetta Sandwich
Giusto Porchetta Sandwich

Curling Now Available at Track 15 

Food Hall Leans into Winter with Dining Igloos and Curling

Track 15 Igloo
Track 15 Igloo

The Track 15 food hall, located at 1 Union Station in downtown Providence, is embracing the winter season with outdoor dining igloos, a menu of cozy cocktails and mocktails, and the addition of “street curling” rinks.

The sport of curling has exploded in popularity in recent years, and Track 15 is proud to offer two street-versions of the rink, the perfect way to enjoy the brisk winter air. Lanes are available for walk-ins or reservations during regular operating hours. Each lane can accommodate two to six players; the cost is $20 per lane per hour. For more information, visit track15ri.com/events/street-curling.

“With the bustle of the holiday season behind us, we are leaning into winter!” said Christopher Marsella, Owner, Track 15. “We are proud to give guests a new way to enjoy their Track 15 favorites in this season.  These additions exemplify our ongoing commitment as a true gathering place for great food, drinks, and fun in the heart of downtown Providence – even when we’re under a blanket of snow.”

Guests can enjoy their favorite Track 15 food and drink in one of two new dining igloos on the outdoor plaza. Each igloo accommodates up to eight guests, and contains a dining table and chairs, mini electric fireplaces for heat, rugs, blankets, and soft lighting. The “Hearthside” igloo boasts a warm winter lodge feel while the “Encore” igloo is glamorous and dramatic. Igloos are available for booking during regular opening hours in two-hour increments. A $50 reservation fee is required and there is a $150 food and beverage minimum. To more information and to reserve an igloo, visit www.track15ri.com. https://track15ri.com/events/dining-igloos/.

Indoors or out, guests can enjoy a variety of winter libations at the food hall, including the Winter Sangria: Courvoisier VS Cognac, PAMA liqueur, housemade grenadine, orange, red wine, and ginger beer; the Blood Orange Spritz: sparkling rosé, Campari, triple sec, blood orange; and Slings & Arils: Track 15 ISCO gin, Genepy alpine herbal liqueur, housemade grenadine, and lime. The beverage team has also launched an Old Fashioned of the Month program. January featuresOld Grandad Bonded Bourbon with sugar, Angostura and Regan’s Orange Bitters, and orange peel.

Hot drinks include Mulled Hot Apple Cider with Minard Farms cider, winter spices, Planteray Original Dark Rum; Cinnamon Hot Cocoa featuring Track 15’s hot cocoa blend, Grainger’s Organic Vodka, and  whipped cream; and the Hot Toddy: Slane Irish Whiskey, English breakfast tea, honey, and lemon.

Seasonal zero proof libations include the Blood Orange “Rita” with Clean Co. non-alcoholic “tequila,” blood orange, and lime; the Hee Haw: Clean Co. “whiskey” with apple cider, lemon, and ginger beer; Dry Cane Swizzle with Lyre’s Dark Cane “rum”, housemade winter spiced pineapple shrub, lime, soda water, and fresh mint; the Italian Spritz with DelConte NA Aperitif, soda water, and rosemary; and the Bramble On!: Lyre’s London Dry “Gin”, housemade blackberry-sage shrub, lemon, and soda. Non-alcoholic beers include Notch IPA or Pilsner, Collective Arts Guava Gose, and Best Day Electro Lime Cerveza.


Anna’s Taqueria Makes its Ocean State Debut with $3.50 Burritos on February 24

Boston’s beloved homegrown brand opens first location in Rhode Island, features 1995 throwback burrito pricing on opening day  

Anna’s Taqueria – the homegrown Boston brand that has been delivering warm bundles of burritos, tacos and quesadillas as well as heaping Mexican bowls and salads since 1995 – will open its first location in Rhode Island on February 24 at the Garden City Center in Cranston. 

Inspired by San Francisco’s Mission District, Anna’s Taqueria was first conceived with the goal of bringing the homestyle flavor of Mexican street food to the people while celebrating community. With its entry into the Ocean State, Anna’s is continuing its exciting expansion in southern New England having opened four new locations in the past year. 

Debuting within the area’s premier open-air lifestyle plaza that features the best local flavors, Anna’s Taqueria’s newest outpost features a bright and welcoming nearly-3,000 square foot dining space complete with high-top communal tables, booths and traditional table seating options for 42 guests. Anna’s Taqueria carefully prepares every order using the finest and freshest ingredients including a lineup of signature proteins like birria, carnitas, al pastor, and more. Additionally, Anna’s Taqueria at Garden City Center will serve Anna’s new protein bowls that pack up to 98 grams of protein per order.  

On its opening day, in honor of rolling burritos since 1995, Anna Taqueria will dial back the hands of time and offer its legendary super burritos – 12″ fresh hot flour tortillas customized to your taste and packed with a main filling, cheese, rice, beans, lettuce, pico, hot sauce and jalapeños – at its original 1995 pricing, $3.50* per oversized bundle of love. Rounding out the festivities will be a prize wheel, swag, and availability of limited-edition Anna’s Cranston t-shirts. 

“The Anna’s brand has so much love to share, and we couldn’t be happier to be bringing that to Rhode Island,” said Rob Favuzza, President of Anna’s Taqueria. “With Garden City Center’s mission of bringing community together, it is the perfect home for us.” 

Anna’s Taqueria is located at 185 Sockanosset Cross Road in Cranston. For more information, please call (401) 593-3223 or visit www.annas.com. For access to exclusive insider perks, download the Anna’s Taqueria app.

*Redeemable in-store only, one burrito per person. Premium add-ons priced à la carte.

February 13, 2026 0 comments
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CHI Kitchen Fermented Sesame Slaw Sofi Award
chefs & restaurantscookingnewswine & drinks

News Bites: CHI Kitchen Wins Gold / ISCO Expands into Massachusetts / Blackstone Valley Culinary News

by David Dadekian May 12, 2022
written by David Dadekian

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



CHI Kitchen Wins Gold Award in 2022 sofi™ Awards

Nearly 2,000 Products Competed for the Top Specialty Food Association Award

CHI Kitchen Fermented Sesame Slaw Sofi Award

Fermented Sesame Slaw has won a GOLD Award in the Pickles & Olives category  as part of the Specialty Food Association (SFA) 2022 sofi™ Awards, a top honor in the $170.4 billion specialty food industry. 

Chi Kitchen’s Fermented Sesame Slaw selected by a panel of specialty food experts from nearly 2,000 entries across 53 product categories. Products are judged on taste, including flavor, appearance, texture and aroma, ingredient quality, and innovation. All tastings are anonymous and are held at the Rutgers Food Innovation Center.

“We are honored that our Fermented Sesame Slaw has won a Gold Award,” says Minnie Luong, Founder and CHI-EO of CHI Kitchen. “To know that our product stands out from the crowd in a blind tasting gives us the confidence to continue innovating and growing in our category with our naturally probiotic-packed, gut healthy fermented vegetables. This is one of the ultimate stamps of approval and we’re very grateful and excited for all the winners.” Fermented Sesame Slaw can be found at Whole Foods North Atlantic, independent retail stores and food service establishments all throughout New England and online at www.chikitchen.com.

The Sofi Awards are open to members of the SFA, and have been given each year since 1972. Winners will be showcased at the 2022 Summer Fancy Food Show, running June 12-14, at the Javits Center in New York City. Open only to the trade, it is the largest East Coast B2B-only specialty food and beverage show. For more information, visit specialtyfood.com.


The World’s First Vodka Distilled with Oysters Is Now Available in Massachusetts

The Industrious Spirit Company Announces Expansion into MA Market with their Vodkas, Gins and Bourbons

The Industrious Spirit Company's Ostreida

Today, The Industrious Spirit Company (ISCO) announced their expansion into Massachusetts. Their recent launch of Ostreida, the first vodka distilled with oysters in the United States and possibly the world, went viral online and has created a pent-up demand for the product that the company is excited to fulfill just in time for summer in New England. To celebrate the new state launch, ISCO has distilled a special batch of the product using Powder Point Oysters from Duxbury, MA. Ostreida is a flagship product for ISCO as it encapsulates their creative approach to spirits, creating new and original products from classic ingredients and techniques. 

“Ostreida is a unique expression of the fundamental elements of earth and ocean, perfectly captured in a bottle, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to share this quintessentially New England product with our neighbors in Massachusetts,” said Manya K. Rubinstein, CEO of ISCO. “Ostreida brings a savory and briny seacoast minerality with a subtle hint of bivalve bouquet on the nose that mixes sublimely with our spirits’ signature buttery texture and creamy finish—it makes a killer martini and an amazing Bloody Mary, and is just perfect for summer sipping!”

Since each small batch of Ostreida is produced with oysters from a specific farm, each bottle now comes with a neck tag highlighting the farm’s location and date of harvest. ISCO cares deeply about sustainability, working with a regional regenerative farm to grow the organic corn they use for the base of their spirits and donating a portion of all bottle sales of Ostreida to GreenWave, an organization that works to scale sustainable ocean farming.

In addition to Ostreida, ISCO is making its creamy, smooth sipping Structural Vodka, lovingly hand-distilled from organic corn, as well as its modern-style botanically-focused Ornamental Gin available to the Massachusetts market immediately, with bourbon barrel aged gin and bourbons, such as Blue Velvet, made from two different types of sustainably farmed blue corn from the US and Mexico, to come in the future. 

“I am excited to have the opportunity to add Ostreida and ISCO’s vodkas and gins to our portfolio of independent beverage brands,” said Caitlin McGarrahan, the director of Origin, a division of Horizon Beverage that is dedicated to handcrafted products. “In such a saturated industry, it is rare that we get an opportunity to bring true “firsts” to market—we believe this product is going to become an instant summer in New England classic, especially out on the islands and at restaurants with a seafood focus” 

In celebration of the expansion into Massachusetts, there are five unique and fun events planned.   

May 25, 2022: The Little Donkey http://www.littledonkeybos.com/ in Cambridge is hosting a fun filled night of Ostreida shooters and specialty cocktails. The restaurant features tapas by James Beard Award-Winning Chefs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette in the heart of Central Square. 

June 2, 2022: A special evening at Forage https://foragecambridge.com/ in Cambridge for a four-course dinner with Ostreida cocktail pairings. With two seating times, 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. costing $95 per person this event is sure to be special. Aligning with ISCO’s sustainable and local ideology, Forage is a neighborhood bistro just off Harvard Square that showcases local farmers, fishermen, and foragers with their seasonally-driven menu. Featuring such cocktails as “Overboard” made with Ostreida, dry vermouth, dulse, meyer lemon saline, and garnished with a pickled oyster! 

June 5, 2022: Little Moss https://www.littlemoss.com/, in South Dartmouth will host an afternoon deck soiree featuring Ostreida cocktails paired with small plates and hor d’ourves.  Little Moss, a beautiful spot sited in the adorable village of Padanaram that features rotating menus of seasonal plates, handmade pastas, natural wines, and craft cocktails. 

June 10, 2022: Summer Shack https://www.summershackrestaurant.com, Cambridge, is hosting a TGIF Cocktail Hour and Meet the Distiller event featuring Ostreida cocktail specials and a special gift basket giveaway. This fun, casual restaurant specializes in fresh New England style seafood and boasts the largest oyster bar in Cambridge!

June 30, 2022: Caviar Pairing at UNI https://uni-boston.com/ in Boston. A special evening featuring an Ostreida caviar pairing at this lively, contemporary izakaya located in The Eliot Hotel on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, helmed by Chef Ken Oringer. UNI’s menu highlights global street food-inspired small plates, as well as innovative makimono, nigiri, and sashimi—all delicious when paired with vodka distilled with oysters!


Blackstone Valley Culinary News – May 9 – 12, 2022

Fully Rooted, Inc.
(401) 753-4930
fullyrooted.com/
at
Wildflour Vegan Bakery and Juice Bar
727 East Avenue, Pawtucket  02860
401-475-4718
Wildflourbakerycafe.com

You can save money and help the planet when you buy juices from Fully Rooted and return the empty glass bottles to participating juice locations.  For every empty Fully Rooted glass jar you bring back to participating kiosk locations, you’ll receive 50 cents off your purchase at check out.  And you’ll be helping keep the Blackstone Valley and Mother Earth beautiful!   Your Blackstone Valley location for a Fully Rooted kiosk is at Wildflour Vegan Bakery and Juice Bar.  Other locations are listed HERE.  

Atrium on Main 
285 Main Street, Pawtucket, RI  02860
401-335-5500
Aomrestaurant.com

Atrium on Main has joined the Plates with Purpose family, a program that helps to eradicate homelessness and hunger, among other programs.  They are currently focused on securing nourishing and delicious meals to our most vulnerable neighbors in Pawtucket.  The program works through independently-owned restaurants such as Atrium on Main.  For every $1 you donate by Friday, May 13 will be used to prepare and distribute meals through the team at Atrium on Main.  A donation of $10 equals 1 prepared meal.   To donate, click HERE.  Remember to donate before Friday, May 13!

RIDEA Craft Beverage Festival
The Guild
461 Main Street, Pawtucket
May 14 at 6 pm

This non-profit festival plans to highlight women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ breweries, wineries, and spirits producers from RI and beyond. The funds raised by this festival will be donated to the JWU scholarship that helps people from diverse backgrounds pursue a career in the beverage industry.  The mission of the RIDEA (Rhode Island Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Action) Committee is to promote a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the RI beverage community.  Blackstone Valley companies who will be involved, in addition to The Guild, are:  Rhode Island Spirits, Ravenous Brewing Co., Foolproof Brewing Co., and Smug Brewing Co.  

TICKETS

The Orchard Grill
132 Pleasant Street, Smithfield
401-234-9980
orchardgrill.com

The Orchard Grill, formerly Laura’s Pleasant View Diner, in Smithfield, has a great staff who take pride in providing the best down-home friendly service possible.  They serve traditional American classics for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  

Rhode Island Spirits
59 Blackstone Avenue, Pawtucket  02860
401-856-4111
Rhodeislandspirits.com

In addition to participating in the RIDEA Craft Beverage Festival (see above) on May 14, here’s what’s happening in May at RI Spirits:  

Distillery Trivia – Friday, May 20 – 6:00 to 7:30 pm (free event – prizes!)

Game Day – Sunday, May 22 – 1:00 to 5:00 pm (free event)

Drink In The History – Thursday, May 26 – 6:00 to 8:00 pm  – TICKETS

Smug Brewing
100 Carver Street, Pawtucket  02860
401-642-5701
Smugbrewing.com

In addition to participating in the RIDEA Craft Beverage Festival (see above) on May 14, here’s what’s happening in May at Smug Brewing:  

Trivia on Thursdays – one game at 6:30 pm and one game at 7:30 pm – bring your team to compete for prizes!  Burmese Fusion will be on site. 

Music Bingo on Fridays – six games will be played – instead of calling numbers and letters, songs are played.  Fun!  The Perfect Empanada will be on site. 

Saturday, May 14 – 1 pm -10 pm – Cookie Chow on site.  Smug pouring at the RIDEA Festival.  

Sunday, May 15 – 12 pm to 5 pm – Music with JT Horne…and Pierogitory will be on site for food.  

Saturday, May 21 – Bonsai and Brews – Learn, create, drink and eat – Biggest Little Easy Catering will be on site.  

Sunday, May 22 – Pasta Demo – Alex from Newport Pasta Company will be leading this hands-on experience.  You’ll be able to have some Saugy’s Franks with your pasta!

Tavern on Main – Quahog Week
1157 Main Street, Chepachet
401-710-9788
tavernonmainri.com

Quahog Week 2022 runs from May 15-21.  Make sure you try Rhode Island’s favorite clam at participating restaurants – but be sure to head to Tavern on Main in Chepachet, the only Blackstone Valley restaurant participating, for Tavern Seafood Stuffies (2) made with shrimp, scallops, crab and clams for only $8!  

Johnny’s Victory Diner
2731 Victory Highway, Burrillville, RI  02830
401-765-2661
johnnysvictorydiner.com

BBQ Season is here!  Enjoy Johnny’s award-winning BBQ staring at 2 pm every Friday.  Try the pulled pork sando and their famous chicken egg rolls (order early – they sell out!   This Friday, May 13, enjoy the music of Tim Hart & George from the Illusions Band from 6 pm to 9 pm on the deck.  And stop by and see the fine folks from Johnny’s on Saturday, May 14 at Seven Cedars Farm in Smithfield for the Spring Festival.  They’ll be serving their famous BBQ from 11:30/noon to whenever they sell out.  

Red, White and Brew Coffeehouse 
601 Great Road, North Smithfield
401-488-4822
redwhitebrewri.com

Let me introduce you to “Delicious”, the newest summer drink at Red, White and Brew – it’s a cold brew with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, topped with chocolate syrup and sprinkles.  It’s available for summer now!  

And speaking of Red, White and Brew and their great gift shop, where I was first introduced to “We Be Jammin’” products…and now they have their own shop!….

We Be Jammin’
Hope Artiste Village
1005 Main Street, #8233, Pawtucket
Webejammin.net

We Be Jammin’ is owned by Jason Wood, an autistic man, whose mission is to give back to the community.  His company makes specialty jams, salsas, BBQ sauces, marinades, glazes, pickles, relish, beets, salad dressings and more.  Read all about Jason and the company in this recent Valley Breeze article.  Let’s support this great business!   

May 12, 2022 0 comments
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chefs & restaurantsfarmsnews

News Bites: Chef Robert Sisca joins ProvidenceG as Corporate Executive Chef / Maple Sugaring Season Opens at Coggeshall Farm Museum / RI Food Fights Announces Best Wing Winner

by David Dadekian February 5, 2016
written by David Dadekian

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

Chef Robert Sisca Announces Departure From Bistro du Midi and Accepts New Position as Corporate Executive Chef for ProvidenceG

Chef Robert Sisca, photo by JWessel Photography

Chef Robert Sisca, photo by JWessel Photography

After nearly seven successful years at Boston’s award winning Bistro du Midi, a MARC Restaurant Group property, Chef Robert Sisca announces he is leaving his position as Executive Chef & Partner. Sisca was the opening Executive Chef for Bistro du Midi and the restaurant has since earned local and national acclaim such as: Boston Magazine Top 50 Restaurants of Boston, Improper Bostonian Boston’s Best French, Boston Magazine Best of Boston for Best Service, Food & Wine nominee for People’s Choice Award for Best New Chef New England, The Boston Globe Best of the New as well as a three-star review by The Boston Globe. Sisca’s last day at Bistro du Midi is today and a new chef is not yet named.

“Robert leaves legacy of epicurean excellence at Bistro du Midi and we look forward to continuing this in the MARC tradition,” says Marlon Abela, MARC Chairman. “We wish him every success in his future endeavors.”

Sisca also announces his acceptance of a new position as Corporate Executive Chef for ProvidenceG, a new development of an iconic historical building in the heart of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, with three unique restaurant venues: Garde, Rooftop at the ProvidenceG and GPub. Beginning in March 2016, guests of ProvidenceG restaurants can anticipate an enhanced experience showcasing a new culinary vision and menus finessed with Sisca’s extraordinary talents and direction.

“We are thrilled to welcome Robert Sisca to the ProvidenceG team and have this great talent back in Providence,” says Colin Geoffroy, President of GHospitality. “As we continue to create an unparalleled hospitality experience for our guests, Robert will be instrumental in growing our brand using his impressive background to provide an innovative and extraordinary culinary program across each concept.”

At ProvidenceG, Sisca will play a key role in the organization as a senior member of the management team. He will take responsibility for all aspects of food and the kitchen, from concept through execution and oversight and will be intimately involved in the ProvidenceG’s strategy and management.

Sisca’s Rhode Island roots run deep as he is not only a resident of the Ocean State; he also graduated from Johnson & Wales University and previously worked at the acclaimed Gracie’s in Providence. Sisca honed his culinary skills in New York City at One if by Land, Two if by Sea before becoming Sous Chef at the renowned Le Bernardin. During his tenure, Le Bernardin earned the coveted Michelin Three Star award and Four Stars from the New York Times.


Coggeshall’s Annual Maple Sugaring Season Opens Feb. 16

Visit the “Sugar Camp” at Bristol’ s living history museum while the sap is flowing

Maple Sugaring

Maple Sugaring

Coggeshall Farm Museum, a living history museum in Bristol, RI, invites the public to participate in its annual maple sugaring demonstrations Tuesday, Feb. 16 through Sunday, Feb. 21, and weekends from Feb. 27 through March 13. The museum will be open 10 am to 4 pm on maple sugaring days, in all weather.

During your visit you can stroll to an 18th-century sugar camp and learn how Federalist-era people made maple sugar over a campfire. Then warm up around the hearth in Coggeshall’s historic farm house and enjoy some mulled cider and johnny cakes. Visit the farm’s heritage breed livestock, such as American Milking Devon cattle and Gulf Coast Native sheep, including six newborn lambs.

Maple sugaring is included with museum admission and free to Coggeshall members. Weekend admission is $5/children, seniors and active-duty military; $7/adults. Weekday admission from Tues., Feb. 16, through Friday, Feb. 19, is $3/children, seniors and active-duty military; $5/adults. Children under 3 are free. Memberships can be purchased online at www.coggeshallfarm.org or at the museum.

Coggeshall Farm Museum is located at 1 Colt Drive in Bristol, RI, off Poppasquash Road. The museum is open weekends from December 15 through April 15; Tuesday through Sunday during the week of February 16 for school vacation; and by appointment for groups, workshops, private events or scholarly visits.

For more information, email c.elder@coggeshallfarm.org or call 401-253-9062.


Just In Time for the Big Game, RI FOOD FIGHTS Announces Best Wing Winner

Boneheads Wing Bar crowned Lord of the Wings 2016 in online voting

RI FOOD FIGHTSThis Sunday millions of chicken wings will be consumed all over the country as sports fans and friends gather for the big game. While it remains to be seen which team will hoist the trophy, one Rhode Island restaurant is already celebrating victory in the competition for best wings: Boneheads Wing Bar in West Warwick.

RI FOOD FIGHTS’ third annual Lord of the Wings featured over 20 restaurants around the state participating in a virtual event to determine whose bird rules the roost. Over 600 people joined the fun by purchasing a passport to sample each competitor’s wings over the month of January, then vote for their favorite with a social media post. When the votes were tallied, Boneheads was crowned this year’s Lord of the Wings, with Tomaselli’s at Rosario (Providence) taking the runner-up spot. This is the second year in a row that Boneheads has emerged as the Lord of the Wings; they also won Festival Favorite at last year’s National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo, NY.

“We’re grateful for all the restaurants who participated. It was an intense competition and on any given Sunday anyone could have come out on top,” said RI FOOD FIGHTS founder Jim Nellis. “In the end, Boneheads gets to spike the ball and do the Ickey Shuffle… Is that still a thing?”

“Coming out on top of such a great event for the second time is very satisfying and humbling,” said Boneheads co-owner Matt Corona. “Lord of the Wings is one of, if not the most popular Food Fight for a reason: people love wings. Jim has found a great mix of awesome restaurants to participate and we are honored to have been named the favorite.”

RI FOOD FIGHTS next virtual event, the first annual Italian GRINDER Throwdown is going on now through February 29. Visit rifoodfights.com for more information.

February 5, 2016 0 comments
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chefs & restaurantsnews

Gracie’s Chef Matthew Varga Wins at 2015 Boston Lamb Jam, Chef Tiffani Faison Takes Best in Show

by David Dadekian April 12, 2015
written by David Dadekian

Team Gracie's wins the Middle Eastern category trophy at the Boston Lamb Jam

Team Gracie’s wins the Middle Eastern category trophy at the Boston Lamb Jam

The American Lamb Board held their sixth annual Boston Lamb Jam at the Royal Sonesta Boston tonight. Chef Matthew Varga of Gracie’s in Providence, Rhode Island won the trophy in the Middle Eastern category for his Lamb Shoulder Confit with Za’atar, Muhammara and Lebne. Chef Varga used lamb from Hopkins Southdowns farm in North Scituate, RI.

Boston’s Chef Tiffani Faison of Sweet Cheeks Q won the Asian category and took home Best in Show with her Spicy Chengdu Lamb dish. Faison will go on to compete in the National Lamb Jam in New York against the winners of other Lamb Jam competitions being held around the country. The winner of the Latin category was Chef Thomas Borgia of Russell House Tavern with Tamarind Braised Lamb Shank Empanadas with Plantain, Huitlacoche and Mole Ketchup. The winner of the Mediterranean category was Niko Regas of Emilitsa with Baby Back Lamb Ribs Slow Braised with Coriander-Citrus Honey Glaze with Herb Roasted New Potatoes, Garlic, Capers, Preserved Lemon and Spiced Olives.

Chef Matthew Varga's Lamb Shoulder Confit with Za'atar, Muhammara and Lebne

Chef Matthew Varga’s Lamb Shoulder Confit with Za’atar, Muhammara and Lebne

Two other Rhode Island chefs competed in Boston. The Salted Slate‘s Chef Benjamin Lloyd prepared a Slow Cooked Shoulder Steamed Bun with Chinese-Style Lamb Sausage and Smoked Vegetables. Cook & Brown Public House‘s Chef Nemo Bolin, winner of last year’s Boston and National Lamb Jams, prepared a Banh Mi Flatbread.

There were twenty-four chefs and restaurants represented at the event, each preparing a dish using American lamb in one of four categories: Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin and Mediterranean. This writer was one of the judges for the event. All judging was done blind—we didn’t know which chef made which dish until judging was complete and the scores were tallied. Congratulations to all the winners.

Chef Tiffani Faison's Spicy Chengdu Lamb

Chef Tiffani Faison’s Spicy Chengdu Lamb

April 12, 2015 0 comments
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