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Joaquin Meza

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Eat Drink RI Festival: April 25 – 28, 2018 | All-Local Celebration of Everything Edible returns for a 7th Year

by David Dadekian May 6, 2018

The 7th Annual Eat Drink RI Festival is a celebration showcasing the best of the culinary world in Rhode Island. Presenting farmers, chefs, bartenders and food & drink artisans from across the region, this year’s Festival offers a brand new wine tasting experience, the return of Dinner by Dames, the largest food truck event in the area, and culminates with the Grand Tasting, an All-Local Tasting featuring even more culinary & beverage presentations than before. Tickets and more information can be found at eatdrinkri.com/festival.

This year’s festival kicks off with Rhode Island’s first Sommelier Smackdown at the gorgeous, newly renovated Café at Easy Entertaining! This brand new event is co-hosted by Certified Sommeliers Ian Magiros of M.S. Walker and Jonathan Feiler of Rhode Island Distributing. The Smackdown will pit Certified Sommeliers Justin Bothur of Ocean House and Weekapaug Inn, Alan Freudeman of Gracie’s, Ali Innes of bin 312 wine cellar, and Alí Quero of Los Andes against each other in a wine theory quiz, a blind wine tasting, and a food & wine pairing collaboration with a local chef. Guests will vote on the fan favorite pairing and judges will tally the points of all three components of the competition to decide who reigns supreme in RI’s wine world. Tickets include wine tastings, food & wine pairing, and hors d’oeuvres.

One of Rhode Island’s most popular dining series, Dinner by Dames, returns on the Thursday evening of the Festival. This dining experience brings together five of Rhode Island’s most talented chefs—Melissa Denmark of Gracie’s and Ellie’s Bakery, Jordan Goldsmith of Moonrose Farm, Maria Meza of El Rancho Grande, Ashley Vanasse of Easy Entertaining Inc. and Jessica Wood of Fire and Water Restaurant Group—for a multi-course dining event. For the 2018 Eat Drink RI Festival three guest chef Dames are joining the team: Lisa Lofberg of Little Moss, Rebecca Lentrichia of Renaissance Providence Downtown Hotel and Caitlyn McGuire of Ellie’s Bakery.

To make the evening that much more special, Jen Davis of The Eddy, along with a group of RI’s top bartenders—Cassie Coutard of Courtland Club and New Harvest Coffee & Spirits, Megan Freitas, Sam Royds of Gracie’s, Elizabeth Sawtelle of Nicks on Broadway, Britt Simons of Persimmon and Kayleigh Speck of The East End—are creating cocktail pairings for each course with spirits very kindly provided by Origin Beverage Co. Dinner by Dames will once again be held at the beautiful Skyline at Waterplace in downtown Providence. In addition, Dinner by Dames coincides with this year’s Paint the Town RED to benefit AIDS Care Ocean State and Eat Drink RI is proud to donate a portion of Dames proceeds to ACOS.

Every year the Truck Stop to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank continues to grow! The event is back at the Food Bank’s huge lot in Providence with twenty-three mobile food vendors and a trio of local beverage greats! This sixth annual Truck Stop showcases even more of the excellence and variety of Rhode Island’s mobile restaurants, features local musicians the Superchief Trio, and also benefits an organization dedicated to ending hunger. Trucks include: Citizen Wing, Friskie Fries, GottaQ Smokehouse BBQ, Noble Knots, Portu-Galo and more.

The Eat Drink RI Festival Grand Tasting features samplings of over sixty locally produced beer, wine & spirits, as well as an abundance of local food artisans in Hall D of the Rhode Island Convention Center. Grand Tasting participants include: American Mussel Harvesters, Jonathan Edwards Winery, Los Andes, Narragansett Creamery, Revival Brewing Company, Seven Stars Bakery, Yacht Club Soda and so many more.

During the Tasting there will be all-new local food & drink presentations on the Frigidaire Professional Presentation Stage sponsored and provided by Wickford Appliance featuring Rhode Island’s top chefs paired with a local producer to wow attendees with some of the best food in the country, all included with admission to the Grand Tasting.

Easy Entertaining’s Chef Ashley Vanasse and Narragansett Creamery’s Pattie & Mark Federico
Nicks on Broadway’s Chef Derek Wagner and Blackbird Farm’s Ann Marie Bouthillette
Tallulah’s Taqueria’s Chef Jake Rojas and American Mussel Harvesters

In addition, a 2nd food & drink presentation area has been added at this year’s Grand Tasting. Get a floor-level, up-close look at the detail work & techniques of these chefs and artisans with this more interactive and intimate show area.

Pastaio’s Chef Adam Baffoni on Pasta
Ellie’s Bakery’s Chefs Melissa Denmark and Caitlyn McGuire on Decorating Desserts
El Rancho Grande’s Joaquin Meza on Cocktails

The key to the Eat Drink RI Festival is that it is dedicated to showcasing Rhode Island food and drink. This Festival, unlike many others, is about local chefs, bartenders, farmers, brewers, distillers, producers and more—the people who have elevated Rhode Island to national renown for its culinary scene. Tickets and more information can be found at eatdrinkri.com/festival.

May 6, 2018 0 comment

Land & Sea at Blackbird Farm, photos by George Evans Marley

chefs & restaurants wine & drinks

The Blogetarian’s Review: Land & Sea at Blackbird Farm

by George Evans Marley September 7, 2017

written by George Evans Marley

Land & Sea at Blackbird Farm, photos by George Evans Marley

A few weeks ago Katie Kleyla, Director of Development at Eat Drink RI, put a out a call out to her friends to see who would be interested in volunteering at the Eat Drink RI Land & Sea Summer Farm Culinary Series at Blackbird Farm. I jumped to the occasion and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Doing my stint in the restaurant industry in both front and back of the house I had some experience, but I don’t remember ever having so much fun and the food being so good.

I arrived on Friday night eager to help in my flannel shirt and backwards Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle trucker hat. What else would you wear on the best cattle and pig farm in Rhode Island? Seriously, Blackbird Farm is not only the producer of the tastiest, local and organic beef and pork but its absolutely gorgeous. The rolling hills, the view, the sunset and the deer playing in the meadows just made the next four nights of my life absolutely unforgettable.

Chef Ashley Vanasse and her crew from Easy Entertaining were furiously prepping away when I arrived. I got the low down on the evening’s logistics and time line from Ms. Kleyla, including a quick run down of the evening’s adult beverages. Jonathan Edwards Winery provided a variety of wines including their Gewurztraminer, a white wine with hints of lychee fruit and a Dark Petite Sirah that was quite enjoyable. That’s a big deal because I traditionally do not care for ports, but this port style wine was just unique enough to please this steadfast critic. Jonathan Edwards is a pretty awesome place just across the border in Connecticut which is open to the public for tours and tastings! The evening’s beer selections were provided by Revival Brewing Company, a local favorite, located in Cranston, Rhode Island. The selection included Night Swim’ah Belgian Wheat Ale and Burnsider Pale Ale. They pulled out all the stops on the last night with a pretty pink surprise of Pinky Swear!

I jumped into action and ran down to the farm house where I got to meet some of the chickens and fill up the cooler with artisan well water. It was cool crisp and straight from the earth.

The first night’s meal consisted of crostini with garlic, mustard butter and a melt-in-your-mouth roasted bone marrow. Oh I almost died, it was so good. There was also skewered pork ribs and pickled radish and potato chips with rare beef. It was so amazing and there is a clear difference in the taste between grass-fed beef and factory-farmed beef. Serving it rare and pairing it with the pickled radish really brought out the distinct difference in the more sustainable way of farming.

The evening continued with a porchetta that was out of this world, a porterhouse steak and for dessert a lemon curd tart with fresh berries.

Night two of the Land & Sea Series featured Chefs Eli Dunn & Jordan Goldsmith of Eli’s Kitchen and Moonrose Farm respectively. Their starters consisted of shoyu glazed pork, wood-grilled oyster mushrooms with herb butter on a crostini and a Stonington shrimp po’ boy.

For their entrees they selected Bomster Scallop Crudo, Wood-Grilled Blackbird London Broil and for dessert the most amazing thing I have ever put in my mouth, Moonrose Cornflour Beignets served with Thai basil cream, strawberry jam and powdered sugar. As a volunteer I got handed a large metal bowl and I felt like I was eating from a trough and I didn’t care because they were so good.

Night three was Chef Nick Rabar of Avenue N American Kitchen. They served honey Harissa beef tartare, Smoked Pork Cheek & Pimento Cheese Pierogis, “Bacon & Sausage” with candied maple and my personal favorite of the night, Grilled Hot Dog Sliders served with mole baked beans, havana street corn, cotija, lime and a smoked paprika aioli! It was like a tiny bite of gourmet summer backyard barbecue heaven!

The evening’s entrees were Apple Cider & Beer Braised Pork Shank, Carved Blackbird Farm Steak and for dessert Warm Chocolate & Brown Sugar Cupcakes filled and topped with bacon fat buttercream & bacon butterscotch brittle. This was unlike anything I have ever tasted and I could have eaten a dozen of them in one sitting. Never, have I ever tasted a frosting so amazing.

The final night featured Chef Maria Meza and her son Joaquin of El Rancho Grande. Guests were greeted by a third choice of beverage, Revival’s Pinky Swear mixed with a spicy green lime chili beverage. The combo was spicy and refreshing!

For starters there were Quesadillas with squash blossom & queso, Taco with carnitas super crispy chicharrones – oh they are so good!

Entrees included Spare Ribs and Pork Loin & Sirloin a la parilla served with scallions, cactus. Dessert was a handmade mamey sorbet. I had a chance to help make this. Everyone took turns spinning the mamey over the ice until it has a frozen yogurt consistency. It was an amazing finish to an amazing four days.

If you have an opportunity to take part as a guest at one of the Eat Drink RI dinners – DO IT! You will not be disappointed. If you’d like to learn more about Blackbird Farm visit one their Farm Stand farmers markets and visit them online at facebook.com/blackbirdfarm/

See you there!

Land & Sea at Blackbird Farm, photos by George Evans Marley

September 7, 2017 0 comment

news wine & drinks

Cox Local Video: Bols Genever Cocktail Competition at The Eddy

by David Dadekian January 27, 2014

written by David Dadekian

Last November nine of Rhode Island’s top bartenders gathered at The Eddy in Providence, along with a crowd of many more bartenders, four judges and a lot of Bols Genever, to compete for a trip to Tampa to celebrate Repeal Day. Because of the Repeal Day prize the cocktails created were to all be Prohibition-era inspired.

The competing bartenders are all members of the Rhode Island chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild and it was certainly a friendly fight to see who created the best cocktail. Second place went to Vito Lantz of The Dorrance for his tobacco laced cocktail “The Nick.” The winner was The Eddy’s own Carlos Garcia with “A Bolswork Orange” also known as “Goddamn, Amsterdam” at The Eddy.

Here’s the recipe for Garcia’s winning cocktail:

7 dashes of Angostura bitters
1/4 ounce Demerara syrup
1/2 ounce Bols orange curaçao
2 oz Bols Genever
Absinthe rinse
orange twist

Cox Presents Eat Drink RI with David Dadekian is a video series produced by Cox Sports Online to showcase the vibrant and friendly food community in the Rhode Island area. Check out coxsportsonline.com for more local programming.

January 27, 2014 0 comment