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Aquidneck Honey

Aquidneck Honey, supplier of pure, raw, local, chemical-free honey, launched an online storefront over the holidays. In addition to some of the best honey I’ve tasted delivered in 1 pound and large quart containers, Aquidneck Honey sells cut honey comb, a number lip balms in assorted flavors and honey straws, which are an excellent treat. Aquidneck Honey also makes up gift baskets with an assortment of their products and other local goods. For a limited time when you make a purchase totalling $50 or more and enter the promo code “hat” you will receive a free Aquidneck Honey baseball cap. If you can’t buy direct from Jeff the Bee Man at several farmers markets and local supermarkets, you can still get your Aquidneck Honey fix at http://aquidneckhoney.com/store.html

Easy Entertaining Inc.

Easy Entertaining Inc., a full-service catering company dedicated to preparing local and fresh food, is launching a Grab and Go Lunch service from their new location inside the Hope Artiste Village at 1005 Main Street in Pawtucket (home to the Pawtucket / Wintertime Farmers’ Market). Take out lunch will be prepared Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. each week and the menu will change weekly. To sign up for a weekly emailed menu, email info@easyentertainingri.com and ask to be added to their weekly lunch menu distribution. For this upcoming first week the offerings include: Roasted Root Vegetable Soup ($3.95), Baffoni Chicken & Rice Soup ($4.95), The Locavore’s Garden salad ($4.95) and The California Skinny Chicken Salad ($6.95). You can view their menu here on Eat Drink RI.

Thee Red Fez

On Friday evening, January 6, Thee Red Fez on Peck St. in Providence turned over their kitchen to James Mark, one of the cooks at Nick’s on Broadway and formerly a cook at Fez and Momofuku Ko in New York, for a late night menu that had been hyped during the days leading up to it with Twitter hashtags of #fezlatenite, #americaisethnic and #DumplingHaus. As you can see from the menu below Mark, along with Fez cook Tim Shulga, prepared a number of dumplings as well as bao, steamed buns that the much-lauded Momofuku Chef David Chang made into one of the hottest food items in New York a few years back. To say Mark nailed it would be an understatement. Everything on the menu was very well done with the standouts for me being the natang dumplings and the two buns.

Not to get all misty, but things like this is why food in our area is leaps and bounds ahead of other U.S. regions. We have talented chefs who make creative, interesting—let’s just say delicious—food, and a population who is willing to support it. Thee Fez sold out of all the late night menu items last night and Mark is doing it again tonight. Plus he told me he’ll be serving ramen this evening as well. If you like great eats and you think you have to go to New York or San Francisco for them, you’re wrong. Get yourself over to Thee Red Fez tonight. A special thanks should be given to Thee Red Fez owner Chef Ed Reposa for aiding and abetting Mark’s menu.