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Fifth Annual Eat Drink RI Festival Showcases How Food Will Help Rhode Island Grow

by David Dadekian April 7, 2016
written by David Dadekian

Fifth Annual Eat Drink RI Festival Showcases How Food Will Help Rhode Island Grow
2016 Festival Expands to the Rhode Island Convention Center

Eat Drink RI Festival 2016

The Eat Drink RI Festival, April 28 – May 1, is three weeks away and many more exciting vendors have signed on to participate in the year’s most anticipated culinary event. NBC 10 WJAR has signed on as a partner providing coverage and media personalities. Tickets are now on sale for all four Festival events. Get them before they sell out at eatdrinkri.com/festival.

The Festival opens on Thursday, April 28th with Dinner by Dames Five to benefit Sojourner House, Rhode Island’s most popular multi-chef tasting dinner led by eleven extraordinary women chefs and bartenders. The always sold out Truck Stop to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank returns on Friday, April 29th.

There are over 50 exhibitors ready to sample their locally produced food and drink at this year’s Grand Tasting on Saturday, April 30th. Returning favorites include, The Backyard Food Company, Dave’s Coffee, The Granny Squibb Company, Jonathan Edwards Winery, Narragansett Creamery, Revival Brewing, Sons of Liberty Spirits and Yacht Club Soda. New exhibitors to this year’s Festival include Barr Hill by Caledonia Spirits, Cocofuel, Garde de la Mer and Shinn Estate Vineyards, with more to come.

“My family and I always look forward to the Eat Drink RI Festival,” Andy Moffit said. “It’s a great way to highlight Rhode Island’s fantastic chefs, restaurants and locally-produced foods. As First Gentleman, I care deeply about our local food economy. I am proud to partner with Eat Drink RI on many great initiatives that showcase Rhode Island’s delicious food and highlight the importance of healthy eating.”

Frigidaire Professional from Wickford Appliance

Frigidaire Professional from Wickford Appliance

The move to the Rhode Island Convention Center for the Grand Tasting has taken the chef and farmer culinary presentations to the next level with a demonstration kitchen provided by Wickford Appliance with Frigidaire Professional appliances.

2016 James Beard Award semifinalist Chef Derek Wagner of Nicks on Broadway with Jules Opton-Himmel of Walrus and Carpenter Oysters will be showcasing Opton-Himmel’s locally farmed oysters along with his newly developed, innovative kelp product. Willa Van Nostrand of Little Bitte Artisanal Cocktails with Lee Ann Freitas of Indie Growers will demonstrate herb infusions and how to incorporate them into cocktail making. Chef Kaitlyn Roberts of Easy Entertaining with Ann Marie Bouthillette of Blackbird Farm will take the stage to discuss locally raised meats and grinding your own burgers for the grill. Chef Melissa Denmark of Gracie’s and Chef Sara Reilly of Ellie’s Bakery will show how to prepare beautifully decorated French desserts.

The expansion of the Festival’s Grand Brunch on Sunday, May 1st to the Ballroom at the Convention Center will feature 15 restaurants including custom craft cocktails and a coffee bar. Champagne Jacquart will be poured to greet guests. Entertainment will be provided by student jazz musicians, with special performances by The Chifferobe TropiGals, New England’s premiere vintage dance company. The Grand Brunch supports the Victoria Alviti Music Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing grants for music education.

Tickets and more information can be found at eatdrinkri.com/festival.

April 7, 2016 0 comment
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Eat Drink RI Festival 2015 – April 30 through May 3

by David Dadekian March 12, 2015
written by David Dadekian

Eat Drink RI Festival logo

Eat Drink RI Festival — April 30 through May 3
Fourth Annual All-Local Food and Drink Celebration Returns To Providence

Showcasing the best of the ever-expanding Rhode Island culinary scene, the fourth annual, all-local Eat Drink RI Festival returns Thursday, April 30th through Sunday, May 3rd. The Festival, sponsored by Daniele, Inc., will be held throughout Providence, a city which has received numerous accolades for it’s food, including being named among the best small cities for restaurants and dining in the world in Saveur magazine’s 2013 and 2014 Culinary Travel Awards, as well as being named the 2012 #1 Food City in the United States and the 2014 America’s Favorite City by Travel + Leisure readers.

“Over past few years, Rhode Island has seen our small farms and food and beverage manufacturers grow. Our local food and beverage entrepreneurial ventures have a big ripple effect on our economy, helping to attract and sustain jobs across our state,” said Governor Gina Raimondo. “I am proud to support the Eat Drink RI Festival, which highlights our amazing restaurants, breweries, vineyards, and thriving food industry.”

Daniele, Inc.The Eat Drink RI Festival will feature a star-studded line-up of over 80 chefs, farmers, bartenders and producers including: StarChefs.com Rising Star Sustainability award winner Chef Derek Wagner of Nick’s on Broadway, Gold Medal Cheese Competition award-winning Narragansett Creamery, World Whiskies Award winner for Best Flavored Whiskey Sons of Liberty Spirits, multiple Good Food Award winner Daniele Inc., Blackbird Farm, Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard, Granny Squibb’s Iced Tea, Matunuck Oyster Bar, Revival Brewing Company and Rhody Fresh, among many others.

Festival highlights include:

Dinner by Dames photo by David Dadekian

Dinner by Dames photo by David Dadekian

THURSDAY, APRIL 30
Dinner by Dames to benefit AIDS Project RI – Casino at Roger Williams Park
This unique dining experience brings together five of Rhode Island’s most talented chefs for a multi-course dining event. Chefs Melissa Denmark of Gracie’s & Ellie’s Bakery, Jordan Goldsmith formerly of the Garden Grille, Maria Meza of El Rancho Grande, Kaitlyn Roberts of Easy Entertaining Inc., and Jessica Wood of Fire and Water Restaurant Group partner with local female farmers and food artisans to prepare signature dishes for dinner guests. Jen Ferreira, the East Coast Brand Ambassador for Lucas Bols, will lead a group of RI’s top female bartenders in creating cocktail pairings for each course.

Eat Drink RI Festival Truck Stop 2014 photo by Stacey Doyle Photography

Eat Drink RI Festival Truck Stop 2014 photo by Stacey Doyle Photography

FRIDAY, MAY 1
Truck Stop to Benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank – Alex and Ani City Center
The largest food truck event in Rhode Island returns in 2015! The Truck Stop showcases the excellence and variety of Rhode Island’s mobile restaurants while also benefitting an organization dedicated to ending hunger. Last Festival’s Truck Stop raised over $106,000 for the RI Food Bank. Live music will be performed by the Superchief Trio, featuring Keith Munslow and friends, who perform a repertoire of swing, New Orleans R&B, jump blues and boogie woogie. Some of this year’s participants include Acacia Café, Like No Udder, Mijos Tacos, Noble Knots, Rocket Fine Street Food and Tallulah, among many others.

“We are so excited for the Food Bank and Eat Drink RI to partner once again for this year’s Festival,” said Hugh Minor, Director of Communications for the RI Community Food Bank. “Our relationship continues to strengthen and grow as David Dadekian repeatedly seeks out new and exciting ways to work with us to address the issue of hunger in Rhode Island.”

Eat Drink RI Festival Grand Tasting 2014 photo by Stacey Doyle Photography

Eat Drink RI Festival Grand Tasting 2014 photo by Stacey Doyle Photography

SATURDAY, MAY 2
Grand Tasting presented by Providence Monthly – Providence Biltmore Grand Ballroom
The Grand Tasting is a showcase of over forty local food, wine, beer and spirit exhibitors, as well as an abundance of local food artisans. During the Tasting there will be three Culinary Demonstrations featuring local chefs with farmers and producers at 12:30 p.m., 1:45 p.m. and 3 p.m. Some of this year’s participants include American Mussel Harvesters, Bully Boy Distillers, a group of over 10 new culinary businesses via Hope & Main, Jonathan Edwards Winery, Narragansett Brewing Company, Olneyville NY System, RI Mushroom Company, Yacht Club Soda and many, many more.

Eat Drink RI Festival Grand Brunch 2014 photo by Brad Smith Photography

Eat Drink RI Festival Grand Brunch 2014 photo by Brad Smith Photography

SUNDAY, MAY 3
Grand Brunch to benefit the RI Philharmonic Music School – Providence Biltmore Grand Ballroom
The Festival will come to a close with the Grand Brunch, prepared by some of the state’s best chefs and pastry chefs including: Chef Christopher Champagne of 84 Tavern on Canal, Martha Stewart Weddings baker Kelly Dull of north bakery, Mexican icon Maria Meza of El Rancho Grande, PBS’s The Chefs of Cucina Amore’s Joe Simone of Simone’s, baking maven Chef Jennifer Luxmoore of Sin, and more. In addition to the food, the Brunch features entertainment by jazz students from the Music School, a coffee bar by New Harvest Coffee Roasters, and a cocktail bar by Little Bitte Artisanal Cocktails.

Betty Ann Kearney, Director of Development for the RI Philharmonic said, “We were so pleased to partner with the Eat Drink RI Festival last year. The funds we received from the Festival are used to support our efforts to bring music education to every elementary school child (50,000 in all) in our region over the next 4 years.  Through efforts like Eat Drink RI we were able to bring 11,000 children to the Vets Auditorium to play and sing with the RI Philharmonic Orchestra in 2014 and expect over 12,000 this year.”

For more information about the Eat Drink RI Festival or to purchase tickets, please visit eatdrinkri.com/festival, on Facebook at facebook.com/eatdrinkri.

March 12, 2015 0 comment
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InactiveEat Drink RI Festival Dinner by Dames — Thursday, April 30, 6 – 10 p.m.

by David Dadekian March 9, 2015
written by David Dadekian
  • Purchase tickets:
  • Dinner by Dames
  • Truck Stop
  • Grand Tasting
  • Grand Brunch

 

Dinner by Dames  photo by David Dadekian

Clockwise from lower left: Melissa Denmark, Jessica Wood, Maria Meza, Kaitlyn Roberts, Jordan Goldsmith

To kick off this year’s Festival we’ve got the return of one of 2014’s most popular dining series Dinner by Dames–and we’ve expanded it for the Eat Drink RI Festival to include local female farmers, food artisans and bartenders–with a portion of the proceeds benefitting AIDS Project RI.

This unique dining experience brings together five of Rhode Island’s most talented chefs for a multi-course dining event. Chefs Melissa Denmark of Gracie’s and Ellie’s Bakery, Jordan Goldsmith formerly of Garden Grille, Maria Meza of El Rancho Grande, Kaitlyn Roberts of Easy Entertaining Inc. and Jessica Wood of Fire and Water Restaurant Group.

The chefs will be joined by Debbie Barrett of Allen Farms, Ann Marie Bouthillette of Blackbird Farm, Pattie Federico of Narragansett Creamery, Lee Ann Freitas of Indie Growers, Cindy West of Moonstone Oysters and Pastry Chef Lynn Williams of Seven Stars Bakery.

To make the evening that much more special Jen Ferreira, the East Coast Brand Ambassador for Lucas Bols, will lead a group of RI’s top female bartenders, including Mia Andreoli of Events by Mia Rose, Mary Hentz of The Magdalenae Room, Elizabeth Sawtelle of Nicks on Broadway and Kayleigh Speck of The Grange, in creating cocktail pairings for each course. The room will be filled with beautiful flowers and decor via Robin Hollow Farm.

The evening will begin with a 6 p.m. reception with welcome bites, then moving into a five-course dinner with cocktail pairings. The cost is $175 (inclusive of tax and gratuity, and a donation to AIDS Project RI).

Reception
Passed hors d’oeuvres, including: Parsnip Pierogies, Deviled Eggs, Petit Pressed Cuban Sandwiches, Mini Pork Belly Tacos and Mustard Gougeres
paired with the Paradisi –  Damrak Gin, Aperol, lemon, grapefruit, Aquidneck Honey, Foolproof Saison, grapefruit garnish

Breads, Chef Lynn Williams
Olive Rolls, White Whole Wheat and Cheese Twists

First Course, Chef Jordan Goldsmith
Grilled Scratch Farm Radishes with miso-cured Zephyr Farm egg yolk, pine vinaigrette, almond yogurt
paired with the Opulent Brine – Ocucaje Pisco, Bols Apricot, lemon, fino sherry, homemade pickle juice, gherkin garnish

Second Course, Chef Jessica Wood
Homemade Egg Noodles with roasted Roma tomatoes, red peppers, parmesan, lemon zest, Indie Growers herbs & flowers
paired with The Dutch Monk – Bols Genever, Benedictine, Punt e Mes, bitters, absinthe, lemon garnish

Third Course, Chef Kaitlyn Roberts
Fried Moonstone Oysters with Anson Mills grit cake, lime, honey, sriracha
paired with the Smoke & Barrel –  Aged Genever, lemon, smoked lemon cordial, fresh sage, mint, thyme, basil, thyme garnish

Intermezzo, Chef Melissa Denmark
Allen Farms Pea Greens Frozen Yogurt

Fourth Course, Chef Maria Meza
Blackbird Farm Beef Mixiote de Res with puya chiles, guajillo chiles, costeno chiles, potatoes, cactus, olives, white rice
paired with the The Meza-Rita – Blanco Tequila, Amaro Montenegro, pineapple, cucumber, lemon, agave, smoked chile salt

Fifth Course, Chef Melissa Denmark
Narragansett Creamery Crescendo Panna Cotta with orange fennel semolina cake, lemon curd, toasted hazelnuts, dark chocolate espresso crumble, black currant jam
paired with the Stinger? I Don’t Even Know Her! – Cognac, Crème de Menthe, Branca Menta,  fresh mint sprig garnish

Mignardises, Chef Lynn Williams
Chocolate Walnut Rye cookies, Zaletti and Shortbread

Due to the limitations of the venue we are regrettably unable to accommodate any alternative menu/allergen requests other than a vegetarian option. Thank you in advance for your understanding on this matter.

 

  • Purchase tickets:
  • Dinner by Dames
  • Truck Stop
  • Grand Tasting
  • Grand Brunch

 

  • Tasting exhibitors
  • sponsorship
  • volunteer
  • visitors to R.I.
  • Festival contact

 

March 9, 2015 0 comment
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Cox Local Video: Eat Drink RI Festival

by David Dadekian May 6, 2014
written by David Dadekian

Showcasing the best of the ever-expanding Rhode Island culinary scene, the Eat Drink RI Festival returned to Providence for an expanded four-day all-local food festival. The Festival, now in it’s third year, was held Thursday, April 24th through Sunday, April 27th and featured a star-studded line-up of over 80 chefs, farmers, bartenders and producers including: James Beard Foundation Best Chef Northeast semifinalists Benjamin Sukle of birch and Champe Speidel of Persimmon, eight top culinary instructors from Johnson & Wales University, Gold Medal Cheese award-winning Narragansett Creamery, Blackbird Farm, two-time James Beard Foundation Rising Star nominee Chef Derek Wagner of Nick’s on Broadway, Easy Entertaining Inc., Good Food Award winner Daniele Inc., Dave’s Coffee, Walrus and Carpenter Oysters, among many others.

This year’s Festival was a great success and everyone involved is looking forward to the next in 2015. Thank you to everyone who participated in and attended the Eat Drink RI Festival!

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.

May 6, 2014 0 comment
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