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Like No Udder

Eat Drink RI Festival — April 26 – 29, 2017

by David Dadekian March 7, 2017

All-Local Celebration of Everything Edible returns for a Sixth Year

Plating dessert at the 2016 Eat Drink RI Festival Dinner by Dames, at center Chef Sara Reilly, at right Chef Melissa Denmark. Photo by Stacey Doyle Photography

The 6th 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, the Festival offers a VIP reception, unique dining opportunities, charitable events, and culminates with the Grand Tasting, an All-Local Tasting featuring farmer & chef cooking demonstrations and author signings. Tickets and more information can be found at eatdrinkri.com/festival.

“Rhode Island’s vibrant food culture is a major point of pride—with good reason. From our amazing restaurants and vineyards to our local products, breweries, and more, there’s never been a better time to dine in the Ocean State,” said Governor Gina Raimondo. “The Eat Drink RI Festival brings together Rhode Islanders and visitors alike to celebrate our culinary scene, and this year’s sixth-annual event promises to be the best yet.”

The 2017 Festival kicks off Wednesday, April 26th with Fiestaval!, a VIP product launch from the team behind the incredibly successful Rhode Island food business, The Backyard Food Company. This event, showcasing the culinary collaboration between best friends and gardeners Matt McClelland and Louby Sukkar, will feature custom cocktails from Bootblack Brand, small bites from Easy Entertaining, live music and entertainment, and the unveiling of the newest BYFC product before it hits the shelves.

Tent interior at 2016 Eat Drink RI Festival Truck Stop to benefit the RI Community Food Bank. Photo by Stacey Doyle Photography

Thursday, April 27th is the sixth installment of Dinner by Dames, a unique experience bringing together a group of Rhode Island’s most talented female chefs & bartenders for a multi-course dining event held at the brand new Skyline at Waterplace in downtown Providence. This year’s Dinner by Dames is a part of Paint the Town (RED) to benefit AIDS Care Ocean State. This female-driven dining experience brings together five of Rhode Island’s most talented chefs, Melissa Denmark of Gracie’s & Ellie’s Bakery, Jordan Goldsmith of Moonrose Farm, Maria Meza of El Rancho Grande, Ashley Vanasse of Easy Entertaining, and Jessica Wood of Fire and Water Restaurant Group, for a multi-course dining event, in addition to guest Dames Rebecca Lentrichia of the Renaissance Providence Hotel and Sarah Williams of Seven Stars Bakery. To make the evening that much more special, Jen Davis of The Eddy will lead a group of RI’s top bartenders in creating cocktail pairings for each course with spirits provided by Origin Beverage Co.

On Friday evening, we’re expanding the Truck Stop to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank by moving it to the Food Bank’s huge lot in Providence with 21 vendors—the largest gathering of its kind in New England. The always sold-out event showcases the excellence and variety of Rhode Island’s mobile restaurants while benefiting an organization dedicated to ending hunger. Last Festival’s Truck Stop raised over $130,000 for the RI Food Bank. Drinks will be offered from Yacht Club Soda, Jonathan Edwards Winery and Revival Brewing Company, with live music performed by the Superchief Trio. Some of this year’s participants include Friskie Fries, Gastros, Gotta Q, Like No Udder, Mijos Tacos, Noble Knots, Open Season and Rocket Fine Street Food, among many others.

2016 Eat Drink RI Festival Grand Tasting, in foreground Narragansett Creamery table with co-owner Mark Federico. Photo by Stacey Doyle Photography

Saturday’s Grand Tasting features samplings of locally produced beer, wine & spirits, as well as an abundance of local food artisans at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Some of this year’s participants include Barr Hill, Dave’s Coffee, multiple members from Hope & Main, Narragansett Beer, Narragansett Creamery, New Harvest Coffee, Newport Vineyards, Stock Culinary Goods, Whalers Brewing Company and many, many more.

During the Grand Tasting there will be all-new local food & drink presentations on the Frigidaire Professional Presentation Stage sponsored and provided by Wickford Appliance featuring James Beard Award Best Chef Northeast Semi-Finalist Derek Wagner of Nicks on Broadway, Master Pizzaiolo Billy Manzo of Federal Hill Pizza, Ann Marie Bouthillette of Blackbird Farm and several more of Rhode Island’s top chefs and farmers, guaranteed to wow attendees with some of the best food in the country.

New to this year’s Festival, Eat Drink RI is partnering with the Point Street Reading Series for a trio of food-author readings & signings during the Grand Tasting with James Beard Award winning writer David Leite, local writer/photographer Christine Chitnis and James Beard Award Best Chef Northeast Semi-Finalist Evan Mallett.

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 our local chefs, farmers and producers. Tickets and more information can be found at eatdrinkri.com/festival.

Eat Drink RI Festival 2016, photo by Stacey Doyle Photography

March 7, 2017 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 — 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 30^th through Sunday, May 3^rd. 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.”

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

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

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

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

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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Eat Drink RI Festival Rhode Island’s All-Local Food Celebration Expands to Four Days in Providence

by David Dadekian March 11, 2014

written by David Dadekian

EAT DRINK RI FESTIVAL
RHODE ISLAND’S ALL-LOCAL FOOD CELEBRATION
EXPANDS TO FOUR DAYS IN PROVIDENCE
Thursday, April 24 through Sunday, April 27

PROVIDENCE, RI (March 11, 2013) – Showcasing the best of the ever-expanding Rhode Island culinary scene, the Eat Drink RI Festival is returning to Providence for an expanded four-day all-local food festival. Taking place Thursday, April 24^th through Sunday, April 27^th, the Festival, now in it’s third year, will be held throughout downtown Providence, which was named among the best small cities for restaurants and dining in the world in Saveur magazine’s 2013 Culinary Travel Awards.

The Eat Drink RI Festival will feature 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.

“The food and beverage community is a powerful economic generator in Rhode Island – and an oft-cited reason tourists and meetings choose to visit the Ocean State,” said Martha Sheridan, President and CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The Eat Drink RI Festival presents a wonderful opportunity to celebrate one of the country’s finest culinary scenes.”

Festival highlights include:

THURSDAY, APRIL 24
Rhode Island Chefs Feast – Gracie’s
Eight of the finest Rhode Island chefs to graduate from Johnson & Wales University, paired with eight of the best culinary faculty at JWU, present a culinary experience like none other, hosted at Ellen Slattery’s Gracie’s in Providence. Guests at this unique Eat Drink RI Festival opening event will be treated to a reception with passed canapés, breads baked in a mobile wood-fired oven, a seated six-course dinner with dessert, and treats—all prepared by a group of sixteen chefs with over 300 years of combined culinary experience. These experiences include winning World Champion awards, Chef of the Year awards, James Beard award nominations and more. Wines will be paired by Jonathan Edwards Winery, along with beers paired by Rhode Island’s own Revival Brewing Company. A portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit AIDS Project Rhode Island.

FRIDAY, APRIL 25
Truck Stop to Benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank – Bank of America Center, Kennedy Plaza
This hugely popular Festival event returns in 2014 with 50% more trucks! Admission includes tastings from sixteen of Rhode Island’s best mobile restaurants, along with wine and beer from several local producers. Benefiting Rhode Island Community Food Bank, the Stop’s participating trucks include Acacia Café, Championship Melt, Ellie’s Bakery, Flour Girls Baking Co., Fugo, Gilded Tomato, Like No Udder, Lotus Pepper, Mijos Tacos, Noble Knots, Presto Strange O, Portu-galo, RISD’s Rosie Eats to Go, Rocket Fine Street Food, and Tallulah.

“Truck Stop is an amazing celebration of Rhode Island’s culinary creativity, and we are so honored to be the beneficiary of this event,” said Andrew Schiff, Chief Executive Officer of the RI Community Food Bank. “This important fundraiser will help us put food on the table of thousands of hungry families in Rhode Island.”

SATURDAY, APRIL 26
Grand Tasting presented by Rhody Bites – Providence Biltmore Grand Ballroom
The Grand Tasting is our showcase of over forty local food, wine, beer and spirit exhibitors, all gathered in the Biltmore Grand Ballroom overlooking the city of Providence. During the Tasting there will be four expanded Local Food & Drink Seminars, all included with admission to the Grand Tasting, these seminars include cooking demonstrations and discussions with birch’s Chef Benjamin Sukle and Indie Growers’s Lee Ann Freitas, Easy Entertaining’s Chef Kaitlyn Roberts and Blackbird Farm’s Ann Marie Bouthillette and Nick’s on Broadway’s Chef Derek Wagner.

SUNDAY, APRIL 27
Grand Brunch – Providence Biltmore Grand Ballroom
The Festival will come to a close with two seatings for Brunch. There will be ten stations with dishes prepared by several of the area’s top culinary stars including: Ellie’s Bakery’s Melissa Denmark, Food & Wine “People’s Best New Pastry Chef 2012” nominee, local pioneer Chef Ben Wood of Wildwood, Martha Stewart Weddings baker Kelly Dull of the soon-to-open north bakery, Chef Kevin Thiele of the world-renowned Hotel Viking in Newport, Joe Simone of PBS’s The Chefs of Cucina Amore, Mexican icon Maria Meza of El Rancho Grande and more. Specialty cocktails will be created by Little Bitte Artisanal Cocktails and a coffee bar will be provided by New Harvest Coffee Roasters.

The Grand Brunch is accompanied by live jazz performances from Rhode Island Philharmonic musicians, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Philharmonic’s Music Education programs. “The funds we receive 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,” said Betty Ann Kearney, Director of Development for the RI Philharmonic. “Through efforts like Eat Drink RI we were able to bring 10,000 children to the Vets Auditorium to play and sing with the RI Philharmonic Orchestra.”

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

March 11, 2014 0 comment

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Eat Drink RI Festival Rhode Island’s First-Ever Three-Day Local Food Celebration Comes to Providence

by David Dadekian March 1, 2013

written by David Dadekian

EAT DRINK RI FESTIVAL
RHODE ISLAND’S FIRST-EVER THREE-DAY LOCAL FOOD CELEBRATION
COMES TO PROVIDENCE
Friday, April 19 through Sunday, April 21

PROVIDENCE, RI (March 1, 2013) – Celebrating the best of the culinary world in Rhode Island, the Eat Drink RI Festival is set to take the stage as the state’s very first three-day local food festival. Taking place Friday, April 19^th through Sunday, April 21^st, the inaugural festival will be held throughout downtown Providence, the city ranked #1 for Food / Drink / Restaurants in Travel + Leisure‘s “America’s Favorite Cities 2012.”

The Eat Drink RI Festival will feature a star-studded line-up of over 40 chefs, farmers, bartenders and producers including: James Beard Foundation Best Chef Northeast semifinalist Champe Speidel of Persimmon, Blackbird Farm, Jonathan Edwards Winery, James Beard Foundation Rising Star semifinalist Benjamin Sukle of The Dorrance, United States Bartenders’ Guild RI, Revival Brewing, Allen Farms, Dave’s Coffee, among others.

“Rhode Island’s culinary roots run very deep and have helped play a major role in the state’s unique identity and culture,” says Martha Sheridan, President & CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The Eat Drink RI Festival will celebrate our local food community and embrace a very important component of our heritage.”

The Eat Drink RI Festival is sponsored in part by Johnson & Wales University, world-renowned for its College of Culinary Arts and a driving force behind the rise of Providence as a top culinary destination on the world stage; and family-owned charcuterie maker Daniele, Inc., a proud member of the RI culinary community since 1976.

Festival highlights include:

FRIDAY, APRIL 19

Truck Stop to Benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank – Bank of America Center, Kennedy Plaza
The Festival will kick-off with tastings from 10 of Rhode Island’s best mobile restaurants, and pairings by Jonathan Edwards Winery and Narragansett Brewery. Benefiting Rhode Island Community Food Bank, the Stop’s participating trucks include Championship Melt, Clam Jammers, Flour Girls Baking Co., Hewtin’s Dogs Mobile, Joedega, Like No Udder, Mijos Tacos, Rocket Fine Street Food, and Tallulah. “Truck Stop showcases the best of Rhode Island—our culinary talents as well as our compassion for those who are struggling to feed their families,” says Andrew Schiff, Chief Executive Officer of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.

Cocktail Couture – Providence Biltmore Garden Room
Presented in partnership with StyleWeek Northeast, Cocktail Couture will pair the talents of Rhode Island fashion with the talents found behind the bar. The event will feature the works of local designers including Jessica Abernethy, Jonathan Joseph Peters and Nick Pini; with specialty cocktails created by Little Bitte Artisanal Cocktails. A portion of the proceeds will benefit AIDS Care Ocean State.

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

Education Panels – Providence Biltmore L’Apogee
Day two will begin with four panels dedicated to educating and entertaining attendees on the abundance and quality of local food and drink:

Slice & Dice: Hosted by Curt Columbus, food enthusiast and Artistic Director of Trinity Repertory Company, this roundtable with chefs from Gracie’s, Nick’s on Broadway, Persimmon and Tazza will speak to the essential know-how’s of cooking in Rhode Island.
Eat Local: Featuring local growers including Allen Farms, Aquidneck Honey and Blackbird Farm, the discussion will focus on the initiatives of this vital business and the process of farm to table.
Taste of Terroir: Embracing the true flavors of New England earth, Jonathan Edwards and other area winemakers will take a journey through local wine regions.
Brewing in Rhode Island: Discussion and tasting with local microbrewers including Revival Brewing and Ravenous Brewing Company.

Grand Tasting presented by Providence Monthly – Providence Biltmore Grand Ballroom
As the main Festival event, the Grand Tasting will feature beer, wine and spirit tastings as well as products from local food artisans. The highly anticipated demonstrations, The Tastemakers, will pair the region’s top chefs with local farmers to showcase the best in farm-to-fork cuisine.

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

Grand Brunch – Gracie’s
The Festival will come to a close at Gracie’s, Providence’s only AAA Four-Diamond restaurant; with dishes prepared by several of the area’s top culinary stars including: Gracie’s own Melissa Denmark, Food & Wine “People’s Best New Pastry Chef 2012” nominee; local pioneer Jonathan Cambra; vegetarian stars Jon Dille and Jordan Goldsmith; Momofuku alum James Mark; local WJAR NBC’s Chef Kaitlyn Roberts of Easy Entertaining Inc.; Joe Simone of PBS’s The Chefs of Cucina Amore; and two-time James Beard Foundation Rising Star nominee Derek Wagner. Artisan cocktails will be provided by members of the United States Bartenders’ Guild, RI Chapter, one of the fastest growing chapters in the country. In addition, the brunch will be accompanied by live performances from the Rhode Island Philharmonic, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Philharmonic’s Music Education programs.

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

March 1, 2013 0 comment

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