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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 comment
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chefs & restaurantsnews

Bake. Eat. Love. Wins Rhode Island Food Fights Great Cupcake Championship 2015

by David Dadekian March 15, 2015
written by David Dadekian
Winner of the Great Cupcake Championship 2015, Bake. Eat. Love. with the judges. Photo by Ray McGinnis Photography.

Winner of the Great Cupcake Championship 2015, Bake. Eat. Love. with the judges. Photo by Ray McGinnis Photography.

The first Rhode Island Food Fights event of 2015, the Great Cupcake Championship, was held this past Sunday, March 15th at Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket. Thirteen area bakers specializing in cupcakes competed to see who had the best, according to a panel of six culinary judges (which included this writer), along with competing for the People’s Choice. Three artistic awards, created by Ahlers Designs, were bestowed upon the winners.

According to judges, David Dadekian of Eat Drink RI, Chef Alberto Lopez of The Dorrance, Chef Maria Meza of El Rancho Grande, Chef Andrew Shotts of Garrison Confections, Vanessa Volz of Sojourner House and Kristin Walcott of The Cupcakerie, first place went to Bake. Eat. Love. of Pawtucket. Judges’ second place went to new competitor, Edible Creations by Gerry of Westport, Massachusetts. The Lila Delman People’s Choice Award went to Providence’s Simply Baked. Congratulations to all the winners.

RI Food Fights was created and produced by Jim Nellis. John Taraborelli and Mike “Dink Martindale” Ritz entertainingly hosted the event.

March 15, 2015 0 comment
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News Bites: Easy Entertaining for Valentine’s Day, M.S. Walker & Battle Road, Waterman Grille’s Burger and Beer, and The Preserve at Boulder Hills Winter Champagne Brunch

by David Dadekian February 10, 2015
written by David Dadekian

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

Easy Entertaining Inc to Host Third Annual Valentine’s Day Dinner!

If you’re looking for something different this Valentine’s Day look no further than the Cafe at Easy Entertaining. This farm-to-fork Cafe and Catering collaborative is producing it’s third annual Valentine’s Day Tasting Dinner to provide a romantic and appetizing date spot for couples celebrating the holiday.

Easy Entertaining has been hosting successful tasting dinners with varying themes each month at their Cafe for the last two years, and this Valentine’s Day marks the second anniversary of these dinners.

“We’re so excited that our dinners have been so well received and we’re even more excited to be sharing our third Valentine’s Day Dinner with everyone. We’ve worked to create a menu that’s unique to provide an unforgettable Valentines Day experience.” stated Kaitlyn Roberts, Proprietor and Executive Chef of Easy Entertaining.

The menu for this tasting dinner has starters such as an Anti Pasti for Two with locally cured Daniele meats, house pickled vegetables, and Narragansett Creamery Cheeses or Grass Fed Beef Tartare with Easy Entertaining’s house made mustard aioli and grilled breads. Couples can also enjoy a Yogurt Marinated & Grilled Flank Steak, Pinot Noir Mustard Glazed Baffoni Farm’s Chicken, Mushroom Risotto, and more for their entree. Guests are invited to finish the night with a sweet bite of Chocolate Cake for Two or Citrus Panna Cotta.

The entire Valentine’s Day menu is available on Easy Entertaining’s website at EasyEntertainingRI.com. Reservations are required for the Valentine’s Day dinner and two seatings are available, one at 6 p.m. and one at 8:30 p.m. To reserve a table please call (401) 437-6090 or e-mail [email protected].
For more information on Easy Entertaining please call Nik Delfino at (401) 437-6090 or e-mail him at [email protected].

 


Battle Road Brewing CompanyM.S. Walker to Distribute Battle Road Beer

Beloved Brand to Be Available in MA & RI as Early as Spring 2015

For the first time since the 1980s, M.S. Walker will distribute beer—in addition to its enviable portfolio of wine and spirits—throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The fifth-generation wholesale distributor based in Somerville, MA, will take on the distribution of Battle Road Brewing Company when the beloved beer brand re-launches as early as Spring 2015 with a new design, format, and eventual brewery and brewpub slated for later this year.

“After 30 years, we are excited to return to beer distribution with full confidence that M.S. Walker can assist Battle Road in becoming an industry leader,” says Michael Brody, Vice President of Sales for M.S. Walker. “As a family-owned business founded in Massachusetts not far from the Battle Road, we are intrinsically tied to and inspired by Battle Road Brewing Company’s mission and best-in-class products.”

The M.S. Walker distribution deal is the latest development in the re-launch of Battle Road Brewing Company, which is being spearheaded by Whole House Group and Managing Partner Greg Hill, in partnership with Battle Road Brewing Company founders Jeremy Cross and Scott Houghton. Whole House Group will lead the charge through 2015 to further establish Battle Road as a nationally-recognized beer with strong ties to its Massachusetts birthplace. When Battle Road re-launches in Spring 2015, a number of improvements will be made, including:

Look                                         Battle Road will unveil a new logo (see above right corner), branding, product design, and website.

Format                                    Instead of 22-oz bottles, Battle Road will now be available in 12-oz cans.

Distribution                         In a distribution partnership with respected wine and spirits distributor M.S. Walker, Battle Road will be available at hundreds of retail shops and bars and restaurants throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Brewing/Brewery             Jeremy Cross and Scott Houghton will continue to contract brew until their vision to establish a dedicated brewery and brewpub in the Battle Road area comes alive in 2015.

 


Waterman Grille Announces Beer & Burger Pairing On Thursdays

Providence’s Waterman Grille Offers Two Favorites Paired Together- Burgers and Beer

WHO: Providence’s Waterman Grille Executive Chef Tim McGrath has launched an ever-changing new Burger & Beer Pairing every Thursday.

WHAT: Providence’s Waterman Grille, one of the Newport Restaurant Group’s fine dining establishments, has debuted a $10 special offering a beer and burger pairing every Thursday this season. Waterman Grille Executive Chef Tim McGrath’s current pairing was inspired by the flavors of New England. Maine family farms burger, beet mostarda, kale and red cabbage slaw, great hill blue cheese, whole grain mustard and poppy seed butter brushed brioche roll. Delicious pairings will change every three weeks highlighting the creativity of the Waterman Grille culinary team and Foolproof’s array of Foolproof’s craft brews.

WHEN: Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the bar and lounge only

WHERE: Waterman Grille
4 Richmond Square
Providence, RI 02906
401.521.9229
www.watermangrille.com

MORE: Waterman Grille’s Thursday $10 Burger & Beer Pairing is available only in the lounge and bar.

 


The Preserve at Boulder Hills Winter Champagne Brunch

Starting January 11th every Sunday, from 10am to 2pm The Preserve at Boulder Hills will be serving Brunch. For $14.99 per person, enjoy a wide variety of breakfast and lunch items expertly prepared by our executive chef. Each week will feature a chef’s choice carving station, pasta station, chicken, and salad. Weekly staples will include fresh local scrambled eggs, Texas French toast sticks or pancakes, maple breakfast sausage, Applewood smoked bacon, roasted potatoes, seasonal fruit salad, an assortment of baked goods, and a dessert station full of sweet treats! For more information please contact Kim at 401.539.4653 or email us at [email protected]

The Preserve at Boulder Hills, 87 Kingstown Rd., Richmond, RI 02898

February 10, 2015 0 comment
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chefs & restaurantscookingnews

News Bites: Newport Lobster Shack Kitchen, The Pizza Gourmet, Papa Razzi

by David Dadekian September 1, 2014
written by David Dadekian
Grand Opening at the Newport Lobster Shack Kitchen

Grand Opening at the Newport Lobster Shack Kitchen

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

Fishermen in Newport Celebrate Grand Opening of Lobster Shack Kitchen at State Pier Nine in Newport

New Waterfront Eatery on the State Pier Offers Steamed Lobster Dinners, Fresh Lobster Rolls, Lobsterman’s Bisque and More Made from Lobsters Landed Right in Newport at Pier Nine on Long Wharf

The Department of Environmental Management, in partnership with the Fishermen in Newport, hosted a grand opening and ribbon-cutting event today at State Pier Nine in Newport for the new Newport Lobster Shack Kitchen.

The Kitchen is an outgrowth of the popular Newport Lobster Shack Cooperative at the state pier on Long Wharf, where the Fishermen in Newport have been selling their catch – lobsters, crabs and conch – directly to the public since 2010. Now, with the new kitchen facility, the public has an opportunity to purchase a variety of freshly cooked items made directly from lobsters landed at Pier Nine. Visitors to Newport can now enjoy an affordable, local seafood meal ‘picnic-style’ under the shade pavilion on Newport’s working waterfront.

According to DEM Director Janet Coit, the Newport Lobster Shack Cooperative is a powerful model for the survival of local fisheries. By selling their catch directly to the public, the fishermen can earn better value for their product, while ensuring that visitors have a stellar Rhode Island seafood experience.

“I am pleased that economic and environmental sustainability were addressed with this innovative idea to support Rhode Island’s hard working fishermen,” Governor Lincoln D. Chafee said. “I thank Director Coit and her staff for their work to support our environment and economy.”

DEM Director Coit noted that this collaborative initiative with the Fishermen in Newport is one of DEM’s efforts to add economic value to the Rhode Island fishing industry. “All of the Kitchen’s menu items including fresh steamed lobster, lobster rolls, lobster bites, lobster cakes, and hand-picked local lobster meat come straight from the lobsters plucked by fishermen in local waters and landed right here at State Pier Nine. You can’t get any fresher than that!”

Lobster typically ranks as Rhode Island’s second most valuable commercial fishery, behind squid. Lobster landings in Rhode Island (including dockside sales) in 2013 totaled 2.1 million pounds for a value of $9.7 million. Approximately 645,000 pounds were harvested by Newport fishermen for a value of $3.1 million. As Rhode Island-landed lobster are processed and move into the wholesale and retail markets, the total value of the fishery increases substantially – likely approaching $28 million – making it a crucial part of the state’s economy. Rhode Island has approximately 250 lobster fishermen, with 45 landing lobster in Newport.

“I want to congratulate the Newport Fishermen’s Cooperative and all the fishermen here at State Pier Nine for coming together to make the Newport Lobster Shack Kitchen a success. This endeavor is really their vision supported by their investment of time, hard work, funding, and resources. I hope it will be a boon to their businesses and that continues to draw even more people to the Newport waterfront to enjoy some locally caught, fresh off-the-boat-fresh lobster and seafood,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed, who has worked with Rhode Island lobstermen over the years to secure federal funding for lobster gear exchanges and an ongoing lobster data collection project led by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation. Reed has also been a champion of the “eat local” and tide-to-table movement in Rhode Island and led efforts at the federal level to help local growers, fishermen, and farmers market and sell their products.

Today, Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee, announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce will be providing another $190,000 in federal funding for URI, in cooperation with the Rhode Island Lobsterman’s Association and others, to design and test new types of lobster and crab gear.

House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello said, “I have focused my energy since becoming Speaker earlier this year on improving our state’s economy. The fishing industry is a very important industry, and I am proud to support efforts such as this one to promote our hard-working fishermen and women.”

President of the Senate M. Teresa Paiva Weed said, “This is a creative partnership that helps keep jobs in Rhode Island. The Newport Lobster Shack Kitchen supports an important industry, enabling fishermen to market locally harvested and locally prepared seafood direct to consumers. It wouldn’t have been possible without Director Janet Coit, and the Senate appreciates her commitment to working with the state’s fishermen to help maintain this vital industry.”

“I visit the fishing pier regularly and I am very excited to see this new facility being opened that will be so helpful to our local fishermen,” noted Representative Peter Martin of Newport. “As a former commissioner on the Atlantic States Fisheries Commission, I truly value the importance of Rhode Island’s fishing industry.”

Representative Deborah Ruggiero of Jamestown added, “The fishing industry is so important to our state’s economy and I am thrilled about the opening of the Newport Lobster Shack Kitchen. I buy lobsters year-round at the pier and it’s exciting to see the expansion from retail sales to a restaurant. I encourage everyone in our state to buy local and eat fresh!”
In addition to the Lobster Shack and Lobster Shack Kitchen, Pier Nine is the site of a farmers’ market that opened in collaboration between DEM and the Pier Nine fishermen in 2011. Located at the edge of Newport Harbor, the market is open Fridays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. through October.

The family-friendly Newport Lobster Shack Kitchen is open daily from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and is offering several grand opening specials through Labor Day.

 


The Pizza Gourmet Kicks Off Season at Fall Venues

Wood Grilled Pizza Stars At Sports Stadiums and Events Nationwide

From Rhode Island across the nation, The Pizza Gourmet is adding to football fans’ enjoyment this new season. The Pizza Gourmet real wood grilled pizza is being served from pregame to the final gun at pro football venues including Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The specialty pizza made only from hand-stretched dough grilled at 1800 degrees over real oak and maple wood is served to VIP guests at games as well as in the clubhouse.

Baseball fans enjoy The Pizza Gourmet as well at the home of Cleveland’s big league club, Progressive Field.
And this fall and winter, hometown fans will have the advantage at the University of Rhode Island where a Pizza Gourmet-themed concession stand will open in the Ryan Center. URI’s athletic department and fraternity/sorority foodservice is featuring the real wood-grilled pizza as well.

The Pizza Gourmet and The Catering Gourmet will unveil their brand new food truck, The G Truck, at the Peace & Providence Festival September 6th at the Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence. The G Truck will be at select events throughout New England serving The Pizza Gourmet’s original wood-grilled pizzas and a full menu of food that can only be described as casual and fun. At the Festival, the Catering Gourmet will be located in eight food tents and will be featuring BBQ, doughboys, sandwiches such as sausage and peppers, wraps, ice cream and house made potato chips and fries.

At this year’s Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival, the Pizza Gourmet will be joining the scores of celebrity chefs and winemakers who come to this world-class tasting and education weekend. The Pizza Gourmet’s wood-grilled pizza will be served at the Grand Tasting at Marble House September 20th and 21st.

 


Weekly Specials at Papa Razzi

Mangia Monday (Every Monday, All Day 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.)

  • All entrées are $15.99 all day on Mondays
  • Add an appetizer, pizza or antipasto or salad for only $7.99
  • Add a glass of our house red or white wine for only $5.99
  • *Purchase of entrée required to receive special pricing on appetizers & wine

Brunch & Bubbly (Every Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.) (*Also on Monday Holidays at the same time)

  • Join us all weekend long and Monday holidays for our classic Papa Razzi brunch offerings.
  • With purchase of a brunch entrée, your first drink is on us, with your choice of a Bellini or Mimosa.

Spaghetti Notte (Every Wednesday, All day 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.)

  • Join us Wednesday for your choice of four signature pastas, soup, salad or pizza for $19.99
  • With a bottle of red or white wine $29.99
  • Seasonal promotions cannot be combined with any other offers
September 1, 2014 0 comment
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