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News Bites: Narragansett Beer to Open Brewing Operation in Pawtucket / April Vacation at Coggeshall Farm Museum / RI Food Bank Receives 30,000 Lbs of Food from Local Architects

by David Dadekian April 4, 2016
written by David Dadekian

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

Narragansett Beer to Open Brewing Operation in Pawtucket

The Guild (rendering)

The Guild (rendering)

Narragansett Beer President Mark Hellendrung announced on their blog they will “move our offices from 60 Ship Street in Providence to The Guild, home of our future brewing operations, at 461 Main Street in Pawtucket. Several months will be spent restoring the building and installing the brew house, and later this year, we’ll be brewing ‘Gansett in the Ocean State for the first time since 1983.”

Read Hellendrung’s complete post.

 


April School Vacation:
Dig History at Coggeshall Farm Museum

Casey Duckett, assistant director at Coggeshall Farm Museum, demonstrates blacksmithing to young visitors at this living history museum in Bristol, RI.

Casey Duckett, assistant director at Coggeshall Farm Museum, demonstrates blacksmithing to young visitors at this living history museum in Bristol, RI.

If you dig history, you can get your hands dirty learning about Rhode Island’s past at Coggeshall Farm Museum during April school vacation week. From gardening to archaeology, a full slate of activities is planned for April 15 – 24. All ages are invited to participate in this special week, which kicks off Coggeshall’s return to regular season hours. Beginning Friday, April 15, Coggeshall will be open 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Sunday, through December.

The following activities are free to members and included in the price of admission for guests. Weekday admission is $3 for children, seniors and active-duty military and $5 for adults. Weekend admission is $5 for children, seniors and active-duty military and $7 for adults. Children under 3 are free. No registration is necessary.

Shanty Night: Pack up the family and a picnic dinner, bring your instruments and singing voices, and join us for an open sing around the campfire. Everyone is encouraged to share their favorite song and take a turn leading the singing. Friday, April 15, 6:30 – 8 pm.

Hearthcooking: Help us prepare a variety of traditional New England foods cooked over the hearth or baked in our brick beehive oven. Tuesday, April 19, through Sunday, April 24, 11 am to 1 pm.

Tree Felling and Processing: Watch us fell a tree using a two-man saw and then help us process the wood for our hearth, fence making, shingles and other uses. Tree Felling: Tuesday, April 19, 11 am. Wood Processing: Tuesday, April 19 through Sunday, April 24, throughout the day.

Garden Plan & Prep: Consult with our Heirloom Garden Supervisor on the plan for your own garden and help us prepare our garden for planting. Wednesday, April 20, Saturday, April 23, and Sunday, April 24, 10 am to noon.

Wool Carding & Spinning: Learn to prepare wool for spinning and transform it into workable fiber using the drop spindle. Thursday, April 21, 1 pm to 3 pm.

Candlemaking: Help us make hand-dipped candles to light our nights through the next winter. Saturday, April 23, 1 pm – 3 pm.

Blacksmith Shop Demonstrations: Discover how tools were made in the 18th century using a double-action bellows and forge. Help us polish up the tools created by our resident blacksmiths. Friday, April 22, and Sunday, April 24, 1 pm to 3 pm.

Feather Duster 101: Make your own feather duster from feathers collected from our heritage breed chickens and turkeys. Sunday, April 24, 1-3 pm.

The following program is for ages 10 and up, has a cost of $10 per person, and requires advance registration:

Archaeologist for a Day: Experience how real archaeologists uncover the past in this hands-on program. Use an archaeologist’s tool kit to excavate a mock dig and piece together clues to unravel the mysteries of a fictional site. Thursday, April 21, 1 pm to 3 pm. Email c.elder@coggeshallfarm.org to register.

Coggeshall Farm Museum is a living history museum portraying the lives of Rhode Island’s salt marsh farmers in the late 18th century. The farm located at 1 Colt Drive in Bristol, RI, off Poppasquash Road. For more information, email c.elder@coggeshallfarm.org or call 401-253-9062.


RI Food Bank Receives 30,000 Lbs of Food from Local Architects

Local architects, builders, and contractors donate food and raise awareness of hunger in RI as part of Canstruction Event.

Rhode Island Community Food Bank

From March 12 through March 26, six sculptures made of canned goods took over the Concourse at Providence Place for Canstruction 2016. The sculptures were created and built by some of the best local architects, builders, and  contractors in the area including Dimeo Construction, LLB Architects, Gilbane Building Co., Saccoccio and Associates, and Shawmut Design and Construction.

When the exhibits were “de-canstructed” last Saturday, all of the food was donated to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank – a total of 29,514 pounds!

“I’m always amazed by the amount of skill and effort involved with Canstruction,” said Andrew Schiff, CEO of the Food Bank. “It proves that we have some of the most creative architects and designers here in Rhode Island who are so generous to give their time and energy to help feed our neighbors in need.”

Visitors to this year’s Canstruction exhibit were entertained by favorite characters like R2D2 and BB8 from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Dory from Disney’s Finding Nemo and the upcoming Finding Dory, and Left Shark from the 2015 Super Bowl Half-Time Show, along with a taste of everyone’s favorite coffee, Dunkin’ Donuts, a magic lunchbox, and a tribute to the Ocean State.

Behind the challenge of designing and building enormous sculptures from full cans of food was the goal of helping to alleviate the serious problem of food insecurity. The thousands of cans of food used in each sculpture were transported to the Community Food Bank, where they will be distributed to people throughout the state. Each month, the Food Bank serves 60,000 clients through a network of 167 agencies such as food pantries, shelters, youth programs and senior centers.

For more information, visit: www.rifoodbank.org

April 4, 2016 0 comment
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News Bites: Chef Robert Sisca joins ProvidenceG as Corporate Executive Chef / Maple Sugaring Season Opens at Coggeshall Farm Museum / RI Food Fights Announces Best Wing Winner

by David Dadekian February 5, 2016
written by David Dadekian

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

Chef Robert Sisca Announces Departure From Bistro du Midi and Accepts New Position as Corporate Executive Chef for ProvidenceG

Chef Robert Sisca, photo by JWessel Photography

Chef Robert Sisca, photo by JWessel Photography

After nearly seven successful years at Boston’s award winning Bistro du Midi, a MARC Restaurant Group property, Chef Robert Sisca announces he is leaving his position as Executive Chef & Partner. Sisca was the opening Executive Chef for Bistro du Midi and the restaurant has since earned local and national acclaim such as: Boston Magazine Top 50 Restaurants of Boston, Improper Bostonian Boston’s Best French, Boston Magazine Best of Boston for Best Service, Food & Wine nominee for People’s Choice Award for Best New Chef New England, The Boston Globe Best of the New as well as a three-star review by The Boston Globe. Sisca’s last day at Bistro du Midi is today and a new chef is not yet named.

“Robert leaves legacy of epicurean excellence at Bistro du Midi and we look forward to continuing this in the MARC tradition,” says Marlon Abela, MARC Chairman. “We wish him every success in his future endeavors.”

Sisca also announces his acceptance of a new position as Corporate Executive Chef for ProvidenceG, a new development of an iconic historical building in the heart of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, with three unique restaurant venues: Garde, Rooftop at the ProvidenceG and GPub. Beginning in March 2016, guests of ProvidenceG restaurants can anticipate an enhanced experience showcasing a new culinary vision and menus finessed with Sisca’s extraordinary talents and direction.

“We are thrilled to welcome Robert Sisca to the ProvidenceG team and have this great talent back in Providence,” says Colin Geoffroy, President of GHospitality. “As we continue to create an unparalleled hospitality experience for our guests, Robert will be instrumental in growing our brand using his impressive background to provide an innovative and extraordinary culinary program across each concept.”

At ProvidenceG, Sisca will play a key role in the organization as a senior member of the management team. He will take responsibility for all aspects of food and the kitchen, from concept through execution and oversight and will be intimately involved in the ProvidenceG’s strategy and management.

Sisca’s Rhode Island roots run deep as he is not only a resident of the Ocean State; he also graduated from Johnson & Wales University and previously worked at the acclaimed Gracie’s in Providence. Sisca honed his culinary skills in New York City at One if by Land, Two if by Sea before becoming Sous Chef at the renowned Le Bernardin. During his tenure, Le Bernardin earned the coveted Michelin Three Star award and Four Stars from the New York Times.


Coggeshall’s Annual Maple Sugaring Season Opens Feb. 16

Visit the “Sugar Camp” at Bristol’ s living history museum while the sap is flowing

Maple Sugaring

Maple Sugaring

Coggeshall Farm Museum, a living history museum in Bristol, RI, invites the public to participate in its annual maple sugaring demonstrations Tuesday, Feb. 16 through Sunday, Feb. 21, and weekends from Feb. 27 through March 13. The museum will be open 10 am to 4 pm on maple sugaring days, in all weather.

During your visit you can stroll to an 18th-century sugar camp and learn how Federalist-era people made maple sugar over a campfire. Then warm up around the hearth in Coggeshall’s historic farm house and enjoy some mulled cider and johnny cakes. Visit the farm’s heritage breed livestock, such as American Milking Devon cattle and Gulf Coast Native sheep, including six newborn lambs.

Maple sugaring is included with museum admission and free to Coggeshall members. Weekend admission is $5/children, seniors and active-duty military; $7/adults. Weekday admission from Tues., Feb. 16, through Friday, Feb. 19, is $3/children, seniors and active-duty military; $5/adults. Children under 3 are free. Memberships can be purchased online at www.coggeshallfarm.org or at the museum.

Coggeshall Farm Museum is located at 1 Colt Drive in Bristol, RI, off Poppasquash Road. The museum is open weekends from December 15 through April 15; Tuesday through Sunday during the week of February 16 for school vacation; and by appointment for groups, workshops, private events or scholarly visits.

For more information, email c.elder@coggeshallfarm.org or call 401-253-9062.


Just In Time for the Big Game, RI FOOD FIGHTS Announces Best Wing Winner

Boneheads Wing Bar crowned Lord of the Wings 2016 in online voting

RI FOOD FIGHTSThis Sunday millions of chicken wings will be consumed all over the country as sports fans and friends gather for the big game. While it remains to be seen which team will hoist the trophy, one Rhode Island restaurant is already celebrating victory in the competition for best wings: Boneheads Wing Bar in West Warwick.

RI FOOD FIGHTS’ third annual Lord of the Wings featured over 20 restaurants around the state participating in a virtual event to determine whose bird rules the roost. Over 600 people joined the fun by purchasing a passport to sample each competitor’s wings over the month of January, then vote for their favorite with a social media post. When the votes were tallied, Boneheads was crowned this year’s Lord of the Wings, with Tomaselli’s at Rosario (Providence) taking the runner-up spot. This is the second year in a row that Boneheads has emerged as the Lord of the Wings; they also won Festival Favorite at last year’s National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo, NY.

“We’re grateful for all the restaurants who participated. It was an intense competition and on any given Sunday anyone could have come out on top,” said RI FOOD FIGHTS founder Jim Nellis. “In the end, Boneheads gets to spike the ball and do the Ickey Shuffle… Is that still a thing?”

“Coming out on top of such a great event for the second time is very satisfying and humbling,” said Boneheads co-owner Matt Corona. “Lord of the Wings is one of, if not the most popular Food Fight for a reason: people love wings. Jim has found a great mix of awesome restaurants to participate and we are honored to have been named the favorite.”

RI FOOD FIGHTS next virtual event, the first annual Italian GRINDER Throwdown is going on now through February 29. Visit rifoodfights.com for more information.

February 5, 2016 0 comment
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News Bites: RI DEM Grant Opportunities / Coggeshall Farm Museum Crowdfunding Campaign / Stock Culinary Goods & Garrison Confections / Newport Restaurant Group to Open Avvio

by David Dadekian January 27, 2016
written by David Dadekian

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

DEM Promotes Growth of Green Economy with Latest Grant Awards

Nearly $400,000 to be invested in small businesses to foster innovation and growth of local food and agriculture

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

As part of its efforts to expand the green economy in Rhode Island and support working families, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced today the availability of $380,000 in grant funding to local small businesses under the Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) and Farm Viability programs. The grants are designed to increase the competitiveness of Rhode Island products in the marketplace and help local farmers and food partners grow their businesses.

“Rhode Islanders take great pride in their agricultural heritage and diverse food cultures,” said DEM Director Janet Coit. “It is part of what makes our state such a special place to live, visit, and raise a family.  And increasingly, local food and agriculture are hotbeds for innovation and entrepreneurship – spurred on by a growing awareness of the benefits of eating fresh, locally grown food and being connected to a local farmer, nursery, or fisherman. We’re proud to invest in the continued growth of local food and green industries and to support the many new businesses, working families, and innovative initiatives funded under these programs.”

Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) Grant Program

In partnership with the Rhode Island Food Policy Council, the LASA grant program provides up to $20,000 awards to new and small farmers, producer groups, and non-profits to support the growth and sustainability of Rhode Island’s farming, aquaculture, and seafood industries. Now in its third year, the LASA program funds both program and capital projects.  For capital projects, priority is given to initiatives that (1) directly benefit new or small agriculture producers; (2) foster new collaborations or share new information among Rhode Island food-system partners; or (3) support new products or new sales channels with clearly defined markets.

“Adequate nutritious food is essential to human wellbeing and the bedrock of economic development,” said Kenneth Payne, Chair of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council. “LASA is a building block in strengthening Rhode Island’s agriculture and seafood sectors. Let’s all eat well and enjoy Rhode Island’s best.”

LASA is a public-private partnership funded through the state with generous support from the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, and the Rhode Island Foundation.  A total of $230,000 is available for the 2016 grant round.

For grant guidelines and to apply, visit dem.ri.gov.  Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. on February 16. Applications may also be mailed or hand-delivered to DEM Division of Agriculture, Room 370, 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 by 4 p.m.on February 16; however, applying online is strongly encouraged.  Awards will be announced as part of the Rhode Island Agriculture Day held each spring.  Non-profit organizations are eligible for program funds only.

Farm Viability Grant Program

The Farm Viability Grant Program, made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, supports efforts to increase specialty crop production and grow the marketplace for these crops in Rhode Island.  USDA defines specialty crops as fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, and nursery crops, including floriculture and turf grass.

The grants – open to individual farmers or agricultural or educational groups – fund projects up to two years in duration that support the continued vitality of local agriculture.  Funded areas include, but are not limited to, research, marketing, food safety and security, plant health, “buy local” initiatives, and development of cooperatives.  For a complete list of funded areas visit www.dem.ri.gov.

Fund projects will support the broad competitiveness of locally-grown specialty crops in Rhode Island.  Initiatives that benefit a sole commercial product or provide a profit to a single individual or group will not be considered.  Single entities are encouraged to participate as project partners.  For this round, $150,000 is available in grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. To date, DEM has awarded more than $2 million in farm viability grants to support the competitiveness of locally-grown specialty crops.

For more information, visit www.rigrown.ri.gov.  Applications accompanied by a W9 form should be mailed to DEM Division of Agriculture, Room 370, 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 and postmarked no later than March 31, 2016.

In addition to these grant programs, DEM works across many fronts to accelerate growth of the local food economy, which supports 60,000 jobs in Rhode Island.  The department continues to make investments in critical infrastructure as well as provide farm incubation space to new farmers through its Urban Edge and Snake Den farm properties.  The state’s food system now includes 1,243 farms, an increase of 44 percent from 2002, and nearly 70,000 acres of farmland.  And Rhode Island’s green industries account for more than 15,000 jobs and contribute $2.5 billion to the economy.

The Ocean State is a national leader in direct-sales to consumers, with approximately 50 seasonal farmers markets in the state’s urban, suburban and rural areas; seven indoor winter markets; and numerous pick-your-own and farm-stand operations.  In partnership with the Seafood Marketing Collaborative, DEM developed the RI Seafood brand to uniquely identify Rhode Island seafood in the marketplace and help local fishermen and distributors grow their businesses.  In 2015, nearly 100 million pounds of seafood arrived at Rhode Island ports, with an ex-vessel value over $75 million.  There are 20 registered users of the RI Seafood brand – which was recently featured as part of Newport Restaurant Week, the Rhode Island Oyster Festival, and the Narragansett Calamari Cook-Off.  For more information, visit www.seafoodri.com.

For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov.  Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM or on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) for timely updates.


Coggeshall Announces $50K Campaign to Fuel Education Program

Living history museum to launch crowdfunding campaign to meet $50K matching grant

Mortar and Pestle at Coggeshall Farm Museum

Mortar and Pestle at Coggeshall Farm Museum

Coggeshall Farm Museum may be set in the 18th-century, but it’s launching a 21st-century campaign to raise funds for its growing education program. On Friday, January 29, the nonprofit living history museum in Bristol, RI will kick off a $50,000 crowdfunding campaign to help meet a $50,000 matching grant from philanthropist H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest.

“We’re using these funds to build something pretty amazing — a mobile living history program that puts the story back into history,” says Executive Director Cindy Elder. “Last year, 3,000 students came to Coggeshall for field trips, and we plan to host even more in 2016. Unfortunately, lots of schools find it difficult to afford field trips. Transportation costs alone make it tough. So we’re sending our educators from the farm yard to the school yard to get kids excited about history.”

Coggeshall is using the crowdfunding platform, Indiegogo.com, to generate the matching funds. The theme is “Send Coggeshall to School: $50K in 50 Days.” Donors access Coggeshall’s Indiegogo site at http://igg.me/at/coggeshall and can make gifts of any size. “Perks” for giving range from memberships to hearthcooking classes to naming rights for Coggeshall’s next newborn farm animal. Donations made on the museum’s website or by mail also count toward the match.

Coggeshall honors the lives of 18th-century tenant farm families and brings to life the daily struggles, joys and tasks experienced by working people of this time period. Elder feels it’s critical to bring this perspective into the classroom, because it helps children connect to history through stories that more closely resemble their own.

“We all remember the names of the powerful people who filled our history books,” she says. “But what about the everyday people who built this country from the ground up? The tenant farmers we represent didn’t own their land. They rented. And they had no voting rights. Through their own sweat and determination, they helped to build the American dream. That’s something today’s kids can understand.”

Coggeshall’s education program sheds light on an era when the United States was brand new, just after the American Revolution. The museum’s educators explore issues such as farming, traditional hand skills, politics, class, gender roles, the slave trade, the role of government, voting rights and other issues affecting working people of the time.

“We’re not paying lip service to history at Coggeshall,” says Elder. “We speak from experience, because we are operating a 48-acre farm using 18th-century methods every day of the year. We can share the things we’ve learned by caring for animals, raising crops, cooking over a hearth or mucking the barn when it’s 10 degrees out. History is not just dates and names. It’s the story of where we came from and how we got here. For us, history isn’t forgotten. It’s alive and well and living at Coggeshall Farm Museum.”

The “Send Coggeshall to School Campaign” will fund:

  • Development of a class-based living history curriculum, in collaboration with a team of K-12 educators and the Rhode Island Historical Society.
  • A prototype living history app for the classroom, developed in partnership with MuseumTrek.
  • Educational materials to assist teachers with pre- and post-visit lesson planning.
  • Pilot presentations at no cost to 20 schools in the next 12 months to test the program.

In the past 12 months, Coggeshall has received several grants to help it preserve this 1790s salt marsh farm and build its educational program, including:

  • $2,500 from Roger Williams University and $500 from BankNewport to fund field trips for Bristol students.
  • $32,000 from The Champlin Foundations for improvements that will enable Coggeshall to offer short-time residencies to scholars and craftspeople.
  • $25,000 from the Carter Family Trust and $1,000 from the Town of Bristol to hire and retain high-quality educators.
  • $3,260 from the 1772 Foundation and $1,000 from the State of Rhode Island for historic restoration.
  • $2,500 from Access for All Abilities to improve wheelchair accessibility to the site.

Coggeshall Farm Museum is located at 1 Colt Drive in Bristol, RI, off Poppasquash Road. The museum is open weekends from December 15 through April 15; Tuesday through Sunda during the week of February 15 for school vacation; and by appointment for groups or scholarly visits. For more information, visit www.coggeshallfarm.org, call 401-253-9062 or email Cindy Elder at c.elder@coggeshallfarm.org.


Garrison Confections Returns to Hope Street

Meet chocolatier Drew Shotts and sample Rhode Island’s finest chocolates February 6th at Stock Culinary Goods

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, a new partnership between Garrison Confections and Stock Culinary Goods returns the entire line of the award winning artisan chocolate back to Hope Street in Providence where it all began.

To mark the union, Garrison Confection’s chocolatier Andrew Shotts will visit Stock on Saturday, February 6th from 11 am – 3pm to offer samples and talk about how he makes his nationally renowned chocolates. Campus Fine Wines will also attend to provide samples and suggestions of sherries, ports and bubblies that will pair perfectly with the chocolate.

Since leaving his popular Hope Street retail location eight years ago, Chef Shotts has been producing his chocolate confections from his factory in Central Falls, with most of it being shipped to major cities such as Los Angeles and New York. While limited amounts have been available locally, for the last several years the only way to get the full range was to visit the factory in the days preceding holidays.

“Before Christmas and Valentine’s Day, we would have people lining up to purchase outside of the factory, ringing the bell before we even opened,” says Chef Shotts. “But we wanted a solution that would allow more people to conveniently get their chocolate, while allowing me to focus on my work, which is experimenting with and creating the confections. That’s where Stock came in.”

For the last two years, Stock has rolled out a few select items, but with this new arrangement, the entire line of sixteen varieties of confections, including tablets, chocolate covered fruit and nuts, hot chocolate and boxed sets of bon bons is available at all times.

“This has been a dream of ours since we opened,” says Stock owner Jan Faust Dane. “Many of my customers are elated when they find that we carry it because they know that the gift of Garrison chocolate is always a hit, and now it’s all readily available, seven days a week.”

Each year for Valentine’s Day, Garrison releases its “Legendary Lovers” boxed set collection of boldly flavored and elegantly designed bon bons, with each flavor honoring a famous or infamous couple. This year marks the 15th year of the tradition and the lovers are a roll call of past years’ favorites, including George + Gracie, Scarlett + Rhett and Napoleon + Josephine. Those bon bons and other confections will be available to sample during the instore event.

Stock Culinary Goods, with its Garrison kiosk, is located at 756 Hope Street, Providence near Rochambeau.


Newport Restaurant Group to Welcome ‘Avvio Ristorante’ in former Papa Razzi Location

Newport Restaurant Group’s Award-Winning Portfolio Expands to Include Avvio, an Inspired and Classic-Italian American Eatery in Garden City

Avvio Ristorante exterior rendering

Avvio Ristorante exterior rendering

Newport Restaurant Group, a division of Newport Harbor Corporation, an employee-owned hospitality company, is pleased to announce Avvio, a new restaurant in the former Papa Razzi space in Garden City, Cranston. Avvio will join the Newport Restaurant Group collection as the ninth location in Rhode Island and will embody the essence of everyday Italian dining; a place where friends and family gather, share laughs and celebrate milestones. Papa Razzi will be closed for business beginning on Sunday, January 31st and Avvio will open as a classic Italian eatery in spring 2016.

“When Newport Harbor Corporation purchased seven Papa Razzi restaurants in 2012, it gave us the opportunity to grow our footprint into Massachusetts,” said Paul O’Reilly, CEO and President of Newport Harbor Corporation. “The Cranston location has been successful, but with the growth and expansion of Garden City, we saw an opportunity to refresh the space and enhance its offerings to align with Newport Restaurant Group’s culinary philosophy. These changes will allow us to add Avvio to the Newport Restaurant Group portfolio and to provide guests in the West Bay and statewide the experience they have come to expect from our restaurants and with a similar price point to Papa Razzi.”

Chef Greg Coccio, former Executive Chef at Papa Razzi will remain in this role at Avvio. His efforts will be complemented by Chef Kevin DiLibero, Director of Culinary Arts. Both have been cooking within Newport Restaurant Group for many years and share a passion for and heritage of Italian cooking.

As always, the Newport Restaurant Group’s focus on simple ingredients will be on display, sourced locally and directly from Italy. Prepared with distinct, yet traditional cooking techniques, Avvio’s menu will feature inspired Italian classic dishes along with Neapolitan pizzas and a wood-fired grill.

The culinary team will be augmented by Chef Casey Riley who serves as Chief Operating Officer and oversees the culinary development of each Newport Restaurant Group property. Chef Riley’s extended familial roots are in Cranston and this opening is especially personal and special as Casey’s appreciation of Italian cooking was first nurtured through the traditions passed on to him via the family table.

During the closure, Papa Razzi gift cards will be accepted at all Papa Razzi locations in Massachusetts, as well as at Newport Restaurant Group properties Waterman Grille and Hemenway’s, in nearby Providence. Visit www.paparazzitrattoria.com or www.avvioristorante.com for additional details.

January 27, 2016 0 comment
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News Bites: Local Agriculture and Seafood Act Grants Now Open / Coggeshall Farm Museum Winter Activities

by David Dadekian January 7, 2016
written by David Dadekian

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

The Local Agriculture and Seafood Act (LASA) Grants Program: Application Now Open

Rhode Island Food Policy CouncilThe Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM) is now accepting applications for the LASA 2016 Grants Program.

Details on the LASA program and 2016 LASA Grants Program is available at the RI Food Policy Council website as well as the RI DEM website.

Please click here for application guidelines, and here for the online application.

Online applications are preferred, however mailed or hand-delivered applications are accepted as well. The fillable application in Word format for hard copy submission is available here.

All grant applications are due to RI DEM by 11:59pm on February 16, 2016. Submissions received after will not be considered.

Technical Assistance sessions will be offered in January and February. Details on these will be sent out via email so please remain on this list serve if you would like to receive this information.

The LASA Grants Program is made possible by $100,000 in funding from the State of Rhode Island, and an additional $130,000 in matching funds generously contributed by the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, and the Rhode Island Foundation. This is the third year of this unique, unprecedented public-private partnership aimed at benefitting and strengthening the local food system in Rhode Island.

Click here to view the LASA Showcase booklet featuring the 2013-2014 grantees.


From the Forge to the Hearth, Coggeshall Heats Up Winter Days

Casey Duckett, Assistant Director, operating the the Blacksmith Shop

Casey Duckett, Assistant Director, operating the the Blacksmith Shop

January/February Schedule of Daily Activities
Coggeshall Farm Museum, 1 Colt Dr., Bristol, RI (off Poppasquash Road)

As winter’s cold descends, Coggeshall Farm Museum will warm up visitors with a variety of demonstrations and activities to entice all ages. Experience 18th-century candlemaking, blacksmithing and hearthcooking. Discover Coggeshall’s “Bornstein Collection” of historic hand tools, or help the museum document its 43-year history by identifing photographs from the last four decades.

Coggeshall Farm Museum is a living history museum honoring the the lives of hard-working 18th-century farmers, Rhode Island’s original middle class. Visitors are encouraged to experience first-hand in the daily activities of farm life in all seasons.

Coggeshall is open year-round, Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm. In January and February, you’ll experience the daily life of an 18th-century farm in winter.

The following activities are free to Coggeshall members and included with regular admission for nonmembers (Weekdays: $5/adults; $3/children, seniors and active-duty military. Weekends: $7/adults; $5/children, seniors and active-duty military). For more information on any upcoming activities, visit www.coggeshallfarm.org, call 401-253-9062 or email Cindy Elder at c.elder@coggeshallfarm.org.

Schedule of Activities (January/February)

Bread Baking Preparations

Bread Baking Preparations

Bread Baking
Saturdays, 11 am: Experience bread baked in a beehive brick oven and help prepare bread dough for the next day.

Candlemaking
Saturdays, noon to 2 pm: Learn to make candles from scratch for the long, dark winter ahead using the drip technique and 18th-century molds.

Blacksmith Shop
Sundays, 11 am to 3 pm: Watch our resident blacksmith create nails, knives, hooks and other useful objects in our 18th-century blacksmith shop.

Hearthcooking
Sundays, 11 am to 2 pm: Join us as we cook up something special over the hearth. From soups to jonnycakes or tasty desserts, every Sunday promises a new hearthcooking experience.

Tool Time
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 11 am to 1 pm (or by appointment): View a rotating selection of Coggeshall’s Bornstein Collection of historic hand tools as our Collections Specialist actively researches the origins and uses of each implement. Scholars and researches encouraged to participate. To schedule an appointment with the Collections Specialist, email McKayla Hoffman at m.hoffman@coggeshallfarm.org.

Memory Lane
Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm: Flip through Coggeshall’s collection of photographs from its 43-year history as a nonprofit organization and help identify people and activities from years gone by.

Trail Blazers
By appointment for volunteers age 14 and up (weather dependent): Get some fresh air and help establish a woodlands trail on Coggeshall’s 48-acre site. Volunteers must complete an application and interview prior to work. Project suitable for students seeking community service hours. To participate, email Casey Duckett at c.duckett@coggeshallfarm.org.

January 7, 2016 0 comment
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