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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: Sons of Liberty Spirits Co. / Billy’s Restaurant / RI Food Fights

by David Dadekian January 15, 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.

Sons of Liberty Spirits and J. Rieger & Co. Make Friendly NFL Whiskey Wager For Saturday’s AFC Divisional Playoff Matchup Between the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs

Case of Whiskey, Hometown Pride & Bragging Rights are on the Line Leading up to Kick-off at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, January 16th 4:35pm

Sons of Liberty Spirits Co.Rhode Island’s Sons of Liberty Spirits and Kansas City’s J. Rieger & Co. are putting a case of their finest whiskey on the line for the AFC Divisional matchup between the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs this Saturday, January 16th at 4:35 p.m. If the Patriots win, J. Rieger & Co. must send a case of their finest whiskey to the Sons of Liberty Spirits distillery in South Kingstown, RI and the reverse if the Chiefs are victorious.

Friendly trash-talking will take place between the two distilleries over Twitter (@SOLspirits & @JRiegerCo), Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #NFLWhiskeyWars. Social media followers of both brands are encouraged to weigh in as well. The losing team’s respective distillery will also have to take a photo with the opposing team’s jerseys next week while distilling their own whiskey.


Billy’s Restaurant Named in OpenTable’s Best Overall Restaurants in Boston/New England

Barrington-based restaurant is the only eatery named in Rhode Island

Billy’s, located at 286 Maple Avenue in Barrington, has been named in OpenTable’s Best Restaurants in Boston/New England diners’ choice list. The American bistro/tavern was designated a top-ten diners’ choice winner, and is the only eatery in Rhode Island to make the list.

Each month, OpenTable™ analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews and sorts results by category to help diners discover new favorites. Billy’s is currently rated a 4.7 out of five stars on the dining site with 100% of the diners who rated the restaurant recommending it to a friend.

“We are so honored that our diners took the time to give us such great reviews on OpenTable,” said Bill Dessel, Owner, Billy’s. “I’m very proud of the team at Billy’s who strive to provide our guests the highest-quality dining experience possible in a warm, inviting and unpretentious setting.”

Billy’s is also ‘loved for,’ the following categories on the site: Overall Restaurant Boston/New England; Neighborhood Gem, Boston/New England; Overall Restaurant Rhode Island; Service, Rhode Island; Neighborhood Gem, Rhode Island; Contemporary American, Rhode Island.


RI FOOD FIGHTS Celebrates Big Year for Local Food, Kicks Off Even Bigger 2016

New Year of food competitions already in full swing with third annual Lord of the Wings

RI FOOD FIGHTS2015 was the biggest year ever for RI FOOD FIGHTS and 2016 will be even bigger. The largest series of food competitions in Southern New England, RI FOOD FIGHTS showcased over 120 local restaurants and food vendors in its fifth year, attracting over 2,200 attendees to a series of three in-person events and selling over 4,900 passports for six virtual events.

The three in-person events – the Great CUPCAKE Championship, the Incredible ICE CREAM Throwdown, and the Spectacular COOKIE Smackdown – drew sold out crowds to Pawtucket’s Hope Artiste Village and Wayland Square on the East Side of Providence. Competitors offered their best treats, vying to be the overall winner as determined by a panel of industry experts and the People’s Choice, as voted by attendees.

The virtual events put the spotlight on some of Rhode Island’s favorite foods and drinks, including pizza, calamari, and iced coffee. These month-long competitions allow purchasers of coupon-based passports to sample the best from restaurants around the state, with the winner determined by online voting. The results have dramatically increased awareness and engagement with participating businesses. On average 250 visitors visit each restaurant during each event, approximately 70 percent of whom are first-time customers.

RI FOOD FIGHTS also helped the nonprofit community, staging a creative cake decorating competition as part of the Sojourner House’s annual Masquerade Ball fundraiser and donating a portion of the proceeds from the Taco MANIA virtual event to RI Latino Arts.

The schedule for 2016 is jam-packed, with the three in-person events returning in spring (cupcakes), summer (ice cream), and fall (cookies). The number of virtual events will increase to eight, showcasing everything from burgers to tacos to Italian grinders. RI FOOD FIGHTS will also team up with RI Latino Arts again for Taco MANIA in September and Sojourner House for another cake competition in November. A cross-promotion with Millennial Professional Group of RI will spotlight Millennial-owned restaurants in March.

The New Year is already in full swing with the 3rd Annual LORD of the WINGS, a virtual event running through January 31. Over 20 restaurants throughout Rhode Island are participating in the chicken wing competition.

The growth of RI FOOD FIGHTS has been significant over the past five years, and the positive response from local foodies and restaurants alike has been overwhelming. “It was a glorious event that I’ll never forget,” one fan of the Lord of the Pies virtual pizza competition posted on social media. “If you live in Rhode Island and don’t know about RI FOOD FIGHTS, you’re doing it wrong,” commented another. “When I first heard about RI FOOD FIGHTS I knew I had to be a part of it,” said restaurateur Joe Tomaselli of Tomaselli’s at Rosario. “I’ve participated in every event since last year’s Lord of the Wings, and the results speak for themselves: every event brings new customers into my restaurant, and a lot of them keep coming back.”

“There are so many great spots in Rhode Island to have an amazing meal. RI FOOD FIGHTS makes it easier for folks to try brand new places. We are constantly hearing from fans that have a brand new favorite place for pizza, burgers, calamari, or iced coffee!” said founder Jim Nellis. “Last year was huge, this year will be even bigger. We’re hungry for so much more in 2016.”

RI FOOD FIGHTS 2016 Schedule

In-person Events:
March 20*: 5th Annual Great CUPCAKE Championship

June 5*: 5th Annual Incredible ICE CREAM Throwdown

December 5*: 5th Annual Spectacular COOKIE Smackdown

Virtual Events:
Through January 31*: 3rd Annual Lord of the Wings (chicken wings)

February 1-29*: NEW – Italian GRINDER Throwdown

March1-31*: NEW – Millennial Madness w/ Millennial Professional Group of RI (Millennial-owned restaurants)

May 1-31*: 3rd Annual Big BURGER Blowout

July 1-31*: 3rd Annual Iced COFFEE Summer Celebration

August 1-September 30*: 2nd Annual CALAMARI Throwdown

September 15-October 15*: 2nd Annual Taco MANIA

October 1-31*: 3rd Annual Lord of the Pies (pizza)

November (exact date TBD): Creative Cake Competition at Sojourner House Masquerade Ball

*Exact dates subject to change; check rifoodfights.com for updated info

January 15, 2016 0 comment
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chefs & restaurantsnews

Edible Creations by Gerry wins RI Food Fights The Spectacular Cookie Smackdown 2015

by David Dadekian December 6, 2015
written by David Dadekian
RI Food Fights Spectacular Cookie Smackdown winner Edible Creations by Gerry surrounded by Santa and the judges

RI Food Fights Spectacular Cookie Smackdown winner Edible Creations by Gerry surrounded by Santa and the judges

The final Rhode Island Food Fights event of 2015, the 4th Annual Spectacular Cookie Smackdown, was held this past Sunday, December 6th at Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket. Ten area bakeries specializing in cookies and sweet treats competed to see who had the best, according to a panel of five culinary judges (which included this writer), along with competing for the People’s Choice. Three trophies, created by Ahlers Designs, were awarded to the winners.

According to judges Jenny Currier of Motif, previous two-time Cookie Smackdown winner Katrin Schnippering of Eye Cookies, Chuck Staton & Brad Rohrer from The Chuck and Brad Podcast and David Dadekian of Eat Drink RI, first place went to Edible Creations by Gerry for their gingerbread cookie. The judges’ winner for second place was Bake It Better. The Peoples’ Choice Award went to Julians. Congratulations to all the winners.

RI Food Fights was created and produced by Jim Nellis. John Taraborelli and Matt Coupe entertainingly hosted the event.

December 6, 2015 0 comment
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Lincoln Creamery Wins Rhode Island Food Fights Incredible Ice Cream Throwdown 2015

by David Dadekian June 29, 2015
written by David Dadekian
The winners of the 4th Annual Incredible Ice Cream Throwdown, Lincoln Creamery, with The TropiGals, photo by Ray McGinnis

The winners of the 4th Annual Incredible Ice Cream Throwdown, Lincoln Creamery, with The TropiGals, photo by Ray McGinnis

The second Rhode Island Food Fights event of 2015, the 4th Annual Incredible Ice Cream Throwdown, was held this past Sunday, June 28th at the Rhode Island Eye Institute in Providence. Seven ice cream makers–Frosty Freez, ProvidenceG, Julians, Lincoln Creamery, Newport Creamery, Sundaes and Warwick Ice Cream Co.–competed to see who had the best, according to a panel of three culinary judges (which included this writer), along with competing for the People’s Choice. Three trophies, created by Ahlers Designs, were awarded to the winners.

According to judges, Sierra Barter of The Lady Project, David Dadekian of Eat Drink RI, and Katrin Wingels Schnippering of Eye Cookies, first place went to Lincoln Creamery for their Peanut Butter Caramel Cookie Dough ice cream. Judges’ second place went to Julians‘ White Chocolate Key Lime Pie ice cream. The Lila Delman Real Estate Lila Cares People’s Choice was awarded to Warwick Ice Cream Co. Congratulations to all the winners.

RI Food Fights was created and produced by Jim Nellis. John Taraborelli and Matt Coupe entertainingly hosted the event. The TropiGals very elegantly provided ice cream and support to everyone involved.

4th Annual Incredible Ice Cream Throwdown prizewinner artwork by Ahlers Designs

4th Annual Incredible Ice Cream Throwdown prizewinner artwork by Ahlers Designs

June 29, 2015 0 comment
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