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Giusto Chicken Parm Sandwich
chefs & restaurantsnewswine & drinks

News Bites: Giusto “Secret” Winter Menu Items and Lunch / Track 15 Dining Igloos and Curling / Anna’s Taqueria Opens

by David Dadekian February 13, 2026
written by David Dadekian

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


Giusto “Secret” Winter Menu Items and Lunch

Giusto Chicken Parm Sandwich
Giusto Chicken Parm Sandwich

At Giusto in Newport there are two off-menu ‘secret’ items now available for the winter months only. Both are in limited quantity, so they are available until they sell out each night.

On Sunday evenings, it’s the Chicken Parm ($28), Giusto’s take on a Sunday Supper. The pan-fried crispy chicken breast is topped with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella and served with housemade bucatini pasta. Image attached.

On Monday nights, it’s the Giusto Smashburger ($19), a double stack burger with fontina cheese, sweet and tangy housemade bread & butter pickles and n’duja aioli on Martin’s potato roll.

Additionally, lunch is back at Giusto, on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm – 2:30pm. Giusto’s sandwiches are back on the lunch menu. New this year is the Chicken Parm Sandwich, alongside the Giusto Smashburger, Local Fish Sandwich with pickled jalapeno and Porchetta Sandwich with giardiniera and white bean and harissa spread. All sandwiches come with a choice of salt & vinegar potatoes or green salad with baby gem, pear and dill.

View the full lunch menu here.

Giusto Porchetta Sandwich
Giusto Porchetta Sandwich

Curling Now Available at Track 15 

Food Hall Leans into Winter with Dining Igloos and Curling

Track 15 Igloo
Track 15 Igloo

The Track 15 food hall, located at 1 Union Station in downtown Providence, is embracing the winter season with outdoor dining igloos, a menu of cozy cocktails and mocktails, and the addition of “street curling” rinks.

The sport of curling has exploded in popularity in recent years, and Track 15 is proud to offer two street-versions of the rink, the perfect way to enjoy the brisk winter air. Lanes are available for walk-ins or reservations during regular operating hours. Each lane can accommodate two to six players; the cost is $20 per lane per hour. For more information, visit track15ri.com/events/street-curling.

“With the bustle of the holiday season behind us, we are leaning into winter!” said Christopher Marsella, Owner, Track 15. “We are proud to give guests a new way to enjoy their Track 15 favorites in this season.  These additions exemplify our ongoing commitment as a true gathering place for great food, drinks, and fun in the heart of downtown Providence – even when we’re under a blanket of snow.”

Guests can enjoy their favorite Track 15 food and drink in one of two new dining igloos on the outdoor plaza. Each igloo accommodates up to eight guests, and contains a dining table and chairs, mini electric fireplaces for heat, rugs, blankets, and soft lighting. The “Hearthside” igloo boasts a warm winter lodge feel while the “Encore” igloo is glamorous and dramatic. Igloos are available for booking during regular opening hours in two-hour increments. A $50 reservation fee is required and there is a $150 food and beverage minimum. To more information and to reserve an igloo, visit www.track15ri.com. https://track15ri.com/events/dining-igloos/.

Indoors or out, guests can enjoy a variety of winter libations at the food hall, including the Winter Sangria: Courvoisier VS Cognac, PAMA liqueur, housemade grenadine, orange, red wine, and ginger beer; the Blood Orange Spritz: sparkling rosé, Campari, triple sec, blood orange; and Slings & Arils: Track 15 ISCO gin, Genepy alpine herbal liqueur, housemade grenadine, and lime. The beverage team has also launched an Old Fashioned of the Month program. January featuresOld Grandad Bonded Bourbon with sugar, Angostura and Regan’s Orange Bitters, and orange peel.

Hot drinks include Mulled Hot Apple Cider with Minard Farms cider, winter spices, Planteray Original Dark Rum; Cinnamon Hot Cocoa featuring Track 15’s hot cocoa blend, Grainger’s Organic Vodka, and  whipped cream; and the Hot Toddy: Slane Irish Whiskey, English breakfast tea, honey, and lemon.

Seasonal zero proof libations include the Blood Orange “Rita” with Clean Co. non-alcoholic “tequila,” blood orange, and lime; the Hee Haw: Clean Co. “whiskey” with apple cider, lemon, and ginger beer; Dry Cane Swizzle with Lyre’s Dark Cane “rum”, housemade winter spiced pineapple shrub, lime, soda water, and fresh mint; the Italian Spritz with DelConte NA Aperitif, soda water, and rosemary; and the Bramble On!: Lyre’s London Dry “Gin”, housemade blackberry-sage shrub, lemon, and soda. Non-alcoholic beers include Notch IPA or Pilsner, Collective Arts Guava Gose, and Best Day Electro Lime Cerveza.


Anna’s Taqueria Makes its Ocean State Debut with $3.50 Burritos on February 24

Boston’s beloved homegrown brand opens first location in Rhode Island, features 1995 throwback burrito pricing on opening day  

Anna’s Taqueria – the homegrown Boston brand that has been delivering warm bundles of burritos, tacos and quesadillas as well as heaping Mexican bowls and salads since 1995 – will open its first location in Rhode Island on February 24 at the Garden City Center in Cranston. 

Inspired by San Francisco’s Mission District, Anna’s Taqueria was first conceived with the goal of bringing the homestyle flavor of Mexican street food to the people while celebrating community. With its entry into the Ocean State, Anna’s is continuing its exciting expansion in southern New England having opened four new locations in the past year. 

Debuting within the area’s premier open-air lifestyle plaza that features the best local flavors, Anna’s Taqueria’s newest outpost features a bright and welcoming nearly-3,000 square foot dining space complete with high-top communal tables, booths and traditional table seating options for 42 guests. Anna’s Taqueria carefully prepares every order using the finest and freshest ingredients including a lineup of signature proteins like birria, carnitas, al pastor, and more. Additionally, Anna’s Taqueria at Garden City Center will serve Anna’s new protein bowls that pack up to 98 grams of protein per order.  

On its opening day, in honor of rolling burritos since 1995, Anna Taqueria will dial back the hands of time and offer its legendary super burritos – 12″ fresh hot flour tortillas customized to your taste and packed with a main filling, cheese, rice, beans, lettuce, pico, hot sauce and jalapeños – at its original 1995 pricing, $3.50* per oversized bundle of love. Rounding out the festivities will be a prize wheel, swag, and availability of limited-edition Anna’s Cranston t-shirts. 

“The Anna’s brand has so much love to share, and we couldn’t be happier to be bringing that to Rhode Island,” said Rob Favuzza, President of Anna’s Taqueria. “With Garden City Center’s mission of bringing community together, it is the perfect home for us.” 

Anna’s Taqueria is located at 185 Sockanosset Cross Road in Cranston. For more information, please call (401) 593-3223 or visit www.annas.com. For access to exclusive insider perks, download the Anna’s Taqueria app.

*Redeemable in-store only, one burrito per person. Premium add-ons priced à la carte.

February 13, 2026 0 comments
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von Trapp Brewing
newswine & drinks

News Bites: Sons of Liberty Spirits Co. Keeps Winning Awards / von Trapp Brewing Arrives in Rhode Island

by David Dadekian May 9, 2019
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 Co. Wins Best United States Contemporary Style Gin from 2016 World Gin Awards

Rhode Island Craft Distillery Garners Top National Honors From Global Gin Industry’s Most Prestigious Blind Tasting Competition

Sons of Liberty Spirits Co.

Sons of Liberty Spirits Co. has been named the United States’ Best Contemporary Style Gin by the 2016 World Gin Awards, presented by TheDrinksReport.Com.

Sons of Liberty, the only American distillery honored in this year’s final round of judging, was awarded the reputable title for its revolutionary, True Born Gin – The Belgian Wheat Act, part of the first-ever gin line distilled from craft style beers.

“When we launched True Born we sought to prove that there is much more to gin than neutral spirits infused with a myriad of botanicals,” said Sons of Liberty Founder, Mike Reppucci. “We are truly honored to win this award, less than a year after distributing our first case, and we will continue to redefine American Spirits with our beer-into-spirit methodology.”

Similar to the innovative distillation process that earned Sons of Liberty the titles of World’s Best Flavored (2014) and North America’s Best Flavored (2015) in the whiskey category, Sons of Liberty started with beer. They brewed a Belgian Wheat beer for The Belgian Wheat Act, composed of barley, wheat and oats and infused that mash with coriander, sweet orange peel, lemongrass, cascade and chinook hops. In the gin basket, the same botanicals present in the mash are infused with the spirit in addition to juniper berries (a requirement for gin).

Coined “A lovely drink that takes pride in its spirit,” by the esteemed panel of judges in this year’s blind tasting competition, The Belgian Wheat Act is distilled four times, but never above 160 proof – providing an amazingly full body and rich flavor. The motive behind The Belgian Wheat Act’s unique distillation was to carry the distinct flavors of the Belgian Wheat beer through to the gin and to clearly identify its origin to the consumer.

Sons of Liberty launched True Born Gin in the summer of 2015, following years of establishing a distillery reputation for producing some of the finest, and most unique craft whiskey on the planet. Sons of Liberty’s seasonal flavored and single malt whiskies have been awarded more than 45 blind tasting honors since 2009, including two separate titles from the World Whiskies Awards presented by Whisky Magazine.

“We owe a big thank you to those who participated in our focus groups for this gin early last year,” said Reppucci. “That makes this win that much sweeter for us in Rhode Island, some of our biggest fans helped us develop the product into what it is now.”

The World Gin Awards are part of the renowned World Drinks Awards programme, launched in 2007 with the World Whiskies Awards and World Beer Awards. Presented by TheDrinksReport.com, the world’s No. 1 online resource for drinks professionals. The World Gin Awards select, reward and promote the best Gin Taste and Design to consumers and trade across the globe.


Sons of Liberty Spirits Co. Notches Double Gold Honors for Its Vaunted True Born Gin at 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Rhode Island Craft Distillery Garners Highest Medal Honors at International Blind Tasting Competition

Sons of Liberty Spirits Co. is proud to announce its True Born Gin has been unanimously awarded Double Gold honors at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC).Less than a year after releasing its revolutionary, True Born Gin – The Belgian Wheat Act, part of the first-ever gin line distilled from craft style beers, Sons of Liberty was awarded Double Gold by a panel of judges at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The Double Gold award, which is recognized as the competition’s highest medal honor, signifies an “outstanding” review; earning top marks from all judges comprising a blind tasting panel.

“When we launched True Born we sought to prove that there is much more to gin than neutral spirits infused with a myriad of botanicals,” said Sons of Liberty Founder, Mike Reppucci. “We are equally thrilled and humbled to win our first Double Gold, especially with a product that doesn’t follow the traditional processes, as this was a Belgian Wheat beer distilled into a Gin. How cool is that?”

Winning a coveted SFWSC medal is no easy feat. This year’s Double Gold win marks the first time Sons of Liberty accomplished the feat at the esteemed blind tasting competition. Medal winners are chosen after being put through a rigorous judging process – a highly controlled operation held over four days of precise blind tastings by a panel of judges that are understood around the world to be the best the industry has to offer.

Sons of Liberty launched True Born Gin in the summer of 2015, following years of establishing a distillery reputation for producing some of the finest, and most unique craft whiskies on the planet. Their seasonal flavored and single malt whiskies have been awarded more than 45 blind tasting honors since 2009.

Similar to the innovative distillation process that earned Sons of Liberty countless blind tasting awards in the whiskey category, the craft distillery started their True Born Gin with beer. They brewed a Belgian Wheat beer for The Belgian Wheat Act, which is composed of barley, wheat and oats and infused that mash with coriander, sweet orange peel, lemongrass, cascade and chinook hops. In the gin basket, the same botanicals present in the mash are infused with the spirit in addition to juniper berries (a requirement for gin).

Since its introduction in 2000, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition has become one of the most respected and influential spirits competitions in the world. And over the course of 16 years, award wins at the SFWSC have come to be the known as an industry standard as a reliable indication of a spirit’s excellence and integrity.


von Trapp Brewing Announces Rhode Island Distribution

von Trapp Brewing
von Trapp Brewing

von Trapp Brewing is pleased to present the release of their Austrian inspired lagers to the state of Rhode Island beginning April 18, 2016.

The Austrian-Style beers are brewed with pure Vermont spring water sourced from their property in Stowe, VT and the finest traditional ingredients. Following the family heritage, the brewery incorporates the German Beer Purity Laws; “Reinheitsgebot”, while crafting their unique lagers. Von Trapp Brewing’s current distribution footprint includes Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, and now Rhode Island.

“While Rhode Island’s Craft breweries have a great reputation,” says Sam von Trapp, Executive VP of Operations. “We at von Trapp Brewing are extremely excited to bring our crisp lagers to the Ocean State beer community.”

von Trapp Brewing has selected McLaughlin & Moran, Inc. of Cranston, to serve as its distributor for this exciting Rhode Island launch. Founded in 1936 McLaughlin & Moran remains family owned and operated with an outstanding reputation for sales and marketing expertise, customer service and community involvement over the past eight decades. “We sincerely believe that we have found in McLaughlin & Moran the ideal distributor to represent our quality lager beers in Rhode Island”, says Sam von Trapp.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to introduce the award winning portfolio of von Trapp beers to our market”, says Terry Moran, President of McLaughlin & Moran. “The von Trapp brewery has an exceptional story to tell, be it the family’s heritage; the world class facility in Stowe, VT, and most importantly the quality of its beers.”

In spring of 2015, the 36,000-square-foot brewery began packaging 4 year-round lagers; Golden Helles, the two-time award-winning Bohemian Pilsner, Dunkel, and Vienna Style. They also feature three seasonals; Oktoberfest, Trösten, and Weissbier. With summer fast approaching, von Trapp Brewing will release its 4th seasonal, India Pale Lager; A floral hop experience supported by the complexity of lager.

The brewery is built and operated on the 2,500 acre grounds of the Trapp Family Lodge, a unique, four-season resort specializing in European-style accommodations and cuisine, spectacular mountain vistas, upscale amenities, and outdoor activities.

May 9, 2019 0 comments
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chefs & restaurantsfarmsnewswine & drinks

Chef Jamie Bissonnette Wins Cochon 555 Boston 2012

by David Dadekian March 26, 2012
written by David Dadekian

Chef Jamie Bissonnette's Bánh Mì of Coppa, Kidney Spread, Head Cheese and Ham

Chef Jamie Bissonnette's Bánh Mì of Coppa, Kidney Spread, Head Cheese and Ham

Chef Jamie Bissonnette of Coppa and Toro in Boston was the winner of the fourth annual Cochon 555 Boston competition. The event, held this year at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Boston was even more over-the-top than years past with a packed ballroom of people eating outstanding pork dishes from Bissonnette along with the four other competitors, Chefs Barbara Lynch and Colin Lynch of Menton, Barry Maiden of Hungry Mother, Tim Cushman of O Ya and Steve Postal of Fenway Park.

To underscore how Cochon 555 brings out the best competitors, last week Chefs Bissonette and Cushman were named James Beard Foundation award finalists for Best Chef: Northeast. One of Chef Lynch’s other restaurants in her Barbara Lynch Gruppo, No. 9 Park, is a finalist for the Beard Foundation Awards’ Outstanding Wine Program. Also at the Cochon 555 Boston event was a third Beard Foundation Award Best Chef: Northeast nominee, Chef Matt Jennings of Farmstead & La Laiterie. This was the first year that Providence, Rhode Island favorite Jennings did not compete in the Cochon 555, having won all three of the previous Boston events. Jennings was on hand as part of the Le Creuset challenge.

Cochon is the brainchild of Brady Lowe who now hosts fourteen culinary events around the United States each year with the goal of supporting sustainable agriculture. The journey begins every January when Cochon 555 embarks on a 10-city culinary competition and tasting tour. Fifty chefs are selected to prepare a “snout -to-tail” menu created from heritage breed pigs. The ten local winners are flown to the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen for the final competition, Grand Cochon. Three other national events—Cochon All-Star, Cochon Heritage Fire and a BBQ competition—bring even bigger voices to the cause of whole animal utilization.

As the winner, Bissonnette will now compete in Aspen, Colorado at the Grand Cochon U.S. Tour Finale during the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. Congratulations to Chef Bissonnette and his entire team. Good luck in Aspen. Below is a selection of fifteen photographs highlighting tonight’s event. You can view posts and photos from previous years here.

Chef Jamie Bissonnette with his trophy (Chef Tim Cushman to left)

Chef Jamie Bissonnette with his trophy (Chef Tim Cushman to left)

Chef Bissonnette's plate, clockwise from upper left: La Lot Vietnamese Sausage, Bánh Mì, Pig Foot Rillette, Pork Belly Pho

Chef Bissonnette's plate, clockwise from upper left: La Lot Vietnamese Sausage, Bánh Mì, Pig Foot Rillette, Pork Belly Pho

Chicken Fried Head Cheese with bacon waffle and maple syrup from Chef Colin Lynch of Barbara Lynch Gruppo

Chicken Fried Head Cheese with bacon waffle and maple syrup from Chef Colin Lynch of Barbara Lynch Gruppo

Chef Colin Lynch of Menton slicing ham

Chef Colin Lynch of Menton slicing ham

The Hungry Mother team, Chef Barry Maiden in center, preparing their platter of six dishes

The Hungry Mother team, Chef Barry Maiden in center, preparing their platter of six dishes

O Ya's ingenious menu presentation, "printed" on pig skin

O Ya's ingenious menu presentation, "printed" on pig skin

 

Chef Steve Postal brought a large display of Red Sox items with him from Fenway Park, including . . .

Chef Steve Postal brought a large display of Red Sox items with him from Fenway Park, including . . .

. . . yes, that's a World Series trophy! Chef Postal brought both the 2004 & 2007 Red Sox World Series Champion trophies for display. That's Postal serving his Pork Blood Ice Cream over a "Pork Crispy Treat"

. . . yes, that's a World Series trophy! Chef Postal brought both the 2004 & 2007 Red Sox World Series Champion trophies for display. That's Postal serving his Pork Blood Ice Cream over a "Pork Crispy Treat"

The crowd watching the Lemay & Sons Beef butchery demo of a whole Berkshire from Brambly Farms

The crowd watching the Lemay & Sons Beef butchery demo of a whole Berkshire from Brambly Farms

All that beautifully butchered Brambly Farms Berkshire pig

All that beautifully butchered Brambly Farms Berkshire pig

Daniel Hyatt from The Alembic in San Francisco prepared the perfect Manhattans with an assortment of small batch bourbons

Daniel Hyatt from The Alembic in San Francisco prepared the perfect Manhattans with an assortment of small batch bourbons

Hyatt's beautifully presented Manhattan in a Mason jar

Hyatt's beautifully presented Manhattan in a Mason jar

Chef Bissonnette with a magic ingredient Blis Small Batch Bourbon Barrel Aged Fish Sauce

Chef Bissonnette with a magic ingredient Blis Small Batch Bourbon Barrel Aged Fish Sauce

from left to right: Chef Barry Maiden of Hungry Mother, Chef Colin Lynch of Menton, Chef Steve Postal of Fenway Park, Cochon 555 founder Brady Lowe, Chef Barbara Lynch of Barbara Lynch Gruppo, Chef Tim Cushman of O Ya and Chef Jamie Bissonnette of Coppa and Toro

from left to right: Chef Barry Maiden of Hungry Mother, Chef Colin Lynch of Menton, Chef Steve Postal of Fenway Park, Cochon 555 founder Brady Lowe, Chef Barbara Lynch of Barbara Lynch Gruppo, Chef Tim Cushman of O Ya and Chef Jamie Bissonnette of Coppa and Toro

Chef Jamie Bissonnette and Cochon 555 founder Brady Lowe embrace after Lowe announces Bissonnette as the Boston winner. Chef Matt Jennings cheers in the background

Chef Jamie Bissonnette and Cochon 555 founder Brady Lowe embrace after Lowe announces Bissonnette as the Boston winner. Chef Matt Jennings cheers in the background

March 26, 2012 0 comments
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