Eat Drink RI
The best local food and beverage information in Rhode Island
  • Interviews
    • The Show
    • Subscribe as a Podcast
    • RI Small Business LIVE Forum on Facebook
  • Upcoming Events
  • Food & Beverage Jobs
    • Post A Job
    • Job Dashboard
  • Latest News
  • COVID Support
    • Restaurants with Online Ordering and Take Out
    • Shop Local Food & Drink Businesses Online
    • The Rhode to Recovery: RI Food and Drink, Part 1 of 4
    • The Rhode to Recovery: RI Food and Drink, Part 2 of 4
    • The Rhode to Recovery: RI Food and Drink, Part 3 of 4
    • The Rhode to Recovery: RI Food and Drink, Part 4 of 4
    • Resource Links for Small Businesses During COVID-19 Crisis
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
    • Shopping
    • About
    • Contact
Tag:

workshop

loading...

chefs & restaurantscookingfarmsnews

News Bites: RI James Beard Foundation Award Semifinalist, Farm Fresh RI March Madness, Haven Brothers Documentary on RIPBS, Green with Bleu Workshop Series at Hope & Main, The Mooring’s Weekly Specials

by David Dadekian March 3, 2015
written by David Dadekian
Chef Champe Speidel at Persimmon Provisions

Chef Champe Speidel at Persimmon Provisions

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

Another James Beard Foundation Nod for Persimmon’s Champe Speidel

The 2015  James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards Semifinalists were recently announced and Rhode Island’s own Chef Champe Speidel, co-owner of Persimmon in Bristol and Persimmon Provisions in Barrington, was named in the Best Chef: Northeast category.

The Semifinalists will be narrowed down to a list of finalists on Tuesday, March 24 and then winners will be announced at the Awards Gala in New York City on May 4 at what is essentially the Oscars® ceremony of the food world. View the complete list of semifinalists here.

 


March Madness at the Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market

Seasonal Sales, Cooking Demos, Games, Events and Prizes!

March is a challenging month for local farmers. It signals the start of a long thaw from a harsh winter and the beginning of work for planning next year’s harvest. It is also typically a slow time for retail sales at the market. Given the seasonality of farming, March is the time of year when farmers and producers need your business and support the most.

To celebrate these local heroes, Farm Fresh Rhode Island is hosting March Madness at the Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market. Shop at the market every Saturday in March to take advantage of seasonal sales and participate in a series of events, cooking demos, and a one-of-a-kind scavenger hunt and raffle with a chance to win over $250 in prizes.

March Madness Events include:

  • March 7th – Cooking Demos by Chef Scott of Melville Grille and Chef Fab of Nosh Eatery
  • March 14th – Humble Pie’s Second Annual Pi(e) Day Pie Eating Contest
  • March 21st – Hope & Main and Bucket Brewery Sample Showcase
  • March 28th – Cooking Demo by the African Alliance of Rhode Island

What to expect:

  • Baskets . . . of delicious produce to feature on your dinner table!
  • Dunks . . . of fresh baked-goods into steamy, locally roasted coffee!
  • Hoops . . . used to support greenhouses that make winter harvests possible!
  • Nets . . . that harvest fresh-caught seafood!

Participating in March Madness is a great way to support local agriculture, empower small businesses and create a vibrant community with local food at the center of every table. To find out more about March Madness, visit www.farmfresh.org/winter.

The Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market is open every Saturday from 9am – 1pm at the Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket. Take advantage of RIPTA’s R-Line to be dropped off at the door of 1005 Main Street in Pawtucket!

 


Original Food Truck Movie TV Premiere on RI PBS!
Thursday, March 5, 9:30 p.m.

The Original Food Truck,” Haven Brothers: Legacy of the American Diner tells the story of Haven Brothers Diner, the oldest operating diner on wheels. The original fast food – and the first food truck owned by woman – this late night lunch cart has served patrons for more than 120 years.

“The Original Food Truck,” Haven Brothers: Legacy of the American Diner premieres on Rhode Island PBS on Thursday, March 5 at 9:30 p.m. David Piccerelli, Rhode Island PBS president, and Margie O’Brien, television producer, present the documentary in segments taped in a full-size replica of a diner exhibited inside the Culinary Arts Museum on the Johnson & Wales University Bayside Campus. Museum Curator and diner expert Richard Gutman provides entertaining and informative information about the original “fast food joints.”

Located in the birthplace of the American diner, Providence, RI, the Haven Brothers diner was almost lost to the modernizing of Providence. The political decision to move the diner from its reserved parking spot next to Providence City Hall was considered blasphemous by its loyal followers, and the ensuing public outrage successfully reversed the ill-conceived notion.

The documentary recounts that story, as well as traces the history of Haven Brothers truck and its owners over the years. The story is told by dozens of fans, in what quickly becomes an endearing, humorous cavalcade of Rhode Island’s famous and infamous personalities. Only in Rhode Island!

The story of Haven Brothers is a rich commentary on the American Dream, the American diet, and what it is to be a success.

 


Hope & Main's 'Green with Bleu' series

Hope & Main’s ‘Green with Bleu’ series

‘Green with Bleu’ Series to Offer Classes on Bone Broth, Fermentation, Seeding and more

New Englanders can forget this winter’s weather and start focusing on spring in the upcoming ‘Green with Bleu’ workshop series at Hope & Main.

Led by the Bleu Grijalva of New Urban Farmers, the nine-class series will run March through May and include Basics of Bone Broth, Fermentation Basics, B is for Brassicas, Easy Seed Starting, The Succession Garden and more. Cost ranges from $25-$33, with supplies included in the registration fee.

Classes are offered on Wednesday evenings from 6-8 p.m., and will take place at Hope & Main, 691 Main Street in Warren. Registration is required. Complete class list:

March 11: Easy Seed Starting in the Garden and Indoors
Starting seeds early is essential for planning out quality succession planting in your garden. From soil and substrates and indoor lighting to basic care needs, this class will explore the simple and easy steps to seed starting directly in the garden and indoors. The workshop will also include demonstrations on cloning, soil blocking and more. Participants who are fans of heirloom and special varieties of garden favorites like tomatoes, peppers, flowers and herbs, will learn how to improve garden growth and increase harvest. Students will leave class with seeds galore! Cost: $29. Register: http://gwbmarch11.eventbrite.com

March 18: Necessary Nourishment: Feeding Plants for Healthy Harvest
What is an organic fertilizer? Can you compost at home? Get answers to all of your organic gardening questions and learn the basic principles and techniques of foliar feeding, soil amendments and simple observation skills. We will discuss various nutrient techniques and forms of growing, including biodynamics and soil mineralization, and practices to help you provide plants with the extra nutrients to ensure plant health and a bountiful organic fruit and vegetable harvest. Cost: $29. Register: http://gwbmarch18.eventbrite.com

March 25: The Succession Garden
This class will focus on how to cultivate a perfect succession garden at home. Participants will learn how to plant one crop after another and to interplant gardens to maximize seasonal harvest. When you grow within a short and intense planting season it is important to plan on proper soil amendments throughout your season. This workshop will walk you from spring through fall on crop planning and soil-fertilizer plans to make your garden grow to your desired needs, as well as how food crops, herb plants and flowers all can be grown together to benefit each other when planted with good planning. This class is great for folks who like to grow a variety of plants and for those who want to maximize garden yields during the growing season. Cost: $25. Register: http://gwbmarch25.eventbrite.com

April 1: Living Soils
Soil is a living system and the heartbeat of your garden. When we begin to understand what soil health means we can then determine how best to support the life in the soil, eliminating dependence on synthetic pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. By encouraging organisms in the soil, we get healthy soil and clean water, sequester carbon, and grow beautiful landscapes and food crops that truly nurture us from the inside out. This class will touch on how to create and maintain a healthy soil. Learn how to nourish your soil that will ultimately nourish you! Cost: $25. Register: http://gwbapril1.eventbrite.com

April 8: Basics of Bone Broth
Referred to as a great gut soother and beauty elixir, bone broth is a super healing food that is said to help to ease food intolerance and allergies, heal a leaky gut, strengthen joints, ease depression and anxiety, strengthen hair, skin and nails, and boost the immune system. This class will discuss the benefits of homemade broth and the importance of properly sourcing your ingredients. Drawing inspiration from “Nourishing Traditions” and “The Heal Your Gut Cookbook,” participants will learn various preparation techniques for busy cooks and will walk away with a week’s worth of nutrient-dense recipes based on variations of this wonderful traditional food. The workshop will also include a general discussion about gelatin, collagen, broth, and healing the gut for optimal health. We will also have samples of broth to share and enjoy. Cost: $33 (includes materials). Register:http://gwbapril8.eventbrite.com

April 15: Fermentation Basics
An introduction to the ancient practice of fermentation, this workshop will demonstrate three do-it-yourself recipes in fermenting vegetables, Kombucha (fermented tea) and Tsukemono (Japanese pickles). Using lactic acid fermentation, or lacto-fermentation, this process is among the most common preservation methods and one of the easiest to experiment with at home. An anaerobic process in which bacteria convert sugar into lactic acid, the process acts as a preservative and creates beneficial enzymes, B-vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids and various strains of probiotics. Whether you’re an enthusiast of culinary tradition, interested in potential health benefits or simply enjoy trying new food preparation techniques, this class will be your how-to guide in creating ferments at home. Cost: $33 (includes canning jars, materials). Register: http://gwbapril15.eventbrite.com

April 22: B is for Brassica
Dive deep into the delicious and bountiful world of Brassicas! Impress your friends and neighbors with year-round kale, broccoli, cauliflower, mustard greens and more, grown right on your balcony, along driveway or in your backyard. In this class we will learn how to cultivate these well-adapted and nutritious vegetables in coastal New England gardens. We will learn the history of these delectable vegetables along with how to plant, grow, harvest and, of course, how to cook and eat them too. Cost: $25. Register: http://gwbapril22.eventbrite.com

April 29: Organic Lawn and Garden Care at Home
Planning, creativity and sustainable products are essential for flourishing organic gardening systems and low-maintenance organic lawns. Learn more about effective and natural maintenance practices that will keep your lawn beautiful while keeping your labor to a minimum. Topics covered will include weed control, watering techniques, food & fertilizers, pest management, mulch and other organic cultivation tips to keep both your lawn and garden on track. This class will save you time and money on your lawn and garden care at home – no need to pay expensive lawn care fees when you can do it all at home chemical-free! Cost: $25. Register:http://gwbapril29.eventbrite.com

May 6: Greens with Bleu
Fresh salad greens are one of the most exciting and rewarding crops to grow year-round in the Rhode Island coastal climate. A salad from your garden can be so much more than a bowl of plain chopped lettuce. From common greens like arugula and spinach, to under-appreciated wild edibles like purslane and amaranth, salad consists of diverse shapes, colors, textures, flavors and nutrients. In this hands-on class, participants will discuss potential plants as well review tips you need to know about producing and collecting your own salad greens from seed to the dinner table. Participants will prepare salads to taste and walk away with seeds to get your salad garden. Cost: $33 (Includes seeds!). Register: http://gwbmay6.eventbrite.com

About Hope & Main: As Rhode Island’s first culinary business incubator, Hope & Main’s nonprofit incubator program helps local entrepreneurs jump-start early-stage food companies and food related businesses by providing low cost, low risk access to shared-use commercial kitchens and other industry-specific technical resources. Members benefit from extensive mentoring, access to fully-equipped and affordable work space, and immersion in an entrepreneurial environment where they can collaborate with industry experts and peers. Hope & Main’s aim is to create a community of support for food entrepreneurs and to serve as a springboard for the launch and growth of new culinary enterprises. Applications are open. www.makefoodyourbusiness.org

 


Step into The Mooring and Enhance the Week with Delicious Seafood Experiences on Newport’s Historic Waterfront

Newport’s Award-Winning Dining Destination Introduces Unique Weekly Specials

WHO: The Mooring, an award-winning Seafood Kitchen & Bar offering the freshest local seafood, al fresco seating, expansive harbor views, and warm hospitality, has created weekly specials worthy of celebration.

WHAT: The Mooring invites diners to stray away from weekly routines and experience a taste of New England life. Elevating the Newport seafood tradition to a new level since 1981, The Mooring provides casual elegance while maintaining the relaxed Newport charm.

Beat the Monday blues with Build Your Own Prix-Fixe Mondays – where guests are invited to build a unique prix-fixe from the seasonal menu. First, choose from any soup or salad, then complement it with a choice of any entrée, and finally end with a delicious seasonal dessert. This customized 3-course offering is available every Monday for only $30.

Celebrate the best of New England with Half-Price Raw Bar Wednesdays. Sample the freshest local seafood every Wednesday with half-off the ever-changing assortment of raw bar offerings, including “top-of-catch” oysters, littlenecks, shrimp, lobster, and more.

Bring a friend, family member or loved one and enjoy a dinner for two with Paella Thursdays. This seafood comfort dish of paella for two is served with a pitcher of sangria for only $55. The old world-style paella is prepared with whole lobster, clams, mussels, chicken, shrimp, calamari, rice, sausage, and saffron-garlic sofrito paried with house-made sangria.

WHEN: Build Your Own Prix Fixe Mondays
Every Monday
11:30AM – 9:00PM

Half-Price Raw Bar
Every Wednesday
11:30AM – 9:00PM

Paella for Two Thursdays
Every Thursday
11:30AM – 9:00PM

WHERE: The Mooring
1 Sayers Wharf
Newport, RI 02840
401.846.2260
www.mooringrestaurant.com

March 3, 2015 0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrRedditStumbleuponWhatsappEmail
farmsnews

R.I. DEM News Release: DEM, URI to host “Transferring the Farm” workshop on March 25th – UPDATED

by David Dadekian February 26, 2013
written by David Dadekian

RI Department of Environmental Management

For Release: March 6, 2013

Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402

“TRANSFERRING THE FARM” WORKSHOP HOSTED BY DEM, URI RESCHEDULED TO MARCH 25TH

PROVIDENCE – The “Transferring the Farm” workshop originally scheduled to be held tomorrow has been rescheduled on Monday, March 25 at the University of Rhode Island’s East Farm. The Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Agriculture, in conjunction with URI is sponsoring the session for farm families. The four-hour workshop will address topics such as estate planning, business agreements, trusts and retirement.


For Release: February 19, 2013

Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402

DEM, URI ANNOUNCE MARCH 7TH “TRANSFERRING THE FARM” WORKSHOP

Session Designed to Help Farm Families Minimize Farm Business Succession Risks

PROVIDENCE – The Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Agriculture, in conjunction with the University of Rhode Island will host a workshop entitled “Transferring the Farm” on Thursday, March 7 at East Farm. Targeted to farm families, the four-hour workshop will address topics such as estate planning, business agreements, trusts and retirement.

The workshop will feature five informational sessions on various issues affecting farmers and their families. The first session, “Getting the Farm Transfer Process Started,” will talk about communicating for success, looking at the future of the farm, setting family goals, and ways to include the whole family. “Succession vs. Estate Planning” will examine ways to assure that farmers’ assets go to their heirs and set up the next farming generation for success. The third session, “Transferring the Farm Tools and Techniques,” will address various economic considerations in farm business and farmland transfers related to income, taxes, gifts, and ownership transfer.

A discussion on how business entity selection, gifting, leasing and other legal aspects affect the farm transfer will take place during the session entitled “Legal Structure and Agreements.” Medicaid and health care issues related to planning the farm transition will also be covered in this session. The final session of the day is entitled “Rhode Island – Estate and Capital Gains Taxes, and Land Linking.” Federal and state law pertaining to estate and capital gains taxes in Rhode Island will be discussed, along with a new program to help farm owners and potential buyers or lessees link to each other.

Featured speakers at the workshop include David Sullivan, tax administrator for the state Division of Taxation, who will address estate and capital gains taxes in Rhode Island. Also speaking will be Bob Parsons, extension specialist with the University of Vermont who has conducted more than 30 workshops on estate and succession planning across New England for more than 1,100 farmers. The third speaker for the workshop is Kathy Ruhf, interim executive director of Land for Good and a nationally recognized leader in farm succession and tenure.

There is no charge for the workshop, but space is limited to the first 50 participants. Pre-registration is required by February 28. To register, contact Heather Faubert at the URI extension at 874-2967 or via email at hhf@uri.edu. Individuals in need of disability-related accommodations to participate in the program should contact Heather Faubert with their requests by February 28th. Funding for the workshop is being provided by the Northeast Center for Risk Management and USDA.

The workshop will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Building # 75 at East Farm at the University of Rhode Island. East Farm is located on Route 108 in South Kingstown. The entrance is ½ mile south of the main traffic light of Kingston Village. Building # 75 is near the bottom of the driveway and ample parking is available.

DEM Issues Guidance Document on Maintaining Working Farms and Forests

In addition to co-hosting the Transferring the Farm workshop, DEM is taking other steps to assist owners of farm and forest land. The Department has produced a guidance document, Community Guidance to Maintain Working Farms and Forests, to help encourage landowners to create small businesses. Such businesses would provide an economic incentive for land owners to maintain their working landscapes.

Currently, most Rhode Island municipalities segregate business and residential uses into distinct districts. Most business uses of property are precluded in residential zones. The vast majority of Rhode Island farm and forest land is zoned for residential use. While farmers can generate some revenue from the sale of agricultural products, more money is often needed to keep the farm going. The situation is much worse for forest land owners, who rarely can rely on conventional timber products to make a living. Since land values for Rhode Island farm and forest land are among the highest in the nation, there is a constant pressure to sell land for residential development. The conversion of farms and forests to house lots irreversibly destroys the many values these natural resources provide. This practice also adds to a haphazard, sprawling development pattern that is economically unsustainable. Recognizing this problem, DEM saw a need to develop guidance material that demonstrates how towns can revise their existing land use regulations to allow appropriate small businesses without impacting adjacent land owners or community character.

“This guidance material is a resource for towns to use to protect working landscapes,” noted DEM Director Janet Coit. “It supplements existing DEM programs to provide funding to purchase farms and forests and encourages creative zoning such as conservation development and the transfer of development rights, which preserve open space as land is developed.”

A list of potential business uses is provided in the guidance document, along with reasonable performance standards to prevent business use of farm and forest land from becoming a problem in the neighborhood. The guidance also contains a regulatory framework to allow communities to make the necessary changes to their land use regulations to encourage the creation of small businesses. Project manager Scott Millar of DEM’s Office of Planning and Development said, “DEM is trying to show that the key to allowing successful small business and economic development on farm and forest land is the scale and appearance of a use on a given parcel of land – and not the use of the land itself. The performance standards we developed will place reasonable safeguards on land usage to insure that it blends into the community.”
Millar noted that DEM is receiving positive feedback on the guidance from municipal officials. “Communities see this as a win/win scenario where they can protect their community character and encourage more economic development and jobs,” he said.

DEM, in conjunction with the Narragansett Bay Research Reserve’s Coastal Training program will provide training on the guidance material to local officials. For more information and a copy of the guidance document, contact Scott Millar at scott.millar@dem.ri.gov. The guidance is also available on DEM’s website at http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bpoladm/suswshed/pdfs/farmfor.pdf

February 26, 2013 0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrRedditStumbleuponWhatsappEmail
cookingfarmsnews

Rhode Island 2012-2013 Indoor Farmers Markets begin this Weekend

by David Dadekian November 2, 2012
written by David Dadekian
Seven Stars Bakery of Providence at Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market. Photo courtesy of Farm Fresh RI

Seven Stars Bakery of Providence at Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market. Photo courtesy of Farm Fresh RI

As the weather turns colder and the sun disappears sooner each day the number of farmers markets in Rhode Island begins to shrink. But unlike a few years ago when there were no markets from November to April, now there are seven indoor farmers markets open in Rhode Island. Below is the full list of markets, with their hours and Google mapped locations (click the addresses), along with some notes provided by Farm Fresh RI, one of the best resources for R.I. market information.

Saturday Markets

Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market at Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main St., Pawtucket, RI 02860
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. from November 3 – May 11
The Saturday market hosts over 60 local farms and food producers, plus live music, compost collection by EcoRI Public Works, and food trucks. We accept cash, checks, credit, and EBT/SNAP at both Pawtucket markets.

Coastal Growers Winter Farmers Market at Lafayette Mill, 650 Ten Rod Rd., North Kingstown, RI 02852
10 a.m. – 1 p.m. from  November 3 – April 13
This Saturday Market returns to the Lafayette Mill but will now be occupying the top floor. Mark your calendars for an expanded Thanksgiving Market on November 17 (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.).

South Kingstown Winter Farmers Market at 1425 Kingstown Rd., South Kingstown, RI 02879
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. from November 3 – April 27
The South Kingstown Indoor Winter Farmers’ Market, now in its fourth year, is an outgrowth of the South Kingstown farmers market, Rhode Island’s oldest and longest continuously operating farmers market, that operates at URI’s East Farm and at Marina Park from May through October.

Mount Hope Year-round Farmers Market at Mount Hope Farm, 250 Metacom Ave., Bristol, RI 02809
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. from November 3 – May 18
Mount Hope Market is a year round Farmers Market which takes place at Mount Hope Farm, a beautiful and historic piece of conserved property managed by the Mount Hope Trust in Bristol, RI. In the winter months the market takes place in the farm’s large converted barn. Mount Hope Farmers Market now accepts debit/credit cards. Visit the Welcome Table.

Aquidneck Growers Winter Farmers Market at St. Mary’s Church Parish Hall, 324 East Main Rd., Portsmouth, RI 02871
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. from November 10 – May 12
The first ever winter market on Aquidneck Island. Sustainable Aquidneck will have compost collection and recycle bins.

Sunday Market

Northwest Farmers Market at Sticks Tavern Banquet Room, 451 Putnam Pike, Chepachet, RI 02814
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. from November 4 – May 26
Continuing their successful first summer market season up in the Northwest part of the state, this market will move indoors for the winter.

Wednesday Market

Pawtucket Wintertime Farmers Market and Workshop Series at Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main St., Pawtucket, RI 02860
4 – 7 p.m. from November 10 – January 30
Bring the whole family for kids’ activities; cooking demos, and a workshops series that builds community through food, farming, and fun! Workshop topics include: urban chicken keeping, brewing your own mead, Rhode Island sustainable seafood, and slimming your waste over the holidays. To celebrate the opening of the Wednesday Market on November 7th, Whole Foods Market will host a free screening of the documentary Food Stamped at 7:30 p.m. View the full Workshop schedule here.

November 2, 2012 0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrRedditStumbleuponWhatsappEmail
chefs & restaurantsnews

Gracie’s Star Chefs Series with Chef Ciril Hitz – Monday, August 6, 2012

by David Dadekian August 2, 2012
written by David Dadekian
The wood burning oven on a trailer that Chef Hitz brings to Gracie's for one special dinner each year.

The wood burning oven on a trailer that Chef Hitz brings to Gracie’s for one special dinner each year.

It’s time again for one of my favorite dinners of the entire year, and I have some pretty spectacular dinners—just recently I tasted most of the items on 2012 James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist Chef Benjamin Sukle’s new menu at The Dorrance and had incredible wines with dinner at the Troquet wine cellar clear out sale, still going on through August. Maybe this upcoming Gracie’s Star Chefs dinner is my favorite because Chefs Ciril Hitz and Matthew Varga are friends of mine. Maybe it’s the impeccable service and atmosphere at Gracie’s that reminds me of New York. Or maybe it’s because I vividly remember how the lobster tail from last year’s Gracie’s Star Chefs dinner with Hitz was hands-down the best bite I had in 2011, and that includes putting it against some, again, very spectacular dinners of last year.

Here’s a few more accolades to entice you. The year before there was an astonishing dessert (let’s not forget Gracie’s Pastry Chef Melissa Denmark who studied under Hitz at Johnston & Wales University) and the year before that I recall one of the best lamb preparations I’ve ever had. I haven’t even mentioned the overabundance of delicious bread that Hitz, one of the world’s best master bakers, bakes for this annual dinner. Also, because of my work with Blackbird Farm, I happen to know one of the many dishes Varga and Hitz have planned for Monday and I can’t wait to taste the combination of Hitz’s bread and the Bouthillette’s beef. As if all that wasn’t enticement enough, this year’s dinner will feature pairings from award-winning craft brewery Smuttynose Brewing Company in New Hampshire (or wines if you prefer).

Chef Ciril Hitz adding wood to the wood-burning oven outside Gracie's

Chef Ciril Hitz adding wood to the wood-burning oven outside Gracie’s

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it unabashedly and unprompted again and again, this is not a dinner to miss. Not just if you love food like so many people trumpet nowadays as if food is a new discovery, but if you truly care about where your food is from, how it is thoughtfully prepared and what you put inside your body. Here’s the link to last year’s piece about the dinner, and here’s a story on Hitz’s baking classes that he gives at his facility in Rehoboth. I hope to see you at dinner on Monday.

Below is the text of Gracie’s press release with the Star Chefs dinner details.

 

Gracie’s Showcases Award-Winning Bread & Brews

Gracie’s to host Star Chef Dinner featuring nationally recognized Chef Ciril Hitz, Master Bread Baker, and Peter Egelston, founder and President of Smuttynose Brewery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – For Chef Ciril Hitz’s fourth annual return to Gracie’s as part of their Star Chef Series, award-winning craft beers from Smuttynose Brewery will be paired with the tasting menu, as Smuttynose Founder and President Peter Egelston collaborate together with Gracie’s Chef Matthew Varga and his culinary team on a bread and brewery adventure for the first time at Gracie’s. This event will include the ever-present Gracie’s touch, offering unique and memorable culinary experiences with the utmost attention to detail.

“It’s a great opportunity to be working with one of my former instructor’s again, and see the return of Chef Hitz’s wood-fired ovens,” said Melissa Denmark, Pastry Chef of Gracie’s. “With the Summer season upon us, I’m excited to see craft beers being paired with the amazing dishes created by Chef Hitz.” This Star Chef Dinner will mark the fourth time we’ve had an opportunity to integrate his passion for creating dishes inspired by his wood-fired oven with our passion for surprising our guests with inventive, seasonal dishes.”

Details about this event are as follows:

Monday, August 6th, 2012

A true Star Chef of Gracie’s, Ciril Hitz returns to Gracie’s for his fourth appearance to the restaurant. This year, he will be joined by Peter Egelston, Founder and President of Smuttynose Brewery in Portsmounth, NH.

With his signature outdoor wood-fired oven parked on the sidewalk, guests will be enjoying a truly special menu highlighting some of his award-winning breads, dishes created in collaboration with Chef Matthew Varga of Gracie’s, and perfectly paired with the craft beers of Smuttynose Brewery.

Hitz has been recognized with numerous awards and accomplishments, both in the industry and as a faculty member at Johnson & Wales. In 2007 and 2008, he was selected as Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America by Pastry Art & Design magazine. In 2010, he was named to Dessert Professional’s annual list of the Top Ten Bread Bakers in America.

Peter Egelston originally opened what is now the oldest brewpub in the northeast: The Northampton Brewery. Peter was head brewer there until 1991. That year, he and his sister opened the Portsmouth Brewery, the Granite State’s first brewpub. In 1993, he purchased the brewery that was to become Smuttynose. In 2011, out of over 10,000 breweries rated, Smuttynose was ranked 28th – in the top 0.3% – on Ratebeer’s 2011 Best Brewers in the World list.

The Star Chef Series, now in its fourth year, combines the talents of extraordinary chefs from around the country and pairs them with the Gracie’s team. Working collaboratively, the Star Chef and the team create a five-course menu that is expertly paired with wine. The informal and intimate setting allows the chefs to step out of the kitchen from time to time to talk with guests about the meal and their experience. The cost for a Gracie’s Star Chef Dinner (paired with wine) is $100. To make reservations call Gracie’s at 401-272-7811.

To learn more about these events, visit www.graciesprov.com. You can also follow Gracie’s on Facebook at http://bit.ly/GraciesProv.

About Gracie’s
Established in 1998, Gracie’s in downtown Providence, R.I., provides guests with a culinary experience that is anything but expected. The 70-seat restaurant, located at 194 Washington Street just steps from Trinity Repertory Theater, entices guests with seasonally inspired American cuisine that is fresh and inventive. In addition to the main dining room, Gracie’s also offers a private wine cellar for up to eight guests and a private dining room that can accommodate up to 70 people. In addition to award-winning food, guests can enjoy five-star cocktails and a wine list of more than 200 wines. Gracie’s can also cater a wide and unlimited range of events through Grace, Events by Gracie’s. For more information, visit www.graciesprov.com or call 401-272-7811.

August 2, 2012 0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrRedditStumbleuponWhatsappEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts

Search:

Recent Posts:

  • News Bites: RI Breweries Christmas & New Year’s Hours / Boat House Operation Blue Santa Toy Drive

    December 21, 2022
  • News Bites: New Sons of Liberty Flavored Whiskies / Anchor & Hope Wins Four Awards / RI Seafood Launches New Site and App / Help Giusto Donate Lasagnas / Neon Marketplace Opens in Providence

    December 7, 2022
  • News Bites: Oberlin’s Chef Sukle Opening New Spot and Announces Move / Rhody Feeding Rhody Awarded USDA Grant / Rory’s Market Launces Fresh Produce Program

    November 14, 2022
  • News Bites: Local Agriculture and Seafood Act Grants Now Open / The Good Trade Makers Market Returns / Branchfood Launches RI Operations / BEATNIC Offering BOGO for Beginning of World Vegan Month

    October 25, 2022

Advertisement:

Blackbird Farm

Advertisement:

Advertise with Eat Drink RI

Advertisement:

Advertisement:

Advertisement:

Advertisement:

Food Trucks:

Facebook
My Tweets

Four Time RI Monthly Best of RI Winner for the Eat Drink RI Festival

Four Time RI Monthly Best of RI Winner for the Eat Drink RI Festival

2019 Rhode Island Inno Blazer Award Winner & Two Time 50 On Fire Winner

2019 Rhode Island Inno Blazer Award Winner & Two Time 50 On Fire Winner

Rhode Island Foundation 2014 Innovation Fellow

Rhode Island Foundation 2014 Innovation Fellow

Instagram

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Linkedin
  • Tumblr
  • Youtube
  • Email

Copyright © 2010-2022 Eat Drink RI LLC. All rights reserved.


Back To Top
Eat Drink RI
  • Interviews
    • The Show
    • Subscribe as a Podcast
    • RI Small Business LIVE Forum on Facebook
  • Upcoming Events
  • Food & Beverage Jobs
    • Post A Job
    • Job Dashboard
  • Latest News
  • COVID Support
    • Restaurants with Online Ordering and Take Out
    • Shop Local Food & Drink Businesses Online
    • The Rhode to Recovery: RI Food and Drink, Part 1 of 4
    • The Rhode to Recovery: RI Food and Drink, Part 2 of 4
    • The Rhode to Recovery: RI Food and Drink, Part 3 of 4
    • The Rhode to Recovery: RI Food and Drink, Part 4 of 4
    • Resource Links for Small Businesses During COVID-19 Crisis
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
    • Shopping
    • About
    • Contact

Terms and Conditions – Privacy Policy