Author: Michele Meek, PhD.

by

Rhode Island Frozen Lemonade

Del's Lemonade

The girls usually chose watermelon, although I prefer the 'real' frozen lemonade.

The girls usually choose watermelon, although I prefer the ‘real’ frozen lemonade.

There is little argument that Rhode Island has mastered the art of the frozen lemonade: New Yorkers have imported it, and Martha Stewart has copied it.

You usually don’t have to hunt for one of these sweet and sour frozen treats. In addition to physical locations throughout the state, you’ll find either a Del’s Lemonade or New England Frozen Lemonade truck or stand set up near most beaches, farmers’ markets and summer events. They even sell mixes so you can make your own at home (I’ll bet they’re good spiked).

I can’t say I have a preference between the two, although at either I choose the lemonade flavor as opposed to my daughters who always pick watermelon because it’s (sigh) pink.

Del’s Lemonade
locations in North Providence, Cranston, Johnston and East Providence
www.dels.com

New England Frozen Lemonade
locations in Providence, Cranston, Warwick
on Facebook

by

La Arepa Restaurant

The chicken arepa with sliced avocado, black beans and cheese.

The chicken arepa with sliced avocado, black beans and cheese.

After a trip to Rock Spot Climbing, we all seem to work up an appetite (even though only one of us climbs).  Luckily, La Arepa, an unpretentious Venezuelan restaurant, happens to be on our way home.  We’ve now been there a handful of times and have always loved what we ordered.

This time, I chose an arepa (like a tortilla, but thicker) with shredded chicken, sliced avocado, queso cheese, and black beans, along with a side of fried plantains. Our two-year-old wanted only rice (she’s on a strictly all-carbs diet), which she proceeded to eat while sprinkling all over the table, chair and floor so that the waiter asked politely if she needed a bigger plate. Still, even she ate some of the chicken that we ordered for her–it was that good.

La Arepa
574 Smithfield Avenue
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
(401) 335-3711
www.laarepari.com

by

East Side Music Together

The instrument free-for-all

During each class, there’s an instrument free-for-all where the children can try out different sounds.

Since she was only a few months old, I’ve taken my two-year-old daughter to Music Together — first in East Providence and now on the East Side of Providence. Classes are broken into nine-week intervals with a different theme (and CD to go with it) — Triangle, Bongo, Drum, etc.. The songs include simple sound combinations like Biddy Biddy to favorites like Palo Palo and John the Rabbit, so that children can start singing along as soon as they can make sounds.

Local mom and musician Jen Romanat runs our East Side Music Together class — in our most recent class, Jen led songs on both her guitar and ukulele, and the children sang, dance, spun with the parachute, and tried out a variety of instruments including drums, maracas, and tamborines.

Who wouldn't love parachute play?

Who wouldn’t love parachute play?

The Music Together philosophy suggests that children learn music through adults who model it for them so the class encourages adult participation. And although the children may be quiet during the class, don’t think that they aren’t listening, absorbing and learning. My daughter who sat pensively throughout many of the songs during the last class came home singing them and making the clicking horse noise she learned that day.

Note: Jen Romanat will also be performing at the Hope Street Market on July 3, July 24, August 7, August 21; the Armory Market on July 11, July 18 and August 15; and Gladys Potter Park (Humboldt) throughout the summer.

East Side Music Together
www.eastsidemusictogether.com

Music Together
http://musictogether.com

Just Pickin’ Flowers (Jen’s Music)
www.justpickinflowers.org

by

MootzaDeli

The ABC: cheddar cheese, granny smith apple, bacon and greens on a soft roll.

The ABC: cheddar cheese, granny smith apple, bacon and greens on a soft roll.

MootzaDeli, a new food truck serving “crispy, warm and cheesy” sandwiches has arrived on George Street to confirm what I’ve long suspected — that the lunch offerings from local food trucks have surpassed the quality of food on nearby Thayer Street (no wonder they made them move down the hill a few blocks). On my recent trip, I debated over the menu options from four excellent sources — Plouf Plouf, Sprout, Lotus Pepper, or MootzaDeli–and settled on MootzDeli’s ABC sandwich, made with thin layers of cheddar cheese, granny smith apple, bacon and greens on a soft “pain de mie” roll.

I can’t imagine being more satisfied with my choice — I spared only a morsel of bread for Geoff to taste (I think he knew my offer for a bite was reluctant). And after reading about the founder who, like me, comes from an Italian-Jewish family in New York perhaps I should not be surprised. Nonetheless, I’m quite pleased they’ve chosen to park in Providence. For my next visit, I’ll be trying their signature sandwich, The MootzaDeli made with prosciutto, mozzarella, pine nut pesto, artichoke/olive tapenade and field greens.

MootzaDeli
www.mootzadeli.com

by

Providence Alternative Market

Opening day at the Providence Alternative Market.

Opening day at the Providence Alternative Market.

As the Hope Street Farmers’ Market continues to expand (it’s now common to park a few blocks away), a new market has arrived.  The Providence Alternative Market launched this past Saturday less than a mile down the road on North Main Street with a small selection of vendors including Ward’s Berry Farm (Sharon, MA),  Baffoni’s Poultry Farm (Johnston, RI) and several more. Although I still find it a bit perplexing why they chose to have the market on the same exact day (and nearly the same time) as the Hope Street Market, I do recognize the need to have an alternative market in order to give an outlet for some of the other wonderful nearby farms.

On our visit to the first Providence Alternative Market, we found radishes, asparagus, rhubarb, and leafy baby kale. And in fact, the onions and potatoes looked more appealing than the ones at Hope Street this week. Although you won’t find nearly the variety as Hope Street, there are some advantages–no lines,  and great quality produce and meat. And you can always go to both. We did.

Providence Alternative Market
Saturdays May 18-October 26, 2013 10 am – 2 pm
http://provaltmarket.com/

Hope Street Farmers’ Market
Saturdays May 18-October 26, 2013 9 am – 1 pm
www.hopestreetmarket.com

by

Pawtucket Red Sox at McCoy Stadium

Section 4, Row EE. Notice the grassy lounge area in left field.

Section 4, Row EE. Notice the grassy lounge area in left field.

Although we’ve lived in Providence for nearly four years, we only just made it to our first Pawtucket Red Sox (aka PawSox) game this May. Clearly, we are not the most devout sports fanatics.

pawsox2

Our two-year-old may not have been that attentive on the game itself, but she was a big fan of the stadium snacks.

As it turns out, McCoy Stadium is an ideal size, seating 10,000 people, making it large enough to feel the fans’ excitement while being small enough to actually see the game. And, the the general admission prices are quite reasonable at $8 per adult and $5 per child. It may have taken us a few years to get there, but I’m quite sure we’ll be back again this season.

Pawtucket Red Sox
http://www.pawsox.com

by

Gourmet Heaven

One of the many stocked shelves at the new Gourmet Heaven on Meeting Street.

One of the many stocked shelves at the new Gourmet Heaven on Meeting Street.

It feels like we willed it into existence. The new location of Gourmet Heaven on Meeting Street near Thayer had formerly been occupied by a string of lousy restaurants, in which no one ever ate. Upon their most recent vacancy, Geoff and I agreed it would be a great space for a little market. And, just a few days ago, that’s exactly what it became. Gourmet Heaven, which has another location in Providence (as well as two in New Haven, CT), recently opened its doors with a full line of convenience store items, a salad and hot food bar, a deli counter, and a small produce section.

salad

A hand-picked salad of arugula, romaine, roasted brussel sprouts and onions, string beans, almonds and fresh mozzarella.

Gourmet Heaven seems to model itself after a New York convenience store/deli — rather than just a place to get a package of eggs or some milk, you can find that and everything from shelled chestnuts, Patsy’s tomato sauce, natural candies, and plenty more. I am generally strictly against salad bars, although I’ve found their line of freshly washed lettuces, grilled vegetables, and tomatoes and mozzarella too tempting. I’ve already eaten there twice. And perhaps the best part: they are open 24 hours.

Next on my wish list: a pharmacy near Thayer Street.

Gourmet Heaven

173 Weybosset St. Providence, RI
(401) 536-9000

Note: Meeting Street location has closed.

www.gourmetheaven.com

by

Taste Trekkers Food Tourism Conference

Farmstead Chef Matt Jennings will deliver the conference's keynote

Farmstead Chef Matt Jennings will deliver the conference’s keynote.

Yes, we can admit that Providence is not the best Spring Break destination, as Travel & Leisure reports. However, we do rank high in arguably more important measurements: #1 for hamburgers and #2 for both pizza and ice cream. As if you needed more than that, Providence also ranks #8 for ethnic food and #9 for micro-beers, among others.

So, it should be no surprise that the Taste Trekkers Food Tourism Conference plans to come to Providence for its inaugural event in September 2013. Organized by Mystery Meet founder and Brown alum Seth Resler, the event, designed for people who plan their vacations around food, will bring together hundreds of chefs, farmers, food bloggers, travel writers, culinary students and others to enjoy a range of cuisines. Farmstead Chef Matt Jennings will deliver the conference’s keynote address, and the event will feature a cocktail reception, a tasting pavilion, a food truck court, and group dinners all around the city.

In anticipation, they’ve launched a KickStarter campaign that will run through March 30 to fund the event. As with all KickStarter campaigns, if the project succeeds in reaching its funding goal, all backers’ credit cards will be charged. If the project falls short, no one is charged. So ante up everyone–they are giving away tickets, books, posters and more to contributors.

Taste Trekkers Food Tourism Conference
September 20-22, 2013
www.TasteTrekkers.com
Reserve tickets and more through their KickStarter campaign at www.kickstarter.com/projects/mysterymeet/taste-trekkers-food-tourism-conference

by

How to Build a Forest at the Granoff Center for the Arts

Becoming part of the installation "How to Build a Forest"

Becoming part of the installation “How to Build a Forest”

I often find contemporary art installations a bit baffling, but I nonetheless decided to take my daughters to the “How to Build a Forest” installation at the Granoff Center for the Arts. So last night, the three of us walked in to a quiet room filled with spectators in seats observing diaphanous trees slowly rising and partially filled rubber balls being rolled around the room. We received a few instructions (from Brown student and filmmaker Laura Colella, no less)–remove your shoes, stay on the wood floor, and be careful what you touch since the forest is delicate. These rules seemed simple enough except, of course, if you happen to be two- or five-years-old.  I politely took a seat and would have liked the girls do the same. Instead they improvised–taking on the roles of animals in the forest, crawling on all fours and making strange noises while (fortunately) still respecting the forest structures. As it turns out, they became part of the show. Perhaps that’s the point.

Note: Although 2/28/13 marked the end of Lisa D’Amour, Katie Pearl and Shawn Hall’s “How to Build a Forest” exhibit, you can attend a future Granoff Center exhibit or art installation. See more about “How to Build a Forest” at Brown.edu.

by

Lucky Garden: Yum Yum Dim Sum

Our dim sum spread on the lazy susan.

Our dim sum spread across the lazy susan.

We might have been inspired by the children’s book Yum Yum Dim Sum that we had borrowed from the library or perhaps from our lazy morning browsing photos from our Taipei trip–but suddenly we had the urge for dim sum.

Pan Fried Tofu Wraps, Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, and Pan Fried Turnip Cakes.

Pan Fried Tofu Wraps, Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, and Pan Fried Turnip Cakes.

We arrived at Lucky Garden midday Saturday to find bustling tables filled with both Chinese and American families sampling the dozens of dishes on their special dim sum menu. Our favorites included the crispy Pan Fried Tofu Wrap with chives, the Pan Fried Turnip Cake, Chicken Congee (a porridge-like soup with chicken), Scallion Pancake, Salt & Pepper Homemade Tofu, and Steamed Fried Dough Rice Rolls (basically a doughnut wrapped in a noodle–how can you not like this?). The desserts, also, were excellent–their egg tarts are made with a delicious buttery homemade dough, and although I tend to avoid the more gelatinous desserts, even I couldn’t resist their coconut pudding.

As usual, we ordered way too much, which is why the following weekend, we wisely decided to invite some friends along with us.

Lucky Garden
1852 Smith Street
North Providence, RI
www.luckygardenri.com

Also see their dim sum menu