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The city or town in Rhode Island highlighted.

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Rhode Island Rye

Rhode Island Rye supports a local farm, a local mill and a local bakery. And it tastes good, too.

I’ll admit that I’m not as much of a bread connoisseur as an ice cream one. Still, there are quite a few reasons to be impressed by Seven Stars Bakery’s addition of the Rhode Island Rye loaf. Modeled after a dense, moist German Vollkornbrot, the loaf weighs more than it looks. Sliced thin and toasted with some salted butter or Farmstead cheese, it offers a rich, complex flavor.  According to the bakery, it can last for several weeks when kept sealed in plastic.

But my favorite feature of this bread is that it’s home grown. The rye is grown on Schartner’s Farm in Exeter, RI then ground using traditional stone milling at Kenyon’s Grist Mill in Usquepaug, RI. The resulting flour becomes the star ingredient (along with RI rye berries, water, salt and yeast) in the official Rhode Island Rye bread.  Buy the loaves at Seven Stars Bakery locations and their farmer’s market stands.

Schartner’s Farm
Route 2 and 1 Arnold Place
Exeter, RI

Kenyon’s Grist Mill
Usquepaug, RI
www.kenyonsgristmill.com

Seven Stars Bakery
Providence & East Providence, RI
www.sevenstarsbakery.com

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Moondust Macarons

Crispy outside and soft inside, these macarons deserve their name.

I often wonder why so many of the tasty treats I’ve discovered in France seem to be either nowhere to be found back home or even worse, simply not so tasty.

That can no longer be said to be true of the macaron thanks to 2009 Bryant University graduate Stephen Fitch. He discovered the cookie during his study abroad in Paris and returned obsessed with the task of recreating what he calls this “culinary phenomena” in Rhode Island. His countless hours of baking and tasting have resulted in the Moondust Macarons collection of flavors (pistachio, lemon, coffee, chocolate, raspberry, and vanilla). Taste for yourself this Saturday at Providence Open Market at Lippitt Park. They are also sold at Eastside Market and through their website.

Moondust Macarons has a stand at Providence Open Market.

Moondust Macarons
www.moondustmacarons.com

Providence Open Market
Lippitt Park
Hope Street
Providence, RI
on Saturday, June 19, 2010
www.providenceopenmarket.com

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Gray’s Ice Cream: Coffee Chip

A cup of coffee chip at Gray's Ice Cream.

After last fall’s botched attempt to try Gray’s Ice Cream, I decided to give it another try this spring. Their Bristol location officially opened for the season on May 8, and I arrived the next day despite the cold and windy weather. I had to sit in my car waiting for them to open for the day, since apparently they don’t expect people to want ice cream before noon.

I tried their chocolate, which was quite tasty — more of a light malt chocolate than a rich dark flavor. But I ultimately opted for their coffee chip since the coffee is their specialty, along with a scoop of regular chocolate chip for comparison. The woman working there told me they had just brought in the batch of coffee chip that day, and you could tell — the texture was perfectly soft and creamy. I guess ice cream is more like bagels than I thought — the fresher, the better. The chocolate chip was fine, but nothing special. Overall, it’s no Handel’s, but it’s a much shorter drive to Bristol than Ohio, and that’s not to be overlooked.

Gray’s Ice Cream
16 East Road
Tiverton, RI 02878

259 Thames Street
Bristol, RI 02809

www.graysicecream.com

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RISD Art Sale

There was ideal weather for an outdoor art show this past Saturday.

This past Saturday, the RISD Alumni Spring Art Sale brought together dozens of artists for an outdoor showcase of paintings, photographs, glass and ceramics, jewelry, and clothing. Although many of the artists are local, the alumni come from all over the world to sell their art at the RISD sales. As you browse through the diverse collection, you might find some unique gifts — or like us, something for yourself. We purchased from three local artists — a collage from Carolina Arentsen, two small original paintings from Ann Rozhon, and a sketch from RISD student Jesen Tanadi (as part of the student art silent auction).

If you missed the sale, catch the next one — there’s three in Providence each year.

Upcoming Rhode Island School of Design Art Sales:

Alumni & Student Fall Art Sale 2010
on October 9, 2010 from 10am-4pm
on Benefit Street (rain or shine)

Alumni Holiday Art Sale 2010
on December 4, 2010 from 10am-5pm,
at Rhode Island Convention Center

For more information: www.risd.edu/alumni_sale.cfm

Related Artists:

Carolina Arentsen
www.hintstudio.com

Ann Rozhon
www.annrozhon.com

Jesen Tanadi
http://jesen-tanadi.com

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The Giant Meatball of Federal Hill

Polpette Grande, the Giant Meatball, at Siena Restaurant on Atwells Ave.

As a pisan, I love Federal Hill.  I love the little start-up espresso shops, the abundance of Italian grocery items at Venda Ravioli, and the tasty treats at Pastiche. But perhaps most of all, I love the giant meatball, or as they say in Italian “Polpette Grande.” This appetizer at Siena Restaurant on Atwells Ave consists of an enormous meatball made from ground sirloin, veal and pork, topped with San Marzano marinara and a large scoop of a homemade ricotta cheese. My phone camera photo truly doesn’t do it justice — you’ll have to go and see (and taste) for yourself. Overall, the food at Siena is quite good. But it’s that giant meatball that keeps me coming back.

Siena Restaurant
238 Atwells Avenue
Providence, RI
(401) 521-3311
or
5600 Post Road
East Greenwich, RI
(401) 885-8850
www.sienari.com

Venda Ravioli
265 Atwells Avenue
Providence RI 02903
401-421-9105
www.vendaravioli.com

Pastiche Fine Desserts
92 Spruce Street
Providence, RI
(401) 861-5190
www.pastichefinedesserts.com‎

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A Hunt for the Best Bagel

The best RI bagel I've had comes from Bagel Gourmet.

Having grown up in New York City, I have fairly high standards for my bagels. To me, a proper bagel is one hot out of the oven from H&H Bagels and preferably eaten on the way to a relaxing stroll through Central Park. So when I woke up Saturday morning craving a bagel, I woke up with a mission.

I already knew that Bagel Ole on Thayer didn’t cut it, and although I do love the seeded bagels at Olga’s, they’re really not bagels in my opinion, but a tasty bread in the shape of a bagel.

Awhile back, we had read that the supposedly amazing Barneys Bagels (since closed) has been reincarnated through Palmeri’s Bakery. We had gotten these once before, but I couldn’t quite remember how they ranked, so we started there. I’m sorry to report the bagels were way too thin and dry (more like a piece of toast than the soft, doughy bagel I was hankering for) with a stingy amount of cream cheese. Time to move on. (As an aside, their challah bread, on the other hand, is absolute perfection).

Bagel Gourmet offers a selection of bagels baked fresh daily on the premises.

After my half-eaten attempt, we headed over to Bagel Gourmet on the East Side. This place is beyond unassuming — a dated sign hangs over their tiny shop in a mini strip-mall. But when I walked in, I could smell the bagels — mmm. Then I placed the same order — everything bagel toasted with cream cheese. When I got to the car to unwrap my prize, I was pleasantly surprised — a soft airy center with a chewy outside (and slathered in cream cheese).

No, it’s not H&H. However, to be fair, I’ll have to show up at Bagel Gourmet at 6 am when the bagels come out of the oven, since for optimal deliciousness, a bagel’s half-life is only a half hour. Which is why it doesn’t even pay to have bagels to shipped from H&H. Not to mention, when a ‘wooly’ strikes, even next day delivery isn’t soon enough.

Bagel Gourmet
250 Brook Street
Providence, RI 02906
(401) 453-5560

Palmieri’s Bakery
147 Ridge St
Providence, RI 02909
(401) 831-9145

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2010 Cochon 555: Our Prince of Porc Still Reigns

Providence Chef Matt Jennings takes home the prize from the Boston Cochon 555 for his Pig Mac.

On paper, Cochon 555 sounds like a divine night — five talented chefs create five pork dishes each while five vineyards provide a selection of accompanying wines. In reality, it felt a bit more like a mess hall as hoards of people in a tight space competed for a sliver of a table to set their plates while they stood and ate their food — that is, after they’d waited in line for fifteen minutes to get that mini-plate of food.

Why do I have the funny feeling that most of these people's tickets were comped?

Of course, the food is the star attraction here. Geoff thought that the cured porks and homemade hams were top-notch — my particular favorite was the pork jerky from Clink. Pulled pork sandwiches and a pork consommé were tasty but nothing new; more impressive was Toro’s pork skin chili (delicious despite how it sounds). Some of the dishes seemed rushed in the face of demanding crowds — Clink’s steamed pork dumplings needed a bit more steam and Craigie on Main’s pork skin wrap was slopped together making for too fatty of a bite. Ultimately Providence Chef Matt Jennings took home the prize for his perfectly conceived Pig Mac with a side of salt and vinegar fried pork skins and a pork rice crispy treat (also delicious despite how it sounds).

I did find the voting method quite odd for an event of this stature. Rather than one ballot per person, they use the “honor system” leaving piles of cards by the ballot box. That may work in Massachusetts, folks, but here in Rhode Island, corruption is a pastime. Nevertheless, I voted for Matt’s Pig Mac (once) and so did Geoff, and it wasn’t only because we wanted Rhode Island to win, but because it was actually the best. And because he kept it simple, he was able to keep up with the demand and prevent long lines at his table.

So here’s to our very own Prince of Porc for his well-deserved second year reign.

Cochon 555
2010 Competitors:
Tony Maws – Craigie on Main
Jamie Bissonette – Toro
Matthew Jennings – Farmstead
Barry Maiden – Hungry Mother
Joseph Margate – Clink
www.cochon555.com

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South Kingston Winter Farmers’ Market

A variety of crunchy apples from Hill Orchards are available year-round at the market.

Next weekend will be the final weekend for the South Kingston Winter Farmers’ Market. A down-home version of the Pawtucket Winter Farmers’ Market, the South Kingston Winter Farmers’ Market features a modest selection of farms, but certainly enough to buy the wintertime basics — eggs, root vegetables, lettuces, apples, jams, sausages, cheeses, meats — and even a few potted herbs and flowers for building your garden. On our visit, we only had about $25 in cash which didn’t seem like much, but it stretched pretty far, enough to buy some homemade johnny cakes, pizza strips from Palmieri’s Bakery, eight apples from Hill Orchards, a bag of spring lettuce, some popcorn and even some homemade shea butter lotion for $15.

You can't go wrong with fresh, local eggs.

Despite the fact that I actually saw snow fall on Friday, spring has technically arrived, and in just a few short months, we’ll be coming upon the summer markets season with several dozen to choose from across the state. But I will miss the winter markets a bit. I’ve loved discovering such incredible bounty from our local farms in the midst of winter — from baby pea greens to tasty crisp carrots. As for the snow, that I won’t miss at all.

South Kingston Winter Farmers’ Market
Saturdays 10 am -2 pm through April 4, 2010
Peacedale Mill Complex
1425 Kingstown Rd
South Kingston, RI
www.farmfresh.org/food/farmersmarkets_details.php?market=382

For a list of all farmers’ markets in Rhode Island, view Farm Fresh RI.

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Rue de L’Espoir: Perfect Popovers

Note: Sadly, Rue de L’Espoir has closed.

A basket of homemade popovers and cinnamon buns awaits you when you arrive.

Although Rue de L’Espoir has received mixed reviews, I was surprised to see no one mentioned what I believe may be their show-stopper: homemade popovers.

I haven’t visited for dinner yet (too many restaurants, too little time) but on our latest brunch outing I found Rue de L’Espoir offers a nice brunch in a cozy atmosphere.  Admittedly it’s not perfect — the omelets, for example, had too much brown on them to be considered a proper French omelet.  And although the pancakes were tasty, they were no match for my personal favorite.  But they served homemade corn muffins with raspberry jam, fresh cinnamon rolls, and, most importantly, deliciously light and airy homemade popovers.

If you’ve never eaten a popover, you may not appreciate the significance of my finding amazing popovers.  When made correctly, it’s basically a giant cream puff without the cream.  And if, like me, you’ve never attempted to make a popover, you might not realize just how difficult it is to achieve a dough that yields a golden brown crust atop a few layers of soft dough covering mostly a giant pocket of air.  But I know a good thing when I eat it, and the popovers at Rue De L’Espoir will not disappoint.

Rue De L’Espoir
99 Hope Street
Providence, RI
www.therue.com

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Renaissance Gymnastics Academy

2013 NOTE: I can no longer recommend Renaissance Gymnastics Academy due to their poor make-up policy. After paying $72/month in lessons for gymnastics, they canceled two due to snow and one due to February vacation–so that comes to $72 for a 55 minute class. Although they promised a make-up class, they never came through with one.  There are plenty of better places to take gymnastics I’ve discovered — like Aim High Academy which has locations in East Greenwich, RI and Johnston, RI.

Madeline jumps out some extra energy on the trampoline.

During the winter, I decided to sign up Madeline for gymnastics classes to expend all that extra energy she seems to have (too bad it’s not transferable).  So on the advice of some other parents, I decided to try a free trial class at the Renaissance Gymnastics Academy in East Providence.  I figured she’d do a few somersaults, jump around a bit, and have a blast.

As it turns out, it’s even better.  Her teacher Joanna sets up a structured routine (different for each class) that keeps the kids moving constantly and changing activities quickly.  For the Little Tykes program, activities might include an obstacle courses for the kids, some practice hanging from the horizontal bar, and donkey kicks on the trampoline.  The gym itself boasts an impressive array of equipment including several trampolines, balance beams, bars, mats, and the favorite — a large pit filled with foam cubes that the kids jump into and climb out of.

In addition to their classes, the gym is open to the public ($10/child) at scheduled times for Open Play (children walking to age 5) and Open Gym (ages 6 and up).

Renaissance Gymnastics Academy
885 Waterman Avenue
East Providence, RI
www.renaissanceacademy-ri.com