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CONTEN TS Providence Monthly • April 2017
22
29
Narragansett Beer brings brewing back home to Rhode Island
Exploring the roots of our city's maker culture
This Month 22 Welcome Back, Neighbor
26 The Coolest Town in RI
29 Maker City
Inside Narragansett Beer’s new Pawtucket HQ
Between its food and arts scenes, Warren is definitely worth the drive
Why is Providence a haven for artists? It’s in our DNA
Every Month 6 Editor’s Note
49 Feast
9 Online Exclusives
A new way to dine out: in a tree house
13 Providence Pulse
50 Review 53 In the Kitchen 54 On the Menu 56 In the Drink 58 Dining Guide
Photography (L) by James Jones, (R) by Michael Cevoli
RI’s potential future with recreational marijuana 15 City 19 Scene in PVD
37 City Style Tour a Gothic Revival on the West End 37 At Home 39 The Look 41 Get Fit 43 Shopping 44 Whole Body
63 Get Out Comedian Andrew Williams gets raw on stage 64 Calendar 65 Music 66 On Stage 67 Art
68 Hidden PVD See what made City Hall tick 100 years ago
On the Cover: Providence Skyline metal art by Brian Dowling (VexedMetal.com) from the Steel Yard. Photography by Michael Cevoli.
April 2017 | PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
5
EDITOR’S NOTE
PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
Makers Gonna Make
Publishers Barry Fain Richard Fleischer John Howell
Media Director Jeanette St. Pierre @JeanetteSTP
Creative Director Julie Tremaine @JulieTremaine
Managing Editor Tony Pacitti @TonyPacitti
Content Coordinator Caitlin Howle @CaitlinMoments
There are countless things that make Providence the gem of a city that it is, but undeniably, one of the biggest is the city’s makers. Our collective appetite and enthusiasm for locally made everything informs the city’s culture, which in turn means it’s easier for talented makers to, well, make a career out of making. But that kind of pervasive support doesn’t just happen. This month, we take a look at the city’s maker movement: what supports it, what drives it and what’s next for the designers, artisans and crafters in Providence. We’ve also a sneak peek into the long-awaited Pawtucket brewery for
Narragansett Beer, and we’re taking a look at the other coolest city in Rhode Island. If you ask us, this is a pretty exciting time to call Rhode Island home.
Art Director Meghan H. Follett
Advertising Design Director Layheang Meas
Assistant Art Director Katie Leclerc
Graphic Designer Nick DelGiudice
Marketing Coordinator Kim Tingle Account Managers Shelley Cavoli: Shelley@ProvidenceOnline.com Louann DiMuccio-Darwich: Louann@ProvidenceOnline.com Ann Gallagher: Ann@ProvidenceOnline.com Kristine Mangan: Kristine@ProvidenceOnline.com Elizabeth Riel: Liz@ProvidenceOnline.com Dan Schwartz: DanS@ProvidenceOnline.com Stephanie Oster Wilmarth: Stephanie@ProvidenceOnline.com Contributing Photographers Ian Travis Barnard Stacy Doyle Mike Braca James Jones Michael Cevoli Grace Lentini Brian DeMello Tim Siekeira
Contributors Amanda Grosvenor Writer
Contributing Illustrators Alison Blackwell Contributing Writers
Amanda Grosvenor has been a proud Rhode Islander for most of her life, born and raised in Newport and living in Providence on and off since 2007 (the bridges aren’t as scary as they seem at first, fellow islanders!). As a writer, she enjoys the opportunity to meet the independent creators and entrepreneurs doing exciting and inspiring things in the city, which she explores in depth in this month’s cover story (p. 29). From arts to food, locally made goods to music, and theatre to architecture, it’s all about exploring the historic and innovative richness that Providence has to offer.
Erin Balsa
Molly Lederer
Jessica Bryant
Grace Lentini @Gracie_NomNom
Alastair Cairns Bob Curley
Stephanie Obodda @StephanieDoes
Emily Dietsch
Jim Pierce
Amanda Grosvenor
Jen Senecal @JenSenecal
Tori Hitchiner Adam Hogue @hoguie
John Taraborelli @JohnnyTabs Chip Young
Interns Marla Gagne Olivia Perreault
Jacob Turpin
Members Of:
This Issue By The Numbers PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER. PAPER CONTAINS 20-25% POST-CONSUMER CONTENT
27
70
250
Minutes it will take you to get from Kennedy Plaza to Warren, the coolest town in RI outside of Providence, by RIPTA (p. 26)
Home games for the PawSox. This season’s home opener at McCoy Stadium will be on April 10 against the Syracuse Chiefs (p. 13)
Number of cans filled per minute at Narragansett Beer’s new Rhode Island brewery at the Isle Brewers Guild (p. 22)
Facebook.com/PVDMonthly
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PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
@PVDMonthly
@HeyRhody
Providence Monthly 1070 Main Street, Suite 302 Pawtucket RI 02860 • Fax: 401-305-3392 ProvidenceOnline.com Mail@ProvidenceOnline.com @PVDMonthly For advertising rates call: 401-305-3391 We welcome all contributions, but we assume no responsibility for unsolicited material. No portion of this publication can be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission. Copyright ©2017 by Providence Monthly. All rights reserved.
COL LECT ION 17 Rhode Island School of Design
Saturday May 13 4 pm and 7 pm
Apparel Design Senior Runway Show
George V. Meehan Auditorium Brown University 225 Hope Street, Providence, RI
Get tickets at risd.edu/ collection
8
PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
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A F O O D T R U C K A N D TA S T I N G F E A S T- I VA L Celebrate for a deliciously good cause with the sixth annual Eat Drink RI Festival, held throughout Providence from April 26-29. Enjoy a multicourse Dinner by Dames, the largest Food Truck Fest in New England and a Grand Tasting of artisanal food and wine from all over RI. Get your appetite ready because we’re giving away tickets to this, too.
FO L LOW U S
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Call 401-769-7992 The Horse Show
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OPENING RECEPTION
APRIL 5 – MAY 20
April 7, 5-9pm
Brian Fox, Melissa Mason, and Alecia Barry Underhill
GALLERY NIGHT PROVIDENCE
April 20, 5-9pm
DINE WELL Our statewide dining guide will keep you informed and well fed
HeyRhody.com
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ArtProv gallery | 150 Chestnut Street, Providence | 401 641 5182 | ArtProvGallery.com
Check website for weekly hours.
April 2017 | PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
9
SUMMER Go to ProvidenceOnline.com for our camp directory
Learn To Sail! In Providence
Youth Summer Sailing Camp Adult Evening Lessons Too! NEW - Kayaks!
Learn more: 401.454.SAIL (7245) • www.communityboating.com
Summer Camp university of rhode island
Alton Jones 2017
An exceptional camp experience for boys and girls of all ages and skill levels, led by Brown University’s varsity coaches, their staff and current Brown athletes. Baseball • Basketball • Fencing Field Hockey • Football • Ice Hockey Lacrosse • Rowing • Rugby • Soccer Squash • Swimming • Tennis Volleyball • Water Polo • Wrestling
Sponsored by the Brown University Department of Athletics and Brown University Pre-College Programs. BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS CAMPS ARE OPEN TO ANY AND ALL ENTRANTS.
10
PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
Pack a summer of adventure into each week!
U N YO WHE ISTER BY REG L 30
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U N YO WHE ISTER BY REG 31
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web.uri.edu/alton-jones-camp
CAMPS Go to ProvidenceOnline.com for our camp directory
CAMP RAMSBOTTOM • • • •
June 26 – August 18 Convenient, safe, affordable Professional, caring staff 50+ years of creating memories!
Call 401.722.8840 or visit www.bgcpawt.org to learn more! Use code PM when registering and be entered to win one of 10 free sessions at Camp Ramsbottom (entry deadline 7/1/17).
RISD
“SHE BELIEVED SHE COULD, SO SHE DID.”
YOUN G ARTISTS
Summer Camps Section in: FOR KI DS Providence Monthly
CAMPS & & T EENS Size: 1/8 page (horizontal) CLASSES 4.375”w x 2.875”h AG ES 6 –1 7
-R.S. Grey See what your child can become at Lincoln camps this summer! ACTING | SURF | #LIKEABOSS | SQUASH GIRL ON A HIKE | SOCCER | TENNIS FIELD HOCKEY | SWIMMING AT AGAWAM
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Camp Directors: Coach Steve Ceseretti & Coach Jamal Gomes
April 2017 | PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
11
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For information on our Patient Service Center Lab locations: Call 401-793-4242 or 1-800-980-4244 or visit www.LifespanLabs.org
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PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
PROV I DEN CE P U LS E City / Scene in PVD
Courtesy of the PawSox
BATTER UP! When spring rolls back around it brings a lot of our favorite things with it, chief among them being the Pawtucket Red Sox. April 10 will see the first pitch of the year at McCoy Stadium when the PawSox take on the Syracuse Chiefs in the first of 70 home games. Though Rhode Island may be more
evenly split on the Red Sox/Yankees debate (we’re looking at you, Johnston Yankees fans) than our neighboring commonwealth to the north there’s no denying who our state’s real team is. Boston can have Red Sox Nation. Down here, this is PawSox Country. PawSox.com
The PawSox take on the Syracuse Chiefs on April 10 for the 2017 season home opener
CITY KITTY Veterinary Care for Cats Hey Walter, Did you see that cat yesterday who was wearing a hot pink sweater?
!
ME-WOW OMG, Stanley, you’d think she was trying to Im-purr-sonate a Kardashian!
the all new Lounge at Lang's is now open! plus host your next event in the nelson event center!
Now In Our Purr-Fect New Home At 400 Hope Street! Find us on Social Media @citykittypvd
Taking care of cats since 1999
400 Hope Street, Providence • 401-831-MEOW (6369) • city-kitty.com
DINNER’S CALLING.
401 861 1770 14
PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
PUL PULSE SE
City
FREE PLANS FOR SPRING BUILDING PROJECTS
Archives of Activism
Shining a Light on Historic Struggles
ELLEN Design Build New Homes Kitchens • Baths Additions • Pools Renovations Landscape • Design
EllenDesignBuild.com
“Builders of Excellence" Artifacts on display at Bullets and Bulletins chronicle the efforts of 19th century African Americans who fought for equality in Rhode Island
In honor of Black History Month, Secretary Nellie M. Gorbea introduced a new exhibit in February at the State Archives, which will be running through the end of April. Bullets and Bulletins: African American Activism in Civil War Era Rhode Island features original documents, photos,
newspaper clippings and historical items dating back to the 1850s-1880s, telling the story of African Americans in Rhode Island and their struggles with equality. “We have so much to be proud of in Rhode Island’s history and this exhibition series is a great
opportunity to encourage civic pride and participation among all Rhode Islanders,” says Secretary Gorbea on the benefits of our State Archives as a time capsule for remembering how our actions can make an impact nationwide. On display now are petitions and letters from African Americans who fought to win equality in their home state, including the right to serve in the Civil War, allowing interracial marriage and penalizing discrimination based on race. The authors of the 1865 Petition for Equal School Rights, for example, asked to eliminate the “last relics of slavery and barbarism remaining in this state” by allowing integrated schools. Items have also been loaned from the Rhode Island Historical Society and the Keith Stoke Family Collection and are on display. The exhibit is the first of a four part series exploring activism in RI, with the next starting in May for the 100th anniversary of the US entering WWI and focusing on the important roles of women at home, soldiers at war and the activism of conscientious objectors. 337 Westminster Street. SOS. RI.gov –Kemill Logarta
Interested in
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LOOKING FOR A CAREER MOVE? Call or Text 401-585-5007 info@anchorREgroup.com anchorREgroup.com
April 2017 | PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
15
PUL SE
City
Painting in the Park
Explore Pawtucket’s Hidden Gallery Spring brings many visitors
to Slater Park. While some stop by to visit the carousel or to enjoy the splendors of nature, they may not realize there is also an art gallery to explore. The Rhode Island Watercolor Society sits beside the pond and among the trees, offering a beautiful view both inside and out. Founded in 1896, the group has called the JC Potter Casino Building home since 1987. Gallery director Sam Green says this space has been essential for the growth of the society, as it allows room for art classes, workshops, exhibitions and a small library of books on the subject. The gallery is free for anyone to visit and admire the diverse and intricate works of art. Pieces on display are connected by a theme, which is presented to members for a juried exhibition, but Sam says it is more of a “springboard of inspiration” than a strict guideline. Though members of the society receive a discounted price, classes and workshops are open to public participation as well. “We try to avoid an elitist feel that arts organizations tend to have,” Sam explains. The welcoming and inclusive community is one of the reasons the organization has lasted for 120 years. An active involvement from teachers and other
The Rhode Island Watercolor Society has been making fine art accessible to the public for 120 years
members also contributes to its success. “We thrive because of our members,” Sam adds. He says they are very active in spreading the word and bringing in guests from all over the country, not just New England. With the plants blooming and warmer
temperatures arriving, a trip to the serene Watercolor Society might be the perfect addition to your day in the park. 831 Armistice Boulevard, Pawtucket. 7261876, RhodeIslandWatercolorSociety.WildApricot.org –Tori Hitchiner
Class of 2017
Legends of Rock in Rhode Island
Local musicians and music lovers alike shared memories with one another at the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in Pawtucket when ten local artists and bands were introduced as the 2017 inductees. These included jazz and R&B acts Artie Cabral, Dan Moretti, Billy Osborne and Frank Potenza, and rock artists Phil Greene, Neutral Nation, Plan 9, Rizzz, Throwing Muses and The Wild Turkey Band/Hometown Rockers. This year’s induction ceremonies and concerts will 16
PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
take place over the course of three days, with the jazz and R&B inductions happening on April 23 at The Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich and the two rock induction ceremonies and concerts on April 29 and April 30 at The Met in Pawtucket. April 30 will also be the unveiling of the inductee exhibits at the Hall of Fame museum at Hope Artiste Village, which including the 2017 inductees now has 53 exhibits. Rick Bellaire, vice chair of Rhode Island Music Hall
of Fame says that he is overjoyed by the “sense of community that musicians around here have,” adding that every year, the board has to make a difficult decision in regards to choosing the inductees, but one day, they’ll get to everyone. “For five years, we’ve sold out every event,” he says. “This year the spread of styles is so big and the acts are so popular that I think we’re going to sell out three events.” RhodeIslandMusicHallOfFame.com –Olivia Perreault
Photography (top) courtesy of the Rhode Island Watercolor Society
This year’s Rhode Island Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees include local jazz, R&B and rock icons
PUL PULSE SE
City
Join Us for Amazing Food & Entertainment
Cafe diPanni
Legalize It?
The Future of Legal Pot in RI
Great Italian Home-Cooking Restaurant & Banquet Facility
Thursday Night
Italian Buffet: 5-8pm
Includes: Salad, pasta, meatballs, baked ham, chicken, fish & dessert
Karaoke: 8-11pm
Dinner shows every other Saturday Live Entertainment Every Friday Full service bar available
Quality food, affordable prices at the Young Pannese Social Club 187 POCASSETT AVENUE, PROVIDENCE • 944-0840
JEFFREY’S APPLIANCE Home Service and Sales Refrigerators • Stoves • Microwaves • Dishwashers • Washers & Dryers • A/C’s & Freezers •
After Massachusetts voted to legalize recreational marijuana in November, and a recent poll showed that 59% of Rhode Islanders support legalization, the buzz is that Rhode Island could be one of the next states to go green. We caught up with Jared Moffat, director of Regulate Rhode Island, to get a sense of recreational pot’s chances in the Ocean State.
Illustration by Katie Leclerc
How do the results of February’s poll play into the chances of legalization happening? I think we can make it happen this year. Support is growing across the country. It’s not a shock, but it’s something that we wanted to highlight. The support is here in Rhode Island, and it’s not just in one part of the state. We found that in 2015 as well. This isn’t just Providence; the whole state supports this. What do you attribute this growing support to? I think there are a number of factors. People see that the current policy isn’t working. Our prohibition isn’t stopping anyone so people are wondering why we’re spending the money. People can see what’s going on in Colorado and Washington. People thought the sky was going to fall and that fear hasn’t materialized. Life in Denver is pretty much the same, but now they have thousands of more jobs for people and millions more in revenue. People’s perception of marijuana has changed. People look at it and ask, “If adults are allowed to drink alcohol why not use a safer substance?”
What does Rhode Island stand to lose by waiting to legalize? The majority of the state’s population lives within 15-20 minutes of the Massachusetts border. It’s not implausible for a savvy entrepreneur to set up shop in Swansea or Seekonk. Our economies are already intertwined, and if we don’t set up shop here, we’re going to risk people doing business is Massachusetts and putting money in their tax coffers. But this isn’t just about tax revenue. The new jobs and business are just as important. We’d be crazy not to be on board. Massachusetts would be thrilled if we don’t pass a bill this year because they get a bigger slice of the pie. The question of if has been settled. Now we need to step up and decide how it should be done. What do you say to people who aren’t ready to see marijuana regulation take this next step? I constantly hear people who are on the fence say we shouldn’t rush into this because of tax revenue. I’ve been saying for years that tax revenue isn’t the reason we should do this. Number one is public health and safety. Doing this for revenue has never been our message. We’ve been talking about public health, public safety and the social injustice that comes with these policies. There are thousands of Rhode Islanders with criminal records for marijuana infractions. These are a ball and chain holding them back from opportunities. Why do we want to continue to hold them back for these arcane laws? RegulateRI.com –Tony Pacitti
351-9090 • 1818 Mineral Spring Ave North Providence, RI • Mon-Sat: 9am - 6pm
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17
NOW YOU’RE COOKING
Gone to the Dogs How a pet project became a dream job
(Top to bottom:) Debbie with her four corgis; with her daughter Courtney
I
nspiration can come in many forms. For Debbie Heaney, it
came from her beloved husky/ chow mix, Dakota. “I’ve been passionate about animals my whole life,” she says. “I just
first aid. She also holds a cer-
didn’t realize how that passion
tification from FEMA: Animals
could completely change my
in Disaster, Awareness and Pre-
life.” Having worked at a stag-
paredness. “Your pet’s safety is
nant job for three decades,
our top priority,” she says.
follow
Married for 28 years, Debbie
her life’s dream at age 51 and
and Steve have three grown
opened her own business. “I
children and four male corgis.
found out that it’s never too
Dakota sadly crossed the Rain-
late to do what you love,” she
bow Bridge a year after the
says. “When you do, it doesn’t
business opened. “She really
feel like work at all.”
was a partner in my business.
Debbie
SPECIALIZING IN HOT POT COOKING! FULL BAR • PLENTY OF PARKING 256 Broadway, Providence (401) 831-7555 • lameihotpot.com 18
PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
decided
to
Dakota’s Pet Services of-
She had this way of putting cli-
fers a caring and stress-free
ents at ease,” Debbie says. As
environment for four-legged
she approaches Dakota’s Pet
friends. Open since 2011, the
Service’s six year anniversary
reputable company provides
in June, Debbie is still hum-
walking, day sitting and over-
bled to be the only pet sitting
night care services. “We give
business in Rhode Island that’s
your pets the care and exercise
family operated. “I feel so for-
they need when you’re at work,
tunate to be able to do what
away or too busy,” she says.
I love, to be surrounded by
Along with her husband Steve
dogs all day,” she says. “It’s so
and daughter Courtney, Deb-
much fun and rewarding each
bie is certified in pet CPR and
and every day.”
Dakota’s Pet Sevices 164 Sinclair Avenue, Cranston 862-6097 • MyDPS.me
PUL PULSE SE
Scene in PVD
The Providence Preservation Society’s Winter Bash is an epic, annual party and this year’s, held on February 25 at the International Import Building, was no exception. The Kings and Queens theme had guests in their royal best as they celebrated
PIZZA’S ON THE LINE.
PPS’s continued mission to preserve our city’s historic spaces. PPSRI.org Photography by Tim Siekiera
401 632 0555
David Pomerantz and Dennis DelSignore
Now Open Saturdays! Center for Weight & Wellness East Greenwich
The Center for Weight and Wellness is a comprehensive weight management program providing a full range of services, for patients who are moderately to severely overweight: Everett Hoag
Kate Gwiazdowski and Lauren Ruggiero
· Dietary counseling · Behavioral counseling · Medical interventions · Surgical treatment To sign-up for an information session or for more information, call 401-606-4177 or visit
www.weightlossri.org
CJ Guilfoyle, Lori Croll, Luaren Roberti, Nichelle Herrick and Paula Roberti
1377 South County Trail • East Greenwich, RI 02818 • 401-606-4177
April 2017 | PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
19
FEDERAL HILL The Heartbeat of Providence
• SPONSORED CONTENT •
Tony’s Colonial Food
Exclusively on Federal Hill!
a little Bit of italy on Federal Hill!
AUTHENTIC
Venetian Jewelry & Glassworks from Italy
Italian Essentials at Tony’s Colonial
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t’s places like Tony’s Colonial Foods that give Providence the illustrious reputation of America’s hidden foodie
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consistently provided shoppers with the finest imported
• delicious Prepared Foods • Family Run for over 50 years • Convenient Parking lot
and domestically produced Italian goods. The authentic,
311 atwells avenue, Providence • 621-8675 • tonyscolonial.com
treasure. Since 1952, Tony’s Colonial Foods has
homemade Italian creations fit perfectly within the red, white and green streets of Federal Hill.
Experience The Art Of Glass Blowing
Selections at Tony’s go beyond the typical. Shop in this
LESSONS:
local market not only for meats and cheeses, but also for
Up to 4 people (1 hour class)
the extensive collection of imported olive oils and balsamic
259 Atwells Avenue, Providence 499-5575 • www.dreamyvenice.com
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At long la st, Narrag ansett Be er brings brewing
operation s back ho me to Rho By Tony P acitti • Ph de Island oto graphy b y James
Jones
B
y the time you read this, Narragansett Beer will have officially
resumed brewing operations in Rhode Island after nearly 40 years. In that time, the company changed hands repeatedly, its flagship lager was watered down beyond recognition and its heyday was all but forgotten until in 2005, Mark Hellendrung bought the brand with a vision of restoring it to its former glory and, hopefully someday, to Rhode Island. Riding the second big wave of craft beer enthusiasm, ‘Gansett cashed in on its deep, local roots and burgeoning hipster cred by bringing back the lager everyone’s uncle and grandpa remembered watching a Sox game with and putting it side-by-side with exciting new craft brews. Each tallboy sold brought the prodigal pint a little closer to Rhode Island and finally, after partnering with the Isle Brewers Guild, ‘Gansett came home.
IT’S ABOUT TIME
It’s still a couple of weeks until the fittingly named It’s About Time IPA will be put into production when Narragansett’s community and marketing events manager BJ Mansuetti shows me around the new brewery in Pawtucket. Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” is booming through the space, which seems appropriate. Shiny new hardware, empty save for the promise of beer production returning to the Ocean State, stand ready to be put to use. “We called it Tanksgiving,” he says of what for him and Narragansett president Hellendrung was the moment when it all felt real. “The day before Thanksgiving all of the tanks showed up. To finally see the equipment was the day that I really understood how far we’d come. It was finally coming together.” That equipment includes a 100-barrel tank and four 300-barrel tanks, with three more on the way. Though not enough to mass produce their mascot lager – which will continue to be contract brewed out of the North American Breweries in Rochester, New York – it’s enough to get their craft lines up and running in the 401. “One of my favorite expressions is ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,’” says Hellendrung. “So we’re taking our first big bite here with our craft stuff.” In addition to It’s About Time, which Mansuetti describes as malt forward “old school” IPA, ‘Gansett will be brewing its popular Lovecraft series, Town Beach IPA, Summertime Citra Ale and a yet to be announced series of craft beers under its Pawtucket roof. Experimentation with their craft lines is going to take off at the new brewery thanks to a small, ten barrel brew system, which will give them the kind of creative flexibility they’ve never had before. Instead of creating a new
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PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
Narragansett Beer’s It’s About Time IPA (above) will be the first beer the company has produced in-state in almost 40 years
‘Gansett and several other craft breweries will be partners in the Isle Brewers Guild in Pawtucket, a facility designed to help rising craft brewers meet increasing production demands
beer, sending it to Rochester and tasting it for the first time when customers do, they’ll be able to tinker with recipes and perfect new beers in small batches. Over the next five years, they’ll be taking additional bites out of moving more of their production back home as the facility continues to expand, with the hope of someday bringing some lager production – and the 4500 gallon tanks required for it – to Pawtucket.
NEIGHBORS AGAIN
There were a couple of dark decades for Narragansett. The brewery in Cranston was closed in 1981 and production had been moved out of state. The brand changed hands several times before Hellendrung purchased the company from Pabst in 2005, at which point production had been slashed to a mere 5,000 barrels a year exclusively for distribution in Rhode Island. Of course the real crime was what had happened to the lager over those 20 years. “It was like a cheap, college kid beer,” says Hellendrung. “No one’s drinking that when they’re 40. But that’s what it was, and to change that impression for those older guys was really hard.” Some of the old timers, who Hellendrung had expected to welcome the company back with open arms, felt burned. Meanwhile, a new generation of drinkers that he thought he’d have to win over were primed for ‘Gansett’s return thanks to the craft beer boom happening in the mid-2000s. “The younger guys really got into the story and appreciated the quality of the beer,” he explains. “They love the craft stuff we do and the really unique things we can do by bringing the past to life in a more modern way.” Of course not every Rhodie who remembered ‘Gansett’s heyday had turned their back on the beer. The company’s roots run deep in the community, and there were plenty of folks who grew up with the brand, or who had family members with
fond memories of working at the old brewery. “Peoples’ grandfathers, uncles and dads are still telling stories about their time working at the brewery and enjoying Red Sox games with ‘Gansett,” says Mansuetti. “When we came back we tried to connect new and old and it’s been really good to us. It’s special to be back and have that support from the state.” Mansuetti beams when he talks about the 1890 Room, a planned museum space dedicated to the company’s history. It will be a place dedicated not just to Narragansett, but the community as well, a place where you can trace the lineage from the lager your grandparents remembered to the one you might be drinking now.
THE NUTS AND BOLTS
But it won’t just be ‘Gansett’s suds calling these Pawtucket tanks home. The brewery, which occupies the Kellaway Center on Main Street, is a groundbreaking approach to collaborative beer making. Narragansett has partnered with the Isle Brewers Guild, which seeks to fill a need in the ever-growing craft beer world. Guild founders Jeremy Duffy and Devin Kelly saw that with an average annual growth of 15% in the craft beer industry, the little guys making waves in the craft brew world were running up against logistical walls. “With much success comes many business problems,” says Duffy. “You get craft breweries hitting capacity issues, which is sort of the number one reason why we’re here, but then there were human resource issues, capital issues… that’s where the partnership brewery concept came in.” The idea is simple: craft brewers keep doing what they do and the Guild will provide the tanks, the manpower and the quality control to help them meet demand. They become the behind-the-scenes guys while the individual brands get to put their product in the spotlight. Narragansett was the first brewery to partner with the Guild, and will call the Pawtucket brewery their primary facility. Others, like Newburyport Brewing Company out of Newburyport, MA, Farmer Willie’s and Devil’s Purse Brewing Company, both from Cape Cod, will call Pawtucket their secondary facility, a place where they can meet the demands of their expanding market territories. “Conceptually, we’re bringing the quality control, automation and technical ability that allows the breweries and their brewmasters to bring their brands to scale,” explains Kelly. “We over compensate on the quality control side and offer more options than they would typically have in their home operations. That way we can ensure that we’re putting out the beer that they want to put out.” The facility, which is expecting to produce 60,000 barrels annually in its first year, will be more of a campus than a brewery. In addition to the brew house, storage and packaging areas, there will be a 5,500 square foot beer hall, spaces for two or three restaurants, an outdoor beer garden and educational spaces. Throw in the fact that all of this is happening just two blocks away from the MBTA commuter rail stop heading to Pawtucket and it’s easy to see the potential in this being another jewel in Rhode Island’s food industry crown. To get to that point will still take a bit of fermenting. In the meantime, there’s that first, locally brewed ‘Gansett to look forward to. Welcome home, neighbor.
April 2017 | PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
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An Innovative Educational Approach Meeting Street teaches children through integrity, inclusivity and respect
M
Margaret Knowlton, Director of School Age Programs at Meeting Street believes that all children excel in an inclusive educational setting specifically designed to meet the needs of every student – with or without special needs. As Ms. Knowlton states, “Research supports that students of varying cognitive and physical ability learn best side by side, every day, all day. All children benefit academically and socially as a result of additional support and tailored instruction.” Ms. Knowlton’s career choice in education was greatly influenced by her father, who was a teacher. While in college, she took a short detour in her educational pursuits due to the lack of jobs in Massachusetts at the time and decided to focus on business. However, that was short lived. When she became a teacher, she became actively involved in her school community with the help of some great mentors. She knew she wanted to be a part of a learning community where each and every child is appreciated for who they are. She believes that all children have the right to a
where children of all ages and abilities re-
Meeting Street’s mission where the organi-
high-quality education provided in a safe,
ceive individualized attention from highly
zation empowers children and their families
caring and nurturing environment, and that
trained, dedicated educators, therapists, and
to thrive by working with others for the de-
all of the adults that work in the organization,
staff who work as a team, sharing strategies
velopment of the whole child. Ms. Knowlton’s
take their role very seriously and make sure
and identifying solutions to bring out the best
leadership role among the schools is highly
that each student’s individual learning goals
in each and every student. As Ms. Knowlton
recognized among her peers, staff, families
and needs are met. It is also important for her
states, “At Meeting Street, we believe in the
at the schools, and the community at large.
to work with a group of professionals who
power of inclusion and we foster that philos-
Ms. Knowlton is originally from Pittsfield,
learn together and collaborate so that they
ophy in all that we do. Our educational goal is
Massachusetts and moved to Rhode Island
can be innovative and provide the best possi-
to create a purposeful environment, and ulti-
over 27 years ago and joined Meeting Street
ble education for their students.
mately a world, where individuals of all abili-
in 2011. She is married to her husband Steve
ties learn, play, work, and live together.”
for 11 years and they have 4 grown step-chil-
The Grace and Carter Schools reside on Meeting Street’s campus in Providence,
Ms. Knowlton’s leadership is reflected in
dren (all married) and 4 grandchildren. She
while the Schwartz School resides at the
Meeting Street’s values: Respect, Compas-
received her Bachelor of Arts degree in El-
campus in Dartmouth, MA. Meeting Street,
sion, Integrity, Inclusivity, and Excellence.
ementary Education from Saint Michael’s
now in its 71st year, is a non-profit agency
These distinct values are deeply rooted in
College, in Colchester, Vermont and received her Masters of Education in School Administration at Rhode Island College in Providence, Rhode Island. Her honors and awards include: Nationally Distinguished Principal and Rhode Island Elementary Principal of the Year, 20062007, The Hutchinson-Babbitt Award, Center for Dynamic Learning in 2013, and the Recognition Program Award, East Providence School Department Local Advisory Committee for Special Education in 2013. Margaret Knowlton is a Leading Lady and a true leader in inclusive education.
Meeting Street MeetingStreet.org
OUTSIDE
PROVIDENCE From buzzworthy restaurants to artsy endeavors, big things are happening in Warren BY SOPHIE HAGEN
creative community. The Collaborative, as Adam’s group and space are now called, exhibits art of all kinds by Rhode Islanders, including photography, leatherwork, jewelry, 3D art, paintings and poetry. It helps sell and promote artists through a monthly showcase and throws outdoor events, live music (including a folk festival) and movies in the park. Collaborative members paint murals around town. Adam has even started a Warren zine. Adam’s artistic ethos and entrepreneurial spirit aren’t unique to just him. They’re in residents all over Warren, and are on full view these days; as arts spaces and events, boutiques and restaurants have recently been filling the tiny town to the gills. Made in Warren on Main Street, for instance, promotes and sells art and crafts by Warren residents. Galactic Theatre is
ADAM TRACY Adam is one of the founder s of The Collaborative, a space dedicated to exhibiting the work local ar tists on Main Street
a 20-seat movie theatre that started in the back of vintage store Podsnappery. The theatre now shows movies and live music full-time, with musicians playing for tips. United Republic Affair, a boutique and the showroom of swimwear and sunglass designer Artiss Akarra, recently opened on Water Street. Much has been said of Hope and Main. The food business incubator, housed in a converted elementary school, provides kitchen space to local vendors and helps them accelerate into commercial production, assisting with licensing, packaging, product testing and more. It hosts a weekly farmer’s market, one of the area’s only wintertime markets, and has boosted Rhode Island’s food economy immensely by giving a leg up to smaller producers; newly opened businesses can now source locally more easily. As it grows, more and more is happening there, including a series of cooking classes with chefs from some of the state’s best restaurants, like Perry Raso from Matunuck Oyster Bar, Matthew Peterson from Castle Hill, Nick Rabar from Avenue N and Robert Sisca from the Rooftop at Providence G. This inclination to invent, convert and create has beckoned the artistically
BRIAN AND KATIE O’DONNELL The owner s of Bywater chose to open in Warren because they “couldn’t fathom doing something somewhere else.”
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PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
minded to the town, and the strong sense of community has convinced them to stay. “I personally always identified with the community of Warren, even before moving here,” says Keri Cronin, owner of Dish Boutique on Water Street and recently elected member of the Town Council. “There was a quality to it, a character to it, a way about it that seemed more like a place I belonged.” Warrenites, she says, are “committed to the community for a longer period of time because they really like it here.”
K
atie O’Donnell began her Warren tenure as the owner of the gift shop the Wooden Midshipman, named after a defiantly old-fashioned shop in Dickens’ Dombey and Son. Concerned at the lack of foot traffic outside her store, she organized the merchants’ group Discover Warren and, with no real budget, took to social media to publicize her fellow merchants’ goods and the attractiveness of Warren. The organization now throws events around town, including trolley rides to visit artist open studios throughout Warren. She and her husband, Brian, had both kept one foot in the food industry even while running the gift shop, he as the chef at Café Nuovo here in Providence and she as a bartender at Persimmon Restaurant when it was still in Bristol. Struck by the Warren spirit, they decided to open their own restaurant. By that point they were “so in love with the community,” Katie says, “that we couldn’t fathom doing something somewhere else.” Their restaurant, Bywater, serves “a coastal New England interpretation of Old World flavors and techniques – or, you know, whatever we feel like cooking today,” according to its
Photography (except Adam Tracy) by Michael Cevoli
L
ast year a hair salon on Main Street in Warren went vacant. The staff members, all older women, had retired en masse. Adam Tracy, a born and bred Warrenite in his 30s, didn’t like seeing an empty space on Main. He bought the space and spent the summer, on break from his high school art teaching gig, selling a clothing line there that he’d started in high school called Dubs Deep – “Dub” for “W” for “Warren,” and “Deep” for deep-rooted. By summer’s end, he’d assembled a group of artists whose work would be exhibited in the space. This is just one of several stories about artists, entrepreneurs, go-getters and change makers who have put Warren on the fast track to being Rhode Island’s coolest towns, a destination just 25 short minutes outside of the city that embodies everything we value here in Providence’s own
ASHER AND ERIN SCHOFIELD The Schofields moved to Warren in 2005 to be a par t of a community “that of fer s something special and sweet.”
website, and has drawn customers from all over the state to its fresh, local fare. Other restaurants focusing on local produce, like The Revival Craft Kitchen and Bar and Pink Pig BBQ, have recently opened as well, taking advantage of Warren’s location and lack of red tape for small businesses, as Katie reports. Permits are easy to come by, and municipal departments are small and accessible. “The person in charge of the department answers the phone,” she says. When Warrenites talk about the joys of living there, the details they share are concrete: the 25-minute bus ride to Providence, their own bike path that leads to the Barrington Library or the playground in Bristol, old factory buildings repurposed as artist spaces, a working waterfront. But the more abstract benefits, touched on by each of the Warren residents interviewed for this story, have to do with a commitment, a sense of purpose, a feeling of belonging. “I think that to a large degree most people that are moving here are moving here with honest intentions of being part of a community that offers something special and sweet,” says Asher Schofield, owner of Frog and Toad on the East Side, and a Warren resident since 2005. This may be Warren’s particular strain of Rhode Island syndrome – those who reach the East Bay haven’t just packed a lunch, but all their earthly belongings as well. Once they’re here, they’re prepared for a “quiet, modest way of life.” “It’s a town of misfits,” Asher continues, “that are bound together by a connection to a place.” Erin Schofield, co-owner of Frog and Toad and Asher’s wife, reiterates that the Warren community is “warm and welcoming and creative.” Erin just became vice chairperson of the nine-person Bristol/Warren regional school committee, in charge of 50 percent of Bristol and Warren’s collective budget. Her current focus is on school policy for transgender and gender nonconforming students. “Because it’s a small community,
we have a real opportunity to be leaders,” she says.
E
fforts are being made to preserve the memories of those who have lived in Warren their entire lives, including an oral history project by the Warren Preservation Society. Numerous businesses in Warren have been around for years and have shaped the town’s character profoundly. Blount Market and Kitchen, on the waterfront since 1943, ships seafood and soups all across the country. Delekta Pharmacy has been owned by the Delektas since the 1940s, still fills prescriptions and has a working soda fountain, dispensing the one-of-a-kind coffee cabinet and other treats. Simone’s started as a breakfast and lunch place on the water called The Sunnyside; it’s now bigger and on Child Street, and it offers cooking classes in the evenings from internationally trained Chef Joe Simone. 2nd Story Theatre is in its eighth season of being one of the state’s best destinations for live dramatic performances. Looking to the future, Warrenites hope for the community to stay distinct and cohesive, even as buildings fill and prices climb. Musician MorganEve Swain, who moved to Warren in 2008, hopes that as “new people are coming in, new businesses can incorporate the people who are already here” and “not be alienating the people who grew up here, and have been here for a long time.” Rusty Finizia, a 17-year resident who spends her days as a lab tech and her nights making drinks at Jack’s Bar for both life-long residents and new arrivals, observes that “a lot more young people are getting involved in the town council, in business, in trying to protect open space,” but that “there always seems to be a battle between keeping things the same and making room for new business.” As things change and the community ebbs and flows, hopefully the character of Warren will remain consistent. “Warren people move here,” Asher says. Once you’ve made it to the water, you stay.
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MAKER CITY From its days as The Beehive of Industry to its current run as The Creative Capital, Providence has always been a city by and for makers By Amanda M. Grosvenor • Photography by Michael Cevoli
nyone casually familiar with Providence knows that we are a city that prizes its arts and culture immensely, and one of the largest demographics to fall under that umbrella are our makers. From the jewelry industry we are so well known for, to furniture, handbags, ceramics, electronics, blacksmithing, print making and so much more, the maker movement that has been recently growing across the US has long had an established foothold in Providence, and it seems like new maker spaces are popping up left and right. Some of these spaces are housed within or facilitated through educational nonprofit organizations like AS220, the Steel Yard and RISD’s continuing education department. Other entities like, RISCA and DESIGNxRI, offer grants to fund, foster and even mentor aspiring or established makers. Is that why and how Providence has managed to attract and retain so many talented craftspeople and artisans in what is known to be a struggling economy? Is it because of the nonprofit and other assistance available, or did the nonprofits spring out of the already existent culture? There may not be one definitive response, but through speaking to a few highly successful local makers, as well as several local nonprofit “creative incubators,” we found some similar theories crop up frequently. The City itself is also very much aware of this aspect of our collective identity; on February 25, Mayor Jorge Elorza’s office organized an event at AS220 called “Providence: The Maker City” with a keynote speech by Matt Stinchcomb of the ETSY Foundation and brief panel talks with local leaders in the arts and food growing industries. We know that this movement is here to stay – but why is it here in the first place?
IT’S IN OUR DNA Both figuratively in terms of our city and state history, and literally for those whose ancestors worked in factories and related professions: making things is in our genes. Providence is known as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in America, dating back to 1789 when ambitious businessman Samuel Slater broke export laws to bring Britain-monopolized manufacturing equipment plans and designs to the US. Thereafter referred to as “Slater the Traitor” in his hometown, he started Slater Mill in Pawtucket, choosing Rhode Island due to its lack of mandatory tithing and its status in the Triangle Trade. He worked with Moses Brown to replicate British designs, and in 1793 they opened their first factory. About 80 years later, Rhode Islander George Henry Corliss developed the Corliss steam engine – vastly improving existing steam engine technology and effectively starting the Steam Revolution. Corliss’s invention powered all of the machinery at the 1876 centennial exhibition located in Rhode Island, a forerunner of the World’s Fair. Providence became a hub of cotton, textile, jewelry and other manufacturing – one of the wealthiest cities in the country and even the world. As we all know, it did not last forever. When the vast majority of American manufacturing transferred
April 2017 | PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
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overseas, local economies were hit hard. For decades, hulking behemoths of old mills sat silent, rusting and decrepit memories of a bygone age. In recent years, though, these mills are showing signs of new growth and life; some have been converted to high-end condos and apartments, but many are also now housing the same activity as their original incarnations did: human beings making things. Pawtucket’s Hope Artiste Village is a great example of an incubator for creative new businesses. Another stunningly repurposed millspace is the Steel Yard on Sims Avenue, established in 2001 and which teaches classes in blacksmithing, welding, jewelry and ceramics, as well as offers weldto-work training programs, residencies, workspaces, tools and more. Program Director Islay Taylor notes that she works in the same physical structure as her uncle did decades ago when the structure was the Providence Steel and Iron complex: ”It’s a different identity of work, but the same physical space and the shared goal of making things,” she says. Such stories come up frequently. This is Rhode Island, after all.
The Steel Yard, having reclaimed the former Providence Steel and Iron Complex as a space for artists, marries the city’s industrial history with its current maker culture
IT’S OUR SIZE One attribute that was mentioned over and over is the state’s size and corresponding level of connection between individuals – the whole “know a guy” effect, as in, “You need someone who casts molds? I know a guy for you.” In this state, it often feels as if we are all connected by two, maybe three degrees of separation at most. For many, the creative community in Providence also seems more welcoming and less competitive compared to other places. Is it because we’re all in a small sandbox and have learned to play nicely? Is it simply that we attract a different type of citizen – one who values community and creativity over glitz and fast-paced corporate culture? Even our few larger corporations seem to function more along the lines of the overall Providence ethos – Hasbro being an excellent example, employing countless artists and designers at its Pawtucket headquarters. Providence also benefits by having close proximity to larger cities such as Boston and New York City – with the major advantage of affordable living in a great location.
A STRUGGLING ECONOMY AS A POSITIVE? Although there certainly are drawbacks to living in a state with a lackluster economy, there is also an obvious correlation between cost of living increases and creative individuals being forced to move out of areas where rents are rising due to gentrification. AS220, often seen as the frontrunner and gatekeeper to accessible, affordable arts and maker resources
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PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
Jewelry maker Jessica Ricci set up shop in Providence because of the wealth of resources available to artists
in the city, was founded by a group of artists in a small studio above PPAC with only $800 in 1985, because they couldn’t find truly accessible arts spaces and decided to create one for themselves. It’s easy to forget that when viewing it now as the massive entity it has become, with $25 million in real estate investment holdings downtown, but during the ‘80s, downtown Providence was so run down and crime-ridden that many avoided it entirely. Could something like AS220 have flourished in an area that was more structured and heavily regulated? It is also worth placing Providence within a national context and looking at how the Trump
administration might affect public funding for the arts. Many of our interviewees seemed to have faith that our state’s scrappy, gritty, resourceful spirit will see us through as it always has. Public funding is nice, but it certainly isn’t necessary to create. Randall Rosenbaum is Executive Director for the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), which awards grants to both nonprofits and individuals each year in 14 different categories including design innovation. He acknowledges that the current political climate is concerning, but that federal funds traditionally only make up 30% of RISCA’s grant budget anyway. “We’re nervous every year about funding, period,”
he says, “But our state has always been very supportive of the arts and culture and their value not just to the economy but also community. There’s a lot of local good will in what we do, and Governor Raimondo has also heavily supported the arts as well, so we’re not too worried.”
THE RISD FACTOR The historic heritage of Providence’s maker culture goes well beyond manufacturing and industry; many cited the Rhode Island School of Design as a beacon of creative success and worldwide esteem. The university’s excellence as an arts institution is undisputed, but it is worth noting that the school’s founding was funded by a group of progressive members from the Rhode Island Women’s Centennial
Commission in 1877 with a mission to bring the creation and appreciation of art and design to Providence and the greater community. Talented designers flock to RISD, but what makes them choose to stay in Providence afterwards – a trend that has only increased substantially in the last six to eight years? “It really speaks to collaboration: opportunities like shared studio spaces and artist collectives,” says Executive Director of RISD’s Continuing Education program Sarah Caggiano. “Providence’s size fosters that type of sharing and being creative about questions like, ‘How do I get my business going? I don’t need an office for myself to do graphic design work, so what if I get together with other people to pool expenses and ideas?’” RISD’s world-class continuing education department serves as a major stepping stone for
Lotuff Leather attributes their successes to a “brew of creativity and industry” that makes Providence a place where makers can thrive
those wishing to move into maker crafts or simply to dabble and explore. RISD was also an early proponent of changing “STEM” to “STEAM” in terms of our national education philosophy: putting art and design back into American teaching methods.
ACCESSIBLE RESOURCES As valuable as it is having RISD right here, the university is far from the only game in town. AS220 boasts affordable workshops, classes and rentable machinery in many maker mediums. In recent years, through purchasing the Mercantile Block on Matthewson Street and establishing AS220 Industries, the nonprofit expanded its studis offerings – printmaking, darkroom photography and other more traditional visual arts – into technological mediums like laser cutting, 3D printing, a tech shop, “hacker space,” and more. To do this, they brought in Modern Device, which makes open source electronics solutions and kits. Modern Device Lab Technician and Instructor Britton Kroessler says that “AS220 has played a role in a lot of peoples’ concepts of how to create a public maker space, since we were one of the first organizations to do it. People from all over regularly come in for tours and ask questions.” He notes that the space is very welcoming and that anyone interested should stop by and learn more or sign up for an upcoming workshop. It’s also interesting to note that most of the nonprofits serving the maker community – AS220, the Steel Yard, RISD – were founded by artists and makers themselves. It’s not about nonprofits “serving” the artist community if those same nonprofits are largely comprised of artists themselves. DESIGNxRI, which provides financial grants, education and mentorship programs to designers confirms it: “There are a lot of mid-career and seasoned designers, innovators and entrepreneurs in the field who really want to contribute to the next generation and fledgeling businesses,” says Executive Director Lisa Carnevale. “[Our] Design Catalyst grants are not only for startups; the idea is to really invest in these small micro-businesses that are innovation- and design-based. There’s a high potential that they could be really great impactors on the local economy, and we have so much knowledge here to share.”
IT’S CULTURAL For reasons that may be impossible to even define, Providence appears to have an almost magnetic pull for those who enjoy making things by hand. Some are returning to their birthplace or ancestral home; others make a move to a completely new city because it offers the type of collaborative, experimental environment and community expertise and support that they require to follow their passions.
April 2017 | PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
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Jeweler Jessica Ricci creates unique, vintage-inspired fine metal jewelry pieces using flea market finds and a method of casting she learned at a workshop while teaching English in Rome. Having never sculpted before, she suddenly discovered a new passion and returned home to Providence without even knowing how much of the old jewelry industry infrastructure still remained. She thumbed through the Yellow Pages and called up various jewelers wanting to learn more. Most welcomed her in and showed her around their workspaces. “It was amazing to have so many resources at my fingertips; I could physically go from person to person,” says Ricci. “The goals here in Providence are different; here, you want to do what you want to do. No one really refers to themselves as artists or entrepreneurs, it’s just, ‘This is what I do.’ It’s the place where you live out your kooky fantasies, and you’re able to do it because everyone here knows each other and they’re willing to help you out. People are dedicated to their craft rather than making money or being part of an artsy scene, and they aren’t guarded; we have a village kind of mentality, but it’s also a village that gets the job done.” Lindy McDonough is Creative Director for local fine handbag maker Lotuff Leather, located just up the street from the Steel Yard. Under her design guidance and commitment to in-house craftsmanship excellence, the company has been earning a reputation as the Hermes of the United States. Lotuff is now carried in expensive boutiques worldwide and department stores like Barneys, and has grown from three to nearly 20 employees in a span of three years. “I’m a product of RISD myself, and I actually returned to Providence after a stint in New York because I knew that I could be a part of something here that couldn’t exist elsewhere,” says McDonough. “It’s that brew of creativity and industry that fosters such a strong, unique and diverse maker community.”
All of the pieces – affordability, existing mill spaces and manufacturing expertise – were in place for Asher Dunn to start the nationally recognized Studio Dunn here in Rhode Island
IT’S PART OF A LARGER SOCIETAL TREND We’re focused on the local aspect, but a larger movement does appear to be happening in the US that values handmade, homegrown items more than in recent decades. Furniture and lighting designer Asher Dunn was one of Forbes magazine’s 30 under 30 in 2014; the Michigan native founded Studio Dunn in Rumford after graduating with a degree in industrial design at RISD. While working on an undergraduate project, Dunn found he had exhausted the school’s resources in that specific area, and one of his professors suggested he look off-campus to local manufactures, which is where he first gained awareness of the infrastructure and capabilities in the area. Although he could have started his operation in many other larger cities, he opted to stick around Providence due to the affordability, the already existing mill
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PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
spaces and the level of remaining manufacturing expertise in the area – much of which has been lost over time. He values sustainability, craftsmanship and the sense of community and heritage existing locally in these trades, and regularly hosts the Woodworkers Guild of Rhode Island at Studio Dunn. He believes that the economic downfall in 2008 prompted a feeling of insecurity around the country, but that “When people feel insecure, they are more likely to make and build their own security and success.” As far as the physical construction of objects: “I think there’s a value in the history, craftsmanship and story that goes with a product – not just how well it’s made or how beautiful it is, but actually having some backstory to it,” he says. Most of the furniture the studio designs and builds is meant to be long-lasting heirloom pieces focused on value,
longevity, and waste reduction. Also, because so much knowledge has been lost, “Woodworking has never had the heightened perceived value that it does currently.” Dunn’s most apt point also touches on the broadest issue relevant to this discussion: “It’s hard to be annoyed at your local area not succeeding if you’re buying everything from overseas.” When Providence officially rebranded itself as “The Creative Capital” in 2009, the idea received mixed reviews, including some derision, but lately, we as a city seem to be genuinely embodying this title more and more. Knowing Rhode Island’s historical context in manufacturing, we clearly once had the chops to produce top-quality handmade and factory-produced items. Perhaps we’re simply returning to our roots and quietly calling like-minded folks to join us here.
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PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
Pawtuxet Village & Edgewood Shop, Dine and Be Charmed by this Historic Cranston Neighborhood
The Classic Man Barber Shop This truly classic style barbershop provides elite service for all of their clients for every age, from classic shaves to trendy cuts and everything in between. Their services include hot towel shaves, scissor cuts, fades, tapers, designs and traditional shaves. Priding themselves on the smoothest cuts and shaves, you can be confident that your hairstyle and fresh shave will leave you looking classic. Walk-in appointments are welcome. 2216 Broad Street, Cranston. 781-2389 TheClassicManRI@gmail.com
Save The Date: April 1
Pawtuxet Village Wedding Stroll Stroll the area from 12-5pm and meet local vendors, shop wedding gifts, dining options, view bridal fashions, and beauty trends
La Galería del Pueblo
Located in the historic Pawtuxet/Edgewood area, this event space can comfortably seat 180 guests with a dance floor or 200 guests without dancing. This beautiful room is the perfect setting for a wedding reception, corporate dinner, community gathering, holiday party, fundraiser, banquet, a birthday or an anniversary celebration. When hosting an important event, why not make it Imperial? One Rhodes Place, Cranston. 467-7102 RIShriners.com
La Galería del Pueblo, Rhode Island’s only Latino based non-profit cooperative art and cultural gallery, adds vibrant beauty to this quaint neighborhood. Translated as The Village Gallery, the venue provides a bridge between Latinos and non-Latinos where valuable interactions, exchanging of ideas, developing of techniques and progress can be had. The community gallery features the work of local Latino artists, as well as offering workshops, mentoring opportunities and a host of events for artists and art enthusiasts alike. 2154 Broad Street, Cranston. 486-9095, RILatinoArts.org/GaleriaDelPueblo-RI
Noon Designs
Salon KG
Part shop, part artisan studio, Noon Designs features a curated selection of handmade jewelry, letterpress greeting cards, home goods, body products and more. Their thoughtful design aesthetic makes this one-of-a-kind business fun to browse. Each piece in in their collection is handmade with integrity using the highest quality materials, created by masters of their craft from around the country. Visit their storefront or shop online for their playful designs. 18 Post Road, Warwick. 455-1222, NoonDesignShop.com
The beautifully restored 19th century manor that houses this salon provides a fitting backdrop to beautify yourself. Staffed with ten hand-picked trusted professionals, this salon boasts a range of hairstyling services, including cuts, colors and foils, as well as a host of facials, nail, waxing, eyelash extensions, and makeup application. They also offer bridal party services at the salon as well as on location, making your special day even more spectacular. 2144 Broad Street, Cranston. 785-2144, SalonKG.com
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Village Nail and Spa
Celebrating over 30 years in business, this unique shop is a must visit when strolling through this historic village. Featuring an eclectic array of clothing, jewelry and accessories, the boutique also stocks books, cards and gifts from local authors and artisans. With popular brands like Trollbeads and Crabtree & Evelyn, there’s something for shoppers of every age. An independently owned business offering locally crafted wares makes shopping here twice as nice. 2145 Broad Street, Cranston. 785-9599, TwiceToldTalesRI.com
Whether you have lackluster nails or just need a little glam, you’re in good hands here. This full service nail spa offers full sets, white tips, full and gel manicures and pedicures, shellac and spa pedicures. In addition to their vast array of affordable nail services, this sparkling salon prides itself on precision, giving you plenty of time to shop and stroll the area for the rest of the day. They also offer gift certificates, as well as convenient parking. Walkin appointments are welcome. 2197 Broad Street, Cranston. 781-4347
The Imperial Room
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PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
C I T Y ST Y L E At Home / Shop Talk / The Look / Beauty / Get Fit
JEWEL BOX Joe Roch and Mick O’Dwyer live in the Nichols-Bennett House in the Armory district. The 1883 Gothic Revival was renovated by previous owners, who were an artist and interior designer and used salvaged materials and their own artwork to revive the building. Joe is a realtor for Armory Properties, and Mick’s job takes him regularly back and forth to his native Ireland.
Photography by Ian Travis Barnard
“The small silhouettes of Princess Leia and Han Solo are the most recent additions to our living room, and I bought them immediately after Carrie Fisher died. Hers reads ‘I love you,’ and his says ‘I know.’”
“When Chris and Jackie Stolte bought the house in 1995, it was pretty bombed out,” Joe says. “Chris handpainted the living room floors, and also did these incredible, Morris wallpaper-inspired gold leaves throughout our dining room.”
“Five or so years ago, Mick gave me the deer head as a Christmas present,” Joe says, laughing. “It was kind of terrifying. And even though it’s a stag, I named her ‘Fannie Cradock’ after the famous ‘70s British TV chef (clips of her Christmas cooking show are a YouTube must-watch). The deer print across the window bay is by one of our favorite printmakers, Nate Duval.”
“Don’t tell anybody, but we have a speakeasy in the basement,” Joe says. “We originally bought these chairs to go downstairs, but we really love the way they frame this bay window.”
“Our pheasant came from Rocket to Mars on Broadway,” Joe says. “We’re still working on a name for him.”
Joe says, “Mick and I lived in Dublin for many years. We picked up the teak coffee table and sideboard from a tiny furniture shop on Capel Street in the city center; and even though they weigh a ton, there was no way we were leaving them behind when we moved to Providence!”
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PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
Mon-Fri: 9am to 8pm Sat & Sun: 9am to 4pm
CITY STY LE
The Look
by Julie Tremaine
Olivia Rodrigues Personal Stylist
I have always been drawn to pieces and accessories with character; the pull is instant and magnetic. When I’m working on a photo shoot or driving around the city pulling clothes, you’ll most likely find me in a regular tee or denim shirt over a pair of jeans, and I usually let my shoes and accessories, like this necktie from Lillian Astorfield be the star of the show. I love denim so much I could wear it seven days a week, 365 days a year, and have fun styling it in many different ways. Cultivating personal style is about fully understanding where you are in your life in terms of lifestyle and personal goals, while enjoying dressing for the person you are now. It’s also accepting that bodies evolve, personal stories evolve and so does personal style.
Photography: Ian Travis Barnard
I’ve learned from my closet sessions with clients that many of us think playing dress up is only for kids. You’d be surprised by how many outfits you can recreate when you play dress up with your own closet. Spend some time moving clothes from the back to the front, and rotate items frequently can make dressing up in the morning a bit more interesting and refreshing. To have the best wardrobe and greatest personal style do not necessarily mean buying new things all the time. Accessories are your best friends. It really comes down to tapping into your creativity and feeling good about what you wear. My career as a stylist came about organically and my work continues to carry that organic flair. The Lady Project has been a wonderful source for networking and collaborations. I love Providence – there are truly unique opportunities here. We may not be a luxury city but we have luxurious tendencies; we value quality over quantity and are conscious consumers. As a stylist and an entrepreneur, it’s something I keep in mind, and rather than seeing it as a limitation, I see it as a motivator. My father used to say to me, “Olivia, vas-y tout doucement and continue. Si c’était facil, tout le monde serait entrain de le faire.” Which meant “Olivia, move steadily and keep at it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.” Olivia-Rodrigues.com, @OliviaRStylist
April 2017 | PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
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PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
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CITY STY LE
Get Fit
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Experience. Integrity. Results.
CORE Pilates Mind/Body Studio offers personalized Pilates training that’s focused on strength and peace of mind
Tower of Power
Call Gerri Schiffman (401) 474-3733
Stretching with strength and control at CORE Pilates Mind/Body Studio
Photography Mike Braca
How many things can that thing do? It’s a question with which many an as-seen-on-TV exercise machine has attempted to dazzle you. The Bowflex can do what? The Soloflex has how many different configurations? The Pilates Tower, however, is a machine that genuinely impresses with its versatility and adaptability. Essentially a tall rack attached to a long bench, the Tower is outfitted with plenty of other bells and whistles, like a variety of springs, straps, pull-down bars and more, to create a seemingly infinite number of possible exercises and stretches. I recently took a small group Tower class at CORE Pilates Mind/Body Studio on the East Side. By my count we performed roughly 30 different exercises and variations over the course of an hour – and I can only assume we had just scratched the surface. Of course, Pilates is already a practice that’s heavy on iteration and variation. Like its cousin in movement, yoga, it builds on basic movements and poses, layering them with additional twists and tweaks to increase both the challenge and benefits. It was described perhaps most succinctly by the late Romana Kryzanowska, one of America’s foremost Pilates instructors and a protege of Joseph Pilates: “Stretch with strength and control.” The result is a workout that
strengthens and stretches the muscles without the impact or stress of more traditional strength training regimens. This is achieved through precise control of movements ranging from simple to complex, each one designed to challenge the body without taxing it. Never has building strength been more relaxing. The Tower provides an opportunity to see just how much ground Pilates can cover. Under the attentive tutelage of instructor Jen McWalters, we were able to work every major muscle group in the body, integrate stretching and focus on breathing, all on a single piece of equipment. One of the things that keeps the workout interesting is the constant variation. One moment you might find yourself lying on the bench pulling handles attached to springs, the next you may be kneeling towards the Tower pushing down on a bar. At each stop along the way, you’re adjusting the machine: unhooking this spring from here and attaching it to this instead, hooking this strap onto that bar, sliding down the head rest, etc. It’s not exactly American Ninja Warrior, but it’s just enough variation
to avoid “pick things up and put them down” monotony. As I progressed through the class, I found myself curious not only about what I was going to do next, but what the Tower could do next. Another benefit of Pilates is that it seems like your core is constantly engaged. The smart design of the equipment along with the precise control built into the movements gives you no way to really cheat a particular exercise. You’re not going to lean against anything, let the weights do the work, or push off the bench for an extra little oomph; your only option is to focus on proper execution with your whole body. And in Pilates, you don’t add reps or weight to increase the challenge – you add movement and control instead. Okay, you’ve got the hang of this pose? Now try lifting your back heel while you do it. If you’re looking to pack on bulk, pour sweat and grunt loudly, Pilates may not be the class for you. But if you want to challenge your body and relax it at the same time, you may want to visit the Tower. You’ll be amazed by how many things it – and you – can do.
CORE Pilates Mind/Body Studio 208 Governor Street • 273-2673 • CoreFitProv.com
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CITY STY LE
Shop Talk
by Julie Tremaine
Money Smart Workshops
DIY Dream House A new Broadway furniture and design shop turns houses into homes
Free How-To Workshops About Personal Finance, Taught by Experts! Presenters include: Santander Bank, Apella Capital, RI State Police, Providence Housing Authority, WD & Associates, Bank of America and many more! $ Keep your money and ID safe $ Understand Social Security $ Understand Medicare Rules $ Assistance programs $ First-time Home Buyers $ Build or repair credit $ Avoid payday lenders $ Pay for Higher Education
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April 22-May 18, 2017 Refreshments provided!
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ECO-APOTHECARY & Perfumery
4
Photography by Meghan H. Follett
Inspired by the fusion
5
of highend design and flea market charm, Home Imagined is the home décor addict’s new haven in Providence’s West End. Husband and wife team Guy and Kristen Lemoine are ready to help turn all of your Pinterest dreams into reality. Guy specializes in furniture reimagination, restoration and some seriously impressive woodworking, while Kristen is a self-proclaimed treasure hunter, interior stylist and
all-around dream weaver. Everything in their bright, airy, multi-level Broadway shop is for sale. The first floor is their showroom, exhibiting handcrafted original furniture and restorations, wood wall installations, found treasures and home décor from local designers. Head upstairs to check out textiles or learn more about customization. If you’re looking for the perfect piece to fill an empty corner, need an entire “house to home” makeover
or are just looking for someone to bounce ideas off, Guy and Kristen have you covered. Home Imagined has started offering DIY classes, so you can take the inspiration home with you. 1. Reloved kitchen linens and wares, $5-$12 2. Handcrafted beer and liquor candles, $8-$28 3. Dining in style, $12-$1000 4. Shelf stylers, $25-$30 5. Anchor art, $80; Teak chairs, $300
Home Imagined 265 Broadway • 219-4663 • MyHomeImagined.co
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April 2017 | PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
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Can You
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THE VILLAGE CENTER 290 County Road Barrington • 247-1087 OPEN DAILY 10-5:30, Saturday 10-5
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PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
My soul had always
been a natural blonde. My hair was a different story. I was born a blonde, but around the age of 14, my hair started turning a dirty dishwater brown. Though I had been wanting to start highlighting my hair, my hairdresser/emotional therapist and my mother warned me that after my first lightening, there was no going back, and I was pretty much crossing the Delaware. Or should I say, Dela-hair. It turned out that they were right. Through the highlights and the lowlights, nothing could foil my determination to remain a natural (looking) blonde. Sixteen years later I still had the same hair color. I was also going through my third-life crisis, having just turned 30 and needing a semi-drastic, semi-permanent, life change. So instead of leasing a Corvette and getting a prescription for Cialis, I changed my hair color from natural blonde to platinum blonde. Double process platinum blonde that is, with my locks enlightened by Providence’s LalaLuxe Salon. The sparkling chandeliers were the first things to catch my eye. Both sleek and dainty in design, if LalaLuxe was an architectural term, that’s how I would describe the interior. The second thing I noticed was the cool, edgy style of the entire staff (I was glad I wore my high-waisted acid washed skirt that day). I was greeted by Casey, who would be my stylist that evening. Having worked at Boston’s Shag Salon for multiple years prior to LalaLuxe, she shared that hair coloring was her passion. Entrusted by salon owner Leah Carlson due to her coloring super-skills, I had a feeling my hair was in good hands. We discussed the coloring process and Casey described the different levels of blonde that could be achieved; from very blonde to silvery white. We decided to go with a bright blonde, right in the middle of the platinum color spectrum, and she began the lightening process. When applying the lightener, Casey comically darted from side to side leaving no dark locks behind. I could tell she was in her coloring zone. She lightened my roots, which were far beyond the acceptable Carey Bradshaw rootiness, to a very pale yellow. Then she continued to the
middle and ends of my hair, trying to achieve the lightest color Mother Nature would allow. Casey warned that although the double platinum process can be harsh on your hair depending on the techniques and products used, LalaLuxe employed multiple nutrient-rich products that maintained the integrity of my hair and helped in preventing damage. Being gifted with especially fine hair and not that much of it, this put me at ease. Additionally, the final bleach, and second part of the “double” process, was actually a bleach wash applied to wet hair. Instead of applying to dry hair, this method was far less harsh in evening out the areas that didn’t lift as lightly as others. After the lightening was complete, Casey rubbed a toning glaze into my hair, which doubled as an über relaxing massage for my head. A second round of Olaplex, a hair protectant against chemical damage, was
applied to prevent breakage. Then came the blow-drying, styling and big reveal. Even though I couldn’t see much without my glasses, the brightness of my hair was crystal clear. I popped my specs on and took a look at my platinum locks. I was blonded with love, from my roots to my tips. Casey advised that I should now go further between hair washings to avoid dryness. An extra 20 minutes of Boston Terrier Instagram videos in the morning? I’d gladly follow her advice. She gave me a list of additional products that would help maintain my hair’s color and moisture. I also couldn’t leave without getting the dry shampoo paste used during styling, so I could go even further between showering. Going Platinum has been my favorite third-life crisis impulse decision. All I needed was a platinum engagement band to match.
L aLaLuxe Salon 139 Elmgrove Avenue • 383-3797 • LaLaLuxeSalon.com
Illustration by Alison Blackwell
Join us Sunday April 9th, 11-5pm for a Party and Celebration
Going platinum at LaLaLuxe Salon
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19 SANDERSON ROAD SMITHFIELD April 2017 | PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
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91 Rolfe Square Cranston • 808-6512 mosaicrestaurantri.com
PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
Anyone familiar with Providence’s Thayer Street knows Andreas. As one of the area’s oldest restaurants they’ve always fit right in with the other eateries and boutique shops on Thayer but it’s what’s inside that makes them stand out. Using recipes passed on for generations, they serve authentic Greek cuisine with an American twist. Andreas adds the culture of Greece to the city with everything from its ambiance to Greek imported wines, beers and liquors. The upbeat Greek music and fancy, yet casual, dining style creates a welcoming feeling for all its visitors. Most of the menu stays the same year round, with seasonal chef specialties offered on certain nights. Those who can’t decide what to try can order the Hot Meze platter, sampling
the most popular Greek appetizers, which is offered in individual or table size portions. Try a classic entrée like the Pastitsio, layered with ground beef, ziti and aged parmesan. Most entrees, come with salad tossed in their popular creamy dressing which you can also buy by the bottle. Ask your server to pair your meal with one of their many wines or enjoy one of the beautifully crafted, cocktails. Explore Andreas’ weekly specials like half price wine bottles or appetizers, or have brunch with $4 Bloody Marys and Mimosas. Outdoor seating is also available, or you can reserve the back room for larger groups. Whatever your reason for stopping in, Andreas takes pride in serving you a home-cooked meal like it was from the kitchen of their mothers and grandmothers.
Andreas 268 Thayer Street 331-7879, AndreasRI.com
OPENING MARCH 25
182 ANGELL STREET, PROVIDENCE
HEARTY KOREAN AND JAPANESE DISHES
161 BENEFIT STREET, PROVIDENCE 270-5269 • DENDENHOSPITALITY.COM
FEA ST In the Kitchen / On the Menu / Review / In the Drink / Dining Guide
Photo by Eat Drink RI
EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY The Eat Drink RI Festival is back again for a sixth year, but don’t call it a comeback: the festival is bigger than it’s ever been, and is spreading out all over Providence because of it. From April 26-29, sample some of the state’s best food and get to know the farmers, makers and chefs who produce it. Among the events: Dinner by
Dames, a multi-course culinary event featuring food and cocktails all made by RI’s star lady gourmands; the Truck Stop, the food truck benefit for the RI Food Bank; and the main event, Saturday’s Grand Tasting, that fills the Convention Center with hundreds of Rhody-made treats. EatDrinkRI.com
Rhode Island’s foodies are pulling out all of the stops for this year’s Eat Drink RI Festival April 26-29
FEAST
Review
by Stephanie Obodda
Soup’s On LaMei Hot Pot is a flavorful, interactive dining experience
berries and a dried red date bobbing on its surface. The spicy broth, Mala, is a Sichuan hot pot staple. Its name translates to “numbing and spicy.” This moniker isn’t so much an indication of astronomical scoville ratings, but of the mouth-numbing effect of Sichuan pepper. We asked for ours fairly hot, but if you’re timid, simply request a milder version. Anyway, you’re not eating the whole bowl, just whatever spicy oil clings to your ingredients. The most difficult part of eating hot pot, at least at LaMei, may be choosing from the menu’s many ingredients. They have an enormous variety of combination plates and à la carte ingredients. For four people, we ordered the Seafood Platter, Vegetable Platter, Mushroom Platter, Beef and Lamb, and Lotus Root. The seafood platter included fish, mussels, shrimp, squid and mock crab. Our vegetable platter came with corn, tomatoes, sliced yam and baby bok choi. This variety also makes LaMei a welcoming place for vegetarians. While many hot pot restaurants can be
Seafood Platter
boring for meatless eating, LaMei has plenty of options. Besides the lotus root and mushroom and vegetable platters we ordered, a few that caught
Half and Half Pot
THE SCOOP 50
my eye were the tofu platter, tongho (chrysanthemum greens), white Chinese yam, rice cakes and thick white Shanghai noodles. Another feature that stands out is LaMei’s sauce bar. While I understand these are popular China, they are less common in America. You can invent your own sauces by mixing over a dozen ingredients. If you’re stumped, photos at the back of the bar offer inspiration. Some ingredients are fairly salty, like the Preserved Bean Curd or Salted Leek Flower, so be prudent; don’t fill your bowl to the brim. The nutty, smooth sesame sauce is my favorite base. Hot pot is the focus at LaMei, but we did try some drinks and appetizers before our broth boiled. I once enjoyed my platonic ideal of the Mai Tai at the Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu, so I’ve been let down since, but LaMei’s were delicious. I insisted we order three appetizers, though I knew we’d barely need them with so much hot pot to enjoy. Pig Ear in Spicy Oil was a beloved childhood comfort
CUISINE: Chinese Hot Pot PRICES: Appetizers: $5.95-$9.95 Broth: $3-$15.99 Ingredients: $2-$14 Desserts $5–$6 ATMOSPHERE: Casual
PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
Photography by Stacey Doyle
Just one step inside LaMei Hot Pot’s front door and I was already pleased. The air was fragrant with spices and a comforting humidity, the tables buzzing with chatty students. I’ve been eating hot pot since I was young, but if you’re inexperienced, LaMei is a great place to start. The staff are friendly and eager to offer recommendations and instructions. Pick a broth from the list, and it’ll arrive in a steaming pot and simmer at your table throughout your meal. Every table at LaMei has a built-in heating element to keep the broth hot. After it comes to a boil, cook your choice of ingredients, eating them as you go. Some, like corn, may need a few minutes to cook, while others, like thinly sliced beef, are ready in a pinch. For a classic hot pot experience, I recommend choosing the “half and half” broth. Thanks to a clever divided pot design, you can enjoy two broths at once. The most popular combination is a basic broth on one side and spicy Mala on the other. The “basic” broth is surprisingly complex, a translucent white with goji
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food for me (I might have been an unusual kid). The Spicy Chicken Feet were unlike other preparations I’ve tried – cold and pickled with little green peppers. The Preserved Duck Egg with Tofu Salad was a nice pick. If you’ve never had preserved duck eggs, they may surprise you. The eggs are cured until the white becomes a translucent brown, and the yolk, a dark grey-green. The result is a savory delicacy, in this
dish tossed with cubes of tofu and spicy red sauce. After dinner, our mouths still numb from the mala broth, we soothed ourselves with adorable jars of matcha mousse and coconut panna cotta. Whether you are an adventurous eater or have barely ventured beyond mom’s chicken soup, you’ll be able to assemble a hot pot for your taste at LaMei.
LaMei Hot Pot 256 Broadway, Providence • 831-7555 • LaMeiHotPot.com
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PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
F E A ST
In the Kitchen by Jessica Bryant
Branching Out An ever-changing menu complements the quirky decor at the Tree House Tavern Tree houses represent a special kind of wonder and playfulness. That’s what guests can expect while dining at the Tree House Tavern in Warwick. With soft lighting, a tearoom and a hodgepodge of eclectic doodads donning the space, this converted 1860s farmhouse is filled with nostalgic charm. A bonus: When the weather gets warmer, guests can dine under an outdoor “woodshed” or bundle up around a fire pit. We caught up with the Tree House Tavern’s executive chef, Erik Machado, to learn more about the restaurant’s menu, seasonal decor and what’s in store for 2017.
Photography by Brian DeMello
How’d you get started in the culinary world? I wanted a car really badly when I was about 15, so I got a job washing dishes. I started at the Red Rooster Tavern in North Kingstown. From there, when I was 19 or 20, I went to work for a company called West Bay Gourmet in Narragansett – they do events. I was also over in Newport on Thames Street – what’s now the Gas Lamp Grille – and 22 Bowen’s. I was working all three jobs at the same time. After that, I was working as a private chef for about six years – at first on yachts and then for one particular guy – so I’d be down in the Caribbean for six months out of the year. At the same time, when I’d come home, I worked at the Matunuck Oyster Bar. Tell me about your transition from private chef to the Tree House Tavern. It’s a funny story actually. I was doing the private chef thing and my wife picked me up from the airport. It was late but I needed a sandwich. I saw a sign for pulled pork at the Tree House Tavern, so we came in for a quick bite. The owner, Michael, heard me talking about what I’d been up to that week, and he contacted me after that. You change up the menu a few times a year. How does that process work? I tweak the menu about three or four times a year. We just went through another change in mid-March. When I lose interest in cooking the same thing, it’s time to move on.
Chef Erik Machado keeps himself excited by
Thinking of Selling?
CALL ME TODAY. I’ll Put the Pieces Into Place.
DAVID HASSLINGER 401.465.8625
always playing with the Tree House Tavern’s menu
What are some best sellers on the menu? The Sweet Potato Pizza – made with chunks of sweet potato, goat cheese, prosciutto and balsamic glaze – has been on the menu forever. That was one of the first things I ever changed and I just can’t seem to take it off. People like that one too much. The rib eye is always a staple. It’s a 16 ounce grilled rib eye with our Tree House steak sauce, horseradish, bacon, red onion, fingerling potato hash and asparagus. Lobster Bread Pudding has always sold really well, and so do the Pulled Pork Nachos. You also offer brunch on weekends. What are some favorites from the brunch menu? I’m in the middle of rewriting the menu because we want to start changing it out monthly. You’ve got your staples – eggs, toast, bacon –
but one of the dishes that sells really well is our Country Benedict. We make our own corned beef here, so it’s all homemade. We serve that on an English muffin with an egg on top. We’ve also just started selling a Reuben Benedict, which is fun. It’s just like it sounds – an open-faced Reuben sandwich with eggs on it. And people go crazy for our Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.
I LOVE WHAT I DO AND IT SHOWS RESULTS MATTER
I noticed that the decor also changes seasonally. Does this coordinate with menu changes? The decor pretty much changes with the menu, about three times a year. In the past month, the owners, Aline and Michael, have geared up for a big change. I don’t want to give away the theme – people will just have to come see it. That’s part of the fun of coming here.
The Tree House Tavern 1094 Centerville Road, Warwick • 821-1105 TheTreeHouseTavern.com April 2017 | PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
53
FEAST
On the Menu by Grace Lentini
Korean Street Food DenDen Korean Fried Chicken adds a new dimension to the city’s favorite craving
A DINGO DRANK MY LATTE! I say coffee, you think… Australian-inspired cafe? Obviously. Sydney Providence recently opened near the train station and specializes in quaint cafe items like avocado toast, mini quiches, roasted broccoli sandwiches with ricotta salata and fresh bakery items, as well as all the coffee, tea and espresso you could want, now with an Australian accent. 400 Exchange Street. 648-4994, SydneyPVD.com
Sydney Providence brings a bit of Down Under to downcity
NEW GUY ON THE HILL A familiar Federal Hill location is getting a new life as Timmy’s Legendary Grilled Pizza. New owners have given the Spruce Street location a facelift to compliment their menu of grilled pizzas – including the Trio of Wild Mushrooms – pastas, sandwiches and deserts. 32 Spruce Street. 383-2223, TimmysPizzaRI.com
DenDen’s saucy, twice-fried chicken puts a Korean spin on a comfort food favorite
Get ready to lose
your fried-chicken-loving mind. Providence just got a Korean fried chicken restaurant: DenDen Korean Fried Chicken, newly opened on Angell Street, from the owners of DenDen Cafe Asiana. Owner Min Chueng tested the waters before he opened by introducing fried chicken at his Benefit Street location. It sold out every night, a pretty clear indication that it was a hit. It’s different from American fried chicken in a few ways. First, it’s fried twice, ensuring a highly crispy skin. Second, Min paints on the sauce as opposed to dousing it on the chicken in a bowl and then tossing it. “We brush it to make sure it doesn’t get soggy or over sauced,” he says. It comes with a choice of three different sauces, which can also be mixed, including a dark soy garlic, a spicy red (which can be adjusted to taste) and a white lemon cream. His favorite? The dark soy garlic because, as he explains, “it’s perfectly salty and sweet at the same time.” The chicken is always served with a side of Korean pickled radish. The new restaurant is also incorporating other types of Korean street food onto the menu like sweet potato noodle stuffed Soon Dae Sausage, Whole Chicken Stew with burnt rice and Cheesy Boneless Chicken. There are also familiar items such as dumplings and savory pancakes. 182 Angell Street. DenDenHospitality.com/DenDenFriedChicken
54
PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
Shake up your brunch plans with Kartabar’s brunch menu – complete with a Bloody Mary and Mimosa bar
There can never be too many brunch options for the weekend, and now we’ve got two new ones to add to the list. Kartabar has both Bloody Mary and Mimosa bars in addition to traditional brunch options with a Middle Eastern twist. They also don’t skimp on the decadence with dishes like Fried Chicken and Glazed Doughnut Waffles. 284 Thayer Street. 331-8111, Kartabar.com Avvio’s brunch menu adds Italian flair to classic items with dishes like Melon and Prosciutto Salad, Breakfast Pizza and Eggs Benedict with pancetta, tomato and Parmesan on grilled focaccia. 90 Hillside Road, Cranston. 942-2900, AvvioRistorante.com
Photography by (left) Grace Lentini, Photo courtesy of (right top) Sydney, (right bottom) Kartabar
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FEA S T
In the Drink by Emily Dietsch
A Devilish Dram Rosemary and gin make a wicked pact at Aurora
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Combine first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake or stir until combined, and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Drizzle in the Aperol sink. Garnish with rosemary if using and serve.
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Beautiful Pre-Owned Jewelry The Rosemary’s Baby at Aurora is a hell of twist on a standard gin martini
DIY Rosemary Gin Add five sprigs of fresh rosemary to a liter of quality gin. Use one that’s less botanical-forward, since the rosemary is assertive on its own. (Aurora uses New Amsterdam. Vodka lovers can try Bison Grass vodka as an alternative, which is herbaceous and has a slight vanilla tone.) Let the gin steep for about five days, then strain and chill. It will keep indefinitely.
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421-7030 221 Admiral Street Providence a1restaurantsupply.com 56
PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
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Don’t underestimate the power of a classic cocktail mixed with a classic film. Aurora is serving up the Rosemary’s Baby, which marries the gin martini with Roman Polanski’s storied horror picture. By all accounts, it’s a runaway hit. Audrey King, bartender at Aurora, is characteristically understated when she tells the drink’s origin story. “I woke up one day and was craving rosemary,” she says, as if that’s a quotidian craving to have on your average morning. “So then I got to playing around with infusions and gin seemed like a natural canvas for it.” After nailing a simple but well-balanced gin infusion, she set about upping the ante by creating a martini
with visual flair. Into a martini base, she adds an Aperol “sink,” which is the bartending world’s term for a liqueur drizzle that sinks like a lava lamp bubble and turns a humdrum drink into an “ooh-ahh” occasion. “The higher sugar content of a liqueur causes it to sink,” Audrey explains politely to my uninformed self, who left science behind in high school. As a “sink” agent, Aperol has the added drama of a shocking red color that, against the gin’s clarity, creates an ombre situation in a glass. It’s a teensy bit campy, a teensy bit traditional and totally fabulous in the end sum.
“We feel a responsibility to appeal to a wide variety of audiences,” Audrey says. “One of the ways we do that is through a sense of humor, like with drink name puns. We try to keep good drinks accessible, not pretentious. Low price points are a big part of it.” Famously, Aurora serves respectable $5 margaritas made with fresh squeezed lime juice, triple sec, and tequila – and nothing else. Catch Rosemary’s Baby at Aurora while it lasts, before the menu turnover for spring. Or go DIY with their dead simple instructions listed here.
Aurora 276 Westminster Street • 272-5723 • AuroraProvidence.com
Photography by Mike Braca
Empire Loan 1271 North Main Street Providence, RI 02904
FEAST
DINING GUIDE
I N YO U R N E I G H B O R H O O D
Jacky’s Waterplace There’s one name in fine Asian cuisine in Rhode Island: Jacky. From classics like Pad Thai and Singapore Noodles to unforgettable fusion rolls like the Northeastern Tiger (shrimp, avocado and cucumber, topped with torched salmon, masago and scallion, served with lobster sauce and eel sauce), the Jacky’s restaurants are places you’ll want to revisit again and again. The crown jewel in the Jacky’s galaxy, Jacky’s Waterplace is a chic, stylish restaurant overlooking Waterplace Park. Floor to ceiling windows showcase the skyline of the city and the Providence River below. For a romantic date or a gathering of friends – especially during WaterFire – Jacky’s Waterplace is a delicious option with a scenic view to match.
200 Exchange Street, Providence 383-5000 • JackysGalaxie.com
PROVIDENCE COUNTY 10 Prime Steak & Sushi Fashionable prime steakhouse with award-winning sushi. 55 Pine St, Providence, 4532333. LD $$$ Cafe di Panni Italian American dining with an available banquet facility. 187 Pocasset Ave, Providence, 944-0840. LD $-$$ Capri Swedish-influenced Mediterranean cuisine. 58 De Pasquale Ave, Providence, 274-2107. LD $$-$$$ Catering Gourmet Premiere catering company providing food made from scratch. 333 Strawberry Field Rd, Warwick, 773-7925. $-$$$ CAV Eclectic cuisine and art in an historic setting. 14 Imperial Pl, Providence, 751-9164. BrLD $$-$$$ Centro Restaurant & Lounge Contemporary cuisine and cocktails. 1 W Exchange St, Providence, 228-6802. BLD $$$ Chapel Grille Gourmet food overlooking the Providence skyline. 3000
Classics like Pad Thai and exciting takes on sushi make Jacky's Waterplace in Providence a can't-miss for fine Asian cuisine
Chapel View Blvd, Cranston, 9444900. BrLD $$$ Character’s Cafe & Theatre 82 Hybrid art space with all day breakfast, coffee and theatre-inspired entrees. 82 Rolfe Sq, Cranston, 490-9475. BL $ Cucina Rustica Rustic, Italian-style dining combining comfort food and sophistication. 555 Atwood Ave, Cranston, 944-2500. LD $-$$ Flatbread Company Artisanal pizza, local ingredients. 161 Cushing St, Providence, 273-2737. LD $-$$ Fresco Italian American comfort food with international inspirations. 301 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-0027; 140 Comstock Pkwy, Cranston, 228-3901. D $-$$ Harry’s Bar & Burger Called the “Best Burger in America” by CNN. Over 50 craft beers. 121 N Main St. Providence, 228-7437; 301 Atwells Ave, 228-3336 LD $-$$ Haruki Japanese cuisine and a la carte selections with casual ambiance. Locations in Cranston and Providence.
HarukiSushi.com LD $-$$ Iron Works Tavern A wide variety of signature American dishes in the historic Thomas Jefferson Hill Mill. 697 Jefferson Blvd, Warwick, 739-5111. LD $-$$$ Jacky’s Galaxie Local Pan-Asian chain offering sushi and classic entrees in a modern atmosphere. Locations in Providence, North Providence, Bristol and Cumberland, JackysGalaxie.com. LD $-$$$
Meeting Street Cafe BYOB eatery with large menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner served all day. 220 Meeting St, Providence, 273-1066. BLD $-$$ Mill’s Tavern Historic setting for New American gourmet. 101 N Main St, Providence, 272-3331. D $$$ Momo Dessert restaurant with crepes, home-made stir fry ice cream and bubble tea. 100 Washington St, Providence, 521-6666. BLD $
Julian’s A must-taste Providence staple celebrating more than 20 years. 318 Broadway, Providence, 861-1770. BBrLD $$
Mosaic Restaurant Syrian cuisine served in an intimate setting. 91 Rolfe Sq, Cranston, 808-6512. BLD $-$$$
Luxe Burger Bar Build Your Own Burger: You dream it, we build it! 5 Memorial Blvd, Providence, 621-5893. LD $
Napolitano’s Brooklyn Pizza Classic Italian fare and traditional New York-style pizzas. 100 East St, Cranston, 383-7722; 380 Atwells Ave, Providence, 273-2400. LD $-$$
McBride’s Pub Traditional Irish pub fare in Wayland Square. 161 Wayland Ave, Providence, 751-3000. LD $$ McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steak Mixed grill selections and signature fish dishes sourced locally and seasonally. 11 Dorrance St, Providence, 351-4500. BLD $$-$$$
Ocean State Sandwich Company Craft sandwiches and hearty sides. 1345 Hartford Ave, Johnston. 155 Westminster St, Providence, 282-6772. BL $-$$ Opa the Phoenician Lebanese food served
Key: B breakfast Br brunch L lunch D dinner $ under 10 $$ 10–20 $$$ 20+ 58
PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
Authentic in a fun
DINING GUIDE atmosphere with hookahs. 230 Atwells Ave, Providence, 351-8282. D $-$$$ Parkside Rotisserie & Bar American bistro specializing in rotisserie meats. 76 South Main St, Providence, 331-0003. LD $-$$ Pat’s Italian Fine Italian favorites,
natural steaks and handcrafted cocktails. 1200 Hartford Ave, Johnston, 273-1444. LD $-$$$ Pizza J A fun, upbeat atmosphere with thin crust pizza, pub fare and gluten-free options. 967 Westminster St, Providence, 632-0555. LD $-$$
Public Kitchen & Bar American food with changing daily specials. 120 Francis St, Providence, 919-5050. BrLD $-$$ Red Ginger Traditional Chinese restaurant and bar with a relaxed environment. 560 Killingly St, Johnston, 861-7878; 1852 Smith St, North Providence, 353-6688. LD $-$$ Red Stripe Casual French-American bistro. 465 Angell St, Providence, 4376950; 455 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-2900. BrLD $$ Rick’s Roadhouse Honest, authentic BBQ with a large selection of whiskey. 370 Richmond St, Providence, 272-7675. LD $-$$ Rocco’s Pub & Grub Five-star menu in an intimate, pub-like atmosphere. 55 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, 349-2250. LD $-$$
Phil’s Main Street Grille features everything from brunch favorites to prime rib in the heart of Wakefield
WO RT H T H E D R I V E
Phil’s Main Street Grille Phil’s is located in the heart of Wakefield Village, and their regular customers have sworn by their varied selection of appetizers, salads, entrees, sandwiches and specialty offerings for years now. The first floor of Phil’s Main Street Grille is a diner, serving breakfast and lunch every day, starting at 6:30am. The diner serves breakfast classics and their famous seasoned hand-cut home fries are unmissable. For lunch, enjoy a burger, club sandwich or Phil’s Philly cheese steak. Upstairs in the loft, brunch starts at 10am on weekdays and 8am on weekends. Choose from creative morning eats like Salmon and Eggs or Chicken Rancheros, and for lunch, try the California Chicken Wrap, with cheddar, tomato, alfalfa sprouts, avocado and garlic herb aioli; or the Cowboy Burger, with barbecue sauce, cheddar, bacon and onion rings on top. From vegan dishes to prime rib of beef served with a huge popover, every dish is a healthy portion and prepared to perfection. Phil’s claim to fame is serving “the best Fish N’ Chips in Southern Rhody” and their breakfast and lunch menu has won Best of Rhode Island.
323 Main Street, Wakefield 401-783-4073 • PhilsMainStreetGrille.com
Rosmarin at Hotel Providence Bar and restaurant serving Swiss-inspired small plates, craft cocktails and an eclectic wine list. 311 Westminster Street, Providence, 521-3333. BLD $$$
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Siena Impeccable Italian cuisine. Locations in Providence, East Greenwich and Smithfield, 521-3311. D $$$$$ Spirito’s Restaurant & Catering Classic Italian fare served in a stately Victorian home. 477 Broadway, Providence, 434-4435. LD $-$$$ Starbucks Coffee, tea, bakery items and lunch options. Multiple locations. Starbucks.com BL$-$$ T’s Restaurant Plentiful breakfast and lunch. Locations in Cranston, East Greenwich and Narragansett, TsRestaurantRI.com. BL $ Tavolo Wine Bar and Tuscan Grille Classic Italian cuisine with an extensive wine and beer list. 970 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, 349-4979. LD $-$$ The Crossings New American favorites in a chic, urban setting. 801 Greenwich Ave, Warwick, 732-6000. BLD $-$$$ The
Dorrance
Fine
dining
with
For full restaurant profiles, go to ProvidenceOnline.com
April 2017 | PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
59
DINING GUIDE exquisite cocktails. 60 Dorrance St, Providence, 521-6000. D $$$ The Grange Vegetarian restaurant serving seasonal dishes with a juice bar, vegan bakery and cocktail bar. 166 Broadway, Providence, 831-0600. BrLD $-$$ The Pizza Gourmet/ The Catering Gourmet From scratch wood-grilled pizzas and Italian American favorites. 357 Hope St, Providence, 751-0355. LD $-$$$ The Rosendale Bar and grill with welcoming atmosphere and creative menu. 55 Union St, Providence, 4213253. LD $-$$
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Serving Classic, Italian Favorites For Generations
1551 Plainfield Pike, Johnston • 946-0001
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The Salted Slate An agri-driven American restaurant with global influences. 186 Wayland Ave, Providence, 270-3737. BrLD $$-$$$ The Villa Restaurant & Banquet Facility Family Italian restaurant with live music and entertainment. 272 Cowesett Ave, West Warwick, 8210060. D $-$$ The Village Lively bar and grill with comfort fare, bar bites and beer. 373 Richmond St, Providence, 228-7222. BrLD $-$$ Tortilla Flats Fresh Mexican, Cajun and Southwestern fare, cocktails and over 70 tequilas. 355 Hope St, Providence, 751-6777. LD $-$$ Trinity Brewhouse Rhode Island’s original brewpub. 186 Fountain St, Providence, 453-2337. LD $-$$ Tony’s Colonial Specialty store offering the finest imported and domestic Italian foods. 311 Atwells Ave, Providence, 621-8675. $-$$$
PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
Black Bass Grille Classic seafood, historic waterfront setting. 3 Water St, South Dartmouth, 508-999-6975. LD $$ Bluewater Bar and Grill Casual restaurant with modern seafood dishes, patio seating and live music. 32 Barton Ave, Barrington, 247-0017. LD $$-$$$ DeWolf Tavern Gourmet American/ Indian fusion. 259 Thames St, Bristol, 254-2005. BLD $$-$$$ Ichigo Ichie Traditional Japanese cuisine, creative sushi and hibachi. 5 Catamore Blvd, East Providence, 4355511. LD $-$$$ Jacky’s Galaxie Local Pan-Asian chain offering sushi and classic entrees in a modern atmosphere. Locations in Providence, North Providence, Bristol and Cumberland, JackysGalaxie.com. LD $-$$$ Starbucks Coffee, tea, bakery items and lunch options. Multiple locations. Starbucks.com BL$-$$ The Old Grist Mill Tavern Fine dining located over the Runnins River. 390 Fall River Ave, Seekonk, 508-3368460. LD $-$$$ The Wharf Tavern Serves fresh seafood and steak with bay views from almost every table. 215 Water St, Warren, 289-2524. BrLD $-$$$
SOUTHERN RI Besos Kitchen & Cocktails Tapas and eclectic cuisine and cocktails. 378 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-8855. BrLD $$$
The Vig Contemporary sports bar with craft tavern fare. 21 Atwells Ave, Providence, 709-0347. LD $-$$
Blu On The Water Home to Rhode Island’s largest waterfront deck and three outdoor bars, with a wide menu and full raw bar. 20 Water St, East Greenwich, 885-3700. LD $-$$$
XO Cafe Acclaimed Farm-to-Table
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EAST BAY / NEWPORT
Twin Oaks Family restaurant serving an extensive selection of Italian and American staples. 100 Sabra St, Cranston, 781-9693. LD $-$$$
Vinya Test Kitchen Vegan cuisine accompanied by creative mocktails (BYOB). 225A Westminster St, Providence, 500-5189. D $-$$
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cuisine with a fantastic Sunday #PajamaBrunch. 125 N Main St, Providence, 273-9090. BrD $$
Breachway Grill Classic New England fare, plus NY-style pizza. 1 Charlestown Beach Rd, Charlestown, 2136615. LD $$
For full restaurant profiles, go to ProvidenceOnline.com
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Chair 5 Locally sourced and seasonally inspired menus with a main restaurant and rooftop lounge. 1208 Ocean Rd, Narragansett, 363-9820. BrLD $-$$$
Watch Hill, 584-7000; 25 Spray Rock Rd, Westerly, 637-7600. BLD $-$$$
Champlin’s Seafood Dockside fresh seafood serving easy breezy cocktails. 256 Great Island Rd, Narragansett, 7833152. LD $-$$
Pasquale’s Pizzeria Napoletana Authentic Neapolitan wood fired pizza with exclusive ingredients imported from Naples. 60 S County Commons Way, South Kingstown, 783-2900. LD $-$$
Dante’s Kitchen American food with Southern flair. 315 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-7798. BL $-$$
Phil’s Main Street Grille Classic comfort food with a great rooftop patio. 323 Main St, Wakefield, 783-4073. BBrLD $
Dragon Palace Chinese cuisine, sushi and bar. 577 Tiogue Ave, Coventry, 8280100; 733 Kingstown Rd, Wakefield, 789-2300; 1210 Main St, Wyoming, 5391102. LD $-$$
Red Stripe Casual French-American bistro. 465 Angell St, Providence, 4376950; 455 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-2900. BrLD $$
Eleven Forty Nine City sophistication in the suburbs. 1149 Division St, Warwick, 884-1149. LD $$$ Frankie’s Italian Bistro Fine dining with imported wines from around the world. 1051 Ten Rod Rd, North Kingstown, 2952500. D $-$$$ Fresco Italian American comfort food with international inspirations. 301 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-0027; 140 Comstock Pkwy, Cranston, 228-3901. D $-$$ George’s of Galilee Fresh caught seafood in an upscale pub atmosphere. 250 Sand Hill Cove Rd, Narragansett, 783-2306. LD $-$$ Jigger’s Diner Classic ‘50s diner serving breakfast all day. 145 Main St, East Greenwich, 884-6060. BL $-$$ La Masseria Upscale Italian cuisine served in a chic setting with a rustic, countryside vibe. 223 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-0693. LD $$-$$$ Maharaja Indian Restaurant Indian cuisine and traditional curries in a warm setting. 1 Beach St, Narragansett, 3639988. LD $-$$
Sa-Tang Fine Thai and Asian fusion cuisine with gluten-free selections. 402 Main St, Wakefield, 284-4220. LD $-$$
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Siena Impeccable Italian cuisine. Locations in Providence, East Greenwich and Smithfield, 521-3311. D $$-$$$ Starbucks Coffee, tea, bakery items and lunch options. Multiple locations. Starbucks.com BL$-$$ T’s Restaurant Plentiful breakfast and lunch. Locations in Cranston, East Greenwich, Narragansett, TsRestaurantRI.com. BL $ Tavern by the Sea Waterfront European/American bistro. 16 W Main St, Wickford, 294-5771. LD $$ The Coast Guard House A new American menu with a seafood emphasis and extensive wine list 40 Ocean Rd, Narragansett, 789-0700. BrLD $$$ The Nordic Surf and turf buffet selections perfect for family gatherings. 178 E Pasquisett Trl, Charlestown, 7834515. LD $$$ Twin Willows Fresh seafood and water views in a family-friendly atmosphere. 865 Boston Neck Rd, Narragansett, 789-8153. LD $-$$
Matunuck Oyster Bar Destination dining enhanced by a raw bar sourced onsite and a water view. 629 Succotash Rd, South Kingstown, 783-4202. LD $-$$$
Tong-D Fine Thai cuisine in a casual setting. 156 County Rd, Barrington, 2892998; 50 South County Common Way, South Kingstown, 783-4445. LD $-$$
Ocean House/Weekapaug Inn Multiple dining room options offer comfortably elegant dishes that highlight the best in seasonal, local produce. 1 Bluff Ave,
TwoTen Oyster Bar and Grill Local oysters and upmarket seafood dishes with a full bar menu. 210 Salt Pond Rd, South Kingstown, 782-0100. BrLD $-$$$
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Events / Art / Music / Theatre
ROCK AND ROLL KITCHEN Chefs aren’t just talented in the kitchen. That’s the idea behind the 5th Annual Ham Jam, returning to The Met on April 2. Stepping onto the stage is Turn for the Wurst, a band made up of chefs from restaurants all over the city, like Nick’s on Broadway, Persimmon and Chez Pascal. These chefs-turned-rock stars have been doing this
Rock out at the 5th Annual Ham Jam on April 2
for five years now and their sound just gets better and better. Whether you’re there for the delicious eats provided by Tallulah’s Taqueria and New Rivers Restaurant, or the sweet sizzle of music that’s come out of the frying pan and onto the stage, it’s sure to be a great night. 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. Chez-Pascal.com
GET OU T
Calendar
by Caitlin Howle
THE MUST LIST 10 essential events happening in April
2.
April 1-9: Festival Ballet presents the world premiere of their ballet based on Saint Exupéry’s The Little Prince, which follows the Little Prince on his whimsical journeys through space. The ballet is choreographed by Boyko Dossev and is suitable for adults and children. 825 Hope Street. FestivalBalletProvidence.org
3.
April 2, 16: Get to the Columbus Theatre for the Columbus Film Club, a curated, ongoing series that will look at under-appreciated new movies and unsung classics with a focus on
women in film. This month catch The Love Witch (April 2) and Harold and Maude (April 16). 270 Broadway. ColumbusTheatre.org
4.
April 6: You can’t usually buy much of a night out with $5 but the Comedy Connection is about to change all of that. $5 Funnies features nine different comics who will crack you up for cheap. Sit back, have a drink and enjoy the funniest comics that Rhode Island has to offer. Just be sure you’re taking sips between jokes. 39 Warren Avenue, East Providence. RIComedyConnection.com
5.
April 7-9: It’s been 20 years since the world first heard the words to “Seasons of Love,” if you can believe it. The Providence Performing Arts Center welcomes RENT: 20th Anniversary Tour for three special nights. Join the famous group of friends as they try to navigate adulthood, being artists, relationships and, of course, love. 220 Weybosset Street. PPACRI.org
Outrun Providence Roller Derby Girls at the annual Get Gored For Good on April 30
6.
April 21: WBRU Exposure presents Explosions in the Sky at Lupo’s. Join the band and celebrate the release of their newest record, The Wilderness, the first album the band has dropped since 2011. The rock quartet is known for creating emotional soundscapes that really bring listeners to their knees. 79 Washington Street. Lupos.com
7.
April 22: The Providence Animal Rescue League (PARL) hosts the longest running state culinary competition and its annual fundraiser, The Rescue. Featuring participating restaurants from Providence’s culinary scene, guests will vote for the best food at the end of the night. Plus, with all the proceeds going to PARL, your tail is sure to be waggin’. 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket. PARL.org
8.
Celebrate vinyl and small businesses at record shops around the city for Record Store Day on April 22
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PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
April 22: Audiophiles, mark your calendars for the tenth annual Record Store Day. This national event puts the spotlight on local record stores – like What Cheer? Analog Underground, Armageddon and Olympic Records – and celebrates all things vinyl. Between digging through bins, catching appearances from local musicians and listening to that stack of new wax you’re going to bring home, it’s going to be a long, rockin’ day. RecordStoreDay.com
9.
April 23: Individuals, families and their pets are invited to join AIDS Project Rhode Island for the AIDS Walk for Life. This annual event, which raises money and awareness for fighting AIDS within the Ocean State, starts and ends on the State House lawn. The walk kicks off at 12:30, and you can expect some other fun events to be waiting at the finish line. 82 Smith Street. AIDSProjectRI.org
10.
April 30: When you think about the Running of the Bulls you might not think about downtown Providence but now you will. The Providence Roller Derby presents its annual Get Gored For Good 1.5 mile and 5k race on April 30. Get through the course with Roller Derby girls or “Roller bulls” at your heels wearing horns and cheering you on. All proceeds from the event will go to Amos House. Downtown Providence. GetGoredForGood.org
Photo courtesy of (top) Get Gored for Good, (bottom) Olympic Records
1.
April 1: Music, fashion and fine art all come together for the first-ever Revelfest. Revelfest promises to rock Rhode Island as a “first of its kind” multi-media festival that celebrates the energy that pulses through the state’s arts, music and fashion cultures. All proceeds from the event will support The Autism Project. 249 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket. RevelFest.com
GE T OUT
Music
by Adam Hogue
Open Year-Round!
Tuesday - Sunday Open at 11:00 Daily
Clothing & Accessories For Men & WOmen Jewelry Ephemera Art Housewares Linens Books Barware Holiday Items See Tiny Diamond – Jess Teixiera, Mia Dady and Piera Leone – at Alchemy on April 22 with Viennagram and Volcano Kings
Strong bonds and a clear vision make Tiny Diamond shine
Photography by Tim Siekiera
to figure
out.” Hallelujah the Hills, a band out of Boston, used this idea for their 2016 album, and the more I ponder it, the more it feels true. Being in a band is a cultivated undertaking that blurs friendship and collaborative art. It is a choice to take a trip together and figure out all the details on the way. Providence’s Tiny Diamond came from cellist Piera Leone’s desire to start a band. After meeting guitar player Mia Dady, the two started to write some acoustic songs. Then, while talking with Jess Teixiera at a party, they found a drummer and they began to write as a three-piece band. With guitar rooted in Bob Dylan, drums with Ringo in mind and bass with a nod to a classically trained past, what began as friends just creating music together became a seven-song self-titled and self-recorded EP. Released last April, Tiny Diamond shows a hint of their influences but stands proudly on its own, keeping with the band’s attitude of “ignore your influences and do your own thing.” Above all else, it is the product of a friendship built around creation.
Facebook/carmenandginger Arcade Providence
Lo-Fi Friendship “A band is something
and so much more!
I spoke with Tiny Diamond before a recent Saturday evening practice and the idea of a band being something to figure out came to mind. Piera, Mia and Jess approach their songwriting process as an active collaboration. There is no single songwriter, rather they each bring songs, chords, lyrics or just a simple idea to practice that they critique together and make into something that is wholly the product of their band. Democracy. Equal stage time. “Everyone is a part of it,” is how Jess puts it. They see their corner of Providence (and Newport) from a punk-esque, dynamically plotted out, lyrically deep point-of-view, complete with tight harmonies and that bellowing cello. Their second EP, which they’re currently in the process of recording, is set to be released in June. It is an even split of six songs that they are each contributing two songs to. With their upcoming release, Tiny
Diamond continues to play live just about every month, with an upcoming benefit show at Alchemy with Viennagram and Volcano Kings on April 22. They also have a small teacher-schedule approved Memorial Day tour planned to Piera’s little hometown of Brooklyn, NY and parts of Connecticut. Like all bands they keep an open mind about getting signed, but with the realities of this day and age, the route to the record label is very different than it used to be. As the band notes, “the scouts aren’t out there in the audience anymore.” For Tiny Diamond, the idea to start a band led to an equally shared lo-fi vision of jangly folk-rock with chugging cello, surf-tempo drums and punk-approved, down-picked strat. They’re a band with a distinct sound and genuine enjoyment in being a band together. “We’re honest with each other,” Mia says. “We’ve got a nice little sisterhood.”
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Sign up here: Music, food and awesome student work for sale!
G ET O UT
Rhode Island School of Design
Theatre
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Music, food and awesome student work for sale! Andrew Williams is “your best friend that’s trash-talking
CENTER FOR STUDENT INVOLVEMENT
for you” on stage at the Comedy Connection on April 7
Home-Grown Humor For many, comedy offers
the opportunity to laugh at life’s problems, so it makes sense that Andrew Williams, a local stand-up comedian, builds his act from a dedication to honesty. “I want you to feel like I’m your best friend that’s trash-talking for you,” says Andrew. “We’re all thinking it, but I’m going to stand up and scream it at the top of my lungs.” With a set packed with observational humor and crowd-work, Andrew includes the entire audience in his jokes. “I’m an equal opportunity offender,” he says. “You can expect commentary on the terrible habits of people who don’t realize how ridiculous they are.” Andrew’s love of comedy started at an early age with character sketches he performed in his father’s clothing and crazy wigs. “As I got older and was coming to terms with my sexuality, I knew I wanted to do stand-up,” he says. “It was actually a big push for me to come out. It allowed me the opportunity to go out and be unlike anyone else.” In his career, Andrew has had a few awkward
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PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
encounters with audience members who might find him shocking, but he sees these moments as opportunities. “If I can make one person laugh who might’ve never thought they were going to laugh at a gay man shouting on stage, that’s a victory in itself,” he says. Now, seven years into his career, Andrew has toured the country and opened for performers like Girl Code’s Jessimae Peluso and Dave Coulier from Full House. Aside from these landmark events, Andrew points to local platforms like The Rhode Show and the Comedy Connection for their support. Eight years ago, when he was just starting out, he auditioned for The Rhode Show and made it to their top 20. Even though he didn’t get the gig, producer Ashley Erling, invited him back as part of the “Rhody RoundUp,” a show featuring hot topics
and news stories. “I owe a lot to The Rhode Show and Ashley,” he says. “They have given me this amazing opportunity to have a regular TV credit and reach so many people.” As for the Comedy Connection, Andrew fondly remembers his first open mic. “It was a ‘bringer’ show, meaning that you can be in it if you promise to bring five people,” he explains. “It gives new comics the opportunity to perform in front of an audience.” After his set, the owner of the club, Cory, asked him to come back. “They never made me bring five people ever again,” he says, laughing. Even now, the Comedy Connection remains one of his favorite performance spots, and he’s there every month for the Hardcore Comedy Show. “That room is magical for me,” he says. “Something happens on stage and I feel unstoppable.”
Andrew Williams April 7 at The Comedy Connection 39 Warren Avenue, East Providence • RIComedyConnection.com
Photo courtesy of Andrew Williams
Comedian Andrew Williams has your ridiculousness in his crosshairs
GE T OUT
Art
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Geeked Out Illustrations
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knew early on that he loved illustration; it just took him a little while to fully embrace it as a career. The Bristol native took courses through RISD’s junior school during high school, and later did some undergraduate work there after transferring from the illustration program at Syracuse University, ultimately completing an acting major UC Santa Cruz. He later earned his master’s degree through the A.R.T. Institute at Harvard University’s theater training program, and made the seemingly obligatory move to NYC to pound the pavement, look for acting work and bartend on the side. It would be 13 years of Shakespearean stage productions, commercials and small gigs, but a major turning point came when Clark realized he couldn’t stand to mix one more cocktail and decided to start looking into storyboarding work as a way to maximize his illustration background. Eventually, a higher up at the prestigious advertising firm Ogilvy and Mather offered Clark an unpaid internship, which led to paid work. “Once I actually started doing it and found out the financial workings, I realized I could quit waiting tables and actually make this a career,” says Clark. It was the financial lifeline he needed to continue pursuing his acting dream. Eventually, however, a new picture started emerging. “With every kick in the gut I received as a New York actor, something
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wonderful would open up for me in the illustration world,” he says. “I’m fortunate, because a lot of actors don’t have that entire other thing they love that they can pursue.” As lifelong “big fan of nerdy stuff,” Clark took the week-long Illustration Master Class at Amherst University in 2008 and was stunned to find that some of the most important luminaries in the sci-fi illustration industry had convened to teach the course. His work has since appeared in card games including Android: Netrunner, Call of Cthulhu and Star Wars, as well as Image FX Magazine, Spectrum and Infected By Art. He has drawn storyboards and advertising for True Blood, American Horror Story, Damages, Underemployed and Naked Vegas. Clark also inadvertently created his own product, Reckless Deck – a card deck of various tropes: character attributes, costumes, weapons, accessories and modifications from sci-fi, fantasy,
CROCHET • KNITTING horror and steampunk. He was using PAINTING • STENCILING it as an illustration tool for times when March 6, 2017 Providence Monthly, April Issue & MUCH MORE he had trouble coming up with what to
March 8, 2017 East Side Monthly, April Issue
draw. He would just pull three cards from the deck, and voila: instant inspiration. “When I first started using the deck, the combinations were so bizarre and irreverent,” says Clark. “I thought, ‘That’s not how it’s supposed to be, but what if I just go with it?’” Clark’s wife, Kelly, pushed him to share his invention with other illustrators by offering it as a product, and it turned out to be a big hit. Clark is now perfecting a second version of Reckless Deck, with a new design, new cards and added features. He also intends to create a deck aimed towards kids “Reckless Deck introduces an element of anachronism that I enjoy,” he says. “These genres and fandoms can get a little precious at times, so there’s a tension when different worlds bump up against each other that can be almost pleasurably annoying.”
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HID D EN P V D
Synchronize Your Watches The City Hall gizmo that kept Providence on Schedule Photography by Brad Smith and Words by Tony Pacitti
On the fifth floor of City Hall you’ll find the City Archives, the only municipal archive in the state. The area had once been a battery room, which generated electricity for City Hall and kept all of the building’s clocks on time. In the corner of the archives, in a cramped little room with a window overlooking Kennedy Plaza, is the device that from the 1890s through the 1970s would receive time signals
68
PROVIDENCE MONTHLY | April 2017
from the Ladd Observatory. The Ladd Observatory would get the time from Boston and rely that information to City Hall and, most importantly, Union Station “so the trains would run on time and wouldn’t collide with each other,” explains archivist Caleb Horton. “Once the time signals were sent here from the Ladd Observatory, people would go off of the time they saw at the train
station and City Hall.” There was even a live-in janitor, tasked with maintaining the battery equipment and the clocks, who called the fifth floor home. We may not need to rely on City Hall’s clocks to set our watches anymore, but the relics of those old systems remain as a reminder that even information as simple as the time was something of a luxury. 25 Dorrance Street. ProvidenceRI.com/Archives
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