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Contents
Photography: (L)Jonathan Beller, (R) Tiffany Medrano
May 2012
34
57
This Month
41 City Style
30 Comedic Timing
43 The Look 44 Get Fit 46 Shop Talk 49 Beauty
Making it as a local stand-up comic
34 Rebuilding Providence
Inside the real House of Cach
51 Feast A restaurant steeped in American history
The developers and innovators who are shaping
53 In the Kitchen 54 On the Menu 57 Review 58 Behind the
tomorrow’s Downtown
Bar 61 In the Drink 62 Dining Guide
Every Month 8 Editor’s Note 13 Feedback 14 PM List
19 Providence Pulse Hell on wheels at the Convention Center
67 Get Out The third is not always a charm at Trinity 68 Calendar 71 Theatre 72 Music 74 Art
76 The Last Detail The summer happy hour alternative
On the Cover: Photography by Jonathan Beller
21 City 25 Malcontent 26 Scene in PVD
May 2012 | Providence Monthly
7
Editor’s Note
PROVIDENCE MONTHLY
Publishers Barry Fain Richard Fleischer John Howell Publishing Director Jeanette St. Pierre Executive Editor Julie Tremaine Assistant Editor Erin Swanson Special Projects Manager John Taraborelli Art Director Alli Coate Assistant Art Director Karli Hendrickson
Downtown is Looking Up A couple of months ago, when the news broke that Bank of America would be vacating the Superman Building, leaving a prominent city landmark empty, we were concerned. We wondered: What was happening to Downtown? And when is it going to turn around? But then we took a closer look at what’s happening Downtown right now, and it turns out the news is a lot better than it seemed. New developments (including, at long last, new life for the Arcade), easier parking and at-capacity occupancy rates, plus new restaurants, retail and public programming, have things look-
ing better for our city center than they have in a long time. The last essential piece is, well, you. Now that the weather is warmer, take some time to explore what’s new and spend some time enjoying all of this hard work. Downtown revitalization won’t work without it.
Advertising Design Director Layheang Meas Graphic Designer Meghan H. Follett Account Managers Louann DiMuccio-Darwich Ann Gallagher Nicole Greenspun Elizabeth Riel Dan Schwartz Sharon Sylvester Kimberly Tingle Jessica Webb Illustrators Karli Hendrickson Ashley MacLure Photographers Jonathan Beller Laurel Mulherin Mike Braca Keri-Rae Prickett Corey Grayhorse Dan Schwartz Tiffany Medrano Melissa Stimpson Contributing Writers Linda Beaulieu Andrea E. McHugh Emily Dietsch Stephanie Obodda Scott Duhamel Cristy Raposo Dawn Keable Jen Senecal Molly Lederer Alyssa Smith Michael Madden Vikki Warner Daniel McGowan Interns Emily Gardner Dale Rappaneau Samantha Gaus Michelle Reis Courtney Little Eilish Shaffer Don Previe Members of:
Contributor Melissa Stimpson Photographer Providence photographer Melissa Stimpson is a wedding photographer first, but she also makes time to regularly shoot for PM and our sister publications. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University, Melissa attended the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls, Massachusetts. “I love shooting the At Home column and exposing myself to new spaces and the challenge of capturing personality within a home. Each home has a unique identity; I enjoy seeing the Rhode Island pride people show by embracing local artists and history.”
8
Providence Monthly | May 2012
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER. PAPER CONTAINS 20-25% POST-CONSUMER CONTENT Providence Monthly, 1070 Main Street, Suite 302 Pawtucket RI 02860 • Fax: 401-305-3392 www.providenceonline.com providencemonthly@providenceonline.com 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 ©2012 by Providence Monthly, All rights reserved. Printed by Gannett Offset. Distributed by Special Delivery.
Did you realize that Julians caters? julianscatering.com
May 2012 | Providence Monthly
9
now on
Providenceonline.com our Get y
fix dailyour
of y cal ite lo favor zine maga
Expanded Content Read more about new things happening downtown, including more arts and more flowers, as well as the Roller Derby Convention coming to town.
at The Providence Art Club 9 Thomas Street, Providence, RI 02903
(401) 419-2821 AnthonyTomaselli.com Open Gallery Nights, by chance or by appointment
Anthony Tomaselli
Web Exclusives Watch chef Nick Rabar visit local farms, fishing boats and food trucks.
Statewide Restaurant Reviews Get our critics’ takes on the Rhode Island dining scene with reviews from our sister magazines in South County and the East Bay.
10
Providence Monthly | May 2012
Community Calendar
Weekly Blog Posts
Register as a user to post your own events to our statewide calendar.
Stay updated between issues with posts on news, events, food and much more.
Downtown living at its finest
Service at your fingertips……the city at your feet. Lifestyle Amenities Include: 24-Hour Concierge, full-time on-site maintenance and Day Porter service Private entrance, private lobby and secure camera-monitored indoor parking Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Centro Restaurant & Lounge and Cigar Masters after dinner cigar, cocktail and dessert bar Indoor access via Sky Bridge to Providence Place Mall, Restaurants, RI Convention Center, Dunkin’ Donuts Center, North Garage and The Westin Hotel Room service, housekeeping and valet ‐ all available from the Westin Hotel
(401) 598-8282
Luxury Living Priced from the low
$300’s Call today
for your private tour
www.residencesprovidence.com
One West Exchange Street - Providence, Rhode Island 02903-1038
SPRING CELEBRATIONS AT RED STRIPE Mother’s Day, Graduations, Birthdays, Anniversaries ... any occasion is a little better at Red Stripe. Call or click today to make a reservation.
Open for Sunday Brunch from 10am to 3pm | redstriperestaurants.com 465 Angell St. in Wayland Square | Providence, RI 02906 | 401.437.6950 |
➺ Celebrating A Decade In Fine Dining ➺ A tastemaker in Providence fine dining since 2002, we’ve now achieved a milestone: our 10-year anniversary. To show our appreciation, we invite you to join us as we celebrate with a spring menu showcasing signature favorites from over the years, including creamy Risotto with Duck Confit, Open Faced Braised Rabbit Ravioli, and Katafi Wrapped Roulade of Sole. Visit our website to view our full spring menu.
We’re proud to have won this distinction for seven years.
millstavernrestaurant.com | 401.272.3331 | 101 N. Main Street, Providence |
Feedback Play With Your Food
Bling and Things
We can’t thank Providence Monthly enough for your contribution to RI Food Fights. We couldn’t have made the event what it was without you. We look forward to working with your team at Providence Monthly this year. We were so pleased with the event and attribute much of the success to PM and our fabulous co-host, John Taraborelli. We could not have pulled it off without you, and are so grateful.
The article Erin Swanson wrote [“Wear Your Initial on Your Sleeve… or Neck,” Pulse, April 2012] was so awesome! I loved it so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Kendra Pariseault Kendra Phillip Jewelry kendraphillip.com
Casey Spencer & Jim Nellis RI Food Fights
FREE single vision lenses are free at OPT in may when you purchase a complete pair of frames or sunglasses 138a wayland ave providence ri 401.490.0200 opteyewear.com
From the Twitterverse
From our FB Friends
Providence Art Fest (@PVDArtFest) We’re so lucky to have @PVDMonthly sponsor @PVDArtFest another yr. We love their new website, have you seen it?
Steve Allain In case you haven’t seen it yet, a great article in Providence Monthly about Vudu Sister (aka Keith McOpt Prov May Ad.indd Curdy) and his soon to be released album “Bastard Children.” It’s a great CD with some very special guests including Kate Jones, Sean Kennedy, Alexander Garzone, Joe Fletcher, Caroline Hecht, Lily Costner and Michael Samos.
Caroline Mailloux (@theCJMview) Love @PVDMonthly’s new #PVDisdelicious piece. Just tried my first @ Fancheezical – The Hill. Homemade pesto top notch! Yelp Providence (@yelpPVD) @PVDMonthly Great article! I’m sharing this one with our yelp community. In Downcity (@indowncitypvd) Love the March issue of @PVDMonthly. Great write-ups on @fancheezical & “111 by 1111” by @downcityhawk
*Offer good for plastic single vision lenses only, or towards $100 off all other lenses. Offer expires May 31st 2012. May not be combined with other offer or sale at Opt Eyewear Boutique.
1
4/12/12 10:44 AM
Karlie Girouard I was flipping through Providence Monthly and I saw my own smiling face in the Pulse section from the 10 to Watch party.
Send us a letter
indulge your creative side
Read us online
rhode island school of design continuing education’s rich variety of summer courses and workshops will satisfy any art and design curiosity. all ages and skill levels welcome!
Email us a letter to the editor to providencemonthly@providenceonline.com and it could be published in an upcoming issue.
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registration for summer classes is happening right now.
risd.edu/ce
Rhode Island School of Design continuing education 345 south Main street, 2nd floor, Providence, ri 02903 401.454.6200
May 2012 | Providence Monthly
13
special advertising section
Tuesday special: Manicure and Pedicure for $28! *Now Offering Shellac Manicure Pink & White • Acrylic Nails • Nail Overlay • Gel Nails Sculptured Nails • Manicure • Pedicure • Nail Art Air Brush Design • Waxing • Extra Massage Available
PM List
events / ProMotions / good deeds
Walk-Ins Welcome • Gift Certificates Available
Professional Nail Care for Ladies & Gentleman
401-861-8500 • 783 Hope Street, Providence
Monday-Friday 9am-7:30pm • Saturday 9am-6pm / Sunday 10am-5pm
/12 9:52 AM Page 2
• Rubber Stamps • Birthday parties (9 & up) • Scrapbooking • DIY Wedding Invitations Supplies • Card and Scrapbooking • Workshops Clubs
a rubber and paper art specialty store Shop online at bellaartonline.com • 383-0199 • 1665 Hartford Avenue, Johnston www.tockwotton.org
401-272-5280
OPENING DECEMBER, 2012
Spring is in the Air The Hope Street Merchant’s Association is holding a Hope Street Spring Block Party on Saturday, May 19 from 2-6pm. Providence Monthly is sponsoring this event, which will feature something for everyone. (PM is handing out swag bags too.) Come have a cold beer to benefit Festival Ballet. Live music, roaming
entertainment and food trucks will take over the street. A Kids’ Zone will be set up at Citizens Bank, and the YMCA truck will also be making an appearance, featuring music and inflatables. Of course, businesses will feature specials and sidewalk sales all day long, rain or shine. Visit hopestreetprov.com for details.
Fashion Statement It’s that time of year again. The Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation presents its annual Survivor Fashion Show. Providence Monthly is proud to sponsor this year’s “Our Heroes” show, which will take place on May 12 at Rhodes
on the Pawtuxet in Cranston. Doors open at 6pm with a vendor marketplace, to be followed by the main event at 7pm, including food stations and entertainment. To purchase tickets call 861-4376 or visit gloriagemma.org for details.
Introducing Down with Art A tradition of excellent care meets waterfront elegance Our well-loved Tockwotton Home on East Street is about to find a new home on the banks of Providence Harbor. Tockwotton on the Waterfront, with commanding views of the City, is a new senior living community built on our tradition of uncompromising quality and superior care. From its waterside location to well-planned, beautifully-designed interior spaces, our new community is a place seniors will be proud to call home. Call Michaela at 401-272-5280 for more information. Now Accepting Pre-Opening Deposits assisted living • memory care short-term rehabilitation • skilled nursing
14
Providence Monthly | May 2012
Providence Monthly is a sponsor of the 4th annual Providence Art Festival, organized by the In Downcity group. On June 2, from 10am-6pm, the region’s best talents will take over Westminster Street downtown (from Dorrance to Mathewson). There you’ll find lots of locally made goodies – handmade jewelry, clothing, photography and more. Street performances, live music, kids’ activities and a variety of delicious local food will ensure you’ll want to spend the whole day. For details, or if you’d like to be a vendor, visit providenceartfestival.com.
HOPE
STREET
Spring BLOCK PA RTY
May 19 2-6pm
rain or shine Live Music • Sidewalk Sales • Gourmet Food Trucks Kids Zone • Roaming Street Entertainment
Beers for the Ballet Have a cold one while supporting Festival Ballet!
Gift Bag Giveaways
Including one Golden Ticket bag full of gift certificates to businesses all over Hope Street! sponsored by
www.HopESTREETpRov.coM
hope s t reet BLUE COTTAgE RESTAURANT
CHEZ PASCAL
CLAUDIA CURL SALON
776 Hope St., 277-2529
748 Hope St., 383-7307
960 Hope St., 421-4422
744 Hope St., 421-4432
www.blazerestaurants.com
Serving the best breakfast to
www.chez-pascal.com
www.claudiacurl.net
This longtime casual neighborhood
Rhode Island. Open 7 days a week
Chez Pascal is French influenced,
Treat yourself to a new look!
favorite serves delicious creative
7am-2pm . Also offering lunch!
New England grown and inspired
Celebrating their 9th year in the
worldly fare and refreshing
Great food at great prices!
by our local farmers. Dinner Mon-
heart of Hope Street. $5 OFF any
day-Saturday starting at 5:30pm.
service for 1st time guests with
BLAZE EAST SIDE
cocktails. Lunch Tuesday thru Satur-
mention of this ad.
day. Dinner Tuesday thru Sunday.
COIFFURIUM
CREATOYVITY
FESTIVAL BALLET
FRESH PURLS
800 Hope St., 331-1115
736 Hope St., 351-5718
825 Hope St., 353-1129
769 Hope St., 270-8220
www.coiffurium.com
www.creatoyvity.com
www.festivalballet.com
www.freshpurls.com Your neigh-
Don’t let hot weather ruin your
Creatoyvity specializes in quality,
Festival Ballet Providence & Provi-
borhood yarn shop. Providing
hair! Coppola Keratin Complex
creative, open ended playthings
dence Performing Arts Center are
quality yarns, knitting and crochet
and Express Blowout available at
from around the world. Free gift
presenting Swan Lake. Shows Fri
supplies with friendly, knowledge-
Coiffurium defrizzes, devolumizes,
wrapping and great everyday
May 11 at 7:30pm & Sat May 12 at
able service and a smile.
smoothes & straightens.
pricing.
2pm & 8pm. Tickets: 421-ARTS.
FROg AND TOAD
gOURMET HOUSE
gREEN RIVER SILVER CO.
HOPE STREET PIZZA
795 Hope St., 831-3434
787 Hope St., 831-3400
735 Hope St., 621-9092
772 Hope St., 273-5955
www.hopestreetprov.com
www.gourmethouseri.com
www.greenriversilver.com
www.hopestreetpizza.com
A special little neighborhood
The neighborhood’s most popular
Direct importers of fine, afford-
Great pizza, grinders, salads and
shop with an ever-changing
authentic Cambodian and Pan
ably priced sterling silver jewelry
comfort food like fish and chips
selection that ranges from odd
Asian cuisine. Recently renovated
from around the world. Open 7
and lasagna in a family friendly
to incredible and features tons of
for a comfortable and affordable
days a week!
setting. New menu includes wheat
locally-made goodness.
dining spot.
crust pizza and panini.
For more, including links to business websites, visit www.providenceonline.com
is what’s happening Explore the East Side’s most charming street
INDIA RESTAURANT
J. MARCEL
KITCHEN BAR
KREATELIER
1060 Hope St., 421-2600
808 Hope St., 383-9777
771 Hope St., 331-4100
804 Hope St., 432-7995
www.indiarestaurant.com
www.hopestreetprov.com
www.kitchenbarri.com
www.kreatelier.com
Come swing outside! Featuring
Name brand and designer shoes
Jaime D’Oliveira lends his 38 years
Kreatalier offers unique fabric
garden patios with swing seats
at 40-60% off retail everyday,
of restaurant expertise (former
creations for life and home as
& water fountains. New menu
plus great accessories!
owner of Red Stripe and Mills
well as home interior services and
includes summer salads and veg-
Tavern) consulting for Kitchen Bar.
creative sewing workshops.
etarian choices.
New menu and vibe.
LULI BOUTIQUE
NOT JUST SPICES/NOT JUST SNACKS
PIPPA’S PAPERS
PIZZICO RISTORANTE
782 Hope St., 521-5854
780 Hope St., 331-0990
762 Hope St., 421-4114
www.hopestreetprov.com
836/833 Hope St., 351-6555/831-
www.pippaspapers.com
www.pizzicoristorante.com
Fun. Fab. Funky. Luli Boutique
1150 Enjoy authentic Indian
Custom personal stationery, wed-
An award-winning Italian restau-
mixes stylish clothes, artisan jew-
cuisines including biryani, kebabs,
ding and party invitations. Funny
rant serving some of the best
elry, gifts and more. Bryn Walker,
naans and curries. Cross the
and serious greeting cards and
Italian food with a wide variety
Cut Loose, Moontide Dyers and
street to shop for the ingredients
office gear. Monogrammed gifts
of wine in a rustic, yet eclectic
Ayala Bar jewelry
to make your own.
for all seasons.
atmosphere.
RAN ZAN
SEVEN STARS BAKERY
SPITZ-WEISS REALTORS
THREE SISTERS
1084 Hope St., 276-7574
820 Hope St., 521-2200
785 Hope St., 272-6161
1074 Hope St., 273-7230
www.sevenstarsbakery.com
www.spitzweiss.com
www.threesistersri.com
Serving locally roasted coffee
Your friendly neighborhood real
Whether for morning coffee and
you the colors, flavors and ambi-
along with breads and morning
estate agency. Family owned and
breakfast, delicious lunch, signa-
ance that are the hallmarks of
pastries, all made from scratch
operated for over 50 years. As-
ture homemade ice cream or eve-
and baked fresh daily.
sisting buyers, sellers and renters.
ning cappuccino, Three Sisters is
www.ranzan.net Ran Zan takes pride in bringing
truly enjoyable Japanese dining.
the perfect spot any time of day.
For more, including links to business websites, visit www.providenceonline.com
Come See What Everyone’s Talking About
@TheDorrance
THE
THE
dorrance dorrance weddings & events
kitchen & cocktails
60 Dorrance Street Providence • 401-521-6000 thedorrance@gmail.com • www.thedorrance.com Lunch: Tuesday-Friday 11:30-2:30 • Dinner & Lounge: Tuesday-Saturday 5-close
Providence Pulse CITY / MALCONTENT / SCENE IN PVD
Photography: George Ross
A Different Kind of Derby
Rhoda Perdition
For all the sinners out there (myself included), the month of May is synonymous with gambling and booze – in the form of the Kentucky Derby and mint juleps, of course. For a select few, who are as tough as bloodred painted nails, May is now synonymous with another kind of derby… at least here in Providence it is. Ladies, if you’re wearing an oversized hat while daintily sipping a sweet tea, you might want to step aside; make way for the intrepid and indomitable roller derby girls, as the inaugural Northeast Derby Con-
vention is hitting the Rhode Island Convention Center from May 25-27. The event will play host to elite derby trainers and coaches for off-skates seminars, skating clinics (ouch) and scrimmages (double ouch). Attendees can also expect a full vendor expo, games and parties. Allison Blackwell, aka Rhoda Perdition, is a Providence resident who’s been playing on the Providence Roller Derby League since its inception in 2004. She is no stranger to injury. In fact, she once
continued on next page...
Pulse |
City
continued from previous page...
GET MADE
Geek out with like-minded inventors broke her collarbone in the rink, which she describes as “not bad in the spectrum of derby injuries.” It’s also not bad… in comparison to death. According to Blackwell, “It’s incredibly important to keep building strong muscles to try and avoid injury.” It’s why she works out every day in addition to her derby practices and games. It’s also crucial for the derby divas to stay abreast of current trends and research, including proper body mechanics and choosing appropriate safety gear: Hence, the excitement regarding the upcoming derby convention. “Nothing on this scale has been offered in our region before,” she says. “We have tournaments, but nothing where we can retreat for three days and learn about everything derby,” she says. “[This convention] is like derby heaven without all the pressure of tournaments.” Amen. derbyconvention.com –Erin Swanson
If meeting up annually at the Rhode Island Maker Faire just isn’t cutting it, you can now “get made” monthly. Kipp Bradford – the force behind the Faire – has teamed up
with AS220 to present the Monday Maker Meet-Up at AS220 Labs. Held on the first Monday of each month, the events provide the opportunity for tinkerers, inventors and entre-
Kipp Bradford (standing,center) launched Maker Faire RI
preneurs to connect, share and commiserate. Bradford envisions that the monthly events will spur a community network for the maker set, which the Maker Faire fell short on doing, despite generating widespread interest. Bradford, while pondering the solution, fell upon the answer: the Providence Geeks, an organization that has built a thriving digital media community via monthly Geek Dinners. He realized that more frequent meet-ups were needed. Each month will have a theme: Next up is 3D printing. In the future, Bradford sees the events being held at different venues throughout the city. The Steel Yard is a possibility – they’ll need the space out there to show off DIY cars or hovercraft or some such thing. Bring your ideas and your projects, but remember: No PowerPoint allowed. labs. as220.org –Michael Clark
PIRATE PREP
Photography: Amy Amerantes
Nautical fashion is in season You’re on a boat. You got your flippyfloppies, but yet something seems to be missing. Perhaps you’ll want to turn to local designer Kiel James Patrick; he’ll dazzle up that bare arm of yours with a seersucker bracelet, or perhaps one constructed with rope and adorned with gold anchor detailing. Need some belt buckle bling? Fret not, pirate wanna-bes. He’ll have you looking like a gentleman (or gentlewoman) treasure hunter in no time. It all began when Patrick was a student at an all-boys prep school. Sick of the imposed dress code, he decided to take a closer look at the parameters and discovered that they were less strict than he and his classmates had thought. “Images flashed through my mind of my Grandpa Henry taking me to the country club as a kid and me marveling at the men who had the audacity to rock brilliant pastel seersucker, bright madras, florals and conver-
sational motif ties… all in one outfit.” Patrick rummaged through his grandfather’s closet and found blazers “that were truly blazing” and pants “that Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack would have been proud of.” He showed up to class and was a sensation. His friends all wanted in on the deal and soon he was hocking thrift store finds out of the back of his Jeep. “Eventually the school cracked down on the dress code,” Patrick says, “and I was left with a very vibrant, but useless, wardrobe.” The innovative teen decided to chop up the ties, motif belts and plaid blazers so that he could stitch them into bracelets that he wore under his uniform. “Classmates went nuts for them, and the rest is history.” His bracelet and accessory line is now sold at 200-plus resort-style boutiques in the U.S., with global expansions underway. “Our products are 100% made in Rhode Island and Fall River. We source all ma-
terials locally.” His design studio and factory is located in a mill in Pawtucket, just over the Providence line. To get your hands on one of Patrick’s hot treasures, head to his website – and you’d
better catch him quick. “What’s next? I plan on building a pirate ship and finally leaving Rhode Island for some adventures at sea with my crew.” kieljamespatrick.com –Erin Swanson
May 2012 | Providence Monthly
21
Chef/Restauranteur Jamie D’Oliveira lends his 38 years of restaurant expertise (former owner of Red Stripe & Mills Tavern) to Kitchen Bar with his new upcoming menu, the service and vibe…
Pulse |
City
PM ExPERIMENT
Walk on the Wild Side A behind-the-scenes adventure at the zoo
Sun - Thurs 11am to 1am Fri - Sat 11am to 2am Sunday Brunch 10am - 2pm
771 Hope Street • Providence 331-4100 • kitchenbarri.com
Fertile Underground Local Produce Eggs &Dairy General Store Bulk Nuts & Grains Vegan + Gluten Free Meat & Seafood Cafe
1577 Westminster St
Providence, Lil’ Rhody
Mon-Sat 8-7 Sun 9-3 401 365 4fug (4384)
22
Providence Monthly | May 2012
I have this problem with always needing to touch stuff: usually things I’m not allowed to touch. (No, really. I ducked a security guard recently at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston so I could touch a 15th century Finnish tapestry. Before you send me angry letters, I’m fully aware of all of the reasons I shouldn’t have done that – but it was right there and six hundred years old. How could I resist?) I think it’s a combination of the allure of the forbidden and the desire to more fully experience things by accessing them in every way possible. This is especially true with living things (delicate flowers, fresh tattoos). So when Roger Williams Park Zoo announced that they were rolling out a program where you could go behind the scenes – and inside the paddock – to feed the giraffes, I jumped at the opportunity: so quickly, in fact, that I ended up being the first non-zoo employee to have the experience (which was so awesome that I didn’t even mind getting giraffe drool in my face… but we’ll get to that in a minute). The zoo has three giraffes, Amber, Sukari and Jaffa Prince. During my visit with them, I learned a lot of surprising information about the animals: they have the same number of vertebra in their necks as we do, but can bend them all the way back to touch the tops of their heads to their backs; they eat so much (75lbs
of food per day) that their tongues are purple to avoid being sunburned; and that, despite their size, giraffes are surprisingly flighty animals. My first couple of attempts to feed them resulted in their galloping away and what I can only describe as “nervous peeing.” It makes sense – the running, not the nervous pee – because the flight response is a giraffe’s main defense in the wild. Clearly I was leonine in my predatory-looking maxi dress. Finally, after some coaxing from the zookeepers that sounded a lot like how you talk to babies, Sukari was brave enough to come close and eat from my bucket of food. Just as she leaned in close, closer, closer… a
gust of wind came up, blowing the drool away from her chin and directly across my face. But being so close to such a gigantic, beautiful creature completely cancelled out any amount of upset that I normally would have been about it. I didn’t get to pet her (which was, if we’re being honest here, the worst thing to ever happen, ever) but my companion did get to feed her leaves from branches. The whole thing was amazing; we couldn’t stop talking about it for days. It was the best kind of walk on the wild side. The zoo offers a limited number of feeding tickets daily on a first come, first served basis. rwpzoo. org –Julie Tremaine
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Providence Monthly | May 2012
Only a Game
An open letter to Red Sox Nation Red Sox Nation, it’s time we have a talk. This isn’t going to be easy, because I come to you not as one of your own, but as The Enemy: a Yankees fan, a loyal subject of the “Evil Empire.” But see, that’s part of the problem. I’m not The Enemy. I’m just a baseball fan. It’s only when you insist on viewing baseball as a cataclysmic battle between two diametrically opposed forces that I become “The Enemy.” And that, my Dustin Pedroialoving friends, is precisely the point. (For the record, I quite like Dustin Pedroia and have nothing but respect for him. Ditto for former closer Jonathan Papelbon, Trot Nixon, Gator and any number of Red Sox gamers throughout the years. That being said, Youk is kind of a douche.) A lot of you take this just a bit too seriously. It’s time to grow up and learn to enjoy baseball for the game that it is. As I write this, your beloved Sawks are dead last in the AL East, having just been thumped 18-3 by the Texas Rangers – and at home, no less. Boston’s 4-7 start, following on the heels of last September’s epic collapse, has again turned Red Sox Nation into a circular firing squad. There’s so much finger pointing, gnashing of teeth and throwing of tantrums that the casual observer could be forgiven for thinking something important was actually at stake. The airwaves of WEEI are brimming over with hysterical emotion as caller after caller throws in his two cents worth of outrage and armchair coaching. Doomsday has been predicted, the honor and integrity of the ownership have been questioned, and first-year manager Bobby Valentine has been called a “cockaroach” (sic). It’s only April. Part of the problem is that Red Sox Nation spent generations as a downtrodden baseball backwater, a land of disappointment, broken dreams and epic collapses where defeat was constantly being snatched from the
jaws of victory. Those days are over, but mentally and emotionally many of you can’t detach from the pre2004 ideal of the long-suffering Red Sox fan. You still believe the Fenway Faithful are the moral compass of baseball, cheering on a misfit band of scrappy, lovable underdogs as they face down the cold, calculating storm troopers of the Evil Empire. News flash: you popped your cherry in ’04, and everybody thought you’d kind of grow up after that. The rest of us see you as a bunch of whiny, entitled, melodramatic babies who seem to think that one of the elite organizations in professional sports owes you something. Your team is one of only two to win two championships in the past decade, and currently boasts the third highest payroll in the major leagues. You want to find long-suffering underdogs? Try looking in Pittsburgh, Kansas City or Chicago, not Southie, Cambridge or Dorchester. Furthermore, baseball is not life or death, despite the overwrought hysterics of the WEEI listeners and Boston Globe columnists. For years, the smirking, lackadaisical play of Manny Ramirez was treated as apostasy by the Fenway Faithful. Perhaps it’s true that he was a pampered, eccentric primadonna, but I prefer to think that he simply got the joke: that he was being paid millions upon millions of dollars to play a game, and legions of grown-ass men reacted every day as if their lives depended on it. He eventually seemed much more at home in LA, where the Dodgers fans arrive late, leave early and don’t get too worked up over any single game out of 162. Red Sox Nation sneers at such casual fandom, but it seems rather sane and healthy. They’re loyal supporters of their team who also happen to be busy adults with other priorities and responsibilities. They like baseball because it’s fun – because it’s only a game.
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Providence Monthly | May 2012
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Pass the Mic Three up-and-coming comedians sound off about making it on the local scene By Molly Lederer • Photography by Mike Braca
It’s
Knockdown
Stand-Up
Comedy Night at the Spot Underground. This quirky basement venue features twinkling lights, art installations and an eau de early ‘90s Seattle. Having inadvertently arrived ahead of schedule, your perpetually late columnist discovers that the more time you have, the more martinis you can drink. A band plays, a crowd gathers, and soon the evening’s host Rob Greene takes the stage. He wears the standard comic uniform: graphic tee, plaid buttondown, facial hair. And within seconds, everyone is laughing. That’s the beauty of a good comedy show. Sure, there’s a touch of the same anxiety you feel when watching a tightrope walker. Some jokes fall flat, and it’s awkward. But most comedy shows also involve bars. A few drinks in, you worry less, and everything sounds funnier. For the enthusiastic audience at the Spot Underground, everything sounds downright hilarious, especially when Greene hands the mic to Brian Beaudoin – a burly, bearded Coventry native with a style he describes as “aggressive pot comedy (something you don’t see everyday).” Beaudoin, who recently won the title of “Last Comix Standing” at Comix in Foxwoods, proceeds to joke in a self-deprecating way about pot, poop, Planet Fitness, sex, stereotypes and his size. “For the most
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Providence Monthly | May 2012
part, when I’m on stage, I’m just being myself,” he reveals later. “I let the audience dictate where the set goes. Sometimes I’m squeaky clean; sometimes I’m disgustingly filthy. I never know what I’m going to say before I get on stage; I just hope that when I get off stage people enjoyed themselves, put their daily stress aside for a little bit, and had a good laugh.”
Knockdown Stand-Up is the brainchild of brothers TJ and Dan Curran. The program usually boasts a visiting national headliner in addition to one or two local performers, and takes place once or twice a month. Dan and TJ are both popular comedians themselves, Dan with six years of experience under his belt. A month after his first gig at a dive bar
Knockdown Stand-Up at the Spot Undergroud
in Johnston, the high school teacher won the “Catch A New Rising Star” contest at Twin River Casino and found a second calling. Tim Vargulish is another up-andcomer who, like Curran, started doing stand-up six years ago. He has a unique style of sweetly earnest, deadpan delivery that makes you laugh before he even finishes set-
Brian Beaudoin
Ready to get your laugh on? Up next at Knockdown stand-Up, see headliners Yannis Pappas (May 11) and Dan Boulger (May 25). Watch Beaudoin perform every Friday at the comedy connection’s hardcore show. and catch Vargulish at the empire Revue at as220 (May 6). Feeling brave enough to give stand-up a whirl yourself? Vargulish also co-hosts a monthly open mic night at the salon in Providence, with the next date set for May 28. ting up a joke. Based in Woonsocket, he regularly performs and racks up accolades throughout the area, including a turn as the comic in residence at Cambridge’s Comedy Studio last year. All three funny fellows find inspiration for their routines in daily observations. Open mic nights, they note, provide the opportunity to try out new jokes and fine-tune old ones. Curran also inserts bits into conversations with friends to see which make them chuckle. He gives an example he jotted down recently, riffing off the idea of the last great age for birthdays being 21: “Maybe we should get more rights with age. Like, at age 40, you can drive 100 miles per hour on the highway. Or, at age 50, you are awarded a sword. Wouldn’t that be something? Knowing that someone is 50 because they carry their sword around?” Curran continues, “The difference between a band and a comic is that everyone wants to hear the band’s hits… With comics, people never want to see the same thing twice. I often repeat jokes that I know usually work, but I also try to add a new joke in every time. I’m all set for my next show with that sword joke!”
Beaudoin points out that it takes time and patience to find your voice and develop a style of delivery. A few flops along the way are par for the course, but they offer benefits in the form of lessons to learn and funny stories to tell. Vargulish, while calling his overall experience great, admits, “I’ve definitely had some awkward shows, including performing in a dog fashion show, at the end of an anime convention, and in weird bars with nothing but a few old, grizzled bikers out in the middle of nowhere. Those ones are the worst ‘cause you just get this strange feeling that anything could happen to you and no one would know it.” Curran also recalls strained moments, like attempting to relay a joke while a death metal band played in the room above, or taking the stage right after the previous comic had a physical altercation with an audience member. He remembers feeling over the moon about opening for Bobby Collins at Showcase Live in Foxboro before a crowd of 600, but crashing down to earth at a tiny show the next day. He muses, “The thing about being a local guy or a name not many people know about is that you can do a big show like that on Saturday
and then do a show in front of 12 people on Sunday. You can reach an ultimate high and get knocked down 24 hours later. It’s like a rollercoaster in the way it can be so much fun, but then out of nowhere makes you want to throw up.” For most of us, the concept of standing onstage and getting laughed at is an anxiety dream of epic proportion. For these guys, hearing peals of laughter is the greatest reward. The challenges of the trade for them are handling rejection and staying motivated. They report few cases of stage fright, and claim never to imagine the audience in underwear. Wonders Vargulish, “How does that even help? If anything, it’d make me feel even weirder for being the only one not in their underwear.” Curran adds, “I often do picture them in something sexy though, like an owl t-shirt or an ‘80s prom dress.” For up-and-coming comics in a small state like ours, gaining traction is tougher than it might be elsewhere. As Curran puts it, “There is a comedy club or show every other block in NYC. In RI, you have limited opportunities.” On the flipside, RI clubs like Catch a Rising Star and the Comedy
Connection excel at supporting new talent. The smaller scene seems to yield a greater sense of camaraderie, as well as a spirit of healthy competition in which performers work hard and push each other to be better. Beaudoin observes, “I’m confident that no matter where somebody lives, if they are good enough, their big break will happen. It might take a little longer, and the approach might be a little different. But I believe anything’s possible. It’s just a matter of being consistent.” At the Knockdown Stand-Up show I attend, everyone in the audience laughs loudly and often. Some of the laughs come cheap; others come courtesy of more clever social commentary. But the laughter itself, and the shared experience of being in a room together laughing, is the main appeal. Two martinis deep or not, I can’t help but feel uplifted. That’s what comes gift-wrapped in goatees and plaid shirts at good comedy shows, and it’s worth every penny. For more information on Knockdown Stand-Up, visit www.brownpapertickets.com, keyword: knockdown. For more information on local stand-up in general, check out rhodeislandcomedy.com.
May 2012 | Providence Monthly
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33
The future of Downtown rests on three little words...
is a neighborhood. That’s the first thing you need to understand. It’s a neighborhood: both in the official sense – capital ‘D’ Downtown is one of the 25 official neighborhoods recognized by the City of Providence; and the unofficial sense – little ‘d’ downtown is a place where people live, work and play. Talk to anyone who is actively engaged in Downtown – whether a property owner/developer like Evan Granoff, who owns the Arcade, or simply an advocate like Frank LaTorre, Director of Public Space for the Downtown Improvement District (you know, those guys in the yellow jackets who clean up the streets and water the flowers) – and they will repeat those three words like a mantra: live, work, play. They are the key to a vital, thriving city center. Sure, taxes, regulations, zoning, infrastructure, and myriad other nuts and bolts factor heavily into the life (or lack thereof) of any downtown, but ultimately if people want to live, work and play in that area, everything else can be sorted out. As one office tenant, Alec Beckett of the Union Street advertising firm Nail, points out, “Obviously cost per square foot, parking availability, etc. are important considerations. But they are often given too much weight versus some of the harder to quantify factors that I think matter more: Does the neighborhood have a soul? Does it have energy? Is it interesting?” 34
Providence Monthly | May 2012
By John Taraborelli • Photography by Jonathan Beller
Moving Parts
Before we assess Downtown, we need to establish what we’re talking about when we say that word. As LaTorre sees it, the entity we know as Downtown should have three parts: Downcity (essentially Westminster Street and the surrounding blocks west of Dorrance), Capital Center (the area encompassing the mall, Waterplace Park, the train station, etc.) and the Jewelry District. The Jewelry District is a key addition. Until very recently, no one seemed quite sure whether to consider it part of Downtown or its own separate fiefdom. The dividing line of I-195 made it easy to view
them as separate entities – in fact, for a time the Jewelry District was officially a part of Upper South Providence, only to be reintegrated into Downtown after the highway came down. Now there seems to be agreement that Downtown and the Jewelry District should be a contiguous neighborhood, not just geographically, but culturally and functionally. Remove the highway and with it goes not only a physical boundary, but a mental one too. “The key is to treat the three parts of Downtown as a whole to make decisions on where density should be greatest, to what scale, and what areas should be left open for green
Cities are by nature complicated organisms, which need creative, nuanced solutions. –James Hall, Executive Director of Providence Preservation Society
James Hall
public spaces,” LaTorre offers. Of course, there are several smaller parts of this Downtown we’re building, each with its own unique character. There is the Financial District (basically the area between Dorrance Street and the Providence River with most of the city’s skyscrapers), which boasts several of the largest banks and corporations in the state as tenants, but is a bit less active at the street level, especially after dark, than Downcity. The recent closing of DownCity restaurant at 50 Weybosset didn’t help matters there. However, there is some positive news too. Last year, the grand space formerly known as the Federal Reserve reopened as the Dorrance. By putting a full-service restaurant into what was previously only a venue for private events and weddings, visitors and residents now have the chance to interact with and enjoy one of the most beautiful and unique commercial spaces in the city. The Procaccianti Group is about to reactivate another key space at One Custom House, former home of the dearly departed Custom House Tavern. Four of the five floors in the historic building are now leased, with Fifty Two Restaurant and Lounge set to open on the vital ground level this summer. Perhaps most important, the Arcade, too, is poised to come back on line. There is LaSalle Square, where a new traffic circulator project will improve the flow around the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, and Hasbro is expanding into the former Blue Cross building, relocating employees from its Pawtucket headquarters, and aiming to create up to 284 new jobs. There are the three interlocking
parts of Greater Kennedy Plaza: the bus station, the skating rink and Burnside Park. It’s about to see an influx from a $200,000 grant the city received as part of the National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” initiative. This will fund partnerships with arts organizations like FirstWorks, Trinity Rep, Festival Ballet and WaterFire “to bring cool programming Downtown,” as Deb Dormody, Program Manager for Greater Kennedy Plaza, puts it. There is also a component of the grant allowing RISD and the Steel Yard to focus on the design, efficiency and user-friendliness of the space. Both RIPTA and City Hall’s Department of Art, Culture + Tourism are involved as well, meaning the necessary players to implement actual change will be at the table. It all adds up to a central transportation hub for the entire state that is cleaner, safer, more efficient, and a destination in its own right. Even in a small city like Providence, Downtown is not simply one entity with a uniform set of assets, needs and uses – it is a series of moving parts, each with its own job, but dependent on the rest to be a fully functional engine for the city.
eral Downtown and Jewelry District music clubs – including Lupo’s, the Met Café, the Safari Lounge, the Century Lounge, the Call and the Green Room – closed in what seemed like rapid succession. Beloved dives and haunts like Talk of the Town and New Japan were displaced too. At the same time, high-end apartment and condo projects seemed to be springing up, creating an easy correlation in the minds of disgruntled musicians and artists. The bereaved – this writer admittedly included – sneered as the housing market began to collapse and luxury condos sat unsold in nearly every building taller than a few stories. Was Downtown for us anymore? And if not, who was it for? The young professionals from Boston certainly weren’t flocking south to snatch up our comparatively cheap real estate. While the sound of rock ‘n roll may have been conspicuously absent from Downtown, its DIY spirit remained in different forms. Restaurants and cafes sprang to life. Unique retailers followed. People began spending time Downtown for new reasons and in new places. While marquee rock shows became rare occurrences, it was suddenly possible to sit outside and watch a movie with a couple of hundred other people on a warm summer night, check out a farmer’s market on a Fri-
day afternoon or shop for locally made arts and crafts. A weeklong “genre-defying music festival” was created, and rocked the city for eight years. Then, while no one was looking, the residences filled up. The buyers never came Downtown in the numbers that were anticipated – due in no small part to the crash of the real estate market – but the renters sure did. “The rental occupancy is almost 100%,” notes Dan Baudouin of the Providence Foundation, which advocates for urban living in places like the Westminster Lofts, Regency Plaza and the Residences at the Westin. “The perception is that the condos have not sold, but a lot of people want to live Downtown.”
Getting the Word Out
“I love progress, and I often get frustrated by the slowness of Downtown’s recovery. At the same time, we have to accept that cities are by nature complicated organisms, which need creative, nuanced solutions,” says James Hall, Executive Director of the Providence Preservation Society, adding, “The people who are rolling their eyes as they read this don’t live Downtown.” Therein lies one of the problems that still hampers Downtown: awareness. Many people still simply don’t know
Making Noise Downtown
Downtown has been steadily improving for several years now, but it’s been more of a slow, quiet build than a sudden burst. The Renaissance era flourish of the ‘90s and early ‘00s gave way to a transitional phase that disillusioned some while inspiring others. The arts and culture scene was dealt a series of blows when sev-
RISD student designs for Burnside Park
May 2012 | Providence Monthly
35
how much there is to do and see. “Leaving work on a Thursday night when the kids are lining up at Lupo’s, couples are walking to PPAC for a show, hipsters are playing ironic bocce and the bars and restaurants are humming is an absolutely energizing feeling,” enthuses Beckett before cautioning, “However, it doesn’t happen enough; there are too many nights that the city feels empty and you see that the seeds haven’t fully taken root.” Marketing and promotion are vital to fixing that. Traditional forms of communication – advertising, news coverage, word of mouth – all play a role, but social media has really enabled the community to advocate for itself in ways that weren’t possible a mere ten years ago. The Downcity marketing group, for instance, is a creation of developer Cornish Associates, which counts many of the restaurants and retailers as tenants. Its Facebook page and Twitter feed have been invaluable tools to spread the word about a sale at a boutique, a gallery opening or a food truck parked at Grant’s Block. Other stakeholders and organizations have made it a priority to disseminate information about what’s happening Downtown in user friendly ways, including Greater Kennedy Plaza, the Downtown Improvement District and even City Hall itself, which recently launched a mobile app.
Food Truck Tuesdays bring the lunchtime crowd to Grant’s Block
Getting around has been another issue slowing growth. Providence in general is notoriously difficult to navigate – especially for an outsider – but there too improvement is in the works. In January, Empire and Weybosset Streets were opened to twoway traffic after substantial renovations, which, as one business owner, Regina Lester of the Dorrance, notes, “has allowed traffic to move more freely throughout the city, and I’m
Credit: Jef Nickerson, Greater City: Providence
Parking in Providence Parking Lots Parking Garages
The blog Greater City: Providence illustrates how much parking there actually is downtown
36
Providence Monthly | May 2012
sure, has been beneficial to those businesses which were previously inaccessible without great effort.” This will also go a long way toward establishing a unified Downtown/Jewelry District corridor. More help is on the way, as work is done to improve Kennedy Plaza, and a major wayfinding signage initiative is targeted at both drivers and pedestrians who may otherwise be unfamiliar with their surroundings. RIDOT is getting in on the act too, announcing plans for a $5- to $6-million improvement of the train station. And while it is still very much in the hypothetical phase, no one is discounting the possibility of streetcar service returning to Downtown in the future. Of course, the most commonly cited accessibility problem is parking, generally regarded as the neighborhood’s Achilles heel. News flash: it’s just not that hard to park Downtown. There are 1500 on-street parking spaces and another 14,000 in lots and garages. The meters have admittedly been a gauntlet of poor signage, confusing regulations and lack of uniformity, but even that is changing with better signage, more payment options, including credit card and by phone, and the new ParkDowntownProvidence.com website, a one-stop shop to inform visitors about the locations, hours and payment options of those 15,000-plus parking spaces. Sure, parking might require walking a few blocks, but as Dormody points out, “It’s an urban area. We can’t expect to be able to park directly in front of each destination.”
Gimme Shelter
While the popular perception is that there are stockpiles of empty condos and high rises collecting dust Downtown, the fact is that there is actually a market for more residences. Despite
a few projects that never really took off the way they were intended – Capital Cove, for instance – most of them are at or near capacity – and that’s after the number of housing units approximately doubled in the past ten years. According to the 2010 census, the downtown population is up 65%, increasing from 2864 to 4735 since 2000. “There is a need for apartments downtown, and the entrepreneurs are starting to figure that out,” says James Bennett, Economic Development Director for the City of Providence. The Providence Foundation’s Baudouin, meanwhile, would like to see available housing double again – and developers are working on it. The most buzzed about project is currently the Arcade, which will undergo a major overhaul. This is not simply reopening a historic building, but also reestablishing an important pedestrian corridor. “This is one time when the phrase ‘it’s all good’ really applies,” says Hall of PPS. “A revitalized Arcade can and should be the heart of that district.” America’s first indoor shopping mall will now house residents on the second and third floors where retail was no longer viable. That economic reality doomed the building’s previous incarnation – though the new plans still feature retail/restaurant space on the first floor. The rest of the plan is to build 48 micro-lofts, an urban buzzword and increasingly popular housing option in European cities and some major American ones. The concept is simple: cool, affordable, efficiently designed housing that just happens to be small – like 220-275 square feet small. While that might sound preposterous to readers out in the suburbs with two full baths and a half-acre of land, Evan Granoff, the Arcade’s owner and developer, sees it filling a vital niche in the city: starter housing for young, en-
I see [the Arcade] as a community. –Evan Granoff, Arcade owner
try-level professionals who don’t have a lot of money and don’t need a lot of space. He believes options like this will help reverse the exodus of talented college graduates out of Providence, the dreaded “brain drain.” “If you can get these kids to stay here, the rest of it will take care of itself,” he offers. “Am I solving the problem? No. But am I helping? Definitely.” The idea is to find renters who are willing to trade personal space in order to be at the center of urban activity – and judging by the people who signed up for the waiting list the first day the project was announced, they exist. “I see it as a community,” explains Granoff. “You may have a very small apartment, but you have a very big common area where you can hang out.” A big part of the appeal is also the possibility of life without a car. The renovations to the building are plac-
ing a premium on bicycle accessibility, with plenty of bike ramps and racks. With the expansion of Zipcar, the car sharing service, into Downtown, and the Arcade’s proximity to Kennedy Plaza, living without a car is not only a realistic option, but one that is becoming even more convenient. More traditional residential units are in the works too, rising to meet demand. The old Providence Gas building on Dorrance is another renovation in progress. As Bennett points out, the building was originally slated for office space, but recognizing an opportunity, the developer chose to create apartments instead. And though the property sold for a relatively low price – $2.7 million versus the 2008 assessed of $6.4 million – the fact that a New York developer sees housing in downtown Providence as a good investment is a positive sign.
The new plans for the Arcade call for residences on the second and third floors, with restaurant/retail at the ground level.
Evan Granoff
Smart Money
With thousands of residents living comfortably and more soon to come, there is another piece that needs to fall into place. “You need sources of employment downtown,” reminds Granoff. “We’re reaching the level that the retail can be supported by the people in the city – now you’ve got to have places for them to work. That will round the circle to get Providence to the point it should be.” “Nothing sends a message farther than investment – and smart money is looking at Providence,” claims Bennett. While the city remains on the brink of bankruptcy, and its bond rating continues to suffer downgrades, he is bullish on Providence’s economic prospects. “We are addressing the financial situation,” he maintains. “Real entrepreneurs recognize that we’re going to fix this problem and they want to get in on it now.” While it is admittedly Bennett’s job to be bullish on Providence’s economic prospects, there is money flowing Downtown in ways that bolster his case. Despite some trepidation about the 38 Studios deal, no one disputes the fact that having a cutting edge company put approximately 280 employees in a newly renovated office is a boon for the neighborhood. They eat at restaurants, shop at stores, and some of them live mere blocks from their workplace. Hasbro is already following that lead. And despite the bad news of Bank of America’s departure from the iconic “Superman Building,” the fact is that the company will still lease 50,000 square feet of Down-
town real estate, albeit in a less symbolic building. A Boston company just signed on to rehab the financially ailing Biltmore, another Downtown icon in which an outside developer sees the potential for return on investment. Plans are in the works to take the Sportsman’s Inn, currently one of the seedier vestiges of old Downtown, and turn it into a boutique hotel and restaurant. “It’s hard to overstate how these new additions to the neighborhood inspire confidence and create an environment where other companies will want to be here as well,” says Joanna Levitt, of Cornish Associates and the Downcity marketing group. She should know. While her company is already one of the area’s most successful developers, it continues to invest, most recently purchasing and overhauling the Biltmore parking garage. Projects like the Biltmore, the Arcade and the Providence Gas building are also demonstrating that the traditional push and pull between economic development and historic preservation needn’t be antagonistic. Both sides are working toward the same goal: a lively, beautiful and distinctive city. “It behooves preservationists like me to rethink the real goals of preservation,” admits Hall. “It is our responsibility to lead by helping developers arrive at creative solutions that allow for growth, while maintaining a city that looks and feels familiar and unique.” Tax stabilization plans for historic properties have encouraged investors – who above all want stability and predictability in the tax and regulatory
May 2012 | Providence Monthly
37
AS220 remains one of the nerve centers of life downtown
structures – making the renovations of the Arcade and Biltmore a reality. Granoff draws an even more direct connection between economic development and historic preservation. His company has previously invested in the Turk’s Head Building and the Hampton Inn in the Financial District. “This company has spent a lot of time renovating historic buildings in Downtown,” he says. “The key is making these buildings economically viable. If they’re not economically viable, they’re never saved.” And as for that glaring vacancy in the Superman Building, Bennett is vague but optimistic: “I’ve been talking with the owner on almost a weekly basis about perhaps making a larger investment into mixed use for the property. At this point nothing is cast in stone, but the owner has the ability and the capital to put multimillions of dollars into this building. It’s not going away.” Of course, the low hanging fruit in terms of economic development is the former I-195 land and the push to make the Jewelry District a creative, high-tech “Knowledge District.” The opening of this much new land for development in the middle of a city is an almost unparalleled opportunity. “The walk between the Jewelry
New additions to the neighborhood inspire confidence and create an environment where companies will want to be here. –Joanna Levitt, Cornish Associates District and Downtown is under ten minutes, and the new connectivity, with the imagined (and real) boundaries dissolving, allows for one larger community to form,” explains Steve
Durkee, also of Cornish Associates. “Future job growth and institutional presence in the Jewelry District will bring more people to Downtown.”
Come Out and Play
It’s not just the nine-to-five workday economy that will really drive Downtown, however. There is also the nighttime economy, what Frank LaTorre calls “the other nine-to-five.” This includes restaurants, bars, performing arts venues, galleries and more, which, between employment, tax revenue and ability to attract visitors and potential new residents, are an equally important part of the economic puzzle. “It is a multimillion dollar industry with great potential as an enhancement to the quality of life and as a powerful economic engine,” he notes. “Developing a thriving nighttime economy will help attract those young professionals and entrepreneurs. They want a vibrant Downtown, seven days and seven nights a week.” Developers can build housing, companies can start up or move into office space, but the simple fact remains that if there is nothing interesting to do Downtown, no one will want to be there. “I get more nervous when the amenities are at risk of leaving ver-
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Providence Monthly | May 2012
sus the large employers,” notes Dormody, “because if the foundation of our Downtown is a strong one, another business will come along to fill in the gap. But if the amenities – cafes, shops, bank branches, etc. – are gone, then it’s even harder to entice a business to locate in the area.” Fortunately, Downtown boasts plenty of amenities, with more on the way. The opening of the Dorrance provided an anchor for food and nightlife in the Financial District, rejuvenating a formerly dormant space. Cornish is getting in on the act with the Biltmore garage, remodeling it to include restaurant and retail spaces. “This project will likely have a great impact on Washington Street,” believes Durkee, “taking what was most recently parking and inactive space, and programming it with six small scale businesses.” As with all of Cornish’s properties, the company intends not just to find tenants, but to curate them in such a way that creates a lively and engaging experience at the street level. In short, “There will be more to do, more to eat, and more to shop,” Durkee says. “That’s really the strength of Downtown is that it’s not single use,” Baudouin summarizes. “It’s not an office park in the suburbs. That’s the purpose of cities: a community where you can do a lot of different things and interact with a lot of different people.” Beckett offers this assessment: “It feels like Downtown has reached a critical mass – albeit a fragile one. It feels like there are enough residents, businesses, activities, etc. to be self-sustaining. It seems the essential first step towards earning the coveted ‘vibrant’ adjective that every urban area aspires to.” And you can help earn it, too, by simply living, working or playing there.
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City Style
AT HOME / SHOP TALK / THE LOOK / BEAUTY / GET FIT
About the Homeowners Alexa Cach is the co-owner and one of the main designers of House of Cach Jewelry (houseofcach.com). She lives with her husband Jahan Montague in an 1880s bungalow in Fox Point.
1 2
3
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Photography: Melissa Stimpson
Vintage Chic 1. Those are all original fashion sketches from the 1920s. I found them at Red Brick Antiques on Wickenden Street. I just totally fell in love with them, and kept going back and buying more and more. 2. That’s a hairpiece that I did for Jonathan Joseph Peters’ first StyleWeek show. I didn’t know where to put it, so it ended up there. It’s feathers, acrylic and old Swarovski components. 3. The statue came from Red Brick. It’s a plaster statue of Joseph that once stood outside a Catholic church. It’s probably about 50-60 years old. My parents collected Christian antiques, and Jahan’s collected Asian antiques. His dad was really interested in pieces that crossed over between the religions. We both sort of inherited that. We have an unbelievable amount of religious items, but we’re not really religious. I’m not sure what attracts us to them – I think it’s the power behind them, and that they’re so beautiful. 4. The candlestick is an antique from a funeral home. It came out of an auction, of all places, in Worcester. 5. That’s a tagine, a decorative Moroccan serving dish. My sister-inlaw does women’s rights work in Morocco, and she gave it to us. 6. The table came from my husband’s parents. It’s old wrought iron garden furniture. Because it’s a glass top it makes the room look more spacious.
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May 2012 | Providence Monthly
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City Style |
The Look
by Caitlin Quinn
Nneka Nwosu Reporter/Anchor at WPRI-TV Tell us a little about yourself. I’m turning 30 this year. I’m originally from Philadelphia and I’m the oldest of six kids. My parents are Nigerian immigrants, hence the name, and I like running, traveling and eating. I’m a novice cook of mostly healthy foods. I started in media the summer before senior year of college. I interned at ABC News on World News Tonight with Peter Jennings before he died, then became infected with the news virus. I went to Columbia for graduate school and have been in TV ever since. What’s your on-air style like? I like simple outfits that can extend through a few seasons. I try to find things I can wear again and switch up with shoes and a belt so people won’t notice. But I also like bright colors. I have dark skin so bright colors help me stand out.
I like simple pieces that are
cute on their own. Do you have a TV beauty squad? No, we’re responsible for our wardrobe, hair and makeup. But we have a consultant come and teach us how to apply makeup appropriately for HD, as well as for our skin colors. I got a lot of great advice, and makeup is something I need to learn about because I never wore it until I had to for work. It’s still a learning process for me. We also get e-mails from consultants on what the current fashion trends are and how to wear them for TV.
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How about off camera? I’m definitely a lot more casual. I like tank tops, shorts, jeans, flip flops – it’s pretty simple. You’ll probably see me in running clothes and my glasses on the weekend, which I don’t wear to work. Also, when I’m not working, I love to wear skirts and dresses. It has to be appropriate but I try not to let my 36” legs stop me from wearing something cute. Even though dresses look dressier, I think they’re easier. Throw on a bracelet and you’re done. Describe this look. I would say this is a day-to-night outfit; one you can wear in the city having lunch and then go out. I might wear this to work if paired with tights. I like that it’s feminine and flowy. I have fun wearing it. The dress is loose fitting, and I don’t have hips so I wanted to use the belt to show my waist. I love bracelets and earrings, and I’ve been noticing many people wearing nude pumps. Maybe nude is the new black. These shoes are patent leather and not too high, so they’re comfortable for me to walk in and they don’t make me a giant because I’m already 5’9”. Where do you shop? I’m always on the Nordstrom website because they have so many brands and designers. I love T.J. Maxx because it’s everything you see in department stores except cheaper. I got a Michael Kors dress for $30, and I had a $25 gift card so I got it for $5! I hardly ever pay retail.
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Providence Monthly | May 2012
tucket and East Greenwich locations. It was my first time ever on one of these machines, but Fraser had me doing everything from jump squats to bicep curls, one arm rows to chest presses, tricep extensions to crunches – all with Chuck Norris-like ease. Yes, true to its promise, the GTS worked me from head to toe, with a minimal learning curve to boot. And because it is designed to allow for quick and easy transitions between exercises, the routine raised my
heart rate, giving me a good cardio workout in addition to the full body conditioning. Gold’s Gym offers numerous group training sessions each week on the GTS machines, and Fraser says he also uses them often for his personal training clients. I know I, for one, left my session with Fraser feeling pretty great. No, I didn’t walk out of the gym with a body like Christie Brinkley’s, but I was one workout closer to it. goldsgym.com
Did you know that May is National Bike Month? Whether you commute to work or school on your bike, or ride for distance and endurance, you should know the basics of bike maintenance: how to lube a chain, fix a flat tire and make other minor adjustments. Cranston REI is offering a free Bike Maintenance Basics class on Tuesday, May 22 from 6:30 to 7:30pm. It is open to
all, but space is limited, so call ahead to reserve your place. 22 Chapel View Boulevard, Cranston. 275-5250, rei. com/cranston. (For more information about National Bike Month events in Rhode Island, go to ribike.org.) Rhode Runner has moved to a bigger space and is now located at 657 North Main Street in Providence. The store is hosting yoga classes in its new
community room on Mondays and Fridays from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. Improve your flexibility for running – or just in general – with instructor Jenn Vargas, who teaches poses focused mainly on stretching. The cost is $6/class or $20/ month. Reserve your spot by leaving a comment on Rhode Runner’s Facebook wall, calling the store or stopping by. 831-6346, rhoderunner.com.
Trainer Charlie Robbins leads a client through a GTS session
Photography: Laurel Mulherin
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Norris fact for you: there was once a time when you couldn’t turn on the television without seeing the martial arts expert/action star/Internet meme promoting the Total Gym home exercise machine, often alongside model Christie Brinkley. I must have been on an exercise hiatus during the heyday of these infomercials because I distinctly remember spending a lot of time watching them on the couch, envious of Brinkley’s Total Gym body. Just because we can no longer get our Chuck-Norris-working-outin-his-home-gym fix with the click of our remotes, though, doesn’t mean that the Total Gym has gone the way of the ThighMaster (read: boxes labeled “What Was I Thinking?” in basements around the world). In fact, at Gold’s Gym in Pawtucket, the Total Gym concept doesn’t just still exist – it thrives. With its several GTS machines (the version of Total Gym used by commercial facilities), Gold’s Gym offers one-on-one and group personal training sessions that can be tailored to fit each individual’s ability and training goals, even when people of varying fitness levels work out sideby-side. GTS is an incline resistance training machine, which uses body weight and gravity as resistance while the user trains with its cable and pulley system, rolling glideboard and load adjustment capabilities. It also allows for over 100 different exercises and variations, which means users can get a full-body workout that hits all their major muscle groups with just one machine. Guiding me through my GTS workout was Fraser Gunn, Regional Fitness Director at Gold’s Gym’s Paw-
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ARTISTS:
BE THE MASTER OF YOUR OWN
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City Style |
Shop Talk
By Erin Swanson
Wow Factor
Custom jewels to turn some heads Brunch for Babies Fundraiser to support the March of Dimes, June 3rd
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Providence Monthly | May 2012
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A walk into certain high-end jewelry stores can leave even the most seasoned shopper feeling a bit like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman – banal and unwelcome. Let me assure you, there’s no fear of this unfortunate fate befalling you at Hegeman & Co., where owner Richard Hegeman will welcome you with kind, blue eyes and a smile. He’s not just a peddler of shiny earrings and such; he’s a skilled jeweler and lapidary (gemstone cutter) with 40 some-odd years of experience in creating custom rings, necklaces and bracelets. If you’re getting married, and you don’t want a cookiecutter ring, this is where you go. In fact, I entered the store to find Hegeman chatting with a newly-engaged couple. The young bride-to-be peppered him with questions, as she and her groom collaborated with the jeweler to design unique wedding bands that would be both beautiful and affordable. “I will work with anyone, at any budget,” Hegeman says. “And I offer a discount to teachers, police officers, firefighters, those who serve – I like to give back.” During the consultation, the bride casually mentioned that she was a teacher. When she was offered the discount, the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. were ecstatic. I met another of his satisfied customers, who stopped in the shop and was thrilled to show me a custom necklace Hegeman had made for her a while back. The look on her face said it all – she beamed as she held it out for me to see. “He designed this for me; isn’t it just beautiful?” She asked in a way that was more statement than question. “I
love it, and it goes with everything!” The pendant was structured like the inside of a round shell, almost like a petal; inside was a fine-quality 3.5 ct. genuine blue ceylon sapphire in a triangular shape, positioned in a four-prong setting that gave the illusion of diamonds. It was behind the display counters, which are filled with a wealth of tiny treasures (including adorable matte gold bow rings and stunning diamond starshaped earrings), where I was allowed a glimpse into the true treasure trove. Hegeman unearthed a sizable collection of cut precious gems, with which he creates the custom pieces for which he is known. He also showed me some of his work. Wow. My favorite was an 18-karat gold ring that held a naturally-textured freshwater pearl – it was simply divine. I asked about his “mother’s pendants” and was given a multi-sensory response. “Let’s say you have one child born in February,” Hegeman said, while selecting a purple amethyst cut in the shape of a heart, “another born in August [peridot, green, oval], and the last born in March [aquamarine, light blue, rectangle].” He explained the process by which he works one-on-one with the customer to place the stones in just the right arrangement. Then came a mischievous smile. “And we can add one if another child comes along.” 361 South Main Street. 831-6812, hegemanandco.com.
Clad in teams up with RISD to present Structural Studies Inspired by Fashion and Architecture, an installation that is in place through May 14. 497 Angell Street. 454-8442, cladin.com
Photography: Dan Schwartz
info@maddogartiststudioscom
City Style |
Beauty
by Julie Tremaine
I (Kind-Of) Do
Hair color for the commitment-phobic
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Illustration: Karli Hendrickson
I don’t know about
you, but I always feel oddly drab at the change of seasons. All of my clothes are either too warm or too cold. It’s late for the grays and blacks of winter, and early for the tangerine and turquoise waiting for me in my summer clothes. The same goes with makeup. None of it looks quite right. I feel pale and pallid, and overcompensate with too much. Normally I just get through those strange weeks with a steady stream of complaining and shopping therapy. This year, I opted for something more pleasant both for my wallet and the company I keep. Instead of just accepting that I wouldn’t like the transition, I made a pretty drastic change to my appearance – well, drastic for me, at least. We’ll get to that in a minute. Seiren Salon, in the Jewelry District, is unique in that it only does one thing: hair. There have been so many times that I’ve been in salons with menus of service that are pages upon pages long, only to ask about one and have the receptionist tell me, “oh, we don’t do much of that… what about something else?” Stephanie Lisi, Seiren’s owner, says that they
keep it simple – cut, color, styling – for exactly that reason: so they can do one thing, and do it really well. When I talked to Stephanie, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to change, but I knew I wanted to do something. She suggested color. I love the idea of changing my hair on a whim, but I’m completely, unshakably, probably unreasonably phobic about that level of commitment. I told her I’d be willing to give it a shot if she could find a way to meet these criteria: no roots, no lasting damage to my hair, no color that necessitates tons of costly and time-consuming regular maintenance. I didn’t actually think this would be possible. If we’re being honest here, I gave her a tall order on purpose so I wouldn’t have to take a risk; I had a terrible experience with Keratin once (the special needed-to-lop-off-eight-inches-ofhair kind of terrible) and it left me gun-shy about major hair processes. To my surprise, Stephanie had an answer for me: semi-permanent color. Apparently, there are three levels of dye – permanent color, which involves removing pigment and replacing it with dye; demi-permanent, which is less damaging but basically
the same idea; and semi-permanent, which is deposit-only color, meaning that it adds pigment to the hair without stripping it of any natural color or texture. That I could handle. Because of its transient nature, semi-permanent dye isn’t a longterm solution for people looking to change their hair color. It’s more like a conditioning treatment that also comes with a color change, or just enhances your natural shade (think richer, glossier, butof still f foyours). You 1 5% od w/ but Id can use it to add a lot of color, it’s going to wash out in six weeks. Perfect for me. So, knowing that the worst that could possibly happen in this scenario was that I wouldn’t love the color, I told Stephanie to go dark. Really dark. As-dark-as-possible dark. I went from gun-shy to trigger happy as quickly as you can say “her roots are showing.” Stephanie wisely talked me out of going goth, and into a dark, rich auburn shade. I’m three weeks in and I absolutely love it. The color is holding up really nicely, and it’s just enough of a change to energize me until sundress season. 122 Chestnut Street. 632-4420, seirensalon.net
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Hair • Waxing • Nails • Spa Pedicures Shellac Manicures • Keratin Smoother As a professional nail technician and business owner, it is fabulous to see more options available to consumers to keep their nails looking healthy and beautiful. One of the latest trends in great nails is called CND Shellac™. If you are unfamiliar with the benefits of this revolutionary trend in beauty, read on. CND Shellac™ Power Polish is truly a one-of-a-kind product; when applied properly, it is easy to remove and will not damage the natural nails. However, consumers need to be careful of the many other products claiming to have the same benefits of CND Shellac™. To ensure clients are getting the true CND Shellac™ experience from start to finish, here are some tips: • The CND™ seal of approval should be visible in the salon. • Do not be afraid to ask if they use CND Shellac™ products. • Pay Attention! Make sure all bottles contain the CND
trademark label. • Lastly, to remove CND Shellac™, do not soak the nails in a bowl of acetone. Be sure to request CND Shellac™ Remover Wraps. Salon Karizzma offers many layered color options of CND Shellac™. We also offer the highest quality in manicures and pedicures. Again, even when seeking the most basic manicure, be an educated consumer. Sanitary conditions should be a top priority. Ask your nail professional how they care for and sterilize their tools. Nail stations should be clean and comfortable. Pedicure areas should be disinfected after each client. At Salon Karizzma, nail files and pumice stones are discarded after each use. Clean, healthy nails are always in style. In addition to providing superior nail services and spa pedicures, Salon Karizzma is a full service salon, offering all hair and waxing services.
1528 Mineral Spring Avenue, North Providence • 353-7416
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* The current special offer for a one-year prepaid membership at (Gold's Gym North Providence & Gold's Gym Warwick, Rhode Island), is an unheard of low price of *$199.00 for a full year! Limited Time Only
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parkdowntownprovidence.com 50
Providence Monthly | May 2012
ENTERTAINMENT BY: Matt Colasanti & Friends
A L L P RO C E E D S B E N E F I T P RO J E C T U N D E R C OV E R
Feast
Photography: Tiffany Medrano
IN THE KITCHEN / oN THE mENu / bEHINd THE bar / rEvIEw / IN THE drINK
57
REVIEW The American
Fresh grilled Swordfish
May 2012 | Providence Monthly
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Providence Monthly | May 2012
Feast |
In the Kitchen
By Stephanie Obodda
Pure Poblano Jose ruiz on his authentic mexican cuisine
Jose ruiz
Give us the low-down on your restaurant. Viva Mexico is a fun, friendly restaurant serving Mexican food in downtown Providence, seven days a week. We’re family-owned. I work together with my wife Elia and my sons Jose Jr. and Andres. We split the work, whether it’s bartending, waiting tables, washing dishes or cooking. We want our customers to feel like family as well. You can come to Viva Mexico for a fun late night drink and snack with friends, but the restaurant is also family-friendly and good for large groups.
Photography: Mike Braca
Have you owned restaurants in the past, or is this your first? I started out with a taco truck. We would park at the old flea market on Atwells Avenue, in Eagle Square (before it was renovated). Our regular customers talked us into starting a restaurant, so we began with a five-table restaurant on Atwells. We sold that and bought a multi-family, which we renovated to include a restaurant on the first floor – Mexico Garibaldi at 948 Atwells. We decided to open Viva Mexico on September 16 – that’s Mexican independence day. Is the food served at Viva Mexico from a specific region? Yes, the food we serve is from the Puebla region – Poblano cuisine. All of the dishes are made from my wife’s recipes. We prepare everything from scratch the same day; that’s why we’re open for breakfast (with both Mexican and American items). We’re here anyway preparing food, so we might as well welcome the public for a good start to their day. What are some of your popular dishes?
My wife’s mole sauce is popular. It took her over 10 years to perfect the recipe. We sell it to stores and restaurants – we even ship some to New York. It’s a complicated recipe, which includes dried peppers, chocolate, almonds and a lot of spices. Another favorite is Chile Rellenos – peppers stuffed with chicken or cheese. Also, our enchiladas are a big hit. They’re stuffed with pulled chicken and have a spicy sauce made with jalapenos and tomatillos, which has a nice kick.
Introducing Seven Stars Catering! Beautiful platters packed to go or delivered to your home or office. 820 Hope Street, Providence 342 Broadway, Providence Rumford Center at 20 Newman Avenue, East Providence
For more information, stop by or visit us at www.sevenstarsbakery.com
What are some of the beverages you serve? We make our own juices from scratch. Our horchata is very popular – it’s a sweet drink made with cinnamon, rice and condensed milk. Agua de Jamaica is made from hibiscus flowers. Tamarindo is a sweet and sour drink made from the tamarind fruit. We also have alcoholenhanced versions of the first two. We get a lot of positive feedback on our margaritas. We use fresh squeezed limes and have 60 different types of tequila. What are your weekly specials? In addition to Margarita Mondays, we have Taco Tuesdays, $3 burritos on Thursdays (along with live Flamenco music) and live Mariachi on Fridays.
viva mexico Cantina & Grill 129 Washington Street 369-7974 vivamexicocantinagrill.com
May 2012 | Providence Monthly
53
Feast |
on the menu
By John Taraborelli
Try This at Home
Chef 2 Go brings the local food scene to your living room How many times have you been watching a food/travel show – say Man v. Food, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, No Reservations and their ilk – and found yourself thinking, to borrow a phrase from Liz Lemon, I want to go to there? The great thing about those shows is that now you know where to get, say, the best barbecue brisket in Texas – but the problem is it’s in Texas. Unless your travel budget and vacation allotment are fairly extravagant, you won’t soon be noshing on whatever goodies Bourdain, Fieri, et al have found this week. That’s not true with Chef 2 Go, the local food/travel show starring chef/ host Nick Rabar, which begins airing its third season on Cox Sports this month. As Rabar, the gregarious chef/owner of Avenue N in Rumford, points out, “This is a program you can watch and you can go to the place the next day.” The restaurants, food trucks, farms and businesses Rabar visits are all local, so you can actually eat the food he eats. The show began as the next evolution of Stir It Up, the cooking show on which Rabar started as a guest and then became host. Chef 2 Go is more of a hybrid of travel and cooking shows, with forays out in the field (sometimes literally) followed by segments in the kitchen incorporating themes and ingredients from the day’s travels. This makes it unique among food shows, not just locally, but nationally as well. “There are not many – if any – shows out there where you go out into the streets, you gain a little knowledge, then you take that knowledge and experience back to the kitchen and create a dish based on that theme of the day,” says Rabar. Season three will find the show focused on doing fewer segments that more cohesively tie together a theme. In the second episode, for example, the theme is “The Sea”: Rabar first heads out on the water with the Local Catch, a group of local fisherman who text chefs with the day’s catch and then deliver it fresh to their doors, then follows the food to Cook and Brown Public House, which features Local Catch’s wares on its menu. That kind of storytelling is a point of pride
54
Providence Monthly | May 2012
Nick rabar (seated left) visits chef matt Gennuso (seated right) of Chez Pascal
for Rabar, who stresses that the show is not about promoting him or his restaurant, but rather “screaming the local businesses from the rooftops.” He’s bullish on the local food scene, and eager to share it with viewers, declaring, “Rhode Island’s local scene is the best in the country, and that’s one of the reasons why we have such pride in what we do.” Season three of Nick Rabar: Chef 2 Go begins this month on Cox Sports. Check chef2go.cox-sports.com for updates and schedule. MORE FOOD ON THE GO It seems like every other month we’re reporting on A) another food truck, B) another interesting local Kickstarter campaign or C) a Kickstarter campaign for a new food truck. Well, here we go again, but we haven’t gotten so jaded as to lack enthusiasm for Radish, the self-proclaimed “Farmer’s Food Truck.” Four students launched the effort to bring healthy, farm fresh food on the go to College Hill, and they’re well on their way to doing it. First, they won an entrepreneurship competition at Johnson and Wales, where Execu-
tive Chef Danny Do and Founder/CEO Timothy Silva are students; then, they exceeded their Kickstarter goal of $5250 to refurbish the truck and bring it up to code. The project was funded as of April 5, and their goal is to hit the road May 5. They will offer a seasonal menu heavy on local ingredients, including banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich), Hungarian goulash, Signature Herb Fries and the vague but promising “nightly pancakes.” We look forward to seeing Radish out on the road; for updates and locations, visit whereisradish.tumblr.com. Also in May, be on the lookout for PVD Pudding Pops. The pedal cart – complete with a light-up popsicle – is expected to be on the streets May 1, peddling (sorry for the pun) pops in a variety of flavors ranging from your basics like vanilla and butterscotch, to local favorites like coffee milk, to “seasonal and experimental” flavors. All pops will be made with Rhody Fresh milk and “pronounceable ingredients.” Follow twitter.com/PVDpops for more info. SINFULLY GOOD Jennfier Luxmoore of Sin Desserts
– sort of like Providence’s version of Charm City Cakes from Food Network fame – has won our hearts over the years by making creative, delicious sweets like oatmeal cream pies with maple buttercream and bacon or chili pepper peanut butter cookies – and then periodically surprising us with a tray of them at our office. However, up until now, her business was almost exclusively special order out of her kitchen space on Allens Avenue. Well, she’s finally opened a proper retail/ café space on the street level of the Conley’s Wharf building (200 Allens Ave.) where she’ll be open daily selling more than just the custom cakes on which she made her reputation. The new café features coffee, cupcakes and “cupcake shots” (mini-cupcakes), bacon and cheddar scones and more. eatwicked.com
Online Exclusive
visit providenceonline.com to see clips of Nick rabar visiting Local Catch, Pat’s Pastured and mama Kim’s Korean bbQ Truck.
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iggysdoughboys.com STUDIO 101 launched by Jason Dolan is the newest salon to hit Providence. The RI-native and 15-year veteran of the world-class color team at Bergdorf Goodman’s John Barrett Salon has built an impeccable reputation over the course of his career, most recently gaining critical acclaim for his work in cutting-edge color techniques such as ombre and ballyage. Several years ago, after closely evaluating the current style landscape in his hometown, Jason made the decision to begin making bi-monthly appearances at a downtown Providence salon. The idea was to bring a bit of New York City flavor to the folks back home. It didn’t take long for the news to spread and Jason began booking weeks and months in advance and made the choice to up his visits to every four weeks. As much as he loved making these appearances, the desire to create something of his own in the town where he was born and raised intensified. Fast-forward two years and Studio 101 is born--the preeminent hair salon experience located in the heart of downtown Providence. It only takes one step inside the space to evoke a visceral feeling of chic New York City décor and modern luxury. Jason and his expert team of stylists and colorists (including appearances from his New York City peers), look forward to serving you and becoming your new trusted source for all things beauty in Rhode Island. For appointments call 401.808.6777. If you would like to join our team, please forward resumes to: info@studio101ri.com
101 south orange street providence ri 02903 t. 401.808.6777 www.studio101ri.com
May 2012 | Providence Monthly
55
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Garden City, 942.2720 • Wakefield, 783.4433 www.sweenorschocolates.com 56
Providence Monthly | May 2012
Feast |
review
By Linda Bealieu
The American Way
an inspired menu honors our city’s industrial past I wonder what J.P.
Photography: Tiffany Medrano
Morgan and John Jacob Astor would think of The American, one of the newer establishments on the Providence restaurant scene. Their portraits hang high on the olive green walls of this stylish eatery, and they look down at people eating food bearing their names. The J.P. Morgan is a fancy roast beef sandwich, and the John Jacob Astor is a gourmet burger. Both items are on the lunch menu at The American. The American is dedicated to those turn-of-the-century industrialists (and we’re talking 1900, not the most recent turn of the century) who made our country great. The restaurant is housed in what used to be the Rhode Island Locomotive Works, a steam locomotive manufacturing company in business between 1867 and 1906. The brick building in which we dined used to be the workplace for more than 1,400 men who produced thousands of steam engines during that time period. In 1906, the company merged with the American Locomotive Works (ALCO); the production of locomotives was moved to New York, and the building was then used to manufacture the Alco, a version of the French Berliet luxury car and the finest car produced in the United States prior to World War I. The business folded in 1913 because of poor sales, but the plant manager,
raw bar Platter
Walter P. Chrysler, went on to found the Chrysler Corporation. The American clearly occupies hallowed halls. It most definitely has the feel of a men’s club with its dark woodwork, blazing fireplace and fine appointments. The menu is a curious mix of the elite and the common, from Oysters Rockefeller and pricey steaks to daily specials that range from Spaghetti and Meatballs to Fish and Chips. The American is the third restaurant in the Adirondack Restaurant Group, joining The Abbey (also in Providence) and Buster Krab’s in Narragansett. Anyone following a high-protein eating plan will appreciate the Steakhouse Bacon ($3.50), a rather unusual appetizer on The American’s menu. This is one long strip of premium smoked bacon, close to a quarter-inch thick, and well cooked so that most of the fat has been rendered. This is a meaty first course, with not a carb on the plate. It was more than enough to share with Brian. He enjoyed his bites of bacon with a beer, and I liked mine with a glass of Pinot Gris. Our second appetizer, the Mussels and Fries ($12), was almost a meal in itself. One pound of locally sourced mussels was presented in a large white bowl, with an accompanying bowl for us to place the shells. Every mussel was open, steamed in a subtle dijon cream sauce with plenty of garlic, so it
Certified angus beef New York Sirloin
was easy to extricate every little nugget of seafood. I only wish there was some good bread on the table so that I could have sopped up some of that flavorful broth. Instead, we made do with the extraordinary fries that had been drizzled with truffle oil and dusted ever so lightly with Parmesan cheese. We continued this theme of sharing with our salad course. I loved every bite of The American ($10), mixed field greens tossed with sweet and savory ingredients: dried tart cherries, red onions, toasted walnuts and plenty of fresh Gorgonzola. Everything was lightly coated with a creamy garlic and cracked pepper dressing. One of our entrees was quite expensive, and the other was a bargain, again indicative of the elite coexisting with the common man. Brian chose the 10-ounce Filet Mignon ($35), and I selected the Yankee Pot Roast ($15). Our side dishes ($5 each) – Smashed Idaho Potatoes and Sautéed Spinach – were large enough to share. Every single component of this main course was excellent. The delicious steak was at least two inches thick and cooked medium, exactly as ordered. It came with a choice in toppings. Brian went with the caramelized onion and blue cheese crumble on the side, but found he didn’t need it. Every bite of his unadulterated filet mignon was thoroughly enjoyed. The slow-roasted pot roast was pure nostalgia on a plate. No knife
was needed to cut the tender chunks of beef surrounded by baby carrots and onions in an au jus. The smashed potatoes were just that, smashed, not mashed, so lumps were to be expected. The spinach was the biggest surprise, almost tasting like broccoli rabe with its heady flavor of garlic. There are but four desserts on the menu: Apple Crisp, Mississippi Mud Pie, Key Lime Pie and Boston Cream Pie ($7). We hadn’t had Boston Cream Pie in years, maybe even decades, so that was our choice. This classic all-American dessert did not disappoint with its two layers of moist yellow cake, a custard filling between the layers and a dark chocolate icing over the top. Again, this was perfect for sharing – although it tasted so good, I wished it were all mine. Linda Beaulieu is the author of The Providence and Rhode Island Cookbook, available at stores throughout the state.
The american 311 Iron Horse Way 865-6186 311ironhorseway.com
May 2012 | Providence Monthly
57
Prom 2012
Feast |
behind the bar
By Cristy Raposo
Old School Class
mikaela Newell on Providence’s newest speakeasy What is Vanity? Vanity is a 1920s-themed speakeasy restaurant and lounge. It’s classy, old school and it’s one of Providence’s only underground bars. You don’t see the same faces in here every week. There’s a different crowd with a little bit of every type - hipsters, preppy people, nine-to-fivers, artists. Tell us about the menu. Chef Paul Jalaf created an amazing menu of classics with a twist. Everything is tweaked. I am a picky eater and I love everything on this menu. My favorite item is his Marsala Marciano – a pan-seared porcini dusted chicken served in a sweet mushroom wine sauce with a cheesy risotto and crispy onions.
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A specialty boutique Open Daily 10-5:30 Saturday 10-5 The Village CenTer 290 County road, Barrington 247-1087 58
Providence Monthly | May 2012
Which cocktails do you recommend? Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd. They’re on opposite ends of the spectrum, but both very delicious. Baby Face Nelson is made with Captain Morgan, apple juice, muddled apple and cinnamon. Pretty Boy Floyd is made with St. Germain, Grey Goose La Poire, grapefruit and cranberry juice. What is your signature drink? Caramel Apple Martini. I rim the martini glass with brown sugar and then mix Stoli Gala Applik, Sour Apple Puckers, Butterscotch Schnapps, sweet and sour mix and a little freshly squeezed lime juice for this delicious martini. Can you recommend a refreshing spring cocktail for readers to impress their friends with?
mikaela Newell
Our Houdini Double: Double Cross Vodka, grape fruit juice and a lemon twist. Easy and impressive. As a bartender, what have you learned about yourself? I’m definitely a little bit ADD and OCD. I love being busy. The bar always has something for you to do. Whether it’s cleaning, serving customers, meeting new people or making drinks. What do you enjoy most about bartending? I’m a very creative and artistic person; I love the creative freedom bartending allows. I love enjoying the music and the atmosphere while creating drinks. I’m a night owl, so these hours definitely work for me. Also, I’d rather be making the drinks
than drinking them. What’s your most embarrassing bartending story? Jarvis Green – who was playing for the New England Patriots at the time – came into Smoke [where I used to work]. I don’t know if I was nervous or just being my normal klutzy self, but I spilled a cranberry cocktail on his pink shirt.
vanity 566 South Main Street 649-4667 vanityri.com
Photography: Mike Braca
Kendall Jenner as seen in Teen Prom Magazine
How does Vanity transition from restaurant to lounge? It’s a smooth transition and it works out well because people tend to finish dinner around 9:30pm and then linger at the bar. When the kitchen closes at 10pm, live entertainment - usually a DJ - starts up. Vanity offers entertainment every night. The lounge is for 21+ only – you won’t find any of that 18+ rowdiness here.
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May 2012 | Providence Monthly
59
S:4.375”
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join your friends for dinner and
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Providence | 401.272.2271 | 10 Memorial Blvd. | ruthschris.com
200 Varick St. New York, NY 10014 : Phone 212-805-7500
RCS_COR_P12106_PM
Client: Ruth’s Chris Steak House
WO: FRAME WHEN THE DAY IS OVER..’ 1/4P4CPROVIDENCE
PATH: M.P_MECHANICALS:Volumes:M.P_MECHANICALS:Ruths_Chris:RCS:COR:P12106:RCS_COR_P12106_PM
SPECS L/S: None DOC SIZE: 4.375” x 5.875” B: None G: None IMAGES
TEAM Creative: Kirk Mosel Erich Hartmann Acct: Keisha Townsend Prod/Traf: Lauren Pernick Neal Sherman Studio: Kevin Tinsley
MEDIA / PRINT INFO Pubs: PROVIDENCE MONTHLY Media: Newsprint Line Screen: None Printed: 3-19-2012 1:11 PM @ 100%
COLORS Cyan Magenta Yellow Black
Mother’s Day
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RCS_Bkgd_DarkRed_Cn_400.tif (CMYK; 100%; 400 ppi; SuperStudio:ART:MNH:Ruthschris:Red Background_DARK:RCS_Bkgd_DarkRed_Cn_400.tif) RCS_Bar_01061_Kn_300.tif (Gray; 16.96%; 1769 ppi; SuperStudio:ART:MNH:Ruthschris:People:Happy Hour:Bar:RCS_Bar_01061_Kn_300.tif) RCS_Hero_LOGO_Transp_Cn_300.tif (CMYK; 31.07%; 965 ppi; SuperStudio:ART:MNH:Ruthschris:Steak Wedge_LOGO LOCKUP:RCS_Hero_LOGO_Transp_Cn_300.tif) RCSH_USP_4CP_075.ai (102.73%; SuperStudio:Logos:Ruths_Chris:_Official_Logos:SmallSpace:With_Stamp:RCSH_USP_4CP_075.ai)
Brunch 10am - 2pm | Dinner 2pm - 10pm Flowers for all the ladies
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60
Providence Monthly | May 2012
Feast |
In the drink
By Emily Dietsch WWW.HARUKISUSHI.COM
Punch Drunk Love
Visit us at the location of your choice... Haruki Cranston 1210 Oaklawn Ave Cranston 401.463.8338
Haruki ExprEss 112 Waterman St Providence 401.421.0754
Haruki East 172 Wayland Ave Providence 401.223.0332
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committed to the original in the name of pure science. Unfurled from its fluted tin, amber-colored and dotted with citrus peel, our Punch Jelly looked like something that might have glistened on Marie Antoinette’s buffet table. When sliced and served, it became slightly less fetching, and required a knife and fork to eat. (This will take some adjustment for anyone conditioned in the Jell-O shot’s tilt-andslurp procedure.) The taste was akin to the candied version of an oldfashioned rum punch: Intense and delicious, but decidedly oddball. The Jell-O shots, by contrast, offered zero oddball quirks. Next to the exoticism of a bundt-shaped, rum-and-cognac confection, they felt refreshingly familiar and accessible, like network sitcoms and pop music. That is, if sitcoms and music came in Froot Loops flavors made with a liter of vodka. Over a pot of black coffee the next morning, we concluded that the ancestor and its progeny are starkly different – until they’re not. One is pretty and extraordinary, the other gauche and garden-variety. One challenges conventions, the other confirms them. Both have their place. Both will also get you blind drunk. What was the question, again? And where did I leave my phone last night?
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true Jell-O shot arrived when a U.S. naval officer smuggled booze into a dry office party by spiking orange Jell-O. (With global nuclear obliteration looming, can we blame him?) Setting the mix in small paper cups, the man waltzed past security guards undetected – and paved the way for decades of mistakes and morning-after regrets. Armed with historical research and idle hands, an intrepid friend and I endeavored to make and test, side-by-side, 19th- and 20th century versions of the Jell-O shot. Were they really so different, we wondered? Or does 100-proof liquor have a way of blurring lines? Sticking to the American scene, we picked a Punch Jelly recipe from the antebellum South and a basic Jell-O shot formula standard across the 50 states. We boiled, stirred, poured and chilled, setting the jelly in its stipulated bundt pan and the shots in neat rows of Dixie cups. Surprisingly, only one modernization was unavoidable to make the jelly nowadays, since isinglass – a gelling agent made from fish bladders – isn’t routinely stocked at the corner market. (Knox plain gelatin substitutes nicely.) Other changes might be desirable – to reduce the shocking amounts of rum, cognac and sugar, for instance – but we
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May is a month rife with untoward impulses and bad decisions, set into motion by spring fever and the promise of summer. In drinking terms, this involves a revival of frivolous drinks from winter hibernation, and usually in quantities to be regretted in the morning. What better time, then, to consider the Jell-O shot, the boozy mascot of breezy imprudence? In 2012, a sharp line divides those who slurp from those who don’t and won’t. For devotees – shooters, perhaps – the appeal is simple: They’re cheap, they drown out the taste of alcohol, and, with little to them besides high-proof liquor, they’re an extremely effective way to get wasted. Conversely, for people who like the taste of alcohol when it’s good, pass when it’s not, and prefer PGrated tipsiness to Jersey Shore outtakes, the Jell-O shot’s raison d’être is firm grounds to avoid them. It’s a surprising state of affairs given that Jell-O shots got their start among monarchs, not co-ed lushes. Far before box met bottle and gelled in plastic cups, 19th century French chefs whipped up elaborate boozy jellies – think posh gelatin molds, not what’s smeared on peanut butter – with ingredients like champagne, rose water and star anise. On this side of the Atlantic, cocktail godfather Jerry Thomas Americanized the jellies by mixing them with homegrown spirits like bourbon and rum – and in strengths fit for an Animal House throwdown. In 1862 he published a recipe for Punch Jelly, which congealed everyone’s favorite party beverage into food form. He also offered a caveat: “This preparation is very agreeable refreshment on a cold night, but should be used in moderation,” he wrote. “The strength of the punch is so artfully concealed by its admixture with the gelatine, that many persons, particularly of the softer sex, have been tempted to partake so plentifully of it as to render them somewhat unfit for waltzing or quadrilling after supper.” Nearly a century later, the first
•
Illustration: Ashley MacLure
The evolution of boozy jellies
May 2012 | Providence Monthly
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dining Guide
special advertising section
ASIAN PALACE 1184 North Main St.; 228-7805. All the flavors of Asia are here: from Chinese classics to new Thai favorites to fresh, impeccably prepared sushi. The gorgeous banquet room is available for private functions. LD $-$$$ ASPIRE RESTAURANT 311 Westminster St.; 521-3333. Aspire offers an exquisite fine dining experience with a number of delicious small and large plates, numerous fine wines and full bar – with an emphasis on local ingredients. BBrLD $-$$$
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Providence Monthly | May 2012
76 South Main St.; 331-0003. Chef/owner Steven Davenport offers innovative and classic foods with eclectic flare. The menu includes creative pasta dishes and, of course, the signature rotisserie meats for which Parkside is famous. LD $-$$
Providence 10 PRIME STEAK & SUSHI 55 Pine St.; 453-2333. Located downtown, Ten offers a sophisticated yet lively atmosphere complimented by aged prime steaks, a full sushi menu and creative cocktails. LD $$-$$$ ABYSSINIA 333 Wickenden St.; 4541412. Enjoy the unique experience of Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine, using your fingers (and Ethiopia’s famed flatbread) to sample richly spiced meat, fish and vegetable dishes. (Forks are available, but less fun.) LD $-$$
Key
ANDREAS 268 Thayer St.; 331-7879. For a taste of Greece, head to Andreas. Their menu includes souvlaki, moussaka and a variety of kabobs, along with specialties like Lemon Oregano Lamb Chops and Spanakopita, an appetizer of spinach and feta in flaky phyllo dough. BrLD $-$$ ASIAN BISTRO 123 Dorrance St.; 383-3551. Chinese, Japanese and Thai, hibachi and sushi – they’re all under one roof at Asian Bistro. For the freshest flavors in a convenient downtown location, this is the place. LD $-$$$
B breakfast Br brunch L lunch D dinner $ under 10 $$ 10–20 $$$ 20+
BETTER BURGER COMPANY 217 Thayer Street; 228-7373. With angus beef burgers that are juicy and tasty, this casual spot is a no brainer for anyone looking for a quick, delicious and affordable meal. Serving wholesome veggie, falafel and salmon burgers too. LD $ BRAVO BRASSERIE 123 Empire St.; 490-5112. Enjoy lunch and dinner at this American bistro with a French flair. Located downtown across from Trinity Rep, it’s the perfect place for a pre-theater dinner or cocktail after the show. LD $$-$$$ BRICKWAY 234 Wickenden St.; 7512477. Breakfast is the specialty at Brickway, a cozy neighborhood eatery known for its extensive menu of comfort foods made with a creative edge. Brunch offered on Sundays. BBrL $ BYBLOS 235 Meeting St.; 4539727. Providence’s original hookah lounge offers more than just a relaxing smoke and chic atmosphere. You can also enjoy classic Lebanese dishes and light cuisine with your cocktail. LD $ CAFé PARAGON 234 Thayer St.;
Photography: Dan Schwartz
The Gift of Relaxation
A Gift Mom Will Love! Three Wheel Studio Extraordinary Hand-Made Ceramics 331-6200. This hip eatery serves sandwiches, pasta, and entrees at prices lower than the chic décor would have you believe. The adjoining Viva lounge is perfect for afterdinner drinks and private parties. BrLD $-$$ CASERTA’S PIZZERIA 121 Spruce St.; 621-9190. This Rhode Island tradition serves big pizzas with generous toppings and thick, rich tomato sauce. The Wimpy Skippy, a spinach pie with cheese and pepperoni, is not to be missed. LD $-$$ CAV 14 Imperial Pl.; 751-9164. The New York Times’ choice as one of Providence’s five best restaurants, CAV’s contemporary award-winning cuisine is available for lunch and dinner daily. They also feature Saturday/Sunday brunch. BrLD $$$$$ CHEZ PASCAL 960 Hope Street; 421-4422. Chef Matt Gennuso’s East Side kitchen offers French food with a modern twist. Try the Bistro Menu (Tue-Thur), which features three courses for $30 per person. Delicieux! D $-$$$ DON JOSE TEQUILAS 351 Atwells Ave.; 454-8951. Don Jose’s digs a little deeper than your average Mexican restaurant, with all the basics you love alongside more artfully composed entrees and a wonderful selection of house-made tequilas. LD $$ THE DORRANCE 60 Dorrance Street; 521-6000. The Dorrance, a 2012 James Beard Foundation award semi-finalist (best new restaurant and chef), is known for its impressive architecture, hand-crafted cocktails and delicious modern American cuisine. LD $$-$$$ GOURMET HOUSE 787 Hope St.; 8314722. Beautiful murals and decor set the mood for delicious Cambodian and Southeast Asian cuisine, spicy curries and noodle dishes. The tamarind duck is a must. LD $-$$
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HARRY’S BURGER & BAR 121 North Main St.; 228-7437. Harry’s features only freshly ground beef, Nathan’s hot dogs, a long list of craft beers and new twists on cocktails. A perfect quick bite or night out. LD $-$$ HARUKI EAST 172 Wayland Ave.; 223-0332. For authentic Japanese dining, try Haruki’s large variety of sushi, sashimi, bento boxes, soba noodles and delicious specialty entrees. Enjoy the chic atmosphere and the freshest sushi around. LD $-$$$ JACKY’S WATERPLACE 200 Exchange St.; 383-5000. Experience sushi, Chinese and Japanese food, noodles and much more in a stunning atmosphere, right in the heart of Waterplace Park. Sip an exotic drink while taking in the spectacular view. LD $-$$$ JULIANS RESTAURANT 318 Broadway; 861-1770. What began in 1994 as a small Federal Hill brunch spot has grown into a popular destination for award-winning brunch, dinner, desserts, craft beer and cocktails. Outdoor seating, vegan options. BBRLD $-$$ KARTABAR 284 Thayer St.; 331-8111. This European-style restaurant and lounge offers a full menu of unique dishes such as Champagne Sea Bass and Gorgonzola-stuffed Filet Mignon. They also offer a gourmet wine list and martini menu. LD $-$$ KITCHEN BAR 771 Hope Street; 3314100. Offering contemporary comfort cuisine in an elegant setting, Kitchen Bar features daily specials and take-out. Acclaimed Chef Jaime D’Oliveira has been brought on to consult, so expect exciting new options and flavors. LD $-$$ LUXE BURGER BAR 5 Memorial Blvd.; 621-5893. Luxe brings the classic burger to a new level. Their build your own burger list, which includes Kobe and Gold Labeled beef, never ends, with countless combinations. LD $-$$
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Providence Monthly | May 2012
dining Guide
MILLS TAVERN 101 North Main St., 272-3331. The only restaurant in RI to receive The Mobile Four Star Award for five consecutive years, Mills Tavern provides traditional American cuisine in a warm, friendly setting. D $$-$$$ MUMU 220 Atwells Ave.; 369-7040. A Chinese restaurant with a hip urban feel and friendly, welcoming service. Serving up lunch specials and signature dishes at dinner, this spot is sure to please, seven days a week. LD $-$$ NOT JUST SNACKS 833 Hope St.; 831-1150. Indeed, it’s not just snacks, but rather some of the tastiest, most authentic Indian food around served in a comfortable, homey setting right in the heart of Hope Street. LD $-$$ OPA 230 Atwells Ave.; 351-8282. Visit Lebanon for dinner. Select from a menu of authentic dishes or let the chef prepare a platter of 12 “mezza” items ranging from salads to seafood to grilled meats. D $$-$$$ POTENZA RISTORANTE D’ITALIA 286 Atwells Ave.; 273-2652. Experience the authentic flavors of Chef Walter Potenza, a name long synonymous with Italian food in Rhode Island. This is a must-stop for foodies, and caters to gluten-free diners. D $$-$$$ RASOI 727 East Ave., Pawtucket; 728-5500. Rasoi, Hindi for “kitchen,” is the fruition of a dream by Chef Sanjiv Dhar to balance healthy food, personalized service and Indian culture. Featuring a full bar and famous weekend buffet. LD $-$$ RED STRIPE 465 Angell St.; 4376950. It’s classic comfort food
Key
with French influences. From their Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup to ten styles of Moules & Frites, Red Stripe’s menu is reasonably priced and made with passion. LD $-$$$ RICK’S ROADHOUSE 370 Richmond St.; 272-7675. With hand-cut, fire kissed steaks, gut busting burgers and fall off the bone ribs, Rick’s brings the best slow-cooked cuisine to the Ocean State. LD $-$$ RUE BIS 95 South St.; 490-9966. This intimate eatery provides breakfast and lunch in a cozy, neighborhood bistro atmosphere – all with the gourmet pedigree of Hope Street dining staple Rue De L’Espoir behind it. BBrL $ RUE DE L’ESPOIR 99 Hope St.; 7518890. In business for over 30 years, the Rue has only gotten better. Beautifully prepared with the freshest ingredients, the innovative, constantly changing menu keeps diners on their toes. Superb brunch. BBrLD $$-$$$ RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE 10 Memorial Blvd. (at the GTECH Center); 272-2271. Come celebrate their fifth year overlooking Waterplace Park by treating yourself to the best USDA Prime steak in Providence. Change your life one bite at a time. D $$$ SIENA 238 Atwells Ave.; 521-3311. Federal Hill’s Siena features authentic Tuscan cuisine in a warm and lively atmosphere. The extensive menu includes wood-grilled veal, steak and seafood entrees along with signature pasta and sauté dishes. D $$-$$$ TASTE OF INDIA 230 Wickenden St.; 421-4355. Providence’s first Indian restaurant delivers on its promise of serving real (and really
B breakfast Br brunch L lunch D dinner $ under 10 $$ 10–20 $$$ 20+
delicious) Indian cuisine, with seafood delicacies and Tandoori specialties, made with authentic Indian spices. LD $-$$ THE ROI 150 Chestnut St.; 272-2161. Located in the charming Jewelry District, Chef Paul Shire’s 21st-century supper club serves up hot food and cool music. Modern day comfort food is always on the menu, as is a sleek bar and casual but hip surroundings. LD $$-$$$ TRATTORIA ZOOMA 245 Atwells Ave.; 383-2002. Located on historic Federal Hill, Zooma offers award winning Neapolitan cuisine in a beautiful, upscale setting, specializing in house made pasta, local fish, meats, vegetables and authentic wood fired pizza.LD $$-$$$
South County ELEVEN FORTY NINE RESTAURANT 1149 Division St, (Warwick/East Greenwich line); 884-1149. 965 Fall River Ave., Seekonk; 508-336-1149. Metropolitan chic comes to the suburbs at this super stylish restaurant with a raw bar, outstanding menu, and some of the best cocktails around. LD $$-$$$ SIENA CUCINA 5600 Post Rd., East Greenwich; 885-8850. Siena features authentic Tuscan cuisine in a warm and lively atmosphere, plus over 20 wines by the glass and an Italian “tapas” menu. D $$-$$$
North
XO CAFé 125 North Main St.; 2739090. XO Café celebrates fine food, wine and funky art. Featuring a seductive atmosphere, outmatched by playfully composed dishes inspired by natural/local ingredients. BRD $$-$$$
BLACKIE’S BULL DOG TAVERN 181 George Washington Highway, Smithfield; 231-4777. This tavern specializes in comfort food and features a large selection of beer. Skilled bartenders, drink concoctions and live music make this the perfect happy hour spot. LD $-$$
East bay
TRATTORIA ROMANA 3 Wake Robin Road, Lincoln; 333-6700. This Italian restaurant offers fresh, homemade food by Italian-born Chef Luciano Canova in a comfortable atmosphere with moderate pricing. With friendly, attentive staff, you’ll feel just like family. LD $$-$$$
BILLY’S 286 Maple Ave., Barrington; 289-2888. Billy’s creates a warm, inviting family atmosphere and ensures the finest quality ingredients in everything from fresh salads to juicy burgers to pizzas and Italian entrees. Full bar available. D $-$$ LE CENTRAL 483 Hope St., Bristol; 396-9965. Enjoy a variety of classic French staples from Coq au Vin and Croque Monsieur, to North African tajines in an intimate setting. They also offer a gourmet wine list. BrLD $-$$$
west bay CHAPEL GRILLE 3000 Chapel View Blvd., Cranston; 944-9900. Nestled in the hills of Cranston’s Chapel View complex, this restaurant offers great food and views. Enjoy a Mediterranean inflected menu while admiring the Providence skyline in the distance. LD $$-$$$
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Providence Monthly | May 2012
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Get Out
EVENTS / ART / MUSIC / THEATRE
Lies in the Friendly Skies Photography: Mark Turek
Trinity Rep presents Boeing-Boeing,
(standing) Liz Morgan, Amanda Dolan, (foreground) Rebecca Gibel
a Tony award-winning play written by Marc Camoletti and directed by Fred Sullivan Jr. This classic French farce was listed in the Guinness World Records as the most performed French play throughout the world. Boeing-Boeing tells the story of a Bernard, an architect living in Paris, who juggles three flight-attendant fiancées: an American woman, an Italian woman and a German woman. He’s been successful
in convincing each woman that she’s his one and only, much to the chagrin of his longsuffering housekeeper, Bertha. As time passes, the lies become more and more difficult for both Bernard and Bertha to keep track of – especially once the airline restructures its flights so that all three women are scheduled to be in Paris at once. $15-56. May 1-13, 2pm & 7:30pm showings. 201 Washington Street. 351-4242, trinityrep.com.
May 2012 | Providence Monthly
67
Get Out |
Calendar
By Erin Swanson
This Month May 1 PeaceLove Studios presents its second annual Get Your PeaceLove On Fundraiser. Enjoy music, food, drink, art, a silent auction, raffle and a PeaceLoveTini for a good cause. $50. 6-10pm. The Met, 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. 4759778, peacelovestudios.com. May 3 Head to the RISD Museum for Music Thursdays. Enjoy live music from the Becky Chase Band, snacks and a cash bar in the grand gallery. Free with museum admission or $3-10. 5:30-8pm. 20 North Main Street. 454-6500, risdmuseum.org. May 3 Enjoy fine fare, music, and silent and live auctions at the Art Blossoms Fundraiser – all to support free afterschool and summer arts programs. Free valet and cash bar. $65. 6-9pm. Providence Art Club, 11 Thomas Street. 941-0795 x113, providencecityarts.org. May 3-27 The Gamm breathes fresh life into George Orwell’s 1984. An act of rebellion turns to a nightmare of betrayal, punctuated by chilling multi-media effects. $34. 2pm, 7pm & 8pm showings. 172 Exchange Street, Pawtucket. 7234266, gammtheatre.org. May 4 Come out and showcase your spoken word talents on the first Friday of every month at The Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, for a Spoken Word Poetry Open Mic Night. 7-9pm. 265 Oxford Street. 7852320, nonviolenceinstitute.org. May 5 The RISD Museum’s annual fundraiser, It’s In the Bag, will celebrate the art of designer handbags, featuring food, drink and auctions of bags “packed” with one-of-a-kind travel experiences. $150. Raffle tickets $50 or $100 for three. 6:30pm. 224 Benefit Street. 454-6505, pkimel@risd.edu. May 5-6 Enjoy live music, food, Sangria, margaritas and beer at the Thayer Street Fes-
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Providence Monthly | May 2012
tival, sponsored by Kartabar, Paragon and Spats. $10 presale, $15. 11:30amclose. 331-8111, kartabar.com. May 5 Head down to Grant’s Block for a Cinco De Mayo Block Party, featuring a mariachi band, DJ, piñatas, rock and roll yardsale, Salon bar, taco truck and more. Free. 4-8pm. Westminster (between Union and Eddy Streets). indowncity.com. May 6, 13, 20, 27 Set sail on the Blackstone Valley Explorer Riverboat Tour. The 45-minute narrated cruise is the perfect way to learn and relax. $8-10. 1pm, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm. Central Falls Landing (at Broad Street and Madeira Avenue), Central Falls. rivertourblackstone.com. May 7 They named their band after a Rugrats character. Awesome, no? Reptar has played Bonnaroo and SXSW. Come check them out at The Met as they debut songs from Body Faucet, out May 1. $8. 9pm. 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. 729-1005, themetri.com. May 10 Comedian Aries Spears spent eight years on Mad TV and is now carting his witty and charismatic behind to Providence for one special performance. 8pm. $25. Comedy Connection, 39 Warren Avenue, East Providence. 438-8383, ricomedyconnection.com. May 10 What to do with all those kitchen scraps? Try Composting 101 class. This program will teach you to generate rich, free fertilizer right at home. $8-$12. 6:30-8pm. Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield. 949-5454, asri.org. May 11 For a fun night out, grab dinner, do some gambling, then check out a concert. Florence + The Machine hits the stage at Mohegan for a high-energy show. $49.50. 8pm. 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard, Uncasville, CT. 888-7777922, mohegansun.com.
Family Guy Tour
First Stop, McCoy Stadium May 5: Based on the Fox TV show, Tour Rhode Island presents The Family Guy Tour. Back by popular demand, this romp highlights a dozen sites in Pawtucket, Providence, Johnston and Cranston that are known to have inspired Family Guy. You’ll meet in Warwick (at the Warwick Mall) and then proceed, by motorcoach, to sites including McCoy Stadium and RISD Works. You’ll lunch in style at Walt’s Roast Beef, where you’ll play the Family Guy version of Trivial Pursuit. Enjoy a day of fun, games and special prizes – and feel free to come in costume. You might be named a Family Guy look-alike. If Peter Griffin isn’t your thing, check out the Tour RI website – they’re offering several other outings, including geocache, biking and their unique Myths & Mysteries tour, which takes you to several of the state’s most haunted spots. $49. 8am-4pm. 400 Bald Hill Road, Warwick. 724-2200, tourrhodeisland.org.
May 11 Need a laugh? Check out Knock Down Stand Up Comedy Showcase. This monthly event features local and national comedic talent. This month it’s Yannis Pappas. $15. 7-10pm. The Spot Underground, 15 Elbow Street. 3837133, thespotprovidence.com. May 11 Are you in need of a Girls Night Out? Presented by Charlie Hall, this evening of comedy is headlined by Carol
Siskind, and will have you rolling on the floor. $16-21. 8pm. 28 Monument Square, Woonsocket. 762-4545, stadiumtheatre.com. May 11 & 12 Be amazed by Tour de Ballet, a world premiere in music and dance, this Mother’s Day weekend. $16-30. 10am & 8pm Friday, 2:30pm Saturday. The Auditorium in Roberts Hall, Rhode Island College, 600 Mount Pleasant Avenue. 334-2560, stateballet.com.
Now AcceptiNg New pAtieNts Welcomes Dr. Martha Pizzarello, MD to our practice!
Dr. Pizzarello offers Botox, Juvederm XC and Latisse From birth control to pregnancy, from menopause to disease management, seeing you through all the stages of your life is our privilege. May 12 The Rag & Bone Bindery, makers of beautiful handcrafted books and albums, is holding an Open Studio and Sale. Stock up on baby books, recipe books and more, 50-70% off. 10am-2pm. 1088 Main Street, Pawtucket. ragandbonebindery.com.
May 18 Feeling used? You’re not alone. The Used hits Lupo’s. It’s rock music that’s described as emo, screamo, posthardcore, alternative and pop-punk. There’s something for everyone. $2535. 8pm doors, 9pm show. 79 Washington Street. 331-5876, lupos.com.
May 16 The Central Falls Summer Arts Initiative (SAI) is a fundraiser to bring art supplies and free art classes to local children. Donated art will be auctioned off. The event will feature music by Miss Wensday and food by El Rancho Grande and Los Andes. 6-9pm. Adams Memorial Library, 2-5 Central Street, Central Falls.
May 18 & 19 Bringing historic Providence photographs to life, The Wonder Show presents magic lantern photographs, live narration and music. 7pm. AS220’s 95 Empire Theatre, 95 Empire Street. anyaventura@gmail.com
May 17 Inspired by Exquisite Corpse, Yellow Peril Gallery presents Love Lands Opening Night Exhibition. This exhibit features never-ending folded paper drawings, and will run through June 10. 5-9pm. 60 Valley Street #5. 861-1535, yellowperilgallery.com May 17 Starting from Regency Plaza, hop around town for Gallery Night Providence, traveling to 21 of the city’s galleries, museums and historic sites. New stops for 2012 include the Atrium Gallery, Imperial Gallery, Peregrine Gallery, Studio Hop, Three Wheel Studio and Yellow Peril Gallery. 5-9pm. One Regency Plaza. 490-2042, gallerynight.info. May 17 & 18 More than 50 RISD designers debut their final garments on the Runway Collection 2012 Fashion Show. A preview show will be held on Thursday with the main show on Friday. $17-22 preview, $42-62 main. 8pm. RI Convention Center, One Sabin Street. 454-6741, risd.edu/collection.
May 18-20 Celebrate Rhode Island’s Asian culture at the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Highlights include a carnival, tree plantings, Chinese lion dancers and more, throughout Pawtucket and Central Falls. Download schedule and map online. richerryblossomfestival.com. May 19 Help raise funds to support the US Open Cycling Foundation by taking part in the Rhode Island Women’s Ride. Featuring three routes to accommodate all levels of riders. $5075. 8am. 282 North Main Street. 4841161, usopencycling.org/womens-ride/ May 24-27 Baseball and hot dogs, the perfect spring accoutrements. Head to McCoy Stadium to cheer on the PawSox as they battle the Toledo Mud Hens. $5-11. Thur & Fri 7:05pm, Sat & Sun 6:05pm. 1 Columbus Avenue, Pawtucket. pawsox.com. May 30 See what all the Pecha Kucha fuss is about. Eight locals talk for six minutes 40 seconds each, set to a slideshow. The event takes place at a different venue each month; this month, Betaspring’s Jewelry District office (95 Chestnut St., third floor) hosts. pecha-kucha.org/night/providence.
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May 2012 | Providence Monthly
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THE TRADESMEN Making an Art of Work
The Tradesmen: Making an Art of Work is an exploratory social documentary by film maker Richard Yeagley. The program promises an unflinching look at the personal lives, issues and work of several skilled tradesmen, on the job and off. For 60 minutes, Richard delves into the pride, the concerns, the triumphs and the goals of these talented, skilled workers.
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Providence Monthly | May 2012
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Theatre
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LIFE COACH
A production of Dave Rabinow’s A Brief History of the Earth and Everything In It
adolescents & young adults
Your Room Is Ready Elemental Theatre merges two distinct plays into one motel
Photo: Melissa Rabinow
Sordid secrets. Carpet stains. Bad wall art. Elemental Theatre Collective invites you to check in, if you dare, to the seediest motel ever seen on Empire Street. Make a reservation for a trip to the dark side when the innovative group presents Vacancy, a world premiere play co-written by artistic director Alexander Platt and founding member David Rabinow. Platt and Rabinow challenged themselves to each craft a short drama with a single setting – a motel on the wrong side of the tracks. They wrote separately, within the confines of a four-week deadline, and then combined their pieces into one show. It’s the sort of self-imposed, experimental structure in which Elemental thrives, committed as the troupe is to the collaborative development of new works. “We tossed around a few ideas, and settled on the motel because it’s a temporary place, a place where you’re in transition, and a place where you want to be anonymous,” Rabinow explains of the gritty, ubiquitous location. “We also loved the idea that nothing good ever happens in a motel room. You never go to a motel room unless you have no other choice. And if you have been to a motel room under the most pristine circumstances, you can be certain that the person who last
checked out left in a hurry,” Platt adds. The action takes place simultaneously in two adjacent rooms. In Rabinow’s room, a steamy, scary mystery unfolds between scam artists after their partner disappears. An amoral Kent (played by Cliff Odle) tries to rip the truth from an unwilling Linda (Melissa Penick). The missing Rachael (Karen Carpenter) returns in flashbacks, revealing secrets of her own. Meanwhile, next door in Pratt’s room, Marshall (Jeff Hodge) just needs a bathroom. After a sudden and violent bout of illness, he hopes to rest awhile. But there’s no refuge to be found here, especially when he and his lover Elise (Katie Travers) get a visit from a sinister, possibly supernatural stranger (Shura Baryshnikov). In their annual Go.Go. playwriting festival, Elemental features short pieces written with shared plot points, under tight deadlines. But Vacancy marks the group’s first attempt to merge two distinct plays into one. Rabinow notes, “It should be surprising and exciting and engaging – I’d like the audience to feel almost athletically involved in the play. We’re asking a lot from them, to follow two separate stories as they weave in and out of each other… but I think the payoff is going to be so much fun, and so different than just your
usual play-going experience.” Expect a fresh, fast paced and intense evening in keeping with Elemental’s ethos. As Pratt describes it, “We only bring onto the stage what is elemental in telling the story, and in doing so we hope our pieces are intelligent and visceral. Theatre isn’t a polished medium. It’s an art form best served raw.” Thematically, Vacancy explores issues of lust, trust, betrayal, guilt and remorse. While one of the characters references a Paul Simon tune, it’s his evocative song about the blue-lit Belvedere Motel - “How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns” – that comes to mind. Everyone here is passing through on a frantic, desperate, at times savage search for resolution. From the safe side of the peephole, we get to see if they’ll find it.
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Vacancy April 26-May 6 Elemental Theatre at the 95 Empire Black Box 95 Empire Street, Providence 447-3001 elementaltheatre.org
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May 2012 | Providence Monthly
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Get Out |
Music
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Thrillhouse
House of Metal
The power of the riff compels them For Thrillhouse, everything begins and ends with the riff. From the gargantuan monster that opens their debut LP to the racing acoustic outro of album closer “Hammers & Boats,” their aim is to deliver the riff. Over the course of six songs and 35-and-a-half minutes, Thrillhouse is an unrelenting fury of some of the nastiest riffs recorded – and a fantastic document of a superbly talented Providence band. On “It Lives in a Mountain,” dark, palm-muted passages cascade upwards over that ubiquitous galloping rhythm before breaking into multiple-harmonied guitar leads inspired by the twin guitar attack of bands like Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy. But Thrillhouse stands apart from these legends and other modern bands who simply ape them in the sheer amount of dazzling ideas contained in the songs. “Psionic Scimitar” wrong-foots you from the start, opening with a strangely discordant and noisy double-guitar line; there’s nothing inherently “metal” about it, before building and building once again into the riff, like Lucifer in “Sympathy for the Devil,” the same malevolent force appearing again and again under a different, shadowy guise. On “Werewolf Town,” the band unleashes wave
after wave of intricately layered, pummeling passages – a byzantine structure whose capstone is a wordless multitracked Greek chorus, one of the few instances of gang chants and punctuated yelling on an otherwise completely instrumental affair. On the excellently named “Elf Wizard Skyrider,” the band disarms the listener with a beautiful, sublime and all-too-short keyboard passage before, once again, the riff overcomes. Thankfully, the keyboard track emerges later in the song, a gorgeous counterpoint to the furious and towering guitar workmanship. On the aforementioned album closer “Hammers & Boats,” (easily the best song on the record and a natural finale), Thrillhouse offers what is hopefully a hint of things to come in the form of a gorgeously fingerpicked and extended acoustic guitar run that highlights the incredible musicianship within the band. While guitarists Tom Sly and Kevin Curley obviously garner most of the attention here, this being heavy metal at its most riff-centric, Thrillhouse’s secret weapon is their incredibly tight and dynamic rhythm section. Andrew Ballingall’s monstrous drumming is perfect in its galloping processions, dropouts and time changes. This is a drum and
bass duo that begs to be seen live, with Craig Chaves’ insane bass playing style best described as everything all at once. I got to chat with guitarist Kevin Curley about the state of the band, the recording of the record and what gets Thrillhouse in the right headspace to find the riff. “The power of the riff compels us. We’re all on the same page. We all love Iron Maiden. There’s never much arguing during the songwriting process as we’re all on a quest for the best. As far as growing and progressing goes, we’re always trying to top the last song we wrote. We’re always trying to write better melodies and make sure that our songs work as songs and don’t come off as complete riff salad. We recorded the record with Jon Downs of The Brother Kite at The Overpass, his studio in Attleboro. Jon has an incredible ear for detail and really helped bring the songs to life. He’s also not afraid to tell you when something isn’t working and/or sucks. That was helpful,” Curley says. Thrillhouse is out now on Brown Out records and the vinyl is worth the price for the cover art alone, which was designed by local tattoo artist Tom Butts. Tight rhythms and big riffs in a displayworthy package – what’s not to love? facebook.com/thrillhouseri
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Providence Monthly | May 2012
Magical Life
A conceptual artist summons inspiration from the air When I walked into Debralee Elizabeth Marianna Iacobucci’s new studio, a dramatic space at the top of a turret in the Pawtucket Armory, mellow late-afternoon light streamed in on three models floating in trapeze-style hammocks that hung from the ceiling. The space glowed; a gentle breeze blew in from the door, open to the empty rooftop; the models looked down sweetly from their perches. Iacobucci chatted, laughed, padded around barefoot, and took photos, and the cynic in me thought, Come on, is this for real? As the evening closed in, and we got around to talking, it became clear that, yes, Iacobucci is leading a creatively charmed life. Iacobucci (whose art moniker, DEMI Artistic, is formed by her initials) is one of those people for whom every day is a steady flow of ideas, stories and flashes of magic and revelation. This writer and illustrator of children’s stories, conceptual artist and painter collects bits of creative sustenance everywhere. During the couple of hours we spent perusing her recent work, she sometimes diverted the conversation to tell a story – either a fictional one she has crafted, or a moving, true one from her travels – and an appealing pattern of intelligence and openness emerged. Such charm is a crucial element of her children’s stories. While attending Parsons School of Design, Iacobucci learned the ropes of illustrating for children from award-winning illustrator Paulette Bogan. She’s been sharpening her style and teaching others ever since. Iacobucci’s illustrations often use multicultural, mystical, and natural symbols – African masks, evil eyes, all-knowing animals – that lend her work an earthy and mysterious quality. She bases her characters, always, on people she knows, giving them life and energy. But Iacobucci could not subsist on art for kids alone. She says she’d been timid about creating work based on more adult themes, but couldn’t ignore the persistent pull of
Model hammocks at Iacobucci’s studio
a new creative endeavor. The turret studio, which she moved into – and completely renovated – last December, is her dream space for getting back to figure drawing, and for doing conceptual work. That’s where the hammocks came in: they’re a nod to Gustav Klimt, who placed his subjects in swings, then painted them as if dreamily afloat. Iacobucci suspended her models in the air hoping to create a similar effect. She will soon paint pieces based on the reference photos she has in hand. Iacobucci herself seems to drift on an ethereal wave, but rather than
air or water, it’s composed of inspirations that can be transformed into physical objects of art. Having entered Iacobucci’s studio a cynic, and having been converted – for at least an hour or two – to a dreamer, I say drift on. Debralee Iacobucci, a.k.a. DEMI Artistic, has recently launched an updated website at demiartistic.org. To join her email list, contact debralee. iacobucci@gmail.com. For more information on the building in which her studio is housed, visit pawtucketarmoryartscenterllc.com.
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May 2012 | Providence Monthly
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The Last Detail
Bocce Takes Balls The Providence Downcity Bocce League has a big sense of humor when it comes to their balls – and to choosing team names. “That’s Bocce Said,” “Joanie Loves Bocce,” “Schrodinger’s Balls” and “Castration Station” are just a few of their team monikers, which put the P in pun and bring the boules fun to Grant’s Block, downtown. The narrow court, which has been in existence for almost six years now, was recently resurfaced in preparation for the 2012 season. Brian Barbieri, who’s a member of the Sandy Balls, has been running the league for 76
Providence Monthly | May 2012
three years. “It’s fairly informal,” he says, regarding the assemblage of men and women who gather on the block each week to enjoy some warm-weather, post-work fun. It’s an alternative to the traditional happy hour (and the perfect spectator sport), with games held at 5 and 6:30pm, three days per week, from May through September. “So far, we have seven teams coming back this year, including the 2011 champs: Team Tony Danza,” he says. “Just grab a beer next door at Tazza and then come on over.” providencebocce.com – Erin Swanson
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