Providence Monthly October 2019

Kettle Point East Providence From the High $400,000s 401.553.6389

130 Willow Street Providence $415,000 401.457.3400

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*This statement is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the State-Wide Multiple Listing Service. The MLS does not guarantee and is not in any way responsible for its accuracy.

Data maintained by the MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. Based on information from Statewide Multiple Listing Service, Inc. for 1995-2018 as of January 2019.

180 Shaw Avenue Cranston $405,000 401.274.6740

667 Wickenden Street East Side of Providence $325,000 401.274.6740

775 Potters Avenue #4 Providence $109,000 401.457.3400

10 Exchange Court #205 Pawtucket $350,000 401.274.6740

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ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

CO N T E N TS Photo courtesy of Roger Williams Park Zoo

Providence Monthly • October 2019

Learn the spectacular story behind New England’s famous pumpkin patch (pg. 32)

28 Fall/Winter College Sports Preview This season’s guide to your favorite university teams

32 Making a Spectacle Behind the state’s most famous Halloween display

DEPARTMENTS Pulse

13 What went wrong with JUMP

26 RHODY GEM: This month’s

48 FOOD NEWS: The new owner

60 ART: Live from the East Side it’s

shop is a must for WaterFire fans

at Waffle Providence isn’t messing

acclaimed set designer Eugene Lee

around

bikes – and how to fix the bikeshare system

16 Providence-based Cleverhood

Life & Style

39 SHOP: Must-try fresh-from-the-

50 EXPERIENCE: The transformative experience that is Plant City’s

64 ON STAGE: Four stage productions that embrace the possibilities of theater

farm bath and body care products

New Burger

18 Empty Bowls raises money for

40 HOME: Water damage leads to

53 RESTAURANT GUIDE: Loosen

RI Food Bank – and showcases

a dream kitchen rebuild

your belt - there’s a lot of delicious-

66 A stunning fall frame from

ness to be had

contributing photographer

keeps folks dry all over the world

both artists and chefs

20 Four ways to experience

43 INFLUENCER: The chic style of

Art & Culture

and around the city

22 City consulting group

hibition and forum connects plants

57 THE MUST LIST: Events you

Food & Drink

can’t miss this month

nuts unveils its “Night Cruller”

62 MUSIC: Why Olympic Records

45 SPOTLIGHT: KNEAD Dought-

restorative justice

24 YEAR OF THE CITY: Special ex-

Kayla Mandeville

health expert Dr. Yvonne Heredia

the good kind of scares in

fosters community through

Pic of PVD

gets the gold

46 IN THE KITCHEN: Nitro Cart’s co-owner gets candid about success, gender, and coffee

to policy and planning

ON THE COVER: A spectacular display of jack-o-lanterns at RWP Zoo. Photo courtesy of RWP Zoo. ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

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Editor Megan Schmit

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Editor Lauren Vella

Art Director Nick DelGiudice

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Candy Trays • Salt Water Taffy • Wide Assortment of Chocolate Assorted Chocolates • Buttercrunch • Turtles • Gourmet Truffles

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ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

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SWITCHING GEARS What went wrong for JUMP Bikes - and how to fix the bike-share system The drama started with an armed robbery. And it only got worse from there.

The victim was an unnamed man in his 40s. He was outside, on a West Side street, when a stranger approached with a handgun. He struck the victim, injuring him. At the time, it was unclear whether anything was stolen. But the details hardly matter. The point of this story – the reason anyone remembers a random mugging – is the getaway vehicle.

The assailant rode away on a JUMP bike.

Two months ago, this sounded ridiculous. Who would use a 70-pound bicycle, painted fire-engine red, to flee a scene? How did the suspect

even use the bike? Didn’t he need a smartphone, a special app, and an approved credit card? Couldn’t the police just track the bike’s GPS? No, no, and no. A week earlier, the Providence Journal reported that JUMP bikes are “easily broken into.” An unidentified teen explained to reporter Madeleine List how vulnerable the locking mechanism was; a bike could be hacked in minutes. Rumors circulated that a rider could dismantle the onboard computer, so the bikes couldn’t be tracked. There was only one drawback: A hacked JUMP bike doesn’t have power-assist. Otherwise, it was a free – if cumbersome – new bicycle. And because JUMP had expanded so

Photography by Nick DelGiudice ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

13

PULSE • City

14

ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

and after acts of vandalism on JUMP bikes we have decided, in partnership with the city, to temporarily remove bikes from operation in Providence.”

Spokes in the Wheel On paper, a bike share program is a great idea. The bicycle is small and efficient. They’re cheap, compared to cars.

They’re carbon neutral. Most Americans know how to ride a bike. In a dense city like Providence, you can navigate the labyrinthine streets nearly as fast as cars can drive; parking is instantaneous. Providence isn’t that hilly, and with a power -assisted motor, you can fly up College Hill without breaking a sweat. The electric motor is a dream for riders who may find biking challenging.

And in practice, bike share programs are still a great idea. Customers run errands on borrowed bikes all over the world. Pittsburgh has never canceled its own system, Healthy Ride. Phoenix has never been overrun by an army of Grid Bike thugs. Taiwanese aren’t beaten up by random strangers on YouBikes.

So why Providence, a small city with moderate street crime? And why now?

Part of the problem was technical: A bike that can get stolen will get stolen. Once that vulnerability was exposed, JUMP struggled

to keep up with thefts and misuse. The safeguards they had relied on – GPS in particular – couldn’t protect the bikes from abuse.

But residents were filing complaints long before any “bike mob.” Much of the misbehavior may stem from the JUMP model itself: Any adult can download the app and start riding, whether they know bike etiquette or not. In theory, this policy democratizes the system. Yet taking an Uber to the airport requires no skill; bicyclists must obey traffic laws. Curiously, Rhode Island does not require a helmet for any cyclist over the age of 15, but a power-assisted JUMP bike can reach speeds of 20 miles per hour. You don’t have to be a physicist to know how deadly that velocity is, especially in Downcity traffic.

JUMP started with a 400 bikes last September, then ballooned its fleet to 1,100 in April. As Providence drivers attempted to adjust to all these new bikes on the road – many of them operated by rookie riders – residents dealt with another problem: the “dockless” system.

Riders were free to leave their bikes anywhere within a certain zone. JUMP hires workers to retrieve stray bikes and re-charge them, so they eventually end up neatly displayed at their “hubs”. Riders are also rewarded with a $1 credit when they return their bike to a hub. But this incentive wasn’t enough.

“One of the problems is that, after they’re being used, they’re just being left on someone’s

In September 2018, a 13-year-old girl was struck by a car while riding a JUMP bike to school

Photo courtesy of NBC 10 WJAR

quickly, there were more than 1,000 units to choose from, standing on street corners, just waiting to be stolen.

From there, the ProJo headlines were fast and furious. “Misuse of JUMP bikes a problem in Providence.” “Police see increase in crimes connected to JUMP bikes.” “Teens on JUMP bikes beat, robbed man on Federal Hill.” And finally, on August 16, just a week after the West Side assault: “Mob on bicycles blocks traffic in Providence, assaults people, steals snacks, police say.”

JUMP was already under heavy scrutiny, after its parent company, Uber, unexpectedly raised its rental fee from $2 per 30 minutes to $9, a 350 percent increase that infuriated many subscribers. In the wake of public outcry, Uber lowered the rates to $3 per 30 minutes. This didn’t look good for a company that had received a $400,000 federal grant to install the bikes in the first place.

That wasn’t all. The “dockless” bikes were turning up everywhere, “littering” streets and parks with expensive motorized vehicles. “I have received numerous daily complaints about these bikes… being left on sidewalks, blocking walkways and driveways, and being a hazard for those with mobility issues,” said Michael Correia, Council President Pro Tempore, in a statement. “I have even had complaints of bikes being vandalized by young people. I believe that we need to provide alternate and economical forms of transportation across the city, but I’m concerned that a safety plan or retrieval plan are not in place.”

All of this was bad news, whether you cared about JUMP bikes or not. But that last report – of 100-plus teenagers running rampant in Downcity – was the final nail in the innertube. Local media identified the event as a “Rideout,” a kind of two-wheeled flash-mob organized on social media. One man was reportedly punched in the face. Adolescents reportedly flooded a store and snatched items from shelves. The stories of “hooliganism” were graphic and grotesque. And at the center of it all was that bright, red bicycle. JUMP had been taken for a ride.

On August 22, nearly one year after the bikes hit Providence, JUMP pulled its entire fleet. A much-circulated quote came from Harry Hatfield, a spokesman for Uber: “Safety is at the heart of everything we do,

front sidewalk,” Councilman Correia told Providence Monthly. “They’re dumped in the middle of the street. Just left unattended.

I believe they need to be brought back to a specific location, like a bike rack.”

Correia was a vocal critic of JUMP bikes, as well as the Bird and Lime scooters that operate in much the same way. Correia called for a suspension of service at the end of July, before the “bike mob” started making headlines. JUMP, and the City, eventually agreed with him. But Correia remains a supporter of the concept.

“I’m not opposed to the bike-share program at all,” he said. “I think we need to offer alternative forms of transportation. But the

across the country. We remain supportive of the concept and will continue to collaborate with JUMP management as it works toward solutions that ensure the safe and proper use of its bikes.”

A New Path Many concerns remained, of course, and answers were few. After all, JUMP had hiked rates before, shocking its subscribers. Would this happen again, and would it preclude low-income users? Uber is a controversial brand, and management has scrambled to address ride-share safety concerns; would it do the same for amateur bicyclists?

nization, but Recycle-a-Bike is arguably the opposite of JUMP: simple, educational, and deeply invested in the community it serves.

Much of that community includes young residents from low-income homes – the very demographic spotlit in the “bike mob” headlines.

“Bike shares can be really great ways to get folks active and using bicycles if they weren’t using them before,” said Sankey.

“They’re also great for that ‘last mile’ of someone’s trip that public transit couldn’t take them. Drawbacks or problems aren’t inherent in bike share programs, they’re products of design. If bike share programs are affordable, accessible, safe, scalable, and their

policies and procedures need to be tightened up a lot more, to make sure these bikes don’t become a nuisance to the city.”

Indeed, a critical mass of people wants JUMP to work, and it’s often hard to believe that so much fuss has been made over a bicycle. A major JUMP sponsor is Lifespan Health System, which has a vested interest in daily exercise. Following the suspension of service, Lifespan decided to stay its course.

“Lifespan is committed to sponsoring a bike-share program with the intention of promoting exercise and easy, accessible, environmentally friendly transportation in and around Providence,” read a Lifespan statement. “This has been very successful in other markets

And in the end, should JUMP bikes take all the blame, or did those fault lines already exist?

“Asking what band-aid solutions an international corporation can offer us is not useful,” wrote Gregory Sankey, in an email.

“What problem are we asking them to fix?

It is of our city’s creation: public transportation, access, mobility.”

Sankey is well versed in Providence’s bicycle culture: He is director of operations at Recycle-a-Bike, a volunteer-based organization in Olneyville. The facility refurbishes donated bikes, instructs locals in bike maintenance, and provides an open shop. Sankey’s opinions don’t necessarily reflect his orga-

owners are accountable, then they are likely to be successful.”

He added: “Uber was given $400,000 [in federal money] to provide goods and services to the city of Providence. If our organization and our peers (Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition, Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council) were given even half of that money, we could have given hundreds, if not thousands of Providence residents bicycles that they would be personally responsible for. Not only that, but we could have given them helmets, locks, lights, and instruction on how to fix their own bicycles and how to properly ride their bicycles on the road.”

Perhaps it’s time to switch gears.

ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

15

PULSE • City

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The Cleverhood design looks like a lot of things – a poncho, a cloak, a shawl – and at the same time, there’s nothing quite like it. Each item is sleek, ergonomic, and

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“We’re the only business really committed to rain capes,” says Susan Mocarski, founder of Cleverhood. “And Providence is a really great hub for us.”

The company is turning eight years old, and it’s come a long way: They ship to countries as distant as Estonia, and they make appearances at trade shows all over the world. They’ve released a line of dog hoods, called Cleverpup, as well as CleverFur, which looks like animal pelts but is actually waterproof poly nylon. The apparel is especially popular in rainy, bikeable cities, such as Brooklyn and Seattle. And although California isn’t known for its precipitation, Cleverhood has a big following among Silicon Valley startups. Repeat customers are common, and many people will pay for the capes with long-collected bundles of cash.

Cleverhood apparel is sewn and cut in three different factories – in Fall River, Philadelphia, and Oakland, California – and the sealing process is surprisingly technical. Because industrial buildings are always in danger of closing from lack of use, Cleverhood has started the unusual practice of sharing those manufacturing sites with other companies.

The company is headquartered in a cozy, well-lit building in Federal Hill. Despite its success, Cleverhood is still a niche market, and the company only has four employees; the most recent hire was Isaac, Susan’s son.

“People call in and ask to talk to customer service,” says Emmett Conway, co-owner of Cleverhood, “and they don’t realize it’s just us.”

The latest creation speaks to their environmental concern: The green-tinted cape is covered in little boxes and numbers. Look close, and you’ll learn that these numbers are statistics about U.S. national parks, which Susan describes as “data art.” Environmental awareness never looked so cool. Cleverhood.com -Robert Isenberg

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PULSE • City

THE ARCADE PVD Hope-Full Empty Bowls raises money for RI Food Bank – and showcases both artists and chefs

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ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

“I think the metaphor is really nice,” says Kelly Seigh, event manager for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. “We’re helping fill bowls in the community. It’s a kind of reminder.”

The idea is catchy: Ceramic artists donate nearly 1,000 clay bowls to the Food Bank. On October 17, more than 800 people will show up at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston, along

Photo courtesy of Empty Bowls Media

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with 40 local restaurateurs. Each visitor will pick a preferred bowl, fill it with gourmet samples, and have a total blast. For five years, the Empty Bowls party has been the Food Bank’s most lucrative fundraiser.

Kelly didn’t invent Empty Bowls, but she introduced the concept to Rhode Island, and the party has been a raging success since its inception. “We went big from the very first year,” she says. “There are just so many artists and restaurants that are donating their time. There’s so much good buzz in the room. We want this to be an event that anybody can come to.”

Excitement builds long before the actual celebration. Ceramic artist John Mitchell has hosted “Empty Bowl parties” at Dew Claw Studios in Pawtucket, where crafters shape artisanal bowls specifically for the event; other ateliers do the same. Similarly, chefs were originally asked to make different kinds of soup and stew, but the menu quickly expanded to pasta, ribs, bread pudding, mac and cheese, donuts, and cupcakes, among countless other items.

Basic admission (booked in advance) is $50, which means unlimited food and a one-of-a-kind ceramic bowl for each participant. There is a VIP table, where some of the more elaborate objets d’art are displayed, but Kelly says that there is plenty of creativity to browse. The Food Bank also has a number of sponsors, including Citizens Bank, which provides “a small army of volunteers.” Last year, the Food Bank raised a total of $117,000.

Ironically, Kelly herself has never walked away with a bowl, because she’s so busy organizing. “But my friends come every year,” she says. “Whenever I go to their house, I see their collection of bowls in their cupboards.” Empty Bowls takes place October 17 at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, Cranston.

RIFoodBank.org -Robert Isenberg

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www.providencesingers.com ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

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Put this on your Fall bucket list!

PULSE • City

A WARM APPLE PIE WAFFLE Get Your Haunt On Four ways to experience the good kind of scares in and around the city Every Wednesday night through October: Haunted Boat Tours

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ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

Have you heard the news?!

Providence Picture Frame is moving!

It’s officially fall – for some of us, this simply means changing leaves, pumpkin pie, and sweater season. But for the thrill-seekers, it’s also time for everything spooky and scary in honor of Halloween. Whether it’s a skin-tingling tour downtown or a terrifying maze just outside city limits, we’ve got you covered with a selection of local haunts – if you can handle them.

Haunted Boat Tours You might be familiar with Providence River Boat tours, but Wednesdays through the end of October, their usual river ride gets a spooky twist. The dark water, cobblestone walkways, and centuries-old architecture provide a fitting backdrop for stories of Providence’s not-so-dearly-departed denizens.

ProvidenceRiverBoat.com/Haunted-BoatTours, Fox Point Marina

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Vintage Providence Picture Frame ad, circa 1900

27 Dryden Lane, Providence, RI 02904 M-Sat. 8:30–6:30 401.421.6196 www.ProvidencePictureFrame.com

Slater Park Haunted Tunnel This 200-foot concrete maze houses nine rooms, each designed to bring one of your worst nightmares to life. When you’ve made it out alive, wander their additional attractions, including a cemetery, industrial corn maze, and pumpkin patch. Facebook: Haunted Tunnel RI, Pawtucket The Haunted Labyrinth This is the longest-running haunted house in New England, and after 35 years, it’s safe to say they’ve mastered the art of the perfect scare. You’ll get lost in twists and turns full of various nightmares, complete with strobe lights, frightening characters, and dead-ends sure to leave your heart pumping. It’s hard to believe the entire thing is housed in a youth center. HauntedLabyrinth.com, Cranston

Learn. Connect. Grow. at Nicol Squash Club

Providence Ghost Tour If you’re looking for horror with a side of history, then this lantern-led walking tour is the perfect fit. Learn about the local legends and things that go bump in the night, many of which still keep college kids up in their beds. Prospect Terrace Park, ProvidenceGhostTour.com

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PULSE • City

Specializing in Historic Property on the West Side, Broadway Armory District and Historic Elmwood for the past 18 years.

YRP believes in approaching conflict through person-toperson rehabilitative efforts

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“We can’t hurt people into healthy behavior,” says Trinice Holden, the impassioned Executive Director of the Youth Restoration Project (YRP). Trinice is referring to the ways that punitive institutions in Rhode Island and the greater US seek to discipline and keep order.

As early as the 1970s, research shows that the criminal justice system is all but rehabilitative; it rarely gets to the root of the larger issue, only determining who is “innocent” and who is “guilty”, and oftentimes reinforces – even perpetuates – the same criminal or undesired behavior. YRP recognizes this and believes in the effectiveness of restorative justice: A person-to-person rehabilitative model that can help change the way we think about resolving conflict of all kinds.

What is restorative justice? Historically, the practice derives from a Native American tradition that is community-focused. When one individual hurts another, it affects the surrounding collective, not just the parties involved. According to the YRP, restorative

practices seek to get to the root of the conflict by understanding the motivations of the offender and for that offender to understand the hurt they’ve caused others. This, Trinice says, leads to productive healing on both sides and integrates both parties back into the community.

YRP works mostly with schools and organizations (both non- and for-profit) to implement conflict resolution training. The group steps in to improve workplace culture or train faculty and school staff on how to deescalate heated interactions. Trinice relays that most common challenges in schools are fights and social media bullying, and the students involved do not realize the complete effect they have on their classmates.

Recalling a school altercation, Trinice says, “The fight made the [other] students worried and anxious. They weren’t sure if the participants were safe or if the fighting would spread. While talking about the incident in the meeting the student realized that he

Photo courtesy of Youth Restoration Project

Providence consulting group works to foster community through restorative practices

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TWIN OAKS CLASSICS hadn’t even thought about the other classmates as affected parties and was far more remorseful for what he had done.”

However, YRP does not want to stop at schools and companies: They’ve begun to scratch the surface of local government and the administration is currently speaking with government members that are interested in restorative practices.

YRP is not the only organization that is implementing restorative practices into their work. A fact, Trinice says, that is very exciting. “It’s not just us. There are so many grassroots organizations in Rhode Island that are working within different parts, different fills, whether it’s within policies or procedures, or housing advocacy, or making sure that people who have been incarcerated are at the table when it comes to having those conversations.” To volunteer for the Youth Restoration Project, email Trinice Holden at Trinice@YRPOfRI.org. YRPofRI.org.

-Lauren Vella

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Artwork by Leslie Bostrom

PULSE • Year of the City (branded partnership)

Forces of Nature Special exhibition and forum connects plants to people, policy, planning

Exhibitions Performances Storytelling Lectures Walks Conferences

events in Providence neighborhoods Visit YearOfTheCity.com for a full calendar of events @YOTCProvidence2019 24

ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

Showcasing the work of 20 exceptional artists from across New England, ReSeeding the City: Ethnobotany in the Urban opens to the public this fall in the historic State House. The special exhibition, curated by Judith Tolnick Champa, was developed under the aegis of the Providence Biennial for Contemporary Art for The Year of the City: The Providence Project. The Rhode Island People’s House is a just-right, civic-minded site for this contemporary project. Through their work, artists refresh and “re-seed” our perception of urban life – particularly through plants. How might we strike sustainable balance in our environment? they ask, as they ponder our ecosystems curiously yet carefully, and ever-creatively.

The art exposes a range of imaginative responses to the often-contending forces of people and plants in the urban setting.

The exhibition is launched by an inaugural forum, both components overseen by Jennifer Dalton Vincent of Providence ¡CityArts! for Youth.

The forum at Brown University, organized

by Sam Coren, Aja Grande, and Alexandra M. Picker, offers space for art and science to inspire activism, policy, and planning.

Distinguished speakers – invited artists, academics, and community practitioners from New England and beyond – join with RI residents to re-envision the urban as a hub of more-than-human social worlds; the forum

looks to plants as models, metaphors, and partners in urban placemaking. It explores what it means to hold tightly to the rich assemblage of life forms that take root in our midst – in gardens to roadside margins.

RESEEDING THE CITY: ETHNOBOTANY IN THE URBAN Exhibition runs October 25-November 27 in the Rhode Island State House Lower Level Gallery | 82 Smith Street Forum on October 26, 9:30am-5pm in Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs in Stephen Robert ’62 Hall | 280 Brook Street State House Reception on October 26, 5:30-8pm | 82 Smith Street

This project is generously supported by the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture + Tourism; Brown University’s Cogut Institute for the Humanities, Department of American Studies, John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage, Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative, and Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs; Providence Biennial for Contemporary Art; Providence ¡CityArts! for Youth; Providence Tourism Council; Rhode Island Council for the Humanities; Rhode Island Department of State; Rhode Island State Council for the Arts; Rhode Island Wild Plant Society; Tomaquag Museum; and by many individual donors.

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We’re on the hunt for Rhody Gems! Every neighborhood has that secret, hidden, cool and unusual, or hole-in-the-wall spot that locals love. Email or tag us on social media using #RhodyGem to suggest yours, and we might just feature it!

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Where to find it: Within the WaterFire Arts Center in Providence’s Valley neighborhood.

What makes it a Rhody Gem? If you’re a fan of museum gift shops, you’re sure to enjoy the WaterFire Store. Focusing largely on art books, the large and airy space is filled with a diverse literary collection curated

by Symposium Books, the indie bookseller on Westminster Street. The WaterFire Store also displays sculpture, pottery, and prints by area artists, including items from Gather Glass.

Many contributors work right across the river in the Valley and Olneyville neighborhoods. Every purchase directly supports WaterFire’s creative placemaking events and programming, enriching the cultural experience in Providence and beyond.

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WaterFire Arts Center 475 Valley Street 443-5553 Store.WaterFire.org Instagram + Twitter: @waterfireartscenter Facebook: WaterFire Arts Center

Photography by Robert Isenberg

To submit your Rhody Gem, please email Elyse@ProvidenceOnline.com ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

27

Fall Providence College

Team Name: Friars Home Field: Providence campus/ Dunkin’ Donuts Center Tickets: Friars.com or 865-GO-PC Grab some doughboys at the concession stand and settle in for some PC Friars action but don’t sit until the home team scores if you want to honor school tradition. Despite an average 18-16 record last season, PC men’s basketball at the Dunk remains the hottest college sports ticket in town. The Friars hockey team also draws big, passionate crowds to Schneider Arena. Coach Nate Leaman has compiled a 0.619 winning percentage and a 2015 NCAA National Championship during his tenure, and the team is coming off another Frozen Four appearance in 2018-19. The women’s ice hockey program is strong as well, with the 2018 team going 2411-2 and advancing to the conference quarterfinals. PC men’s soccer returns its top six scorers from a 2018 team that went 10-7-2 in the Big East, the women’s soccer team has been to five straight Big East tournaments under just-renewed head coach Sam Lopes.

/ Win ter college

There’s a bit of a nip in the air at night now, fields more than 30 varsity sports teams in Bryant University leaves are starting to turn, and the pumpkin the Ivy League. Brown’s football team may Team Name: Bulldogs lattes are flowing again, which can mean just not win many games these days, but attendHome Field: Smithfield one thing: water polo season has begun! Just ing a Bears home game is worthwhile for the Tickets: BryantBulldogs.com/tickets or 319kidding, we mean football, although water old-school atmosphere at historic Brown StaTIXX (8499) polo is one of the six fall college sports sancdium in Providence. New head coach James tioned by the NCAA, along with football, socPerry is looking to turn the Bears around after First year head football coach Chris Merritt cer, field hockey, cross-country, and women’s back-to-back winless seasons. Bruins basketleads a Bryant team coming off a 6-5 seavolleyball. While Rhode Island schools aren’t ball has enjoyed more success, going 20-12 son. Former Cranston and Bishop Hendricken national powerhouses in any of those sports, last season (including 13-3 at home) and makquarterback Chris Hindle starts under center, we are home to at least one pretty good cying an appearance in the College Basketball and Pawtucket’s Alfred Dorbor returns to cling team.

Invitational in winter 2019. Brown competes in the backfield after rushing for seven touchBY BOB CURLEY Here’s a quick look at what to expect and Division 1 ice hockey, and last year the men’s downs last season. The Bryant men’s soccer There’s a bit a nip the air at gets night now, leaves are starting turn, andAthletic the pumpkin lattes are flowing again, can that where to catch the of action asin competition team advanced to the to East Coast team returns 20 players fromwhich a squad mean in just thing:college water sports polo season begun! Just kidding, we mean football, polochampionship is one of thegame six fall underway theone 2019-20 sea- has Conference semifinals despite a middling 8-9- although went towater the NEC a year

sports preview

withinfootball, soccer, field hockey, cross-country, women’s volleyball.

While son: college sports sanctioned by the NCAA, along 5 record the regular season. ago, alsoand returning to the soccer pitch on the Rhode Island schools aren’t national powerhouses in any of those sports, we are home to women’s at least one pretty good cycling team. squad is star forward Ali Guilmette, who missed last season with an injury. TwenHere’s College a quick look at what to expect University and where to catch the action as competition gets in the 2019-20 Providence of Rhode Island ty-three yearunderway head women’s volleyball coach college Team Name: sports Friars season: Team Name: Rams Theresa Garlacy will look to guide her squad Home Field: Providence campus and the Home Field: Kingston to a repeat of its 2018 NEC Championship Dunkin’ Donuts Center Tickets: GoRhody.com/NavBar-Tickets or season, the first in program history. The men’s Tickets: Friars.com or 865-GO-PC 874-RAMS basketball team tripled their win total in 201819 (to 10-20), while the women’s hoops squad Grab some doughboys at the concession The Rams football team has a rare winning will be led by Sydney Holloway, a two-time Team Name: Bears Team Name: Rams Team Name: Bulldogs stand and settle in for some PC Friars action record (6-5) and climbed into the NCAA DiviAll-NEC selection.

Home Field: Providence Home Field: Kingston Home Field: Smithfield but don’t sit until the home team scores if sion I-AA national rankings in 2018, a positive Tickets: BrownBears.com Tickets: GoRhody.com/NavBar-Tickets Tickets: BryantBulldogs.com/Tickets you want to honor school tradition. Despite sign for a program that has historically strugRhode Island School of Design or 863-2773 or 874-RAMS or 319-TIXX (8499) an average 18-16 record last season, PC men’s gled. The men’s soccer team won the AtlanRISD’s phallically inspired club ice hockbasketball at the Dunkremains the hottest tic 10 championship in 2018-19 and earned a ey team, the Nads, earns some laughs (Go PC and URI get more attenThe Rams football team has a rare winning record First year head football coach Chris college sports ticket in town. The Friars hocktrip to the NCAA Region 1 tournament. The Nads!), but the art school has actually been tion, but Brown fields more (6-5) and climbed into the NCAA Division I-AA Merritt leads a Bryant team coming ey team also draws big, passionate crowds women’s soccer program was picked to finish very successful in its only varsity sport: cythan 30 varsity sports teams national rankings in 2018, a positive sign for a prooff a 6-5 season. Former Cranston to Schneider Arena; coach Nate Leaman has last in the A10 in the coming season, which cling. RISD Cycling competes in the Eastern in the Ivy League. Attending gram that has historically struggled. The men’s and Bishop Hendricken quarterback compiled a 0.619 winning percentage and a should provide coach Megan Jessee’s squad Collegiate Cycling Conference and is the only a Bears home game is always soccer team won the Atlantic 10 championship Chris Hindle starts under center, and 2015 NCAA National Championship during his with plenty of motivation to prove the exart school in the country with a cycling team: worthwhile for the old-school in 2018-19 and earned a trip to the NCAA Region Pawtucket’s Alfred Dorbor returns to tenure, and the team is coming off another perts wrong. Second-year head coach David last winter, rider Jane Rossi won the school’s atmosphere at historic Brown 1 tournament. The women’s soccer program was the backfield after rushing for seven Frozen Four appearance in 2018-19. The womCox will look to improve on one of the best first-ever sports championship by finishing Stadium in Providence. New picked to finish last in the A10 in the coming seatouchdowns last season. The Bryant en’s ice hockey program is strong as well, with in school history for URI men’s basketball, first in her division at the 2018 Cyclocross Nahead coach James Perry is son, which should provide coach Megan Jessee’s men’s soccer team returns 20 players the 2018 team going 24-11-2 and advancing to which surged to a 26-8 record and notched tional Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. looking to turn the Bears squad with plenty of motivation to prove the exfrom a squad that went to the NEC the conference quarterfinals. PC men’s soccer a first-round win over Oklahoma during the around after back-to-back perts wrong. Second-year head coach David Cox championship game a year ago, also returns its top six scorers from a 2018 team NCAA national March Madness tournament. winless seasons. Bruins baswill look to improve on one of the best in school returning to the soccer pitch on the that went 10-7-2 in the Big East, the women’s The women’s basketball team has a new head ketball has enjoyed more suchistory for URI men’s basketball, which surged to women’s squad is star forward Ali soccer team has been to five straight Big East coach, Tammy Reiss, a former assistant at cess, going 20-12 last season a 26-8 record and notched a first-round win over Guilmette, who missed last season tournaments under just-renewed head coach Syracuse. Both the men’s and women’s ice (including 13-3 at home) and Oklahoma during the NCAA national March Madwith an injury. Twenty-three year head Sam Lopes. hockey teams play home games at the Boss making an appearance in the ness tournament. The women’s basketball team women’s volleyball coach Theresa Ice Arena, with the men coming off a 21-15College Basketball Invitationhas a new head coach, Tammy Reiss, a former asGarlacy will look to guide her squad 1 season but an early exit from the Eastern al in winter 2019. Brown comsistant at Syracuse. Both the men’s and women’s to a repeat of its 2018 NEC ChampiBrown University States Collegiate Hockey League playoffs. petes in Division 1 ice hockey, ice hockey teams play home games at the Boss Ice onship season, the first in program Team Name: Bears The women, however, won the East Coast and last year the men’s team Arena, with the men coming off a 21-15-1 season history. The men’s basketball team triHome Field: Providence Women’s Hockey League championship and advanced to the East Coast but an early exit from the Eastern States Collepled their win total in 2018-19 (to 10Tickets: BrownBears.com or 863-2773 competed for a national title.

Athletic Conference semifigiate Hockey League playoffs. The women, how20), while the women’s hoops squad nals despite a middling 8-9-5 ever, won the East Coast Women’s Hockey League will be led by Sydney Holloway, a twoPC and URI get more attention, but Brown record in the regular season. championship and competed for a national title. time All-NEC selection.

Brown University

University of Rhode Island

Bryant University

Rhode Island School of Design

Cordially Invites You To A

Give Back Night

RISD’s phallically inspired club ice hockey team, the Nads, earns some laughs (Go Nads!), but the art school has actually been very successful in its only varsity sport: cycling.

RISD Cycling competes in the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference and is the only art school in the country with a cycling team: last winter, rider Jane Rossi won the school’s first-ever sports championship by finishing first in her division at the 2018 Cyclocross National Championships in Louisville, Kentucky.

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www.trinitybrewhouse.com 30

ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

The Providence Bruins’ home season begins October 12, with the team looking to extend their playoff streak to eight consecutive seasons in pursuit of the Calder Cup. Players to watch include forward Jack Studnicka, who enters his first full professional season after scoring 36 goals in 60 games in the Ontario Hockey League; defenseman Urho Vaakanainen, entering his second season with the P-Bruins, and new goaltender Kyle Keyser, who won 32 games in the Ontario Hockey League with a 2.75 goals-against average. Highlights of the team’s 2019-20 schedule include opening night against the Rochester Americans and a rematch with the Calder Cup champion Charlotte Checkers on January 4. The team calendar is packed with promotional events as usual, including Pink in the Rink Weekend (October 26 and 27) benefitting the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Foundation.

ProvidenceBruins.com

Photography by Megan Schmit

MAKING A SPECTACLE BEHIND THE STATE'S MOST FAMOUS HALLOWEEN DISPLAY

By Robert Isenberg Photos courtesy of Roger Williams Park Zoo

An “intricate” Jack-O-Lantern doesn’t look like a carving – it looks like a painting. Take Queen Nefertiti, for example: Her gaze is regal, her smile sly. You can see her high cheekbones, the contours of her slender neck. Every detail of her headdress and earrings is meticulously rendered, as if by brush. There’s shading and foreshortening, depth and personality. As the LED light glows within the pumpkin, the golden hue of her skin seems to breathe with life.

Queen Nefertiti debuted at last year’s Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at the Roger Williams Zoo. Now multiply this one pumpkin by 200 intricates, then add nearly 5,000 regular Jack-O-Lanterns. Remember that each pumpkin starts to decay the moment it’s gutted. Every week, artists must re-carve every last gourd, from the simplest to the

CARVE THIS WAY

The Spectacular requires about 20 artists who carve relentlessly throughout the four-week festival. Most of them are professionals, who have a ready portfolio of their sculptural work. Many were originally found on Craigslist.

Once they join the Passion for Pumpkins talent pool, they tend to stay.

“It’s pretty much the same people,” says John. “They come back every year.”

Nearly all of the pumpkins

most photo-realistic. To sustain the Spectacular, organizers build and rebuild the exhibit, removing and replacing, lighting and relighting, for one exhaustive month.

By November, more than 100,000 people will have walked the Jack-O-Lantern path, gazing in wonder at those glowing images etched in squash. In 147 years, the Spectacular is the biggest event ever hosted by the Roger Williams Park Zoo. Visitors have traveled around the world to see it firsthand.

Media outlets like CNN and USA Today have showered the event with praise. The Spectacular is one of the most revered Halloween events in the country.

But where did it come from? And how does such a massive event come together? Even regulars may not know the spectacular story behind our state’s favorite pumpkin patch.

are grown on a single farm in Connecticut. As a rule, weather can have a massive impact on the event, including the autumn harvest. In emergencies, John has traveled to Pennsylvania to purchase replacement pumpkins from Amish farmers. At a bare minimum, the show requires more than 20,000 pumpkins, which have to be quickly gutted, carved, and arranged.

Originally, the pumpkins were lit up with candles. They hit a snag, however, after a visit from the fire marshall. While the tiny

flames weren’t technically a fire code violation, the marshall didn’t like their proximity to combustible wood. That year, each pumpkin was perched on aluminum foil, to prevent a conflagration.

Since then, carvers have used LED lights, both for carving and the final presentation. This has radically improved the entire process; traditional light bulbs raise the temperature inside the pumpkin and weaken the skin, while LED bulbs give off no heat, so each carving lasts longer.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

The Spectacular is a year-round project, usually starting in January. John comes up with a theme, which can be almost anything.

Last year’s theme was “Magic”; this year’s theme is “Four Seasons,” based on John’s recent affection for Vivaldi.

“We start touching base at certain times throughout the year,” says Ron Patalano, director of operations at the Zoo. Once they know the theme, the staff starts compiling props and scenery. To enrich the environment, they’ve added an erupting volcano,

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ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

a gondola full of pumpkins, and the Honeydukes sweet shop from Harry Potter, among countless other tableaux. “If John is looking for some additional support from our facilities department – additional power or better sound – we make sure we budget the time to get that worked on,” Ron adds.

Originally, the Spectacular was displayed along the “Dino Trail.” This narrow walkway was generally used for paleontology exhibits, but John urged Zoo staff to move the Spectacular to the Wetlands Trail. “It’s wider,” he says. “Much longer. The other one was narrow and caused a lot of congestion.”

The Wetlands Trail affords other benefits, as well: The route meanders past the elephants, offering a rare glimpse of pachyderms at night. Fountains on the water can be illuminated with colored lights; Jack-O-Lanterns reflect in the glassy pond. The trees form a natural corridor along the path, lending a Sleepy Hollowlike atmosphere.

In all, the Zoo requires about 70 people to run the show, from ticket sellers to security personnel. Most of them fade into the nocturnal background. “If they don’t notice us, we’re doing our job,” says Ron.

THE FOUNDER

At 73 years old, John Reckner is a folksy man with an easy smile. Before he retired, John worked as a postal worker for nearly three decades. When he was young, John studied art at a college in Cincinnati, but he doubted his prospects. “I never foresaw myself as making a career out of art,” he says.

Pumpkin-carving was an incremental obsession. During a family getaway to Bristol Falls, Vermont, John noticed some unusually large pumpkins on a local porch, and the orange skin struck him as a ripe canvas. A year later, John was walking his dog and daydreamed about meticulously crafted JackO-Lanterns. In theory, he could conscript others into carving with him. Together, they could arrange the carvings into thematic “skits.” They could create an entire show – and in 1988, John did just that, in his hometown of Oxford, Massachusetts.

Nowadays, “intricate” Jack-O-Lanterns are fairly common, and you can buy professional kits. You can find YouTube tutorials and learn how to craft them yourself. But at the time, neither option existed. “We kind of figured it out as we went along,” says John. “We’d make our own tools – like a wood-carving tool, somewhat. They peel the skin off the pumpkin. We don’t go in too far, maybe a quarter of an inch. The deeper you carve, the brighter the light.”

In the 30 years since, John has turned a self-taught hobby into Passion for Pumpkins, Inc., a multimedia production company with offshoots in Kentucky and Minnesota. By 2000, the Spectacular had become a major attraction in Massachusetts, drawing visitors from across the region. One of those visitors was Jim Wood, then-President of the Greater Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau. Inspired, Jim proposed the idea of bringing the Spectacular to the Roger Williams Zoo. In 2001, the Zoo hosted its first edition of the Spectacular. The timing was peculiar; the September 11 attacks had just transpired, and the world was in flux. The show featured many skits, but John decided to add memorial artwork to commemorate the tragedy.

The Zoo projected about 30,000 visitors. By November, 78,000 people had shown up.

ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

35

TOTALLY TOTALLT LIT

It’s an understatement to describe the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular as “popular.”

The maximum capacity for a single night is 10,000 visitors, and the Zoo has reached that number. To keep crowds under control – and prevent endless queues – the Zoo uses “timed admission,” so that attendees arrive in scheduled waves.

The Zoo also hosts sensory-friendly nights, which take place an hour before the regular show. This allows people with sensitivity issues to enjoy the skits without extra lights or sounds. Typically, “sensory-friendly”

experiences are associated with autism spectrum disorder, but the special event has become popular among nursing homes and anyone aversive to crowds.

If a dark zoo sounds like a great place for teenagers to sneak away for same late-night shenanigans, the staff has found otherwise.

“It’s adults, most of the time that are the trouble-makers,” says Director of Visitor Services Cheryl Vieira. “We watch a lot of people. But we never have much of a problem.”

“We have a very good security team,” says Ron. “If you looked like you were going to cause trouble, we would spot you before

you go through the gate.”

The goal is to create a universal experience – tinged with the suspense of Halloween, but also an homage to autumn and the luminous power of art.

“We have three elements that come into play,” says John, in a philosophical tone.

“You’ve got the illuminated artwork. You have the background music for each skit.

And you just have a nice landscape. If you had this in some sterile environment, it wouldn’t work. The environment is such a big part of the show.”

Something wicked this way comes. And it looks better than ever.

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Join us for Moses Brown’s annual Open House and Homecoming Extravaganza! A fun fall festival of performances, classroom demos, and community events, come and see Quaker values in action. Tour our historic campus, Robotics lab, and state-of-the-art Woodman Family Community and Performance Arts Center. rsvp today:

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BACK to SCHOOL

Learn about Forest Fridays for N-K, Cityside for Gr. 8 and the NuVuX Innovation Studio for Upper School

Annual Open House Saturday, October 26 9 AM –NOON

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ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

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LIFE & STYLE Shop • Home • Influencer SHOP

by Elyse Major • photography by Brandon Harmon 1

Garden Variety

2

If you are a fan of simplicity, Rhode Island Soapworks is the brand for you. Simple ingredients, simple production methods, and simple packaging, all result in body care products that are not only all-natural but smell nice, work well, and look pretty enough to display. Joy Schuyler started the business back in 1998 when she tried her hand at making a batch of soap, brought a supply to a craft show, and was pleasantly surprised when it all sold out. Over the years, Joy has expanded her range to include everything from bath salts and shaving products to a cold remedy repair kit. Products contain no preservatives, fillers, animal, or petroleum products. Made in the rural village of Chepachet, the small-batch line uses home-grown herbs and flowers, and is instantly recognizable with its signature kraft paper labels bearing an illustrated sheep. “When we created the logo we wanted it to represent our connection to the past, to show our products were simply made, and we had sheep on our farm,” Joy explains. In addition to being carried at select shops around the state, find Rhode Island Soapworks on Etsy and this month at the Scituate Arts Festival, held October 12-14, and at the upcoming Foundry Artists Holiday and PVD Artisans Holiday shows in Pawtucket.

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Bath Salts, Stress Relief Coffee Sugar Lip Scrub Lavender Eye Pillow Tootsie Balm Hand & Body Lotion, Zucchini Flower

Rhode Island Soap works Frog & Toad Scituate Arts Festival, October 12-14

ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

39

LIFE & STYLE • Home

by Elyse Major

THE BRIGHT SIDE A Blackstone neighborhood dream kitchen is rebuilt in the wake of water damage If you’re a homeowner in New England, chances are you’re no stranger to some property damage. However, for Bob and Sharon, their East Side home received such extensive water damage that it required reconstruction to the first floor, which led to some rethinking: why not use this as an opportunity to redesign, refurbish, and create their dream kitchen?

“We looked at a lot of home decorating magazines,” Sharon begins. “Bob and I both agreed we wanted a bright kitchen – white and light – with the kitchen island a dark color.” The couple called Rhode Island Kitchen & Bath Design + Build, a resource for design build projects, and were introduced to designer Billie Senzek.

Want your home featured in Providence Monthly? Email Elyse@ProvidenceOnline.com to learn more

40

ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

Photos by by Image Ten Photography, courtesy of Rhode Island Kitchen & Bath

The dark green island serves as a dramatic focal point and draws in the outdoor views

First came the rebuild: walls were removed to enlarge the existing space, which enabled the inclusion of wish list items like an island, dry bar, and under window seating. They also wanted appliances to disappear so the dishwasher, refrigerator, and a beverage fridge were all outfitted with custom appliance panels. Bob and Sharon love the color green and selected a custom shade for the island from the cabinet company which was then incorporated as an accent in the dining room via both furniture and window treatments to create a sense of flow.

In designing the new space, Billie started with a neutral wall color so that the countertop and island would be a combined focal point. Says Billie, “The countertop also had a bit of bling with soft green veining, which really solidified the color we selected for the island.” She adds, “I love the fun style in their home – a lot of clients shy away from doing a true color, but it was one of the defining elements of the kitchen.”

Fifteen years since taking ownership, Sharon still recalls falling for the house at first sight. “I loved the banister and curved

archways. There was a lot of warmth and charm.” With everything brand-new, it was important to Sharon to keep the classic aesthetic of the 1920s Colonial. Fixtures like chandeliers and the traditional dining room set balance perky items like the scalloped wall clock, resulting in a cheerful and elegant mix. “Sharon has a very transitional style of decorating,” Billie explains. “There’s a lot of traditional elements that tie in with the true charm of the home, but she loves to have pops of fun colors, shapes, and a touch of bling.”

GET RHODY STYLE Sharon shares her go-tos for bringing Ocean State love into your lifestyle.

CURTAIN CALL Add personality to windows with custom shades and curtains. Sharon uses The Drapery House on nearby Mineral Spring Avenue: “I sat down with the owner and we worked together.”

STORY TIME “I have fond memories of walking to Books on the Square on Monday mornings when [our son] he was a baby for storytime. I always bought a book every time. I wanted to support the local business. He still loves to visit the bookstore and play in the children’s section,” says Sharon.

PERFECT SQUARE “The East Side is so much fun,” says Sharon. “We love to walk to the park, stop at my husband’s office on Wayland Avenue, freshen up, and have dinner at Wayland Square.”

ENDLESS SUMMER Even if you’re not along the coast, surround yourself with images of the seaside. Sharon has a picture in the shape of Rhode Island filled with pictures she had professionally taken at the beach in Narragansett.

ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

41

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LIFE & STYLE • Influencer

by Jackie Ignall

Dr. Yvonne Heredia Population Health & Advanced Analytics Subject Matter Expert

Photography by Wolf Matthewson

My personal style is a combination of chic and business professional. I love wearing dresses as they make me feel beautiful and classy.

I definitely dress differently for day versus night. Usually during the day, I wear work attire catered to my job (Manager of Case Management at Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island) which requires me to dress in chic, business attire. At night, depending on whether or not I’m going to an event, I dress more casual. If I do end up having a special event to attend, I may dress up in an evening gown or cocktail dress.

Anyone who knows me, knows I love bling, so expect to see some injected into my wardrobe during the day or night. I love to match my shoes to all outfits and will add jewelry to coordinate enough to not outshine my wardrobe. One thing I own a lot of are Kentucky Derby hats for when I need to be on my diva status. I love to coordinate my wardrobe details and accessories down to my purse.

I tend to shop at multiple stores to put my wardrobe together. I shop mostly at Macy’s, online boutiques, and local retail shops, to name a few. I like the variety and I get by shopping from multiple places and putting outfits together using various trends, which allows me to have my own unique style.

I love so many things about Providence. When the weather is warm, it’s so nice to see people out and about enjoying the city. Providence is very cultural and being able to walk around town seeing the different cultures represented is so blissful. I believe we live by the saying Rhode Island is the biggest little state in the union.

ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

43

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FOOD & DRINK In the Kitchen • Food News • Experience • Restaurant Guide

OPEN LATE KNEAD Doughnuts’ “Night Cruller” window is the hot sweet treat you always knew you needed Think about the magic of a freshly fried doughnut: That hot, golden-brown, buttery, light dough, glazed with the luscious sweetness of hot sugar or a delicate vanilla coating. The image propels one to salivate profusely, then go on the hunt for the nearest doughnut shop. Now, imagine those glorious confectionary sensations just down the street, or a five-minute drive to KNEAD Doughnuts’ West End location on Cromwell Street. At the new “Night Cruller” window, the artisanal shop vows that customers will “never eat a cold donut again.” And honestly, that’s the most comforting thing we’ve ever heard.

The idea came to Adam Lastrina and his business partners when they realized that their staff get to wake up each morning and sample bits and pieces of fresh-made doughnuts themselves. That experience, coupled

with a window right next to their fryer at KNEAD’s West End location, propelled the owners to open their Night Cruller station. “[The doughnuts] highlight what we do best,” says Adam. “There’s nothing like it.”

Maybe Adam’s words are a bit of an overgeneralization, but in a way, he’s right. There are very few culinary experiences that come close to sinking your teeth into hot, fried, glazed dough. The window on Cromwell focuses on simple menu items since they are made-toorder. There you’ll find doughnuts like chocolate cake, vanilla old-fashioned, and vanilla brioche.

For more information about the Night Cruller window, check KNEAD’s Instagram account, as opening depends on seasonal weather! 55 Cromwell Street, KNEADDoughnuts.com.-Lauren Vella

Photo courtesy of KNEAD Doughnuts ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

45

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Food & Drink • In The Kitchen

by Lauren Vella

Higher Grounds Co-owner Audrey Finochiarro talks gender, success, coffee, and entrepreneurship

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ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

Behind Audrey Finochiarro’s calm and collected exterior lies the tough experiences, hustle, and drive that fostered this demeanor. Her business, Nitro Cart, went from a Brown University Waterman Street grind to an artisanal Rhode Island phenomenon over the course of just four years. Now, with multiple wholesale accounts and two brick-and-mortar spots in Providence and Newport, Audrey looks back on a process fraught with growing pains, doubt, and, dare we say it, sexism.

In the summer of 2015, Audrey and her business partner Sam graduated from college and began making cold brew coffee in her parents’ basement for family and friends. For those of you who are not familiar with the rich elixir that is the nitro cold-brewed drink, think “Guiness of coffee.” Nitro has a rich, frothy texture and a creamy taste due to the nitrogen that is infused during and after the brewing process. It also doesn’t hurt that you get more bang for your buck – the smooth liquid is higher in caffeine

than regular-brewed coffee and has a sweeter taste without added sugar.

The passion turned into a business idea and the two fashioned a cart and camped out in Downtown Providence during the summer to sell their coffee. Business dragged on eight hours a day at a glacial pace until the two parked their wooden contraption on Waterman Street at Brown. After that day, Nitro Cart had found its niche. Recalling the “ah-ha!” moment, Audrey said Sam called her that day to say, “I just had a line of 20 people for the last two hours and we are completely sold out!”

The business grew when owners of PVDonuts approached Sam and Audrey with a proposition. They wanted to sell Nitro Cart coffee on tap at their new, Instagram-viral donut shop.

This was Audrey and Sam’s first wholesale account, and a step in a more profitable direction. That winter, the pair called all of their favorite restaurants to secure accounts for their product to be delivered by the keg-load. This

Photography by Savannah Barkley for Providence Monthly

Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., a registered investment adviser. Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2018 Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

process, says Audrey was “humbling” – to say the least.

“It taught us a lot about being rejected, and you really can’t care how much of a loser you look like walking into a restaurant where someone working could be like ‘No, we think you’re crazy.’”

Rejection is to be expected as a business-owner. But one thing that Audrey did not predict was the difficulties she faced as a young woman in the industry. Remembering that period of time with frustration, Audrey says, “I had just gotten back from school in New York City at a liberal arts college [where] everyone looks at everyone as equal. And then, coming home to Rhode Island, and starting my own thing, and being a female, and being young, that’s when I definitely started to get it – that’s when I started running into difficulties.”

The then 23-year-old would walk into a restaurant to sell coffee wholesale, only to be patronized by the older male manager on shift. This experience, she says, made her lean further into her economics education, do her homework, and developed the confidence she needed to make the sale.

Difficulties aside, Audrey maintains that she gained something positive from her time pounding the pavement. Along her way to success, other female business owners (from Rebelle Artisan Bagels, Stock PVD, PVDonuts, and Vic’s Ice Cream to name a few) like herself were incredibly supportive, acting as a venting sounding board. The group has formed a kind of unofficial women’s small business association, offering encouragement and advice when they’re having a bad day.

“From this group of women that I’ve found, they take me so seriously, and we all congratulate one another. Having that support system has just been crazy for our business.”

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FOOD & DRINK • Food News

by Lauren Vella

Come For The Beer, Stay for the Beer More brews and renovations make this Admiral Street spot a continued favorite

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ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

One-hundred twenty-five beers at an abbey?

Without context, that tidbit sounds strange, especially when you picture Maria VonTrapp cracking open a cold one after a hard day governessing. With context, the prospect sounds better – the beers are served at a restaurant and paired with mouth-watering burgers. This year, the Admiral Street comfort

sauce. The eatery will also have its signature burgers on the menu, but the difference, really, is the beer.

The Abbey offers a craft beer selection that covers a large swath of geography, from California to Europe. More importantly however, the business owner has paired up with Rhode Island breweries to offer beers they

food bastion The Abbey underwent a menu and dining room makeover. Now, the LaSalle and PC-goer favorite is back with a facelift and a bigger, hyper-local selection of brews.

Katie Hawksley, who’s owned The Abbey for 20 years, says that the renovation of her restaurant was inspired by her most devoted patrons. “[The renovation is] our way of welcoming our neighborhood into their home away from home. A way for us to thank them for all their support over the years and to let them know we appreciate their business,” she says. Katie also notes that the menu hasn’t been totally overhauled. You’ll still be able to get your Abbey favorites like the Giant Pretzel, Baconaki, and homemade pota-

can only get here. “We have brought in local crafts from Beer On Earth, Proclamation Ale, Newport Craft, Greysail, Smug, Skyroc and more.” Katie and her staff have also done research to find local beers from Belgium. You can find products from companies like Chimay, Gulden Draak, and Duvel, an esoteric variety that you most likely won’t find at any other place in the state.

Katie says that she and her staff are very knowledgeable about drinks and which foods best pair with a particular brew. When customers come in, they take the time to walk you through the flavor profiles. This is all part of the elevated experience that The Abbey hopes to give its customers. 686 Admiral

to chips with housemade gorgonzola cheese

Street, 92Beers.com

Photo courtesy of The Abbey

On Providence/Pawtucket line behind LA Fitness

Sure, a pancake is great, but there’s something about a waffle that takes flour, baking powder, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract to another level. Maybe it’s the texture: perfect, square craters that catch pools of syrup and melted butter and a bit of whipped cream. Or, maybe it’s the larger surface area, or their plain versatility that makes them so great. Whatever that elusive X-factor is, Waffle in downtown Providence certainly has it.

The Liege-waffle eatery hasn’t been open for a long time, but over the course of it’s short street life, ownership has changed. In January of this year, Nikki Medeiros took over with a plan in mind: expand the menu and make the waffles larger. Originally, the waffle joint wasn’t Nikki’s vision. The seasoned businesswoman was looking for more of a diner setup, but when a mutual friend shared the Waffle property on Facebook, she was immediately intrigued. With a passion for dessert and a hankering for starting a new project, Nikki took Waffle off of the previous owner’s hands.

This Weybosset joint produces the culinary delights of dreams. Before you ask – yes, they sell the old stand-bys like banana, strawberry, and nutella waffles. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll hit the chocolate jackpot. Try the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup waffle served with house-made chocolate ganache, Reese’s peanut butter sauce, peanut butter cup crumble, and peanut butter cup ice cream. However, the kicker on this menu is the Grilled Cheese Waffle. A creation worthy of Food Network Instagram envy, this waffle is served simply: a brioche base with a blanket of melted mozzarella cheese on top. 45 Weybosset Street, WaffleProvidence.com

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ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

49

FOOD & DRINK • Experience

by Robert Isenberg

No Bones About It New Burger, the casual option at Plant City, defies the meat comparison created the restaurant to celebrate plantbased cuisine on its own, independent terms.

Plant City, the new food emporium on Water Street, houses multiple venues: a cafe, a smoothie bar, a tiny market, a gourmet pizzeria, and a cocktail lounge. No animals were harmed in the creation of these places – and that includes New Burger, the hip-casual restaurant on the first floor.

But to answer that question: no. The burgers at New Burger don’t mimic cow flesh in any

way. The taste is different. The texture is different. The patty is surprisingly squishy, and too much pressure will cause it to ooze past the bun. The sunflower cheddar would never pass for dairy cheese. The beet ketchup is so unlike processed tomato paste that New Burger also provides regular ketchup.

Instead, the Classic Burger is its own kind of pleasure, a messy, earthy experience that doesn’t weigh you down. The beet ketchup is naturally sweet; like Heinz, it dominates the

Photography by Brandon Harmon

But does it taste like a real burger? That’s the first question people ask. They’ve heard of meatless burgers, and they want to know whether a vegan version will fool their brains into thinking it’s beef. In the era of the Impossible Burger, plantbased substitutes are like a magic trick.

This is the wrong question, of course. Instead, you should ask: Is it good? When you walk into New Burger, you’re not just entering a no-kill copy of a regular burger joint. Matthew Kenney, the acclaimed chef behind New Burger,

50

ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

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palate. In place of mayonnaise, the sweet potato fries mix nicely with a cup of chili sauce.

As the bartender informed me, the Classic Burger is the least-remarkable thing on the menu; the staff favorite is the Truffle Burger, incorporating wild mushroom and truffle aioli. There’s a Barbecue version as well, which has won its own following.

For omnivores, one of the biggest surprises of a vegan lifestyle is how friendly it is to alcohol consumption. The New Burger bar is elegant and well-stocked; you’ll find a range of local beers, from Revival to Proclamation Ale. Plants also make for great cocktails, and the Sangria and Mezcal Mule are elixirs that almost anyone will love. As a nod to health food trends, there’s also the Basil Smash: There’s vodka and basil, but it’s mixed with fizzy kombucha. All of

CUISINE: Vegan Burgers PRICES: $$ ATMOSPHERE: Hip-Casual

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Truffle Burger Vegan patty with wild mushroom and truffle aioli; available with gluten-free bun

T-BLAT Sandwich Avocado, chipotle, lettuce, and tempeh bacon

Caramel Apple Cobbler Because caramel and apple are plant-based, FYI

these beverages nicely complement the menu.

The bar is cozy, and New Burger stays open until 1am on weekends. A plant-based burger joint might seem like an odd place to spend time in the wee hours, but in the wise words of Dr. Suess: Try it, try it, you will see.

New Burger 334 South Water Street • 429-2029 MatthewKenneyCuisine.com

kreatelier.com ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

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RESTAURANT GUIDE Key: B breakfast Br brunch L lunch D dinner $ under 10 $$ 10–20 $$$ 20+

F E AT U R E D R E S TA U R A N T

LaMei Hot Pot

ALL-NEW MENU & ENTERTAINMENT THIS FALL (same good times & happy vibes)

New Musical Acts Nightly

256 Broadway, Providence 831-7555, LaMeiHotPot.com

New Seasonal Dinner Menu & Craft Cocktails Open 7 Days a Week, Rain or Shine Complimentary Valet Parking 100 Dorrance Street, Downtown Providence rooftopattheg.com

PROVIDENCE AREA 10 Prime Steak & Sushi Fashionable prime steakhouse with award-winning sushi. 55 Pine St, Providence, 453-2333. LD $$$ Caserta Pizzeria Casual kid-friendly pizza spot offering traditional Italian crisp-cut pizza and calzones. 121 Spruce St, Providence, 621-3818.

LD $-$$ CAV Eclectic cuisine and art in a historic setting. 14 Imperial Place, Providence, 751-9164.

BrLD $$-$$$ Chapel Grille Gourmet food overlooking the Providence skyline. 3000 Chapel View Blvd, Cranston, 944-4900. BrLD $$$ Character’s Cafe & Theatre Hybrid art space with all-day breakfast, coffee, and theaterinspired entrees. 82 Rolfe Sq, Cranston, 4909475. BL $ Don Jose Tequilas Restaurant Homestyle Mexican fare plus beer, wine, and cocktails in a colorful setting. 351 Atwells Ave, Providence, 454-8951. LD $-$$ Harry’s Bar & Burger Called the “Best Burger

in America” by CNN. Over 50 craft beers. 121 N Main St, Providence, 228-7437; 301 Atwells Ave, 228-3336. LD $-$$ Haruki Japanese cuisine and a la carte selections with casual ambience. Locations in Cranston and Providence, HarukiSushi.com. LD $-$$

D

Joe Marzelli’s Old Canteen Italian Restaurant High-end Italian restaurant serving up specialty dishes and drinks.

120 Atwells Ave, Providence. 751-5544.

LD $$$ Julian’s A must-taste Providence staple celebrating more than 20 years. 318 Broadway, Providence, 861-1770. BBrLD $$ Luigi’s Restaurant & Gourmet Express Handmade Italian classics and prepared foods to go. 1457 Hartford Ave, Johnston, 455-0045. LD $$ Luxe Burger Bar Build Your Own Burger: You dream it, we build it! 5 Memorial Blvd, Providence, 621-5893. LD $

E Q

through Coffee & Cold Drinks Fresh Produce & Specialty Foods Food trucks & Prepared Meals Demos & Workshops

Parkside Rotisserie & Bar American bistro specializing in rotisserie meats. 76 South Main St, Providence, 331-0003. LD $-$$ Hosted By

ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

53

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RESTAURANT GUIDE Pizza J Fun, upbeat atmosphere with thin-crust pizza, pub fare, and gluten-free options. 967 Westminster St, Providence, 632-0555. LD $-$$ Red Stripe Casual French-American bistro.

465 Angell St, Providence, 437-6950; 455 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-2900. BrLD $$

Tortilla Flats Fresh Mexican, Cajun, and Southwestern fare, cocktails, and over 70 tequilas.

355 Hope St, Providence, 751-6777. LD $-$$

Colvitto’s Pizza & Bakery Pizza Calzones and baked goods made fresh daily. 91 Point Judith Rd, Narragansett, 783-8086. BrLD $

Twin Oaks Family restaurant serving an extensive selection of Italian and American staples. 100 Sabra St, Cranston, 781-9693. LD $-$$$

Eleven Forty Nine City sophistication in the suburbs. 1149 Division St, Warwick, 884-1149. LD $$$

The Shop on Westminster Authentic Middle Eastern favorites served for dinner. 1551 Westminster St, Providence, 273-0111. $$-$$$

SOUTH COUNTY

Siena Impeccable Italian cuisine. Locations in Providence, East Greenwich, and Smithfield, 521-3311. $$-$$$

Breachway Grill Classic New England fare, plus NY-style pizza. 1 Charlestown Beach Rd, Charlestown, 213-6615. LD $$

Sydney Providence Australian-inspired cafe and coffee shop featuring breakfast and light lunch options. 400 Exchange St, Providence, 648-4994. BL $-$$

Champlin’s Seafood Dockside fresh seafood serving easy breezy cocktails. 256 Great Island Rd, Narragansett, 783-3152. LD $-$$

The Salted Slate An agri-driven American restaurant with global influences. 186 Wayland Ave, Providence, 270-3737. BrLD $$-$$$

54

ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

Coast Guard House A new American menu with a seafood emphasis and extensive wine list, open seven days a week. 40 Ocean Rd, Narragansett, 789-0700. BrLD $$$

George’s of Galilee Fresh-caught seafood in an upscale pub atmosphere. 250 Sand Hill Cove Rd, Narragansett, 783-2306.

LD $-$$ Mariner Grille Seafood, steaks, and pasta in a fun setting, with live entertainment. 40 Point Judith Rd, Narragansett, 284-3282.

LD $$ Pasquale’s Pizzeria Napoletana Authentic Neapolitan wood-fired pizza with exclusive ingredients imported from Naples. 60 S County Commons Way, South Kingstown, 783-2900. LD $-$$ Red Stripe Casual French-American bistro.

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RESTAURANT GUIDE 465 Angell St, Providence, 437-6950; 455 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-2900. BrLD $$ The Shop on Westminster Authentic Middle Eastern favorites served for dinner.

1551 Westminster St., Providence, 273-0111 D $$-$$$ Siena Impeccable Italian cuisine. Locations in Providence, East Greenwich, and Smithfield, 521-3311. D $$-$$$ Sophie’s Brewhouse Espresso drinks and sandwiches with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients. 699 S County Trail, Exeter, 295-4273. BL $$ Tavern by the Sea Waterfront European/ American bistro. 16 West Main St, Wickford, 294-5771. LD $$ The Cove Traditional bar and grill serving burgers, sandwiches, and classic New England seafood favorites. 3963 Old Post

Rd, Charlestown, 364-9222. LD $$ Twin Willows Fresh seafood and water views in a family-friendly atmosphere. 865 Boston Neck Rd, Narragansett, 789-8153.

LD $-$$

EAST BAY / NEWPORT Aviary Creative, locally sourced menu featuring rotating craft beers and fromscratch cocktails. 2229 GAR Highway, Swansea, MA, 508-379-6007. BrLD $$

Chomp Upscale comfort food featuring award-winning burgers and sandwiches.

440 Child St, Warren, 289-2324. D $$ East Bay Oyster Bar Local seafood meets innovative preparation in a rustic setting.

308 County Rd, Barrington, 247-0303. LD $$ Ichigo Ichie Traditional Japanese cuisine, creative sushi, and hibachi. 5 Catamore Blvd, East Providence, 435-5511. LD $-$$$ KC’s Burger Bar Burgers, hot dogs, and sides enjoyed in a retro car-themed diner.

1379 Fall River Ave, Seekonk, MA. 508-5571723. BLD $$

Blount Market & Kitchen Traditional New England seafood summer favorites offered year-round for dine-in and takeout. 406 Water St, Warren, 245-1800. LD $$

Tav Vino Waterfront dining with an Italian and seafood focus. 267 Water St, Warren, 245-0231. D $$

Bluewater Bar and Grill Casual restaurant with modern seafood dishes, patio seating, and live music. 32 Barton Ave, Barrington, 247-0017. LD $$-$$$

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A R T & C U LT U R E Calendar • On Stage • Art • Music

HEAVY METAL October 19: Sparks fly at the annually anticipated Steel Yard Halloween Iron Pour. It’s a phenomenon of fire and art at the newly renovated hub as the crew carefully pours over 2,500 pounds of molten iron. It’s a live demonstration of casting iron – in an

unconventional way. Watch large-scale sculptures come to life, admire the numerous steel and iron props, and enjoy local music and food. You could say it’ll be one lit night. 27 Sims Avenue, Providence, TheSteelYard.org

Photo courtesy of The Steel Yard ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

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FALL FE ST PARTY

ART & CULTURE • Calendar

by Megan Schmit

THE MUST LIST 10 essential events happening this month October 26: Halloween at the Castle

Photo courtesy of Barnaby Castle

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Through October 20: Buddy Cianci’s infamous legacy lives on in Trinity Rep’s onstage production, The Prince of Providence. 201 Washington Street, Providence, TrinityRep.com

October 5: Nothing says fall quite like blazing foliage, and nothing says Providence quite like our blazing river.

While the weather may be brisk, WaterFire keeps things hot downtown, with a full-lighting and artisanal market. Waterplace Park, Providence, WaterFire.org

October 5: Now in its eighth year, TEDx comes back to Providence, inviting talented speakers like author Jose Rosario and public art advocate Yarrow Thorne to address the central theme: Advance. One Avenue of the Arts, Providence, TheVetsRI.com October 10: Rhode Island Chamber Music Concerts brings the Daedalus Quartet to Providence. The string quartet has performed in the world’s leading concert halls, and finally makes a stop at McVinney Auditorium. 43 Dave Gavitt Way, Providence, RICMC.org

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October 11: Catch American singer/songwriter Ray LaMontagne’s acoustic tour as it stops at PPAC. Featuring folksy blues and rock sound and special guest Kacy & Clayton. Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset Street, Providence, PPACRI.org

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October 15: Get into the spirit at AS220’s Halloween Show with bands Searchlight Souls, Stone Nobles, Nadyene Luchon, and Truth Bypassed – costumes welcomed. 115 Empire Street, Providence, AS220.org

Open House Saturday, November 2nd, 9am Learn more at gordonschool.org

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October 26: Experience Halloween at the Castle, an annual fundraiser to support the restoration of public spaces at a West Side Victorian mansion. General admission is pricey at $100 but it’s for a good cause and has an open bar. Barnaby Castle, 299 Broadway, Facebook: BarnabyCastlePVD

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October 29-November 10: Discover a whole new world at PPAC through the Broadway production of Disney’s Arabian classic, Aladdin.

Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset Street, Providence, PPACRI.org

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October 30: It’s a grown-up Halloween party with Marc Trachtenberg and The Ladies of Lounge, featuring happy hour concert, cash bar, and snacks.

Guests are welcome to dress up for the special occasion. Lippitt House, 199 Hope Street, Providence, PreserveRI.org

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October 30: It’s witty, it’s political, it’s fun – it’s RI NOW’s Haunted House of Political Horrors.

Join the national women’s organization for games, costume contest (see if you can win Best Feminist costume!), food, themed drinks, and dancing. 24 Stimson Avenue, Providence, Facebook: Rhode Island NOW

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ProvidenceOnline.com • October 2019

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Ben Weiss, Hillside Village, oil on canvas

As with Sykes, Bérge has a strong personal relationship with each of the artists showing at Gallery Z. The roster is diverse, as are their backgrounds: There’s Nilton Cárdenas, who grew up in Peru and paints colorful expressionist landscapes. There’s Bob Dilworth, who uses lively mixed media in his portraits, much of it exploring the African American experience. Bérge knows all their life stories, and he speaks glowingly of their careers; he notes that two of the featured artists are deceased, and for them, Works of RI Artist-Educators serves as a kind of retrospective. Curated by Julian Penrose, the exhibit features art instructors of all levels.

Bérge himself will show at the exhibit, although he is bashful about this fact. After he earned his master’s degree from Rhode Island College in 1982, he briefly taught

Artwork by Ben Weiss

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Years ago, when Bérge Ara Zobian was an art student at Rhode Island College, he submitted a photograph to his professor, Larry Sykes. In class, Sykes examined Bérge’s print and complimented it. Then he tore it, violently, in front of the other students. Bérge was shocked. His eyes welled with tears.

He’d spent three days developing that silver-gelatin image. He had tried 30 or 40 prints before perfecting his portrait. Now it was ruined.

The reason: Bérge had cropped the photo paper with scissors, not a scalpel or paper cutter. The edges were noticeably uneven.

Sykes wanted to teach him a lesson – not to take shortcuts, even at the end of a laborious process. Bérge never forgot, and he was ultimately grateful for that harsh lesson.

Today, Bérge is a respected pro photographer. He has owned Studio Gallery Z in Federal Hill for the past 18 years, representing more than 400 artists from all over the world. When he describes his incident with Sykes, Bérge is affectionate, even good-humored. He harbors great respect for his old mentor. Indeed, Sykes is one of a dozen fine art professors showing work at Gallery Z this month, in an exhibit called Works of RI Artist-Educators.

“The idea came from staff members, sitting around a table,” says Bérge.

“The theme is to showcase artists that have a foot in Rhode Island. These people are professors. It’s a group of people that are very independent, very hungry to create art. They’re waking up at five in the morning to work on their portfolios.”

Teaching is a common day-job for visual artists. The benefits are manifold: paychecks, networks, intellectual stimulation, and the satisfaction of grooming young talent. Yet students often wonder what kind of art their instructors make when they’re not in an academic setting. Works of RI Artist-Educators is a chance to showcase that extracurricular work, to demonstrate the depth and range of their own creations.

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photography and instructional technology for the college. He has also judged art contests and presented lectures, and his colleagues felt that Bérge more than qualified as a “RI educator.” “I feel it’s a conflict,” says Bérge. “But they said, ‘You’ve taught.

You’ve traveled. You should be in this exhibit.’” He finally relented and will show three of his own photographs.

This is the first exhibit of its type at Gallery Z, and it’s hard to say whether there will be another. “We try not to repeat,” says Bérge matter-of-factly. “I cannot predict the future.”

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ART & CULTURE • Music

by Adam Hogue

Off the Wall Waxing poetic about vinyl at Olympic Records and sales in the last few years I get every type of shopper. We have a great mix, many regular weekly customers, and first-time record buyers or travelers coming through Providence visiting.

Rows of LPs at Olympic Records

Providence is home to a healthy host of earnest and vibrant record shops. Each has its own vibe, philosophy, content, and album playing in the store. This month we will continue our record store prowl with a Fox Point mainstay, Olympic Records. If anyone has traveled down Wickenden Street in the past year, it is clear that things are changing. It feels like just yesterday I was renting in Fox Point and suddenly it seems like everytime I pop into the neighborhood for coffee something new has opened up. Thankfully, some places stay rooted, dependable, and just like you remembered it. Olympic Records is one of those places.

Since 2011, Kevin Morosini has made Olympic Records a go to place for new indie records, rare finds, and tried and true classics. With an ever-changing display wall, up-to-date local stuff and a consistently rotating “new stuff” bin, Olympic is the spot to find that record you forgot you wanted to check out. What do Alkaline Trio, Miles Davis, and Titus Andronicus all have

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in common? I stumbled upon them at Olympic.

So, pick a lazy Sunday morning, grab a coffee, and discover some vinyl.

What genres of music would you find in your shop?

I sell all types of music on both LP and 45rpm singles. I sell mostly used records so my stock is always changing depending on what type of collections I’ve recently bought.

What record would be playing when you walk in?

I usually pull stuff off of the wall and play it, but I probably listen to Bruce Springsteen more than anyone else.

What kinds of people would you find perusing your shelves? (Do you have regulars or a mix of different people?)

With the boom in record player production

What’s the single-most exciting/unique/ baffling vinyl record you have sitting on display in your shop?

Nothing super baffling or unique but I was excited to find a UK copy of Pink Floyd’s third album Ummagumma with the original unedited cover, it will be a little while before another one of those walks through the door.

Why do you think it is important to have neighborhood record shops curating, collecting, preserving and sharing music?

I think small neighborhood shops of all types are important and are a huge part of what makes Providence great. Small business run by people who care about what they are doing can be very inspiring places

Olympic Records Facebook and Instagram: @OlympicRecords 580 Wickenden Street Monday-Saturday 10:15am-6pm, Sunday 10:15am-1pm

Photography by Savannah Barkley for Providence Monthly

What is different about discovering and listening to vinyl in a shop from streaming an album off the internet?

Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Both also have their place in someone’s life and there is no need to pick one or the other. You can’t take your records to the gym or out jogging, so digital music and streaming are a great option. On the other hand, when you are at home and want to sit down and enjoy some music, putting on a record will most likely beat out the streaming music, experience wise. They are like the opposite of each other, so they work perfectly together. Record stores are so rich with things to see and learn about, it makes finding music much different then using a streaming service.

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ART & CULTURE • On Stage

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JQA John Quincy Adams wasn’t a Founding Father. Contemporaries described him as bookish and reclusive. Yet, the sixth President of the United States was full of personality: He got into fierce debates with his mother, his wife, Frederick Douglas, Andrew Jackson, and Henry Clay. In JQA, the recent play by Aaron Posner, the four actors perform multiple parts, so John Quincy receives four different treatments. This unconventional

approach comes naturally to Aaron, who took Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull and morphed it into the acclaimed Stupid F**cking Bird. The Gamm presents this New England premiere, a fascinating crash-course in the Adams legacy – and a timely exploration of what it means to be president. October 24-November 17. GammTheatre.org Waiting for Godot In the first act of Waiting for Godot, two

Photo courtesy of Ensemblle/Parallax

The Place For Sushi

men wait for a mysterious figure named Godot. After the intermission, two men continue to wait for a mysterious figure named Godot. Samuel Beckett’s existential masterpiece took some time to win over audiences, but now the play is considered one of the greatest works of the 20th century. The Wilbury Theatre Group has performed Godot before, and this production has been labeled a revival. Why is the absurdist comedy so surprisingly watchable? Because Vladimir and Estragon are so goofy, as are their wacky visitors, Lucky and Pozzo. Catch this production the second time around with local favorites Richard Donelly and Tom Gleadow. September 26–October 20, TheWilburyGroup.org Ensemble/Parallax When we listen to music, we start to daydream. This is one reason the music video has become such a beloved medium.

Providence-based Ensemble/Parallax is taking this connection between aural and visual stimulation to the next level: Performances incorporate video projections

by Wolfgang Lehmann, a multimedia artist from Germany. Primarily, E/P is known for its top-notch instrumentalists, and their latest tour includes compositions

by Salvatore Sciarrino and Patricia Alessandrini. If you act fast, you can catch their season premiere at Rhode Island College’s Sapinsley Hall, just before they begin their northeastern tour. September 26, EnsembleParallax.com The Producers Two con men, one horrifying script, and an “incredibly guilty” verdict. The Producers started its run as one of the greatest film comedies of all time; in 2001, it became one of the greatest musical comedies of all time, with music and lyrics by Mel Brooks himself. The Players kick off their 111th season with this convention-breaking farce. October 4–20. PlayersRI.org

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