11 Fall book festival bids fond farewell to its founder
16 OP-ED: Population aside, we’re still number one
18 THE PUBLIC’S RADIO: Piano-driven “witch pop” from PVD singer-songwriter
24 NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS: Hyper local news and contact listings
28 CALENDAR: This month’s must-do’s
Life & Style
A13 HOME: An architect blurs boundaries of inside and out in a new beach house
A18 Ways to incorporate goth gardening style in spaces of all sizes
A20 INFLUENCER: A savvy content creator wants you to follow her – outdoors
A22 RHODY READS: Six books that bring you outside
A24 RHODY GEM: Lattes with classic New England views, just 20 minutes away
Feature
55 Spirits and history exhumed in city tours
Food & Drink
65 EXPERIENCE: A downtown bar off the beaten path
70 RECIPE: Pumpkin hummus dip perfect for a fall fete
72 IN THE KITCHEN: Meal prep chef dishes on new cookbook
78 FOOD TRENDS: Spooky sips and snacks for Halloween
Rhode Island Ghost Stories:
A trio of authors and others share frightful tales and spooky sites
80 PIC OF PVD
Photo edit by Nick DelGiudice
Photography by Morten Smidt, courtesy of Sarah Jefferys Design
Photo courtesy of The Red Door
Photo courtesy of GoProvidence
Providence. Photo by Nick DelGiudice
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Art | Op-Ed | The Public’s Radio | Neighborhood News | Calendar
New Chapters
October’s beloved book festival celebrates its founders as they pass the torch
By Ruthie Wood
Life, as in books, is filled with chapter endings and beginnings. Such is the case with this year’s annual Rhode Island Festival of Children’s Books and Authors held at the Lincoln School in Providence on October 19. This year’s event is the last for co-founder and literary giant Chris Van Allsburg, marking the end of an era.
It would be easy to say that Van Allsburg’s dedication to the craft of writing is remarkable; his body of work is filled with household titles like Jumanji and The Polar Express , and he helped create a well-known book festival that draws in children’s book creators from across the country. But synopses, like those on the back of a book, can be misleading.
Van Allsburg didn’t set out to be a picture book author and illustrator. He was a sculptor. His wife, Lisa Van Allsburg, taught elementary school and used children’s picture books as art inspiration for her classes. “She thought my art might be good children’s book illustrations,” Van Allsburg self-effaces. Lisa had a vision for her husband, but it was through the friendship of another unexpecting author that helped launch Chris’ successful writing career.
Chris Van Allsburg signing books at the festival he helped create
David Macauley graduated RISD with a degree in architecture, but he didn’t want to design buildings for his career. Instead, “the idea of illustrating books appealed to me. I liked to draw, and there was something very nice about the idea of having your name on the cover of a book,” Macauley says. He submitted book ideas to Houghton Mifflin, receiving encouraging rejections. “It wasn’t until I developed the idea for a gargoyle beauty pageant set in the Middle Ages with a cathedral in the background that I was persuaded to forget the gargoyles and actually just talk about the cathedral by the guy who ran the children’s book department, Walter Lorraine,” he explains. Thus began his picture book career, starting with Cathedral (1973), then City (1974), Pyramid (1975), and Underground (1976).
“I introduced Walter to Chris and Lisa –mostly to Lisa; Chris didn’t want to be the front
man. Lisa is always happy to be the front person, especially for Chris,” Macauley remembers. “She and Walter got on, she presented some of Chris’ ideas, Walter liked them, and the next you know, you got The Garden of Abdul Gasazi ,” the very first Chris Van Allsburg book (1979).
The serendipitous starts to Macauley’s and Van Allsburg’s careers mirrors the quiet beginnings of the Rhode Island Festival of Children’s Books and Authors. Around the time of the festival’s conception – circa 1988 – both Macauley and Van Allsburg were teaching at RISD, and the school brought in a lot of fantastic illustrators to speak to the students. Macauley also lived two blocks away from the Lincoln School in Providence; his wife at the time taught there. “There was a really good connection to some of the most successful people at the time in picture books. The development of the festival just
took advantage of that – the proximity of RISD and its connection to picture book illustration through the faculty and Lincoln school.”
The festival started off as something “informal.” It felt like a gathering of friends for a relaxed office party. It was an excuse to come together as an artistic community and share and celebrate new endeavors in the realm of picture books and children’s literature. “When Chris and Lisa became fully involved, I think it simply took on more and more significance and became an increasingly attractive festival for authors around the country. I think Chris’ name and reputation really drew people in, and the festival grew in that sense,” Macauley explains. “It’s not an ALA [American Library Association] conference, but it’s a very enthusiasm-filled weekend, and the people who are invited to come and speak are the best.”
Photo courtesy of Rhode Island Festival of Children’s Books and Authors
Author Anika Aldamuy Denise takes the mic at 2023’s banned book panel
The Audacious LIFE PLANNING RETREAT for Women
• Group reflection and celebration of our successes
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• Fun and useful exercises to prime the pump of inspiration
• A continental breakfast, snacks, and lunch
• And, so much more!
Macauley had left the festival scene after a move to Vermont, so his return this year is emotional. In part, it’s saying thank you and farewell to the Van Allsburgs as they take their leave of festival management. It’s also a chance to return to Macauley’s “home turf” and see the community he was – and still is – so entrenched in. “It’s just going to be fun. It’ll be a really enjoyable, heartwarming experience for me, books aside. And then to come and talk about the books I’ve been doing since I was last there – and there are a number of them – that’s a nice opportunity, too.”
Although the festival draws big names in the literary world, Macauley reassures children and adults that you don’t have to be famous to get published. “You have to find [the story and drive to tell it] inside you.” Macauley “never [wrote] anything for children. I write for myself,” he asserts, hoping that what he finds fascinating and entertaining will also connect with other people, an audience. With that drive and the willingness to share a story to the public, “you go for it, and you try to make contact with people who are doing it
The RI Festival of Children’s Books and Authors takes place on October 19, 2024, from 9 am-5pm. Learn more at LincolnSchool.org
Op-Ed: Third in Population, First in Our Hearts
As two of New England’s biggest cities, Providence and Worcester go head to head in firsts
By Barry Fain and Steven Triedman
Our civic pride got a rude awakening. Providence is the third largest city in New England! Apparently, Worcester, MA passed us almost a quarter of a century ago but we didn’t get the message. We were shocked.
After the Revolutionary War, Providence was the ninth largest city in the US (today, it’s Dallas). We were the second largest in New England until 1980, lost the position for 21 years and gained it back in 2001 by 971 people. Buddy was mayor, the city looked great, we had a hit TV show ( Providence ) and WaterFire was in stride. We lost the position in 2006 by 199 people and today we’re 17,000 people behind.
Worcester has twice the land as Providence, but we have twice as much water as they do.
Both cities have struggled to recover from manufacturing losses of past eras and other economic issues. Worcester has done better than Providence in improving schools, supporting neighborhoods, and increasing the number of jobs. Worcester’s downtown still struggles, but the addition of Polar Park for “our” baseball team is triggering a major revitalization.
Contrast that with the success of downtown Providence, which has helped place the city on many “Best Cities” lists, creating an impression of coolness that attracts young professionals, as well as transplants from Boston, New York, and other major cities seeking urban amenities at lower costs.
And our food is much better! The first diner in America was opened here, and Al Forno ushered in a new level of dining, winning a James Beard Award and then being named the best casual restaurant in the world by the International Herald Tribune . The Capital Grille chain also started here.
We assembled this list comparing each city’s best qualities and firsts, and now we feel better!
• Coffee milk originated in Providence, while mass-produced shredded wheat was Worcester.
• Costume jewelry was created in Providence, while Worcester gets credit for the monkey wrench, the typewriter, the steam calliope (whatever that is), the first liquid fuel rocket, and the iconic smiley face.
• Providence means “the protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual power,” while Worcester means “war-castle.”
• J. Lee Richmond of the Worcesters pitched the first perfect game in Major League Baseball but Babe Ruth pitched for the Providence Grays.
• The sinking of The Gaspee was the first American military action of the Revolutionary War. Four years later, the first public reading of The Declaration of Independence was in Worcester in July 1776.
• We have a better airport – even though it’s not exactly in our city, Providence is where people think they’re landing in. The New England Patriots planes are based here and visiting teams stay in Providence. Worcester’s regional airport is the official airport for the WooSox.
• Worcester’s hockey team is the Railers, the farm team for the NY Islanders. We have the P Bruins, the Boston Bruins farm team!
• Worcester gets more snow. They can have it!
• Providence has the ocean. Worcester has a bunch of ponds and lakes.
• The Providence Mob controlled Worcester for decades.
• Providence has the most strip clubs per capita in New England. Worcester has the Eggroll Lady & Fish Shack.
• Providence has the award-winning Roger Williams Park Zoo, the third-oldest in the country; Worcester is near a small one.
• Providence’s Fire Department is the second oldest paid department in the country and The Atheneum is the fourth oldest library.
• The Arcade was America’s first enclosed shopping mall.
• Providence has more coffee and donut shops per capita than any city in the country.
• Nibbles Woodaway, The Big Blue Bug, is the world’s largest artificial bug at 928 times the size of an actual termite.
• Horror writer H.P. Lovecraft’s house is in Providence, and he’s buried in Swan Point Cemetery.
• George M. Cohan, who wrote “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” lived in Fox Point, and there’s a statue to prove it.
• Like Rome, both Providence and Worcester are built on seven hills.
Op-eds express the authors’ opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Hey Rhody Media Co. Readers are welcome to send responses or letters to the editor to be considered for print publication in a future issue or posted online. Letters can be emailed to Abbie@heyrhody.com
P hoto (L) courtesy of GoProvidence, (R) courtesy of Providence Grays
Piano-driven “Witch Pop”
The Providence singer-songwriter’s latest single, “Ghost Story,” is a cautionary tale about heartbreak and the perils of modern dating
In partnership with The Public’s Radio • ThePublicsRadio.org • By James Baumgartner
With a background in literature and classical music, Providence musician Olivia Dolphin writes piano-driven pop songs about relationships and self-reflection. She stopped by the studio for an interview with Artscape producer James Baumgartner.
OLIVIA DOLPHIN: I call it “witch pop.”
Which is something we’re trying on, but basically, honoring the things that make me feel a little witchy, like, loving friendship and magic, and the environment, and community and infusing all of that into my lyrics. And then with the musical content, like sometimes we go a little dark with the chords and the chord progressions and the sounds we’re making as a band. So yeah, we’re trying on the term “Witch Pop” today.
JAMES BAUMGARTNER: Listening to your music, I hear elements of a little Pat Benatar, maybe a little Alanis Morissette, maybe a little Tori Amos, correct me if I’m wrong, maybe even, a little element of musical theater?
DOLPHIN: That is the list that I hear often, which is an honor, always. I would add the people that I listen to most often, which are Brandi Carlile, Ingrid Michaelson, Vanessa Carlton, like, the really piano driven singer songwriters, Regina Spector. That’s like who I listened to, but as a ‘90s girl, I think there’s a lot of that ‘90s rock influence that I didn’t know I had, it’s just coming out naturally.
BAUMGARTNER: What about some of those artists really inspires you?
DOLPHIN: I love the storytelling aspect. When you listen to Brandi Carlile, Ingrid Michaelson, or Tori Amos, they use really poetic, lyrical, high energy content in their songs. They’re really touching on a lot of different topics, but at the core of it all is that strong storytelling, which I really loved. So marrying a lot of my writing background with my music background, I think it’s only natural that I kind of blend some of those aspects together.
Photo courtesy of The Public’s Radio via Olivia Dolphin
BAUMGARTNER: Tell me more about how your literary background influences your songwriting?
DOLPHIN: I have always been a reader. I grew up reading the Harry Potter books. I was the Harry Potter girl at school. And while my relationship to Harry Potter has changed because of recent comments by the author, I still really value the morals that I took away from Harry Potter, like community, like celebrating friendships, like fighting for what you believe in.
BAUMGARTNER: Tell us about your latest single, “Ghost Story”.
DOLPHIN: It’s what I call a spooky banger. It’s loud. It’s in your face. It’s a little Halloween all year round. And it is about being ghosted. I got ghosted by the same person twice. My bad, I should have read the signs. “Ghost Story” is about wishing that you had seen the signs in a relationship to not get ghosted.
BAUMGARTNER: You put together shows at Askew. And I hear you like putting together mixed genre shows. What is that all about?
DOLPHIN: I’m trying to capture a variety show vibe, but under a theme. We did one in February called “Love stories, a little salty a little sweet” and it was poets, storytellers, musicians, and singer-songwriters under this idea of love stories. And you can get a little salty with it and a little sweet with it, and we had comedians. And I think with Providence being such a creative city, it just makes sense to me to try to pull a little bit from every audience niche and try to combine them. And something I’ve been saying at shows a lot is, you gotta use it or lose it. You gotta use the venues, you gotta go to shows. And I am a
millennial. I’m in my 30s. I love to be in bed by 9. It’s really hard to get out for events, especially hosting them and doing them. But, you know, I just applaud anybody that’s going to live music shows right now or finding, like, that weird community variety show or that open mic and saying, you know what? I’m gonna roll the dice on this event and I’m gonna go and I’m gonna stay up past my bedtime because that is what we need to keep the creative community in Providence alive right now. We’ve got to show up. And so that’s my hypothesis with mixed genre shows.
BAUMGARTNER: Does your classical music education show up in any of the piano arrangements, or the band arrangements, or the music that you write?
DOLPHIN: Yeah, I actually think when you say, I hear a musical theater influence in your music, what you’re actually hearing is the classical background. I see so much value in musical theater and I have gone to Broadway shows and I love PPAC and everything about it, but it’s just not really for me. So when people hear Broadway or musical theater in my work, I think what they’re actually hearing is a deep love and appreciation and background in classical music, the Romantic era, the symphonies. The very first thing I listened to, I remember my dad having Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in the house and like no two pieces there sound the same. You know, with classical music, you just go through these really long journeys. And I think that you can hear that in my music, where it takes you on these dynamic ebbs and flows.
This article was originally posted on June 27, 2024 and has been edited for length. James Baumgartner can be reached at jbaumgartner@ThePubicsRadio.org
DIANA HALL 94 JM
YUH OKANA 91 TX
Photo courtesy of The Public’s Radio via Olivia Dolphin
David Hasslinger is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws.
Focusing on Whole Body Health
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SERVICE DIRECTORY
green products. Lic. #15914. Call Mike 401-573-4498.
USED MUSIC
Round Again Records needs your used CDs and records. Cash paid. Call 351-6292.
Neighborhood News
A space made available to Providence’s neighborhood associations free of charge.
HOT TOPICS
An overview of what’s happening around the city right now
An ever-changing property in Fox Point sees new artist owners
Displayed on Fox Point Neighborhood Association’s (FPNA) website are the words “historical and hip.” And sometimes it is both of these things. Consider the corner of Transit and Brook. For many years, Acme Video (fairly hip) and Rainbow Bikes held down two sides of Brook Street. Acme hung on as long as we still rented videos and owned VCRs, until a games shop moved in. Later, the big red building was turned over for rentals. “No one wants commercial,” a carpenter told me. Rainbow closed – it was not the kind of place to put fancy bikes in the window – and Foreign Affair opened, and then there was LORE, a gift shop with a lot of artisan goods. This spring, an artist started working on the north wall. The words “Knit Club” and “Pretty Snake” appeared, sparking intrigue around the neighborhood. Inside, the windows were papered and the walls separating the two stores were ripped out. In July, two RISD artists, Joe Segal of Pretty Snake and Lindsay Degen of Knit Club, met the public. It turns out the two have a lot in common: both have studios in Olneyville, have taught at RISD, and make knitted garments, but the stores operate in different artistic dimensions. Pretty Snake feels a bit like Dali or maybe a party night with Hieronymus Bosch. Knit Club is light and simple; customers wind their own wool and there’s a Tuesday night knit club. Fox Point is changing – gentrifying, the sociologists say. A $900,000 home ask is commonplace. FPNA fights for historic preservation as the developers gather. But it is hip. – Peter Phipps
The Mile of History Association recognized for heritage work
The Annual Meeting of the Mile of History Association (MoHA) will take place at the Armory, 176 Benefit Street, on Sunday, October 29, at 5pm. Directors will be elected for the coming year and attendees will hear the progress of projects and activities. Neighbors are encouraged to meet, mingle, and enjoy refreshments. MoHA is proud to announce that GoProvidence selected the association to receive its 2024 James McCarvill Leadership Award, recognizing MoHA’s Heritage Signage project. The award, named for the late executive director of the RI Convention Center Authority, recognizes a person or group that has shown outstanding community leadership benefitting the tourism industry. The event was celebrated on September 17 at the Rhode Island Convention Center.
Summit Neighborhood gears up for Fall Cook-Off and board involvement
The Summit Neighborhood Association (SNA) is gearing up for our annual Fall Cook-Off, scheduled for Thursday, October 24, with the location to be determined. All are invited to attend and submit their favorite fall-themed dish to the competition. This year’s featured ingredient is cranberry! Attendees will vote on their favorites, and the most popular entrants will win fun prizes donated by local shops and merchants. The little ones (and big ones, if they are so inclined) are encouraged to come dressed in their Halloween finest. Follow for more details at Facebook: Summit Neighborhood Association. Whether you’re new to Summit and looking to meet people and get more involved in the community or are a long-time resident with a great idea for improving the neighborhood, SNA is seeking interested candidates to join the board. Those with a passion project in mind that they’d like help bringing to life or neighbors looking to connect with others to work on grassroots projects are encouraged to get involved. Joining the board is a great way to get to know the community and your neighbors, while volunteering on excellent projects like food pantry support, tree planting, street improvements, park development, the Rochambeau Library’s outside classroom, and so much more. For those interested in volunteering, email snaprov@gmail.com to join the newsletter delivery group, or for other volunteer opportunities as they arise.
Art studios Knit Club and Pretty Snake move into Fox Point
Providence Neighborhood Associations
BLACKSTONE PARKS CONSERVANCY
Jane Peterson
P.O. Box 603141
Providence, RI 02906
401-270-3014
BlackstoneParks@gmail.com
BlackstoneParksConservancy.org
COLLEGE HILL
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Rick Champagne
P.O. Box 2442
Providence, RI 02906
CHNA@chnaprovidence.org
CHNAProvidence.org
DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Kristin McGinn, President 401-580-2628
Facebook: Downtown Providence Neighborhood Association IG: @DNAPVD
Email: DNAPVD@gmail.com
ELMWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Jen Vincent
JenniferDaltonVincent@gmail.com
Facebook: Elmwood Neighborhood Association PVD
FOX POINT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Meeting Date: October 29
Peter Phipps
P.O. Box 2315
Providence, RI 02906
FoxPointNeighborhood@gmail.com
FPNA.net
JEWELRY DISTRICT ASSOCIATION
Sharon Steele
Sharon@sharonsteele.com
JewelryDistrict.org
Facebook: Jewelry District Association Providence, RI
MILE OF HISTORY ASSOCIATION
Meeting Date: October 14
Charles Hewitt, Secretary C/O One Governor Street, Providence
MOUNT HOPE COMMUNITY CENTER
401-521-8830
MHNAInc@gmail.com
Facebook: Mount Hope Neighborhood Association, Inc.
NORTH END NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Providence City Councilor Justin Roias 401-282-9978
JustinRoiasWard4@gmail.com
OLNEYVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Yuselly Mendoza, Program Director 401-228-8996
Yuselly@ona-providence.org
ONA-providence.org
PROVIDENCE COALITION OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS
Info@provcna.org ProvCNA.org
RESERVOIR TRIANGLE
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
David Talan
25 Santiago St., Providence, RI 02907
401-941-3662
DaveTalan@aol.com
SMITH HILL PARTNERS’ INITIATIVE
Wole Akinbi
400 Smith Street
Providence, RI 02908 Suite #1
AAkinbi@half-full.com
Facebook: Smith Hill Partners’ Initiative
SOUTH PROVIDENCE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 5653
Providence, RI 02903 • 401-369-1334
SouthProvNeighbors@gmail.com
Facebook: South Providence Neighborhood Association
SUMMIT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Meeting Date: October 21 P.O. Box 41092
Providence, RI 02940
SNAProv@gmail.com
SummitNeighbors.org
WASHINGTON PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
BettyLinda@aol.com
Facebook: Washington Park Association
WAYLAND SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Katherine Touafek
Facebook: Wayland Square Neighborhood Association WaylandSquareNeighbors@gmail.com
WEST BROADWAY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
1560 Westminster Street Providence, RI 02909
401-831-9344
WBNA@wbna.org • WBNA.org
Photo courtesy of GoProvidence
Roger Williams Park
DISCOVER CITY LIVING
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AMENITIES
Animal friendly Air conditioning Community room Fitness center
Game room
On-site parking
Patio & grill area
Theatre room
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The Must List
10 essential events this month
Through November 2: The annual Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular returns to the Roger Williams Park Zoo with the Trivia Edition, where visitors will face brain-teasing questions on pop culture, sports, history, and more while strolling past thousands of carved pumpkins. RWPZoo.org
October 3 : The Tedeschi Trucks Band , a Grammy Award-winning rock and soul powerhouse led by husband and wife guitarist Derek Trucks and singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi, makes a stop in Providence. TheVetsRI.com
October 5: The 10th annual Ocean State Oyster Festival , a celebration of RI’s favorite shelled delicacy, brings together dozens of local oyster farms, seafood vendors, beer and wine, live music, and more at a new location: 195 District Park. OysterfestRI.com
October 20-27: The national launch of Shucked , the Tony Award-winning musical comedy that tells the story of a town shielded from the outside world by a large wall of thriving corn, begins its run in Providence. PPACRI.org
October 5: Watch the Brown University football team, under coach James Perry, take on interstate rival Bryant University in a battle on the gridiron as the Bears fight their way to the top of the Ivy League. BrownBears.com
October 11-14 : The Columbus Day Weekend Festival on Federal Hill features live music, chef demonstrations, carnival rides, the annual parade, and a taste of the Hill’s many award-winning restaurants over the threeday holiday weekend. FederalHillProv.com
October 19: Held along Benefit Street, RISD Craft: Fall is a longstanding and vibrant showcase of handmade fine art and design work for sale by both juried alumni and current students. Cast your vote for the People’s Choice Award. RISDCraft.com
October 20: Museum Concerts presents the Latin-Baroque fusion ensemble Rumbarroco performing dynamic LatinAmerican dances and song-dances from the Renaissance to the present at the First Unitarian Church. MuseumConcerts.org
October 26: Bring the kids to the Halloween Extravaganza at Dexter Park, a day of allages fun, live music, an Art Marketplace by Haus of Codec, a beer garden from Moniker Brewery, food trucks, costume contests, and trick-or-treating. WBNA.org
October 27: Wear your Halloween costume for the Monster Dash 5K , one of the spookiest events of the running season for families, featuring a road race and a special children’s race for kids 12 and under. RunRhody.com
Photo courtesy of PPAC
L to R Alex Newell, Caroline Innerbichler, Kevin Cahoon, and Andrew Durand in Shucked by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
Ghosted!
TALES – AND 37 SITES ACROSS
RHODE ISLAND – TO GET YOUR FRIGHT ON
INCLUDES INTERVIEWS WITH AUTHORS AMY BRUNI, RORY RAVEN, AND CHRISTOPHER RONDINA
By Bob Curley, Abbie Lahmers, Emily Olson, Tony Pacitti, Faye Pantazopoulos, Julie Tremaine
over the years, we’ve covered countless tales of hauntings and spooky lore – a college dorm in Providence that was once a funeral parlor, evidence of witches marks in Little Compton, and sightings of a ghost girl in a Charlestown inn bedroom – to name a few. Leaving no stone unturned, our editors invite you to a spooky campfire chat – with flashlights held beneath our chins – in the pages of this magazine. From interviews with a TV personality whose livelihood is tracking spectral visitors to authors specializing in New England ghosts, and places to eat, drink, and stay where you might feel the brush of something otherworldly, it’s all right here.
GHOST HUNTING IN THE EAST BAY
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE LEGENDS AND LORE THAT HAUNT THE AREA
“I feel like this whole island is haunted,” says Amy Bruni, of Kindred Spirits and Ghost Hunters fame. She lists off a handful of Aquidneck Island sites, both well-known for their frights like White Horse Tavern and those less traversed by tourists – Miantonomi Tower, where public hangings once took place, and the supposed “blood alley” behind the Newport Opera House. Paranormal investigators like Bruni spend their careers not only communicating with the dead, but also ruminating over genealogical texts, court records, and house deeds. Visit any historical society in the area and it will become immediately clear – the East Bay is home to both hallowed grounds and the stuff of haunts and legends.
“Ghosts did bring me here,” says Bruni, who was drawn to spirits from a young age, a passion
her father helped foster by supplementing it with American history lessons. Often traveling from California to the East Coast to film Ghost Hunters , she met her significant other in Providence and settled down in Portsmouth. She jokes that this comes with the benefit of sleeping in her own bed after investigating nearby haunts, but it also means she’s never far from the region’s abundance of lore.
“There are little cemeteries everywhere, especially on Aquidneck Island,” Bruni says. “You can just pick one and learn fascinating things about a family there, like the Cornells. They’re buried behind a condo complex in Portsmouth.” She’s referring to the family who went down in infamy for Thomas Cornell’s alleged murder of his mother, Rebecca Cornell, in 1672. The kicker?
White Horse Tavern
The evidence leading to Thomas’ conviction and execution was purely spectral – the ghost of Rebecca appeared to her brother, John Briggs, with a message about the illicit nature of her death: “See how I was burnt with fire.”
It’s likely Thomas Cornell now rests beneath the Valley Inn Restaurant parking lot – apart from the family plot, of course.
Bruni investigated the Valley Inn for paranormal activity on both Kindred Spirits and her podcast, Haunted Road (and returns often for the stellar pizza), though the job takes her all over. She brings a uniquely thoughtful approach to coaxing out stories from the past.
“It’s just about humanizing the ghosts. I won’t claim to know exactly what a ghost is or speak in absolutes; I’m still not sure what we’re dealing with. But I just imagine, if someone were there in front of me, how would I treat them?” she says.
Bruni compares what they do to walking into a party where you don’t know anyone. In Kindred Spirits , you’ll see her and paranormal partner Adam Berry calmly, cautiously conferring with the spirit box – a means of getting on the ghosts’ wavelengths to hear what they have to say – and asking polite but probing questions, reading the room and feeling out the energy. “And it can be scary – sometimes, just like in day-to-day life, people don’t like a super cheerful lady walking in. Sometimes we’ll actually have homeowners or business owners introduce us to them. It’s just manners,” Bruni explains.
Bruni and Berry go where they’re invited, and the scope of their investigations varies. Sometimes it’s homes that are plagued with unexplained phenomena. In those cases, “I think a lot of it is understanding,” says Bruni. “To a family, they’re living with door slamming every day and footsteps and voices and that’s terrifying until maybe Adam and I come in and provide some perspective. Sometimes that’s all it takes.”
For locations steeped in history like Fort Adams or Rose Island, “There’s just so much information to draw on,” says Bruni. They conferred with Joan Quinn, a historian and haunted tour guide who has worked for the Newport Preservation Society, on their visit to Rose Island Lighthouse. A former lighthouse docent, Quinn is not only an expert on the island’s history but has also spent lots of time there.
“I feel like the lighthouse has always had a very friendly kind of feel,” says Quinn. “I would say it’s very spiritual, but there is some spooky stuff, too.” Two mass graves, barracks that once housed a cholera ward, and a deadly ship collision that happened close to its shores all make the small island a prime source for otherworldly activity; but inside the lighthouse itself, both Bruni’s team and Quinn detected the more peaceful presence of its
have claimed to feel the presence of its former keeper, Charles S. Curtis, still determined to keep the light on
Newport Historical Society offers a host of entertaining and educational tours this season
Visitors of Rose Island Lighthouse
long-time keeper. Charles S. Curtis is rumored to still make the trek up the stairs every night to turn the light on, and appearances of a child could be grandson Wanton Chase.
“Maybe some people get stuck, maybe it’s some kind of trauma, or maybe it’s, ‘oh I love this house, I never want to leave.’ I think Rose Island was very much that,” says Quinn. “I think he still wanted to do his job. It was that important.”
Quinn, who speaks of local history and paranormal encounters with both relish and reverence, absorbs tales relayed by guests in her Bristol and Warren haunted history tour groups and – with their permission – adds them to her repertoire of lore, which has expanded to become a sort of oral history collection of East Bay experiences over the years. She has witnessed glowing orbs in graveyards, heard doors slamming in the Rose Island barracks, and found mysterious streaks of light on photos. Others have entrusted her with stories of hearing Revolutionary War flutes in the Bristol Town Commons, apparitions on Tower Street, and other echoes of the past.
“Being a religion minor, it always made sense to me that there is another step after this, another reality, maybe,” says Quinn. “I always ask people on my tours, ‘are you believers?’ I don’t even know what I think, but there’s definitely something going on. What we see is very minimal of what is really out there.”
For investigators like Bruni and Quinn, the search for spirits begins in courthouses, historical societies, and libraries before ever setting foot inside a haunted house. And often, the discoveries made in old paper trails can be more rewarding than the lure of the supernatural. This is true for Marjory O’Toole, executive director of Little Compton Historical Society.
“I find a lot of what I do is start with the old histories and compare them to primary source documents and find that many of them need adjustment in order to be more factual, more accurate,” says O’Toole. “The legends are fascinating and often start with a grain of historical truth, but it’s really rewarding to try and discern what is truthful and what is legend.”
Even when ghosts can’t be conjured between the lines of historical records, there’s evidence of colonists’ superstitious belief found in small details like silver jewelry stuffed in children’s shoes and hidden behind fireplaces for protection, or circles and lines etched into wood to ward off witches.
Apotropaic marks, or witches’ marks, can be seen in Little Compton’s Wilbor House, on furniture originally from the Waite-Potter House in Westport, MA. “They were purposely
tangled marks and designs because that would help tangle up and catch the witch as she was trying to get into your house,” explains O’Toole. “New England colonists would try to protect themselves from evil spirits with these marks…we have this impression of Puritans as not being superstitious people but in reality, not everyone was a Puritan, and English colonists brought European superstitions with them to the New World.”
Their concern over evil spirits was deeply rooted. “I think it was a fear of things they couldn’t control or understand and attaching that fear to imaginary things like witches and spirits that would come and hurt them,” speculates O’Toole. “The real fear, the greatest fear of all, was illness. There’s no antibiotics; something as simple as strep throat could kill your children.
“And they feared the wrath of God. Quite sadly, there was also a belief that God was punishing them. The witches marks and hidden shoes weren’t connected to God – they were connected to the opposite of God: evil creatures, evil spirits.”
The story of Jonathan Dunham – known as Shingleterry – and Mary Rosse taps into New England’s obsession with witches. O’Toole recounts the story as it’s told in The Naked Quaker by Diane Rapaport. In the 1700s, across the street from the Quaker Meeting House in Little Compton, the crime-committing duo broke into the home of John and Elizabeth Irish, barricading their children inside and setting the house on fire. John Irish was able to rescue his children, and Shingleterry and Rosse were “turned over to the officials – local judges – who decided that they needed to be tied to the back of a wagon and whipped on their way
out of town. So they were sent out of town but not imprisoned,” explains O’Toole.
Tracing out-of-town court records, you can chart the pair’s destructive path, and eventually their crimes caught up to them – or at least to Rosse, who was declared a witch. “The court decided that Shingleterry was under Mary’s spell and he was innocent. From what I understand, he became a minister and had congregations down in the New Jersey/Maryland area, and I’m not sure what happened to Mary but I’m sure she wasn’t treated as well by the courts.”
Little Compton Historical Society, and its Wilbor House museum, is a bottomless well of these kinds of stories, as well as lesser-known tales of ordinary people living in the town at different periods of time. O’Toole notes the wealth of new information digitized records give us access to. “In the past, people would think, you can’t do the history of people of color in New England because there just aren’t any records. That’s simply not true. There are lots of records, but they’re hard to find, so it really comes down to how hard we are looking.”
It’s this process of uncovering the facts behind the myth that drew O’Toole to the field of history, though she doesn’t dismiss the tantalizing lore that circulates our region.
“The main thing is that the stories are really fun, and there’s nothing wrong with a story – even an exaggerated story – if it piques someone’s interest in the history,” she says, “but I think as interesting as the stories are on their own, it’s even more rewarding to try and do a little bit of digging to find the truth behind it.”
–Abbie Lahmers, The Bay , October 2022
STAY THE NIGHT
• Castle Hill Inn, Newport
• The Conjuring House, Burrillville
• General Stanton Inn, Charlestown With rich history comes the lore of the inn being haunted. So, are there ghosts? “Oh yes, three sets of ghosts have been reported,” co-owner Jackie Moore grins, explaining that the last General Stanton died at the inn in December of 1821 and is buried in the cemetery on the back lot of the property. “Guests over the years claimed to see him peering from a second-floor window and some said they felt a touch on their shoulder or a saw doorknob turn on its own.” Moore is quick to regale with more tales like a ship captain’s widow who died of a broken heart waiting for her husband who perished in the hurricane of 1815. “She can be seen in a long flowing white night dress on the third floor.” There’s also the story of a ghost-cat whose tail disappears around corners. “Bartenders have felt it brush up against their ankles and some have even heard it meowing.” –Faye Pantazopoulos, So Rhode Island , August 2023
• The Graduate, Providence
• Hamilton Hoppin House (AKA Villa 120), Newport
• Hotel Viking, Newport
• Rose Island Lighthouse
AMY BRUNI TEAMED UP WITH OUR FORMER EDITOR JULIE TREMAINE ON AN ESSENTIAL READ FOR GHOST HUNTERS WHO ARE ALSO FOODIES: FOOD TO DIE FOR: RECIPES AND STORIES FROM AMERICA’S MOST LEGENDARY HAUNTED PLACES, WHICH PAIRS TASTY RECIPES WITH TITILLATING TALES.
Early settlers scrawled witches marks into furniture and beams to ward off evil spirits
Photos (R) by Marjory O’Toole, (left) by Serena Parente Charlebois
SPOOKY SOUTH COUNTY
FROM GLOWING GHOST SHIPS TO VAMPIRES, A DEMON DOG, AND
MORE, RESIDENT GHOST WRITER CHRISTOPHER RONDINA SHARES TALES SURE TO GIVE YOU A FRIGHT
“Rhode Island doesn’t really have a monster story,” Rondina laments. His macabre mood lifts, however, when talk turns to the state’s abundant haunted sites, many inhabiting the historic villages and deep forests of Southern Rhode Island. “In some ways, I think Rhode Island is one of the spookiest states in New England, with woods full of old graveyards,” he says. And, he points out, we do have at least one paranormal pooch pawing around the ruins of an old fort in Jamestown. Buckle up for some South County sites worth visiting for a few genuine chills.
CAMP GREENE, COVENTRY
The Advent Christian Church began holding religious camp revival meetings in the village of Greene in the 1880s, and ruins of the former Camp Greene can be found in the woods off Hopkins Hollow Road. “Abandoned cabins, enormous crosses, and bat houses nailed to every tree – this decaying former religious retreat in one of Rhode Island’s most rural corners feels like the backdrop for a Stephen King novel,” says Rondina. “Urban legends persist regarding murderous camp counselors and other dark deeds, but these grim accounts seem more like campfire tales than genuine history. Even so, it’s not a place most people would linger after sundown.”
CHESTNUT HILL BAPTIST CHURCH CEMETERY, EXETER
Rhode Island has more than 2,800 historic cemeteries; #22 on Route 102 in Exeter is the final resting place of Mercy Brown, who died of tuberculosis in 1892. Suspected by her family of being a vampire, Mercy was exhumed and found to be weirdly well-preserved; in desperation, a piece of her heart was fed to her brother (also ill with the disease) in an attempt to ward off death.
“Mercy was one of a dozen such revenants thought to prowl the graveyards of Rhode Island between 1796 and 1892, a cursed history which may have inspired Bram Stoker, author of Dracula ,” says Rondina.
DEVIL’S FOOTPRINTS, NORTH KINGSTOWN
Devil’s Foot Road in North Kingstown runs along a granite ledge known as Devil’s Foot Rock, so named for a series of indentations attributed to Satan himself. “‘Old Scratch’ is said to have left footprints in the woods near Quonset while in pursuit of a virtuous native maiden in the 1600s, and his diabolical prints are still visible today,” says Rondina. The satanic stone is located just south of Quonset Point, off Route 1.
FORT WETHERILL, JAMESTOWN
Rhode Island may not have its own monster, but a demon dog is believed to wander the grounds of Fort Wetherill — a legend that Haunted Rhode Island author Thomas D’Agostino says could date back to British occupation of the fort during the Revolutionary War. Even if you don’t run into a spooky pup on your visit, it’s creepy enough to explore the ruined World War II-era fortifications, which include underground tunnels (technically) off limits to the public.
GREAT SWAMP MASSACRE SITE, SOUTH KINGSTOWN
Some spooky spots in South County have fanciful stories, but the terror and violence that took place in the Great Swamp in 1675 was all too real. In the middle of King Philip’s War, a colonial militia descended upon a peaceful encampment of the Narragansett tribe in South Kingstown and massacred hundreds of women and children, with many more dying after fleeing into the frozen swamp. The Great Swamp Fight Monument is located off Route 2, near the site of the fortress.
The five-minute film Ghost Poachers was filmed at Fort Wetherill
THE LADD SCHOOL, EXETER
Founded as The Rhode Island School for the Feeble-Minded in 1908, the Ladd School was essentially an overcrowded prison for the mentally ill and women accused of violating the morality codes of the day. This place of misery, neglect, and murder was finally razed in 2013, but not before being used as the setting of a horror movie called Exeter . “Haunted by dark memories and an aura of hopelessness, the site remains stigmatized to this day by its past,” Rondina says.
THE NARRAGANSETT RUNE STONE, NORTH KINGSTOWN
Two rows of Runic letters, visible only at low tide, were carved into a granite boulder on Pojac Point, some say by early Norse explorers. Nobody is quite sure where the carvings originated or what they mean, although the closest translation seems to be “screaming river.” The stone was relocated for safekeeping to Library Park in Wickford in 2015.
NATHANAEL GREENE HOMESTEAD, COVENTRY
The 1770 home of Rhode Island’s foremost Revolutionary War hero is one of a handful of haunted houses that are open to the public. Rondina says supernatural phenomena have reportedly included a baby carriage that moves by itself, the smell of baking bread from long unused ovens, and the sounds of militia members preparing for battle. Not for nothing did Greene himself refer to the place as “Spell Hall.”
OLD NARRAGANSETT CEMETERY, NORTH KINGSTOWN
Church cemeteries are consecrated ground, but what happens to the unfortunate souls buried in the churchyard if the church moves away? One of Rhode Island’s oldest cemeteries can be found off Shermantown Road, with headstones dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, but the Old Narragansett Church itself was spirited off to Wickford in 1799.
THE PALATINE LIGHT, BLOCK ISLAND
According to legend, wreckers lured the Dutch sailing ship Princess Augusta onto the rocks of Block Island in 1738; the ship burned and sank, costing the lives of dozens of passengers. Some of the dead, who hailed from the Palatine region of Germany, are buried on Block Island, and an eerily glowing ghost ship is said to visit the island’s shores each winter, “eternally seeking vengeance on the descendants of the wreckers who sealed her fate,” according to Rondina.
SMITH’S CASTLE, NORTH KINGSTOWN
At least two ghosts are believed to roam the halls of Smith’s Castle — perhaps not surprising for a building that dates back to 1678. The spirit of Elizabeth Singleton, a Newport woman who fell down a staircase and died after an overindulgence in rum, is said to be buried on the property and haunts the old building to this day. The building was once owned by the family of author John Updike, who used Wickford as the fictional inspiration for his book, The Witches of Eastwick – Bob Curley, So Rhode Island , 2020
Nathanael Greene Homestead also known as Spell Hall
Smith’s Castle is one of the oldest houses in the state
Photography by Nick DelGiudice
GHOST TOURS
• Block Island Ghost Tours
BlockIslandGhostTours.com
• Ghosts of Newport GhostsOfNewport.com
• Haunted Boat Rides ProvidenceRiverboat.com
• Haunted Bristol & Warren Tours
Facebook: Haunted Bristol Tours
• North Burial Ground ProvidenceRI.gov
• Providence Ghost Tour ProvidenceGhostTour.com
• Seaside Shadows Downtown
Westerly Ghost Tours
SeaSideShadows.com
FRIGHTFUL PLACES
• Cumberland Monastery
• Hearthside House
Lincoln
• Seaview Terrace
Newport
Long before Twilight , there was a TV show called Dark Shadows (1966 to 1971) and it used Seaview Terrace (or Burnhamby-the-Sea) as the exterior for fictional Collinwood Mansion, which in turn inspired Kingston Mansion for Shaggy and the gang in the “What the Hex Is Going On?” episode of ScoobyDoo, Where Are You!
• Sprague Mansion
Cranston
• Swan Point Cemetery
Providence
EAT, DRINK & BE EERIE
• Carriage Inn
North Kingstown
• Tavern on Main
Chepachet
• The Valley Inn
Portsmouth
• White Horse Tavern
Newport
RAVEN’S EYE-VIEW OF PVD
Rory Raven is an entertainer, tour guide, and author of the book Haunted Providence: Strange Tales from the Smallest State . In these tales from his book, Raven gives a peek beneath the veil to reveal a few ghostly happenings in our fair city.
If you find yourself on Benefit Street in the middle of the night and see a man in black walking down the street carrying a walking stick, it might be the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe. Although Poe didn’t die in Providence, he visited it several times while courting the poet Sarah Helen Whitman. Perhaps he still seeks her.
A lamplighter who lived off Benefit Street had a daughter who was gravely ill, but despite her plight, had dinner waiting for him every night when he got home. One afternoon, she died, and her distraught father laid her body in a coffin under a window that looked onto the street. Weeks passed, and the authorities were called and the girl was buried. People walking the street say they could sometimes see the girl’s face in the window peering out at passersby.
One night, two janitors were working in the Nightingale-Brown House, now the John Nicholas Brown Center, on Benefit Street. One of the janitors moved to turn off the lights that illuminated the sides of a portrait, but he heard a voice that said, “Don’t turn that light out!” He didn’t.
Two ghostly residents of Power Street are a mother and daughter who died in a house fire. A second house was built on the footprint of theirs, and people say they can see the figures of the two women sitting on the steps and crying. When approached, they disappear and leave behind the scent of smoke.
A modern family that lived in the BicknellArmington Lightning Splitter House on Pawtucket Avenue reported several ghostly happenings in the home built in the late 1700s. They noted wine and liquor glasses being broken about once a month during their time in the home. Sometimes they heard them break from the other room, and once during a party, a guest had a glass knocked from her hand by something unseen. –Emily Olson
PECULIAR PROVIDENCE
WHEN A CITY HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1636, IT’S SURE TO HAVE SOME SKELETONS IN ITS CLOSET
Providence Athenaeum
North Burial Ground is known to host Halloween and Dia de los Muertos events
PROVIDENCE ATHENAEUM
If you work in a library beloved by both H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe, you have to expect the occasional haunting. Poe in particular left a significant impression, as the Athenaeum was where he courted – and was later dumped by – Sarah Helen Whitman. Poe died not long after they parted ways, and Whitman is said to have summoned his spirit in the library. Decades later, a man was found sleeping on the Athenaeum steps. When asked to move, he proceeded to yell, “The Conqueror Worm!” – the title of one of Poe’s poems – before vanishing into thin air.
DEXTER HOUSE, PROVIDENCE
This current RISD dorm was once a funeral home and morgue, where the wake of none other than H.P. Lovecraft was held. It’s also purported to be one of the earliest sites in the country where embalming was practiced, so naturally it’s just a little bit haunted. RISD students have reported the usual paranormal activity, but nothing sounds quite as terrifying as waking up in the middle of the night to find your sheets pulled tight and the indentation of a ghost sitting on the edge of your bed.
UNIVERSITY HALL, BROWN UNIVERSITY
The building that currently houses Brown University’s administration, including the university’s president, was once the entirety of the Brown campus. During the Revolutionary War, the building was used as a hospital facility for colonial and French troops; you don’t need to know much about 18th-century medicine to know that a lot of soldiers died there. Faces have been seen peering through windows at night, surveying the Ivy League quad from beyond the grave.
BENEFIT AND THOMAS STREETS, PROVIDENCE
Benefit Street is lousy with ghosts. Why? Because when the city was expanding in its early days, the bodies that had once been buried in people’s backyards had to be moved. Of course the city missed a few corpses – some things never change. Thomas Street has a few specific hauntings of note. One is in the eye-catching Fleur de Lys Studio, which is frequented by the ghost of a woman named Angela O’Leary. After her affair with a married mentor turned sour, Angela killed herself in the studio, where she had appeared as an apparition and, during renovations years ago, left handprints in the sawdust. Thomas Street is also home to a ghost who has been seen dancing in the street. Believed to be the resident of one of the street’s old boarding homes, she’s generally pleasant – the Casper of Providence, if you will. – Tony Pacitti & Julie Tremaine, Providence Monthly , 2017
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An architect connects a new home with its seaside surroundings
By Andrea E. McHugh
Him: a bachelor-entrepreneur of discerning taste who bought a plot of land in Charlestown with visions of a coastal-meets-contemporary home capable of capturing the far-off ocean views and comfortably able to host his four adult children for respites by the sea. Her: a visionary architect with an enviable international portfolio, a finely tuned eye for detail, contemporary aesthetic, and passion for sustainable design. Together, they created a sleek four-bedroom, four-bathroom home with cool vibes, a sense of place, and the embodiment of casual, seaside living through an entirely contemporary lens.
When the client first approached Sarah Jefferys Architecture + Interiors, a New York City-based boutique design firm with projects in Rhode Island and beyond, the challenge was clear. The two-acre property he bought was on a low plot of land, and while there were ocean views, they were distant and camouflaged in the wooded expanse – hardly ideal. But Jefferys, principal of the namesake design firm she founded in 2001, was unbothered by these hurdles. Instead, she identified the highest point of the acreage and creatively designed a spacious, efficient home perched well above ground level, positioned with a tilt to capture the best angle for embracing ocean vistas.
Jefferys designed the 3,800-square-foot home’s exterior to appear as though it’s floating above the land, mimicking a ship sailing on the sea. Anchored by light concrete walls on the exterior of the bottom level, the base is slightly tapered to reinforce the gravity-defying nature of the facade. Deep gray siding cradles the exterior of the second and third floors, creating depth and dimension amid the backdrop of surrounding nature, with the gray hue a nod to
classic New England salt boxes that typically pepper its shorelines. The crowning piece is a private roof deck off the main bedroom, purposefully situated to have an unobstructed sightline to Block Island. Inside, the open-plan ground floor holds the living room, dining area, and kitchen, married by white oak flooring throughout and seamlessly continuing to the kitchen cabinets. Light is reflected from every angle, amplified by white walls, a high-gloss white kitchen
Inside, white oak flooring and kitchen cabinets, white walls, and minimalist furnishings in neutral tones radiate a contemporary, airy allure parallel to the beach beyond
A floor-to-ceiling poured concrete fireplace is a nod to the captivating rocks that surround the home, forming a focal point in the living room, where a low sectional and lounge chair by Italian furniture designer Giorgio Soressi is sleek but not a museum piece – it’s meant to be lived in, to welcome all who enter. Altogether, the atmosphere is muted but modern, calming but contemporary, elegant but airy – a summation of upscale living but with a clear invitation to take off your shoes and get comfortable.
“This was an exciting project where we had the fun opportunity to introduce a modern, sculptural home in a coastal context,” reflects Jefferys. “ It’s quite unlike a traditional beach home yet still speaks to its surroundings.”
With light concrete and gray siding, the home’s facade forgoes traditional New England notions with a softened, brutalist approach and nautical elements that seemingly float in the elevated hills
Carefully curated materials and an organic color palette create a warm ocean-front retreat as luxe as its adjacent boutique hotels
Get Rhody Style
Ideas and resources for making the most of living in the Ocean State.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Jefferys took cues from beachy, traditional designs throughout the Rhode Island shore, and reimagined the home with an entirely contemporary lens. Learn more at SJDNY.com
Ready for the Elements
To create the illusion that the top two floors of the home are floating above the ground, Jefferys used deep gray modern fiber cement siding by James Hardie on the exterior of the second and third floors. Engineered to resist water and humidity and to withstand worst-case weather (from hurricanes and rain storms to extreme heat and hail), the siding is forecast-friendly.
Nature vs. Nurture
Jefferys says the facade of the home forgoes traditional New England notions with a softened, brutalist approach and nautical elements, calling it an innovative approach to coastal home design in New England. She sourced lumber, decking, railings, and more materials locally from Riverhead Building Supply in Westerly.
Photography by Morten Smidt, courtesy of Sarah Jefferys Design
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Gardens Get Goth
Moody and mysterious blooms are having a moment in the sun
By Elyse Major
The term “goth” signals different things to different people. Architecture admirers may conjure images of pointed arches on churches, medieval castles, and even fanciful cottages of the gothic style, while literary buffs are sure to recall the haunting, gruesome tales of Edgar Allan Poe (a frequent visitor to the Providence Athenaeum), and musicians may hear Bauhaus’ nine-minute 1979 release, “Bela Lugosi’s
Dead.” For those who dig all things earthly and eerie, there’s goth gardening.
Unlike chaos gardens, where all kinds of plants are encouraged to grow wild, or poison paths, which is more of a witch’s formulary or potager, the goth garden focuses on dramatic flowers with dark, velvety, or intricately shaped or veined petals and leaves. Pass by sunny daisies at your local garden center and instead seek varieties where even the names are macabre, such as Black Magic
cosmos, Penny Black nemophila, and Dracula celosia. Once the planting is done, continue to layer ambiance with black gravel or dark paver pathways, and embellish the space with ornamental accents like rusted bird cages, sections of moss-covered iron gates, statuary shaped like gargoyles and angels, or broken doll parts.
“Any kind of adornments that can make a plant look a little monstrous are always fun,” begins Nicky Borden, community and
Photo (L) by Elyse Major
A dramatic bouquet of branches, stems, dahlias, rye grass, dried garlic, corkscrew willow, scabiosa, English ivy, echinacea seed heads, styled by Mapleville Farm
GETTING STARTED
Early fall is a great time to buy potted flowers and plants at a reduced rate. Let your eye guide you to dark shades of burgundy and scarlet petals, dark foliage, and fearsome fronds. Find stems, statuary, seeds, and more at these places around the state:
Alchemy-Works.com**
Cottage & Garden* , Newport
The Farmer’s Daughter* , Wakefield
The Floral Reserve , Providence
Hilltop Garden Center* , Smithfield
Mapleville Farm , Mapleville
Stamp Farms , Cranston
Veiled Crow** , Warwick
Wildwood Nursery & Garden Center* , East Greenwich
*Statuary **Witch goods
administrative director at Four Buds Floral Studio in Providence. “Whether it’s doll arms or lizard eyes glued to a little chunk of moss on a stake, we love dressing plants up for spooky season.” Last year the Wickenden Street business did a pop-up market at North Burial Ground, a 300-year-old cemetery on Branch Avenue boasting 110 acres and 40,000 gravestones. “We used our most goth plant selections! We also used creepy doll heads to create little dried
Monkshood, AKA wolfsbane, devil’s helmet, or blue rocket, is part of the Ranunculaceae family and extremely poisonous
PRACTICAL MAGIC
ADVICE FROM EMMA ECHT, FLOWER GROWER AT MAPLEVILLE FARM
“For a goth garden set in partial shade, some good options are a Postman Joyner Caladium or a Dark Star Alocasia; both are grown for their beautiful foliage and unusual dark petioles (stalks). English ivy is simple to grow in containers and can add a dramatic spilling effect. Try a Mahogany Splendor hibiscus, which is grown for its richly colored foliage with a maple leaf appearance and sturdy stems perfect for bouquets, or a Red Spike amaranth with its dark red feathery plumes. Dahlias are one of my favorite flowers for a dark, moody bouquet. There are several that come in tones ranging from deep crimson to almost black; look for varieties like Thomas Edison, Black Jack, or Kenora Macob. Red Malabar spinach, which is primarily grown as an edible vining plant, has gorgeous red tendrils and spiky black fruit clusters –they are visually interesting as well as delicious! For wet areas, corkscrew willow stays October-creepy all year round!” BensBakery.com
arrangements with our popular handmade mushroom figurines, and assembled things like ‘cemeterrariums’ with handmade mini tombstones in glass coffins,” says Borden.
Artist, author, and witch Laura Tempest Zakroff grows a mix of both poison (datura, henbane, monkshood) and pretty (foxglove, hollyhock, black petunias) in her Providence garden, which she describes as “a variety of medicinal plants and those that are purely aesthetic,” as well as being a
“feast for the senses.” An avid gardener, Zakroff grows herbs for cooking, healing, and those used in spellcraft. A standout bloom in her garden is the Angel’s Trumpet or Brugmansia. “They are among the most toxic of the ornamental plants,” she explains. Part of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), their large pendulous flowers can reach up to 20 inches in length. “Folks may wonder what I ‘do’ with such poisonous plants,” teases Zakroff. “I simply enjoy growing them.”
Laura Tempest Zakroff admires the Angel’s Trumpet in her garden
Meet Meredith Ewenson
This mindful Newport-based marketer from Chicago wants you to follow her – outdoors
By Ella Corrao & Julia Deal
What inspired you to start making content about nature, hiking, and mindfulness?
I’ve been a yoga teacher for 10 years, and mindfulness in my everyday life has become the most impactful element of my practice. I’ve always loved wildlife and nature, but it was a handful of years ago when I started taking walking meditations in nature, that I really felt a deep sense of connection and meaning by blending the two of these together. I started intentionally exploring more hikes and outdoor spaces, and then sharing those experiences and lessons that I thought would benefit others. This led me to create things like my Rhode Island Hiking Collective group and my international group hiking trips – both aimed at bringing like-minded people together outdoors in an intentional, immersive environment.
You’ve had adventures in Machu Picchu and soon Patagonia. What do you find special about hiking in Rhode Island?
My favorite part is the abundance of hikes with ocean and water views; you just don’t get that in many other places. I think Rhode Island is pretty under the radar when it comes to hiking, so it’s pretty easy to enjoy trails without crowds. For the most part, trails are clean and free of litter, which I know can be a problem in other places.
What are some of your favorite Ocean State hikes?
Cliff Walk in Newport, Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown, Beavertail Loop Trail in Jamestown, Rodman’s Hollow and Clay Head Trails in Block Island, Goddard Memorial State Park Trails in Warwick, Claire D. Mcintosh Wildlife Refuge Trail in Bristol, Touisset Marsh Wildlife Refuge Trail in Warren, and so many more!
When not traversing trails, what are your go-to places to eat, shop, play?
I love Nitro Bar for a hot matcha or chai latte, Tallulah’s Tacos (especially the seasonal location in Jamestown), Bar ‘Cino and La Vecina in Newport for dinner, Wag Nation for healthy dog treats for Winnie, and newportFILM for documentaries.
What does a perfect day look like for you?
My favorite way to start the day is grounded in stillness and quiet in nature. I love to go to watch the sunrise at Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge in Middletown. I look for wildlife, sometimes take photos, and generally just soak in the moment. As a pretty extreme morning person, my favorite part of the day is generally before most people are awake. Learn more on Instagram @MeredithEwenson
Photography by Jennifer Manville, courtesy of Meredith Ewenson
Rhody Reads
Six books by local authors sure to inspire natural wanderlust
By Hugh Minor
October is the best time to experience the natural surroundings of New England. It’s neither cooler, nor warmer: it’s all that. Whether you’re reading in the yard, on the beach, or from the comfort of your living room couch, these six books by local authors will inspire your wanderings out into the fresh, crisp air that arrives every fall.
Hit the road with the windows down and the music blasting with East Coasting by Providence-based author Christine Chitnis as your guide. Beautifully illustrated by Monica Dorazewski, the book highlights destinations both familiar and off the beaten path, from Connecticut to Canada and everywhere in between. Spoiler alert: Rhode Island lighthouses are gorgeously illuminated.
Massachusetts native Ben Shattuck’s observations on nature and life are engaging and inspiring. Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau expounds upon the travels he takes throughout New England to clear his mind. In the process, he discovers his true self, meets wife-tobe Jenny Slate, and learns more about the people and the land around him, including a bit of history from Rhode Island, both recent and long past.
In his second novel, Ordinary Bear , Rhody-transplant C.B. Bernard delves deep into what’s at the heart of grief and healing. Set on the other side of the content in Alaska and Portland, Oregon, places he called home for years, the book addresses one of the most basic human needs: hope. Written with tones of mystery and dark humor, Bernard leaves the reader reflecting on ways they’ve overcome loss and what they’ve done to recover from tragedy.
SHOP INDIE
A statewide listing of Rhode Island booksellers:
Aerial Books
Providence, AerialBooks.com*
Arc{hive} Book + Snackery
Warren, ArchiveBookSnackery
The bicycle has continued to evolve as an accessible way to explore the outdoors since it was first invented in the early 1800s. In Mile Markers , our former editor, writer, and filmmaker Robert Isenberg of Cranston presents a celebration of this traditional means of recreation with his own unique perspective. From working as a bike messenger to teaching his own son to ride, Isenberg mixes joy with humor while expounding on this vehicle’s important legacy.
Instilling in young people an interest in outdoor adventures is critical in these times when they spend countless hours scrolling and staring at screens. With Adventures at Bramble Woods , 13-year-old author Nicholas Bramble of Warwick introduces us to Mr. Nick and his close-knit group of friends who come together to restore a rustic resort. Can they make Bramble Woods thrive again like it did in its heyday? Put on your work gloves, then pick up a copy to find out.
The story of David Attenborough’s mission to save our planet is presented for younger audiences in Wild Places by Haley Rocco and her husband, Caldecott Honoree John Rocco. With his lush illustrations and her gentle storytelling, children will not only learn about the diversity of the planet but also understand the importance of preserving and protecting every single species.
Please consider patronizing your local independent bookstore when making book purchases
Barrington Books BarringtonBooks.com
BaySpray Warwick, BaySprayRetail.com*
Books on the Square Providence, BookSq.com
Brown University Bookstore Providence, Bookstore.Brown.edu
Island Books Middletown, IslandBooksRI.indielite.org
Island Bound Bookstore
Block Island, IslandBoundBookstore.com
Lovecraft Arts & Sciences Providence, WeirdProvidence.org
Martin House Books Westerly, MartinHouseBooks.com
Mary’s Paperbacks
Warwick
Paper Nautilus Books Providence, PaperNautilusBooks.com
Riffraff Bookstore + Bar Providence, RiffRaffPVD.com
Stages of Freedom Providence, StagesOfFreedom.org
Stillwater Books Warwick, StillwaterBooksRI.com
Symposium Books Providence, SymposiumBooks.com
Twenty Stories Providence, TwentyStoriesLA.com
Wakefield Books
WakefieldBooks.com
*Online sellers
Cold Brook Cafe
Restaurant
What it is:
A family-owned breakfast and lunch spot.
Where to find it:
Look for the green house at the intersection of Danielson Pike and Route 116. Parking is behind the store, but enter through the front door while the back entrance is currently being renovated. An “open” flag and sandwich board confirm you’ve arrived.
What makes it a Rhody Gem?
Love a good latte, hearty breakfast, or savory sandwich? Head to Scituate to find Cold Brook Cafe. Open seven days a week, this charming spot is owned and run by longtime local restaurateurs Elias and Beverly Najjar. To the couple, the key to running their successful cafe is consistency. “From the coffee and teas to everything [Elias] cooks and bakes with the chefs, everything comes out consistent,” says Beverly. “Every single thing is put together the right way.” The couple appreciates their hardworking staff, who serve up good vibes with each order. “It’s not always easy,” says Elias, “but you know what? We’re serving great people and we love doing it. You gotta love what you do.”
The cafe is open Monday through Saturday 7am-2pm, and Sunday 8am-1pm, so plan accordingly to visit during the Scituate Art Festival (October 12-14).
Every neighborhood has that secret, hidden, cool and unusual, or hole-in-the-wall spot that locals love. We’re on the hunt for Rhody Gems! Email Elyse@HeyRhody.com to suggest yours and we just might feature it!
by Ella
Photo
Corrao
FEATURE
Paranormal Providence
Guided tours let specter seekers encounter ghosts and history
By Emily Olson
In the days before cars lined the narrow streets of the East Side, one afternoon little George Kelly was traveling along in a horse-drawn carriage. Tragically, the carriage careened out of control and the eight-year-old was thrown from it. He was killed instantly. Could his tragic death be the reason why George Street pedestrians sometimes hear the phantom clip-clop of hooves or catch a glimpse of a ghostly carriage?
Courtney Edge-Mattos, founder of Providence Ghost Tour, the longest running tour in Providence, thinks so.
“After I encountered rumors of the ghostly carriage, I started looking at death records and found George’s story,” says Edge-Mattos, explaining her research-based approach to the paranormal. “I’m a hopeful skeptic. I believe in ghosts, but I like to start with logic.”
Photo courtesy of Providence Ghost Tour
Courtney Edge-Mattos
Before launching Providence Ghost Tour with her former business partner in 2007, Edge-Mattos became a sponge for local ghostly lore. “We dove in everywhere that we found leads. We looked for stories in books and magazines, newspapers, and documentaries. We put fliers on doorways and telephone poles asking people to contact us with their stories,” she says. After collecting tales from Providence’s rich base of paranormal activity, she cross-referenced them with the city’s death records, seeking tales of unexpected or sudden deaths that could result in a haunting. The result of her research is what she calls a death database, which fuels many of the stories she tells on her walking and boating tours.
Providence Ghost Tour’s 10 guides offer several options to the ghost-curious. There’s a year-round tour that meets at Prospect Terrace Park before wending its way through the streets that surround Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design. Although the route is the same, tours change as stories told shift with the whims of the spirits. Edge-Mattos also partners with Providence River Boat Company and Gondola Providence to offer haunted boat rides. “The trips are so ethereal,” says Edge-Mattos. “You have the atmosphere of the bridges and the streetlamps. You’re almost waiting for Dracula to swoop down!”
TANTALIZING TOURS
Providence Ghost Tour offers lanternlit guided walks nightly throughout October, as well as Investigation Tours with Deb Vickers, private groups, and history tours on select nights. If spooky month isn’t your season, watch for a new tour in November focused on Providence’s Christmas history. Edge-Mattos explains, “In the 1600s, it was considered pagan and lower class to celebrate Christmas. Even Christmas carolers were considered tacky. They would burst into people’s houses and not leave until they got their figgy pudding. It was like a holiday home invasion!”
Photo courtesy of Providence Ghost Tour
Brown U’s Carrie Tower after dark
ELISE PENN PANSEY
Edge-Mattos introduces tour guests to the city’s denizens of the night
Edge-Mattos has a lovely way of respecting the humanity of the spirits she visits on her walking tours. She describes one spirit she stopped visiting because it was interacting in unpleasant ways with those on tour. “I didn’t think that continuing to visit was respectful either to the spirit or to my guests,” she says. “I try to lead with a lot of heart.” But for the most part, Edge-Mattos and her guests have pleasant experiences with the spirits on her tour.
“My ghosts are kept here by love. A building, a person they left behind, love for theater, love for art. That’s what keeps spirits here.”
Photos courtesy of Providence Ghost Tour
Brown University campus
These spirits interact in a way that makes Edge-Mattos feel as if she’s building relationships with them. “I’ve had gentle touches on the shoulder where it seems like they’re saying ‘thank you,’” she says, and describes one very active spirit who seems delighted with her visits. “She gives off the warmest, most joyful energy, like she’s excited to finally be acknowledged.”
Building relationships across planes of existence may seem far-fetched, but the investigative tour Edge-Mattos conducts in partnership with paranormal investigator
Deb Vickers might prove otherwise. Vickers occasionally joins the tour with equipment in hand that allows her to confirm the presence of spirits or even interact with them. “I bring a voice recorder and sometimes a spirit will come through, or I’ll have yes-or-no conversations with spirits using dowsing rods,” says Vickers. Dowsing rods are L-shaped metal bars investigators hold in two hands. Believers say that spirits will cross the two rods together to indicate a “yes” answer and move them apart to indicate “no.”
Edge-Mattos and Vickers had a particularly hair-raising experience when they were outside of the Providence Athenaeum one evening with a spirit box, an AM/FM sweep radio that cycles through radio frequencies; sometimes spirit voices come through be -
tween frequencies. “We were sitting together on a stone bench, and Deb was encouraging any spirits in the area to talk to us,” says Edge-Mattos. “I was super skeptical. But then she said to them, ‘You know Courtney,’ and very clearly, the word ‘Edge’ came through.”
Vickers remembers the night well. “We spend so much time with these spirits that they become familiar with us. They’re like friends,” she says. Later that night, the duo visited University Hall, the oldest building on the Brown University campus that once served as a hospital for French soldiers during the Revolutionary War. “The spirits kept asking through the spirit box, ‘Where’s Mike?’” possibly referring to Edge-Mattos’ former business partner who loved visiting that particular building.
Photo courtesy of Providence Ghost Tour
Paranormal investigator Deb Vickers, photographed with a mysterious orb
Edge-Mattos has been drawn to the vivid and intense spirit encounters at University Hall lately, but her favorite spirit was that of Ann Mary Brown, who has grown quiet over the years, leading Edge-Mattos to believe she’s moved on. “She was dear and lovely,” she says. Brown was not a healthy woman, and when she passed away, her spirit tethered itself to the memorial her husband built for her. “She guarded that place so diligently and exuded strength I’m sure she couldn’t have shown in
her human body but could in her afterlife.”
Edge-Mattos frequently refers to the spirits she visits as “my ghosts” and seems to feel a responsibility to them. Once a year, she and her guides visit Swan Point Cemetery and North Burial Ground to deliver flowers to those whose stories she tells as a measure of gratitude. But they were never able to find little George Kelly’s headstone. “We knew he was in Swan Point,” says Edge-Mattos, “but we couldn’t find him.” One day, she and her guides
were in Swan Point delivering flowers when one guide, Kelly, tripped and face-planted on the ground. The other guides gathered around to help her and see what caught her foot. It was the little boy’s grave marker. Edge-Mattos describes the poignant moment. “We like to say George Kelly grabbed our Kelly so he could get his flowers.” And every year since then, he has.
PROVIDENCE GHOST TOUR
401-484-8687 • ProvidenceGhostTour.com
Photo courtesy of Providence Ghost Tour
Tour guides (L to R) Stephanie, Courtney, and Kelly
FOOD & DRINK
Experience | Recipe | In The Kitchen | Food Trends
Seeing Red
Craft cocktails and late-night bites are the key to a city escape
By Kou Tukala Nyan
Though a little off the downtown beaten path on Peck Street, The Red Door is easy to spot for its namesake feature and swinging sign with a keyhole. Once you set foot through the bright crimson entrance, you’re transported to a dimly lit, moody yet welcoming space for eclectic drinks, creative bites, and music. Flickering candles adorn the tables, and angular lights hang from the ceiling between exposed metal beams, teasing a modern yet industrial aesthetic and illuminating the vast lower-level bar area where we were seated. Upstairs is an intimate event venue, and an outside patio where live jazz takes place every Monday.
The Red Door proudly enters its fourth year of business in November. Owner and musician Phil Martelly gigged for decades while working as a contractor. When he learned that one of his favorite spots to play, Red Fez, was for sale, he and his cousin, Chris Martelly, and their friend Matt Dawson (State Representative for District 65) bought the building and renamed it The Red Door.
Photo courtesy of The Red Door
RI Coffee Milk Creme Brûlée
Our bartender Cassandra started us with two delicious tequila drinks: Death of Common Sense, which had a lovely, almost floral, minty aroma that tasted sweet and a little sour; and the Lo$t Tropics, a balanced blend of fruity passionfruit with vanilla and coconut notes.
For appetizers, we started with the Steak Skewers – the smokey, juicy bites of steak were wonderfully complemented by a creamy mint sauce and herbal rosemary and garlic seasoning. Next was the Fried Shoestring Pickles with sriracha aioli dip, which were absolutely addictive. Thinly sliced pickles were coated with crispy, seasoned batter and served with a dipping sauce that has a yummy, spicy kick to it; I was so obsessed that I dipped my steak in it, too.
Backyard Sliders
Photo courtesy of The Red Door
Fried Shoestring Pickles
A menu of entrees offers elevated yet approachable bar fare. My niece ordered the Backyard Sliders with cheese, which came with hot, crispy fries and ketchup. The well-seasoned beef patties were tender and juicy despite their small size. My Sweet Heat Chicken Bites came with a lime crema on the side, offering a pleasing adventure for the taste buds when paired with the breaded and fried boneless chicken. Sweetened by pineapple salsa and spiced with sweet chili sriracha, it lived up to its name.
Finally, chef Misty Rae insisted on one final course: desserts. My niece enjoyed the richness
Photo courtesy of The Red Door
Steak Skewers
Sweet Heat Chicken Bites
Must-Try Items
FRIED SHOESTRING PICKLES
($10) Fried pickles and sriracha aioli sauce
STEAK SKEWERS ($16) Garlic and rosemary skewers with house mint yogurt dip
SWEET HEAT CHICKEN BITES
($14) Fried boneless chicken bites, sweet chili sriracha sauce, lime crema, and pineapple salsa
CUISINE: Creative cocktails and elevated pub fare
ATMOSPHERE: Music-forward bar
of Grandma Helen’s Cheesecake, while I tucked into the RI Coffee Milk Creme Brûlée, which, simply put, was a dream. Once cutting through the crunchy coffee caramel top, I was treated to the fluffy, creamy vanilla interior, and the best iteration of coffee milk I’ve ever had. Whether starting up or rounding out a great night on the town, The Red Door is a destination for foodies and music lovers alike.
The Red Door
49 Peck Street
753-9800 • RedDoorPVD.com
Grandma Helen’s Cheesecake
Move over pie, easy-to-make pumpkin hummus is a colorful addition to fall grazing
By Liz Murray
F Seasonal Snacking
all’s favorite gourd isn’t just for jack-o-lanterns and pies –this dip brings the rich, sweet and savory flavors of autumn in New England to the snack table. Sauteed caramelized pumpkin meets the warmth of garlic and spices in this unique hummus recipe that teases the colors of the changing foliage, too.
PUMPKIN PERFECT
Whether going for a drive to countless pickyour-own farms just outside city limits or browsing a farmers market, make a festive day of selecting fresh ingredients for a fall fete. These markets keep their season going strong into October. Find more at FarmFreshRI.org.
ARMORY PARK
Thursdays, 3-7pm, through October 31
BROAD STREET
Saturdays, 8am-12pm, through October 26
HOPE STREET FARMERS MARKET
Saturdays, 9am-2pm, through October 26
NEUTACONKANUT PARK
Mondays, 2-6pm, through October 28
INGREDIENTS
• 15 oz. can of organic pumpkin puree
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Photo by Liz Murray Pumpkin Hummus
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced or pressed through a garlic presser
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp coriander
• 15 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed
• 2 Tbsp tahini
• 2 Tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• ½ tsp table salt
STEPS
1. Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium-high heat (it’s important that it is non-stick). Once hot, add the olive oil and allow it to heat up before adding in the pumpkin puree. Saute the pumpkin for four minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
2. Add in the garlic, paprika, and coriander and continue to stir for another minute before taking the pan off of the heat and allowing it to cool.
3. While the pumpkin is cooling, rinse the chickpeas, reserving some of the liquid they are packaged in, and add them to the food processor. Add in the tahini, lemon juice, and salt. Once the pumpkin puree has cooled, add it to the food processor.
4. Process until a smooth hummus forms. You may need to add 1 tablespoon of the chickpea liquid or regular water if it is too thick.
5. Spread into a serving bowl and drizzle with more olive oil and the toppings of your choice, such as a sprinkle of paprika and parsley for color. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
Inspiring the inner promise of each student
Moses Brown provides an education that is time-tested, fully immersive, and ever more relevant to today’s world. Learn more about our distinctive academic, advising, arts, and athletic programs and the people that make our community thrive.
For more healthy recipes and cooking videos, visit RecipeHippie.com.
Recipe for Success
The entrepreneur behind Rhody’s popular meal delivery service dishes about her new cookbook
By Jenny Currier Shand
Warren native Maggie Mulvena Pearson finds it ironic that her business, Feast & Fettle, which now serves over 10,000 members across six states and inspired her forthcoming The Feast & Fettle Cookbook: Unlock the Secret to Better Home Cooking , originated in her hometown. “It’s funny because as a high school student, I was like, ‘I’m never staying in Rhode Island,’ and now Feast & Fettle is deeply rooted in Rhode Island,” she says with a laugh.
Feast & Fettle launched in 2016 out of Hope & Main after Pearson graduated from Johnson and Wales University in Providence. While studying culinary nutrition there, Pearson worked as a nanny for a family in Barrington. “The mom I worked for was a physician in Providence, and she had three
young children. I made them dinner every night, packed lunches every day. As someone who didn’t have kids yet, it opened my eyes to the struggles families go through.”
Pearson was managing everything food-related, from shopping for ingredients to prepping and storing meals for the week. She started branching out to see if other households were seeking help preparing meals. “I immediately got 50 replies, which made me realize this is a really needed service.”
This was in 2014, before meal kit services had gained popularity, and fully-cooked meal delivery services weren’t even on the radar. “I kept getting more and more requests from families, and I had to make a decision: do I take on more families, or do I start a meal delivery service?” Thankfully for the thousands of families she now serves, she chose the latter.
Chicken Thighs from Pearson’s new cookbook
Photos by Kristin Teig, styled by Catrine Kelty, courtesy of Feast & Fettle
FOOD & DRINK
Pearson’s cookbook, which comes out on October 15, was inspired by her experience at Feast & Fettle, from members who requested her recipes. “Writing a cookbook was definitely a bucket list item for me,” Pearson explains, “but I didn’t know how to go about it. Most cookbook deals are granted to celebrities or people with hundreds of thousands of followers.” Fortuitously, she had been following another Rhode Island writer, Christine Chitnis (author of Patterns of Portugal ), on social media for years, and when Chitnis began offering coaching, Pearson jumped at the opportunity.
“I had just had my second son, and Feast
& Fettle was in a position where I could step away from business operations for a while to focus on writing a book. My publisher asked me, ‘How involved are you in the company? Because this is a pretty hefty commitment,’ but I was able to complete it during my maternity leave, even though it turned out to be a two-to-three year process.”
The Feast & Fettle Cookbook is uniquely organized into nine chapters based on seasoning method, from dressings and vinaigrettes to spice blends, marinades to compound butters. “It’s my ‘secret sauce’ to what we do at Feast & Fettle and how we elevate meals.”
Feast & Fettle founder and author Maggie Mulvena Pearson
Photos courtesy of Feast & Fettle
The cookbook includes members’ favorite recipes as well as those that haven’t been seen before, and Pearson shares stories of her Portuguese background, including recipes that relate to her interest in food and cooking. She also describes the genesis of Feast & Fettle and its rise from a team of two best friends to a thriving business of over 260 employees.
Pearson and her co-founding partner, Nicole Nix, have come a long way since 2016 – not least of all, both have families of their own now. The convenience of having meals (including kids’ meals) made with fresh ingredients that are hand-delivered to their door is not lost on them. “I have two kids, Nikki has two kids,” Pearson says. “Thank god such services exist.”
Pick up a copy of The Feast & Fettle Cookbook: Unlock the Secret to Better Home Cooking by registering to attend any of these book tour events this season, and visit FeastAndFettle.com to learn more.
OCTOBER 14: Launch Party, a ticketed tasting event at Gracie’s
OCTOBER 20: Book signing at Hope & Main, Warren
NOVEMBER 2: Book signing at Stock Culinary Goods
Flan
Miso Salmon
Photos by Kristin Teig, styled by Catrine Kelty, courtesy of Feast & Fettle
Food Trends: Halloween Hankerings
From spooky drinks to colorful candies, these specials offer all treats and no tricks
By Abbie Lahmers
“We like to pretend it’s Halloween yearround,” says Courtney Tallarico, who owns West End haunt Deadbeats with partner Jeff Angell. The couple opened the bar where E&O Tap used to be as a place where “all are welcome to hang out, watch scary movies, have some drinks, play free pinball, and chill.” Creepy pop-culture artifacts decorate the space, and horror movies play on TV all
year, so it’s no surprise that Deadbeats has big plans for Halloween. Along with pumpkin beers taking over the tap throughout the month, watch for three creepy cocktail specials. “The Season of the Witch features Empress Gin, vanilla, and lavender with a pinch of sparkle and bubbles,” Tallarico previews.
Spooky season also brings Halloween
drink cards – earn five stamps for a chance to win a gift basket – and a lineup of events includes Deadbeats Drive-In, screening horror flicks every Thursday in the next-door parking lot; Tarot Reading Wednesdays; a Helloween Parking Lot Show on October 19; and partying all night October 31 – costumes encouraged! Follow @deadbeats_pvd for more events. 289 Knight Street
A West End haunt celebrates its favorite season
P hotos
courtesy of Deadbeats
Spooky brews at Deadbeats
Pumpkin spice and everything nice in Smith Hill
Rise ‘N Shine Coffee Bar balances scary with a little sweetness this October. Take in the crisp autumn air over fresh pastries and a Great Pumpkin Latte on their recently renovated patio space or cozy up inside to enjoy what the team of innovative baristas are concocting.
“Our vision is to create a unique coffee experience in a creative space that is welcoming to all and uses only the finest ingredients,” shares owner Neal Kaplan. Locally roasted organic coffee and unique flavors and garnishes are a trademark of the neighborhood hub.
Along with all things pumpkin and flavored cold foams, this season brings the Banana Bread Chai, Peanut Butter Cookie, and Toffee Coffee lattes, and a limited edition drink pops up on the menu every week throughout the month. “These are our special takes on some of your favorite Halloween candies,” says Kaplan. Watch for the delicious and colorful Magic Brew, Butterfinger, Twixxx, and Nerdy Matcha. 97 Holden Street, RiseNShineRI.com
Please trick-or-treaters with pretzels and chocolates
The candy and nut business is all in the family for Candace Kaloostian, who carries on the tradition her great-grandfather Peter S. Kaloostian started in 1923 after immigrating from Armenia and opening Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co. “He held various jobs, including an interpreter for the US government, before settling on the nut business,” shares Candace. “The story has it that someone had advised him to go into the car business or the nut business, and unfortunately we do not know his reasoning for choosing the latter!”
ence Media Directory Ads dence Monthly/Bay Mag
d size: 2 375" x 2 25" Submitted: May
But loyal customers are glad he did, especially as trick-or-treating time approaches. Seasonal snacking includes the orange and black-hued Kickoff to Fall Mix with white chocolate, dark chocolate, and orange pretzel bites; caramel candies; and mini nonpareils. There’s also chocolate-covered pretzels with sprinkles and other candy assortments, along with the Cranberry Harvest blend of golden raisins, cranberries, apricots, almonds, and pecans. Find treats at nearby retail stores or order for pickup. 260 Dexter Street, VSPNut.com
“Very Straight forward with diagnosis expectations Doesn't necessarily say what you want to hear, but what you need to hear Have always addressed minor incidental problems encountered while performing scheduled work, which I appreciate.”
PIC OF PVD
The Biltmore letters cut through a foggy fall night in Providence
ABOUT DAVID @runofthemillshop
David Lawlor is an avid filmmaker and documentarian who lives in Providence, with an interest in telling the stories of places undergoing transformation and historic mill buildings.
