Classic Styles With An Eye For Fit & Fun

Owner, Rachel Intrieri, has something fabulous for you to wear for any special occasion-wedding guest, shower, brunch to beach, dinner date or a day on the water. RI Boutique ofers a range of sizes from XS-3XL as well as alterations on-site through their collaboration with Alterations by Rosa (formerly on East Ave. in Westerly). Shop year round in store and online.

Eat With The Ecosystem

Plan your grocery list around the fresh-o -the-boat o erings from your local seafood market. Not sure how to cook these less familiar catches? Sign up for a Cook a Fish, Give a Fish online course featuring a New England chef walking you through each step. Last month’s class welcomed Jade Galvin of Sly Fox Den Too in Charlestown. EatingWithTheEcosystem.org

Scup

“The filets that come o a scup tend to be a little smaller but they’re a great fish to cook whole,” says Masury. Grill, roast, or fry whole, or remove the pin bones for a small panfried filet or fish tacos. “You can even eat them raw; they’re delicious as a crudo or in a bowl.”

Skate

“Skate’s one of my personal favorites. I think it tastes similar to scallops; it’s got a sweet flavor and a really unique texture.” Masury recommends pan searing or serving with a brown butter caper sauce. “You can do that on any fish and it would taste delicious.”

Dogfish

“It’s definitely kind of underloved in the area but it’s often used in fish and chips in Europe. It fries up really well or it’s got a little bit more of a meaty texture but still a very mild flavor.”

Crab

Sand crabs and Jonah crabs can be used interchangeably: “They’ve got this kind of flaky, really sweet crab meat flavor that’s great in a crab cake or roll.” Or green crabs, an invasive species that destroy eelgrass beds and salt marshes, “actually taste really good,” says Masury. “Smaller ones make a great stock or broth you can use in dishes like ramen or risotto.” factors, so we want to make sure those ecosystems are able to adapt.”

Our actions on land also trickle down into our marine ecosystems in the form of chemical fertilizers and harmful cleaning products – and choosing seafood from our waters not only closes the travel distance from food to plate, “but you’re also supporting your local community and the harvesters that brought that seafood to you,” says Masury.

And our own o cial state shellfish? “Quahogs are a great shellfish to celebrate,” says Masury. “Oysters, kelp, and wild shellfish like quahog are all species that actually clean up our local waters. Kelp captures carbon and is a great tool for carbon sequestration; oysters and other bivalves filter feed and help clean up our water.” The more of these organisms we harvest from the ocean, the more we’re also putting back into it, contributing to a thriving ecosystem.

In practice, eating in harmony with the ecosystem’s natural diversity can be daunting to the uninitiated. “People can get bogged down by what species it is, and I think it’s important to not think about what fish or shellfish it is, but what are its culinary characteristics – is it a flaky white mild-flavored fish? A briny shellfish? Is it a stronger, more high-oil content fish? If you look at things that way, then you have a lot of options that are local that fit into those categories.”

By thinking outside the box, explains Masury, it creates markets for the underappreciated local species, which can then be fished in proportion to their natural abundances. “It gives the fishermen opportunities because then they have markets for the full variety of species that they’re allowed to catch.”

“When you eat local seafood, you have a greater incentive to care about the place that produced your food,” she continues. “A lot of times we don’t necessarily see what’s happening in the ocean and it can be more challenging to make that connection that healthy local ecosystems equal food production.”

Like many new entrepreneurs, Chris and Mandy Aubin used the pandemic as an opportunity to refocus their lives. “I’ve always loved co ee and like a lot of people, my wife got really into plants during the pandemic,” says Chris. “We thought, maybe there’s a space for retail products unique to what we are interested in.” The couple decided to follow their passion and Seed Café and Espresso Bar, a space selling co ee and plants at Still on Main in downtown Pawtucket, was born.

“The whole concept of the co ee shop is essentially wanting to show co ee as a sense of place, where the co ee comes from, focusing on single origins,” says Chris. “Customers can get multiple brewed coffees in di erent ways – drips, pour-overs, and iced, without it being too complicated.”

The cafe also o ers build-your-own breakfast sandwiches at a ordable price points. Additional menu items, including toasts and sandwiches, as well as in-cafe events will be added later this summer. Look for their products at the Pawtucket Farmers Market at The Guild Brewery through October. Pawtucket, Facebook: Seed Cafe RI

What’s brewing in South County

The state’s newest small-batch brewery is scheduled to open in South Country Commons in late summer. Named for popular Route 1 landmark, the Hannah Robinson Tower, Tower Hill Brewery is a dream come true for four lifelong friends. Like many new projects in the food service industry, it’s been a long time coming. “There are still supply chain issues due to the pandemic,” says co-founder Brian Hubert.

Expect the brewery to have a widespread selection of popular beers. “We’ll have a great offering of hazy IPAs, which everyone loves,” says Hubert. “Ivan, our head brewer, who has been homebrewing for several years, has an amazing porter that he is going to scale up.” Tower Hill will also serve seasonal brews such as winter ales, summer blondes, and Oktoberfests. A seasonal beer garden will o er “800-900 square feet of outdoor space that will open into the main area inside,” adds Hubert. “We’re going to really encourage our customers to become patrons of the restaurants in South County Commons. We’re also hoping to do some live entertainment.” South Kingston, TowerHillBrewing.com

Big ideas drive a small new co ee venture

A green concept for roasting co ee beans inspired Vincent Emery to establish The Lil’ Rhody Co ee Company while still a student at St. Raphael Academy in 2022. “When you look at how co ee is traditionally roasted using fossil fuels, and the global supply chain that fuels it, nothing has really changed in the past 100 years,” explains the Bryant University sophomore and CEO of the company that he runs alongside his father Patrick. “We decided to roast our co ee using 100 percent electricity, with no fossil fuels, resulting in over 80 percent fewer CO2 emissions. We’re doing these small things to set ourselves up for long-term success.”

The co ee will initially be sold online and at farmers markets throughout the region. In true Rhode Island fashion, the co ee varieties are named for landmarks including Rocky Point (cold brew), Federal Hill (espresso blend), and What Cheer (medium blend). “You’ll be able to go to the website and purchase bags, tools, merchandise, and other brewing products,” adds Emery. Pawtucket, LilRhodyCo ee.com

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