Who amongst us doesn’t feel like you are Irish every seventeenth of March? It’s a day to celebrate the heritage of St. Patrick, a day known for its feasts and festivities. The holiday brings a time long known for celebration; though secular in Irish culture, each of us spends it in his or her own way. Rhode Island has a large Irish influence, totaling almost 20 percent of our state's population, so there no shortage of pride around this time of year. Rhode Island is peppered with parades of pride complete with pipe bands and fife and drum corps, flag raisings and moments of reflection. But …
A vast diversity of ethnic foods is usually available in almost any city across the United States, but does that necessarily mean that it is culturally authentic? The ever-evolving culinary Crockpot of cuisine transforms with the generations and can often stray from the heart and soul of its roots. Real true-to-form ethnic foods are an art form that sometimes gets overlooked by the glamour and glitz of the high-profile trendy restaurants of today. Ethnicity means deriving from a way of life and that way of life can be from any group of people from any corner of the Earth. Some of those …
Burgers, ah yes burgers, how do I begin to express my love for thee? You are all so similar, yet so different. From the type of meat, whether it be Black Angus, Hereford, grass-fed, corn-fed, all natural, organic, blends, types of cuts—to so many people, you just look like a burger, but to me you are perfection on a plate. A good, juicy burger may very well be the most American dish ever created. Now more than ever it has reached record heights of popularity, and there are no signs of it slowing down. Every component of a burger is as equally as important as the other. The bun needs to be …
With hints of spring starting to flirt with us, I can't help but get inspired to get outside and hit the pavement again. I don’t know about you, but I am definitely feeling the effects of the ruthless winter that we all just experienced. My body is a unique mix of sluggish and stir crazy all rolled into one, so I feel extra inspired to make up for lost time and get back outside and start running to feel like me again. But exercise alone wont be enough, its time to start eating right too. As someone who let exercise go by the wayside for well more than a decade of my life, I’m proud to say I …
When I think of summertime food all across the country, a few places come to mind: fresh lobster on the coast of Maine, crab cakes in Maryland, grilled tropical catch of the day in Hawaii. But above all, what really brings on the nostalgia is fried seafood in Rhode Island.We are privileged to have so many great “shacks” as we proudly refer to them all across our coastline. Rhode Island is well-respected across the nation for its invention of the Rhode Island-style chowder and clam cakes. We are also very well known for our unwavering love for fried clams and fish and chips. All summer long on…
As ponder the perfect gift this Valentine's Day, I ask myself this: why does my brain always end up back at the same old ideas? I find myself back to where I began, flowers, chocolates, jewelry, etc. I’m always searching for new ways to say "I love 'you'" when really what I’m trying to say is "I love 'us.'" Does that make sense? Valentine's Day is about appreciating that special someone, whether that is your girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, life partner or whomever. But really it’s a celebration of the couple, a celebration of your love and togetherness. Now I’m certainly not trying to …
I know pizza. I can say that with confidence as I literally grew up working in various pizzerias in New York. New York pizza has a certain style that every pizzeria in the state tries to pay homage to. I may be biased, but New York pizza is hands down the best in the world. If I had to find a flaw, I would say they are too similar. What I love about Rhode Island is that every pizza place has a style all its own. From the legendary pies of Al Forno to the Wickenden Street pizzas at Fellini’s and Pizza Pie-er and all the way up to Federal Hill to Bob & Timmy’s and Caserta. They are all so …
OK, fine, the Patriots didn’t make it this year but that doesn’t mean we still won’t be watching the Super Bowl, television’s highest-rated four hours of the year. From the gridiron madness to the crazy commercials, even if you don’t care who is playing, you’ve got to love the thrill of it all. Super Bowl Sunday is one of the best excuses of the year to eat until you literally burst. And I’ve got some new takes at some of game day’s most notorious dishes. As an avid tailgater at Gillette, I’ve hosted some legendary pre-game feasts. I’ve done everything from whole grilled prime ribs to baked …
If you’re out shopping at a local grocery store and stop by the bread aisle, chances are good you’ll be buying something made right here in East Providence and you don’t even know it. That’s because Mrs. Kavanagh’s Bakery on North Broadway has been baking bread for the big boys for more than 50 years—right here in Rumford. “We’re the small big bakery, if that makes sense,” said T.J. Pascalides, a third-generation baker in the family. It all started when William Vican, T.J.’s grandfather, opened the family’s original bakery on North Main Street in Providence more than a hundred years ago. …
There has been enthusiastic talk of a restaurant opening in the Rumford Center for some time now and I assure you all that day has finally arrived. Construction is scheduled to begin Jan. 11 and we hope to open in March. The restaurant is called Avenue N, named for its Newman Avenue address. It will be located in Building 3 of the Rumford Center, next door to Seven Stars Bakery. The goal is simple: to provide a local gathering place for the Rumford community and all of East Providence, while ensuring that the restaurant's great food and service is matched with a beautiful, inviting …
Break out your noise makers and top hats, New Year's Eve is right upon us! This year, if you're looking for some great new entertaining ideas or something delicious and sparkly that won't break the bank, then we've got you covered. As someone who has rang in the last 17 New Year's Eves of his life from the inside of a kitchen I can tell you first hand the importance of good food and drink on this fun and festive night. Food can really make the night and our state certainly has some cool spots to watch the ball drop. But if you're entertaining in this year or stopping by a friend's, we've got …
When Alfred B. Munroe started Munroe Dairy in 1881, it was with the simple premise of providing friendly service and fresh products. That creed seemed to work, as the family-run dairy is still thriving at its original location on North Brow Street in East Providence. The original milkmen traveled by horse and wagon to deliver milk in 40-quart cans that they would pour off into customers' containers for six cents a quart. These days, customers can order a variety of products in addition to milk from the dairy, including pizza and grass-fed beef. "It's all about the personal relationships we …
It was about a year ago that I first heard about Kathy Sherry's insanely delicious toffee. KB, as friends call her, and I were having coffee when she mentioned that she makes gourmet toffee out of her friend's commercial kitchen. The Rumford resident uses her family's original recipe, which dates back to her childhood. Knowing I was a chef, she asked me if I would try it and see if there was any way that it could be improved upon. Of course, eating scrumptious sweets upon request is my specialty, so she brought me a tin to taste and critique. It took me one bite to realize this was the best …
I'm not a food reviewer, but I love great food. From seaweed to subs, I don't discriminate. And hovering around the top of that list is a good old down and dirty steak sandwich. I've done my share of travel to find them. I've gone to Philadelphia more than once just to have one of those famous cheesesteak sandwiches. So I recently decided to see if anyone around East Providence could cure my craving locally. The real deal sub in Philly is made with shaved ribeye steak and Cheez Whiz, or provolone if you feel like getting fancy. It's the bread that makes it: soft, fresh grinder rolls that …
Eat your heart out Mark Twain, it finally feels like the New England winter is here for good. So what does that mean for menus throughout our region? It's time to switch to more hearty dishes, such as stews and soups: old-fashioned American-style comfort food. Winter keeps the home cook busy. In the food world, the season starts with Thanksgiving, then moves through holiday parties, Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year's Eve: all big nights in the world of menu planning. Usually it's a time of year when family and friend get togethers translate into an endless search for new ideas paired …
Thanksgiving dinner is possibly the most fun menu to plan all year. It's a really big deal in my house, not just the menu, the whole day. And the culinary goodness can continue right into Black Friday. This year we started shopping early, buying candles, linens, plates, glasses weeks ahead of time. We kicked off our food shopping Saturday at the Farmers' Market inside the Hope Artiste Village. If you have never been, it's an incredible place full of local farmers selling everything from produce to popcorn and all things in-between. We bought most of our produce there; the stuff is so fresh it…
For those of you who have given up on the grilling season I say toughen up, especially with these hints of Indian Summer still flirting with us. There's still hope for our friends Coleman, Weber and Kenmore to get some great last-minute mileage. It's clear summer owns the rights to be called grilling season. But tailgaters, ice fishermen and Eskimos across America would argue now is the best time of year to keep the propane full and bags of charcoal on standby. So if they can do it, I say to you East Providence: let's support our arctic brotherhood and keep those grills out! I agree with …
Hello everyone, I just wanted to take a minute to introduce myself before we open the epicurean flood gates that we're calling "Food World." My name is Nick Rabar. You may know me from my TV show "Nick Rabar: Chef 2 Go." I travel around Rhode Island seeking hidden dining jewels in our great state. I love hosting the show because it introduces me to great culinary characters throughout Rhode Island, usually people who love food as much as I do. I also live in Rumford with my family and am opening my first restaurant here next year. So when East Providence Patch asked me to write a column, I …
