Even in the heyday of food festivals in the first decade of the restaurant boom, it would have been tough to top the number and variety of tasting, dining and culinary events that were crammed into a few days over the first couple of weeks of June.
The month kicked off with the 37th edition of the Newport Chowder Cook-Off at Fort Adams. This one predates the restaurant boom and is the oldest event of its kind in the nation.
“We bring our game face,” said Matt Pearsall, of Our House Bistro from Vermont, just before the Chowder Cook-off, which his restaurant won in two categories. “This one is the oldest [chowder festival] and is important to us. We enter other competitions and have all the tools. ... This year we are entering just to be in it.”
In 2008, the proprietor of The Skipper, a Cape Cod eatery that entered the battle that year, told me, “We have won chowder festivals here on the Cape and in Boston but Newport is the premier prize. [Even] if we are not successful, there is still some benefit.”
Next up was a reboot of the Taste of Rhode Island. This iteration was held at the Crowne Plaza Providence-Warwick in Warwick and had a crowd of foodies lined up at the door even before the 6 p.m. opening on June 6. Some of the newer Rhode Island spots showed off their specialties. The B40 served up jambalaya, Fuel at RI Indoor Karting had sizzling sliders and Xaco Taco made tacos to order for eager attendees.
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CULINARY CELEBRATION: From left, Rhode Island Community Food Bank Community Kitchen chefs Ron Lewis and Heather Langlois with celebrity chef Jacques Pépin, food bank CEO Andrew Schiff and the Jacques Pépin Foundation’s Claudine Pépin and Rollie Wesen, foundation founder, at the Savor gala fundraiser at Newport Vineyards in support of the food bank’s Community Kitchen culinary job-training program. / COURTESY RHODE ISLAND COMMUNITY FOOD BANK/KEN GOODMAN[/caption]
The following night, foodies enjoyed being in the company of a galaxy of culinary stars at Newport Vineyards. Jacques Pépin, the iconic celebrity chef, author and artist, was one of many celebrity chefs and food personalities headlining Savor, a gala fundraiser in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank’s Community Kitchen culinary job-training program. A multicourse meal was served to a capacity crowd of more than 200 in the Middletown winery’s banquet space. The kitchen brigade included Ming Tsai and Rick Moonen alongside well-known chefs from Rhode Island and the region, including Matthew MacCartney, Champe Spiedel, Jamie Schick and James Wayman. Other chefs hosted a table for the evening, including Sara Moulton, Rick Bayless, Claudine Pépin and her husband, Rollie Wesen.
Wesen founded the Jacques Pépin Foundation, which recently began collaborating with the Community Kitchen and its full-time, 14-week program that prepares participants for entry-level jobs in the restaurant and food-service industry.
Wesen explained, “The Community Kitchen takes people who are on the edge of hope … and gives them an opportunity to learn to cook and at the same time learn some life skills.”
Students are trained in basic cooking skills and provided practical, on-the-job experiential training. The program has a 90 percent placement rate.
The party was not over yet. On June 10, a celebration of bacon and beer was held at the Steel Yard in Providence. Twenty-five local restaurants paired their favorite bacon-inspired dish with beers from 25 local breweries.
And what has become a major event in just its second year, Crave RI kicked off the CVS Health Charity Golf Classic June 21–22 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The two-day food festival had more than 100 participating restaurants and more than 150 beer and wine vendors. Matunuck Oyster Bar, Red Fin Crudo and Kitchen, Narragansett Beer, Bayberry Beer Hall, Waffle, Dave’s Coffee and more were in attendance.
There are many more festivals and gatherings on tap as summer gets into full swing: the traditional church and ethnic feasts, celebrations of all kinds of seafood and of course Providence Restaurant Week. Throw in WaterFire, and the table is set for nonstop food festivities statewide through the fall.
Bruce Newbury’s Dining Out radio talk show is heard Saturdays at 11 a.m. on 1540 AM WADK, through the TuneIn mobile app and via smart speaker. Email Bruce at Bruce@brucenewbury.com.
