RHODE ISLAND BREW FEST: SATURDAY FEBRUARY 2

Stillwater (19th C  R.I. beer site) - Leatskob

 

The Rhode Island Brew Fest (Pawtucket Armory, 172 Exchange Street) this weekend features more than thirty local/regional breweries. Craft beer sales are huge and tasting events are popular. There are two sessions, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. A session ticket is $45. The Providence Journal reports that the VIP tickets for the fest are sold out. To buy a ticket, visit the website.


http://www.ribrewfest.com/

THIS VALENTINE BUSINESS: GARRISON CONFECTIONS

Garrison Confections Factory Store (72 Ledge St, Central Falls  401-725-0790) is prepared to be your Valentine source opening Friday, January 31 through February 14, every day but Sunday. Hours are 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

ROBERT BURNS DINNER SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2

Robert Burns (Alexander Naysmyth 1758-1840)

Robert Burns (1759-1796), Scotland's Bard, was born on the 25th of January and every year lovers of Burns, Scotland, the Scots language and Romantic poetry celebrate his birthday with traditional dinners and music - there are at least three in Rhode Island. Here's one: The Robert Burns Anniversary Committee of Rhode Island is having its 50th annual celebration on Saturday, February 2 at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet (60 Rhodes Place, Cranston). There's a cocktail hour at 5:30 (cash bar) followed by prime rib, haggis and dessert (vegetarian option also), Scottish country music and highland pipes.

Tickets are $50 if still available. Call Robin Tremblay to see: 401-434-0386 or email burns2013@cox.net

ELLIE'S BAKERY: POSTSCRIPT

The pistachio macaron at Ellie's Bakery (61 Washington St, Providence  401-228-8118) is pretty fabulous.

http://graciesprovidence.com/ellies

ELLIE'S BAKERY

Ellen Gracyalny who owns Gracie's (194 Washington St, Providence  401-272-7811) recently opened Ellie's Bakery just down the street from the restaurant (61 Washington St, same telephone). Ellie's is managed by Courtney Ortiz; the chief baker is Danielle Lowe, a Johnson & Wales grad who was assistant pastry chef at Gracie's; and Melissa Denmark, current pastry chef at Gracie's (also a J &W grad and noted by Food & Wine magazine in 2012 for her creations)  contributes part-time.

Finally, I thought, after reading the gushing spread in the Providence Journal this week, a French-style bakery in Providence. *

Right now I pick and choose or make my own creations. Seven Stars (www.sevenstarsbakery.com/) supports the olive bread habit, the occasional sticky bun requirement and the needed baguette sandwich for train travel but Seven Stars doesn't venture much beyond breakfast pastries and cookies. Olga's (olgascupandsaucer.blogspot.com/) produces similar fare and makes some individual rustic tarts and pastries. Everybody has a go-to Italian bakery and I have my favored Portugese shops (Silver Star on Ives with those Saturday jelly doughnuts comes to mind) but these satisfy a different need. If you ask "Where can I buy French pastry in Providence," someone will laud Pastiche (www.pastichefinedesserts.com/) on Federal Hill. I don't. So, where to find a splendid French tart or a gorgeous mousse and merinque cake?

Well, not at Ellie's, at least not yet. The shop offers a variety of breads, attractive sandwiches (maybe a little too bready) but there was only one actual breakfast pastry when I stopped in this week. Mostly, it was muffins and scones. Among the traditional cookies there are Madeleines, both olive oil chocolate and the more Proutian lemon-scented. They are good. Not a single fruit tart. The featured spicy chocolate meringue tart is lovely and made especially flavorful by the chocolate crust. As for the macarons (cookies I think I loved more when I had to cross an ocean to get them - I've hit macaron saturation at this point), the salted butter caramel is a winner and I would say so is the dark chocolate coconut if I were basing it on the meringue - the filling was so scant (see picture) I couldn't locate the taste.

I'm hopeful. Maybe the tarts and cakes will come once the business is developed.

Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m.

graciesprovidence.com/ellies

*There is the french tarte (774-280-4803) operated by Susan VandenBerg out of Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket but it's not a walk-in bakery. Order ahead.  www.frenchtarte.com

NEW YEAR NEW OYSTERS

We ate plump Tiverton oysters for Christmas and at the first post-New Year's market (Wintertime Farmers' Market, 1005 Main Street  Pawtucket) I bought South County oysters from Matunuk (and fresh flounder, only way to get it). Good taste is essential but Matunuk oysters also score points for looks, inside and out - they are plump and fill up the shells in a pleasing way and the outside shells are clean. Last year we had a giant bag of Cuttyhunk oysters which were so grubby (not to mention stinky due to a few bad ones) it tooks hours to clean them. In-house cleaner/shuckers appreciate Matunuk oysters.

For New Year's Eve, alas, no oysters, just a nine-course fish-centered extravaganza at Fiaschetteria in Venice. Great fun from soup to panettone (the best ever) and prosecco.

After eating Matunuk oysters and fish, it's time to visit the restaurant - Matunuk Oyster Bar (629 Succotash Road  South Kingstown, RI   401-783-4202)
www.rhodyoysters.com/