BIRCH HOSTS DEL POSTO CHEF: SEPTEMBER 29

The formerly Teeny, tiny Birch (200 Washington Street, Providence  401-272-3105), which has its own fine chef (Benjamin Sukle), gives over to Mark Ladner (www.markladner.com) of Del Posto (www.delposto.com) in NYC for a dinner on Monday, September 29  between 5:00 and 9:00 p.m. It's a tasting menu at $150 including tax and tip. Optional beverage pairing is $65. Portions of the proceeds go to the Rhode Island Food Bank. Selling out fast!

Monday   September 29    Reserve at birch-delposto.eventbrite.com

AL FORNO COOKING CLASSES: SIGN UP FAST

Al Forno (577 South Main, Providence 401-273-9760) cooking classes are limited to 15 persons; they sell out in a flash. The cost is $75 and for that you learn technique from Al Forno's own chefs (as well as guests), then feast on the results. Classes are held on Saturdays from noon to 3:00 p.m.

Dates and featured farms are:

September 13 - Viva Mexico! Poblano Farm with Al Forno chef David Reynosa with his sister, Olivia

September 20 - White Barn Farm of Wrentham, MA

October 4 - Allen Farms , Westport, MA

October 11 -  Walker Farm of Little Compton, RI

Nov. 8 - Dame Farm, Johnston, RI

Nov. 15 - Getting Ducky with D'Artagnan

Nov. 22 - Ferolbink Farm, Tiverton, RI


Call Rob White to register:  401-273-9760

www.alforno.com

AUGUST 11, 2014: BRUCE TILLINGHAST AT GRACIE'S

Most everybody knows that Gracie's in downtown Providence (194 Washington Street  401-272-7811) runs the Star Chef Series. In the last couple of years some pretty notable chefs have created dinners there. On August 11, a very local and well known chef, Bruce Tillinghast, beloved former owner of New Rivers (newriversrestaurant.com) will be the star in charge. Good news!

$125 per person before tax & tip

Call Gracie's to reserve (401) 272-7811   graciesprovidence.com

WARREN WATERFRONT: TRAFFORD

When Trafford (285 Warren Street, Warren  401-289-2265) first opened it seemed cavernous to me, and under-designed. Our first dinners weren't notable - disappointing because Warren needs this literal lift (the restaurant is two stories) to its dining scene and Trafford has excellent views of water, boats and pretty homes, winter and summer. Everyone wants to get close to the water and seats by the windows go fast but the whole place, upstairs and down, gives you a seaside feeling. Anyone who has ever dined on the water in Warren knows that it's especially fun on race nights when, if you're really early, you can watch boats set out or, later, watch them sail in with the setting sun. The waterway is narrow here, near enough to almost touch.

There have been decorating tweaks since those first visits and though Trafford doesn't deliver any culinary knock-outs (it's not a place where the waitstaff tells you the origin of every dish, e.g., where your clams were 24 hours ago) but it consistently serves good enough fare at non-outrageous prices. It's a menu to put you in a summer mood - lots of chowder, mussels, lobsters and salads, stuffies too. Of course, burgers and steaks. Gluten-free options too. No pressure to order big. And the drinks are good, with a couple of silly but fun martini-type drinks that aren't yucky sweet. They are totally agreeable about altering the drinks to suit you.

Maybe the best news is that Trafford is open for lunch everyday and for breakfast (8:00 a.m.) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

traffordrestaurant.com

NEWPORT: DRINKS, CANAPÉS AND SCREENING OF "CHEF"

The popular Vanderbilt Grace (41 Mary Street, Newport  401-846-6200) is mixing Cubanos and serving yuka fries and lava cake in its garden at 5:30 p.m. this Friday, June 27. Then the party moves a block to the Jane Pickens Theater (49 Tuoro Street) for VIP seating at the 7:00 p.m. screening of the popular indy hit CHEF. Tickets are $35. Call 401-846-6200 to reserve.

http://www.gracehotels.com/vanderbilt

HOUSES & GARDENS TO TOUR IN AND AROUND PROVIDENCE

This has nothing to do with food or restaurants but food people do like to nose around other peoples' houses and gardens. Three local and semi-local opportunities:

Westport Art Group's Artists in the Garden tour: See lovely gardens, artists at work, eat a terrific boxed lunch at one of the gardens, and maybe buy a painting. This is a mid-week event, Wednesday, June 11. http://www.westportartgroup.com/

Stonington Garden Club tour: Visit the astoundingly beautiful town of Stonington, CT and tour local gardens June 13th and 14th, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. stoningtongardenclub.org

Providence Preservation Society's annual house and loft tour: On Saturday June 13th, visit historic homes around Cooke Street on the East Side. Take a look at Cooke Street and you'll see why this could be a great tour. The Preservation tours are always a mixed bag, i.e., one house may be over-the-top interesting to see (and give you shelter envy) and another will be an artsy mish-mosh (and give you solace), but worth the ticket. On Sunday, June 14th, tour the Pearl Street lofts and see amazing spaces. http://www.ppsri.org/events/2014-festival-of-historic-houses

GO WEST TO LOIE FULLER'S: BISTRO MENU IN DECO SETTING

For Rhode Islanders West Side usually means Federal Hill. If you're young, or reasonably hip, or a foodie, West Side means Broadway. Venture farther still and try Loie Fuller's (1455 Westminster Street, Providence  401-273-4375), a bar resplendent with Art Deco woodwork and painting.

Dinner here is bistro fare featuring about ten main courses: a couple of steaks, duck, maybe bass,  scallops, something with chicken and always vegetarian choices. Small plates include excellent salads (lardon aplenty), snails, mussels and frites. A little high in the calorie count but that's comfort food. And it's good comfort. The dining room, open to the bar, is just a fraction up the dress scale from neighborhood bar - casual, it just happens to evoke Piaf and give the sense that it's okay to linger.

You see all kinds of people here, young to old (no tots). Prices are reasonable, main courses range from $15 to $21, but it's common to see a table of "graduate student types" (my, probably totally inaccurate, catch-all phrases for young, interesting-looking persons who don't look rich) eating appetizers and drinking beer.

A plus for me is that the bartender knows what he's doing and can mix modern no-nonsense cocktails (i.e., not the sweet trash served at 95% of local venues).

www.loiefullers.com/index.html