Food & Drink IN THE KITCHEN
By Ann O’Neill
A Scottish Feast
Much like the famed Scottish poet penned the “Address to a Haggis” to honor his country’s national dish, in January, restaurants far and wide host Robert Burns dinners to celebrate the man. For haggis connoisseurs, brave foodies, and poetry lovers alike here in the East Bay, DeWolf Tavern in Bristol – housed in the former DeWolf Rum Distillery – isn’t one to be left out of a holiday featuring whiskey.
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The Bay • January 2022
Before settling in Rhode Island, Sai Viswanath, executive chef and co-owner of DeWolf, served as the chef of the renowned Indigo in Mumbai and then at Union Square Cafe in NYC. As he traveled the world to hone his culinary skills, it’s no surprise he came to embrace the Scottish tradition that’s become a world-wide celebration: the Robbie Burns Dinner. “I’ve made friends of Scottish descent that approached me about holding the
Robbie Burns Dinner and was up for the challenge,” says Viswanath. “I get excited about other cultures and their food.” Though Viswanath grew up vegetarian, he prepares a traditional haggis containing sheep’s pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), mixed with onion, oatmeal, suet, and spices, and cooked in the stomach, though he assures that the mushroom-based vegetarian version he also prepares is equally savory.
Photos by Robert Whiteley
DeWolf Tavern hosts their annual Robbie Burns Dinner with traditional and vegetarian fare
