Providence Monthly July 2023

IN THIS ISSUE

29

RESTAURANT WEEKS

NEWS & CITY LIFE

11 Tours shine a light on East Providence’s nautical history

14 THE PUBLIC’S RADIO: A conversation with musician Roz Raskin

16 RHODY GEM: This Fox Point side street is home to a salon/apothecary

18 OP-ED: A mid-year memo to the mayor

20 Summer programming gets kids outside and connecting to the land

22 NEIGHBORHOOD

NEWS: Hyper local news and contact listings

FOOD & DRINK

45 EXPERIENCE: Take a foodie history tour of Federal Hill

50 FOOD NEWS: Brunch on Broadway expands, lemonade stand facelift in Warren & traditional cuisine in SK

52 IN THE KITCHEN: A cheese connoisseur couple opens shop on Wayland Square

56 RHODY EATS: RESTAURANT GUIDE

On The Cover: Crescent Farms duck served with style. Photo by

LIFE & STYLE

59 HOME: Noted blogger shares the DIY update of her Colonial house

70 FIELD TRIP: Discover a seaport escape 15 minutes away

74 WELLNESS: A writer gets her feet ready for sandals

70

77

ART & CULTURE

77 What happens when a filmmaker, actor, and comedian start a podcast

78 MUSIC: Recent release reveals two sides of a single

82 From screenings to shark pettings, a tour de force for Jaws fans

86 CALENDAR: This month’s must-do’s

88 PIC OF PVD

How a visitor’s bureau initiative put PVD on the culinary map

JWessel Photography for Gracie’s

Photo courtesy of CAV

Photo by Jeff DiMeo

Photo by Elyse Major

Photo courtesy of Friends of Pomham Rocks

Photo by @taylorlgilbert

Photo by Corey Favino, courtesy of Discover Newport

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Contributing Photographers

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Je DiMeo

Corey Favino

Rich Ferri

JWessel Photography

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Contributing Writers

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James Baumgartner

Luis Hernandes

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CITY LIFE

Keeping the Light On Grant funding helps an East Providence lighthouse museum continue illuminating history

Just 200 yards o the coast of East Providence, on a half-acre island, and atop a 42-foot tower is the Pomham Rocks Lighthouse lantern room – a literal beacon of Rhode Island’s maritime history. Along with panoramic views of the Narragansett Bay and the antique Fresnel lens, the site houses a time capsule of the early 20th century in its exhibits showcasing East Providence lighthouses in their heyday.

“Rhode Island is home to 21 lighthouses. Pomham Rocks is the only surviving of five that once protected the waters in East Providence. The lighthouse still serves as an active aid to navigation,” says Louise Paiva, board member of Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse. The other four – Bullocks Point, Sabin Point, Sassafras, and Fuller Rock – and the people who attended them are represented in rooms throughout.

Photo courtesy of Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse

Paiva explains that the site of Pomham Rocks was chosen in 1871 to help an increasing volume of shipping tra c safely travel to and from the Port of Providence. “The northernmost lighthouse in Narragansett Bay, it was designed by Vermont architect Albert Dow in a French empire mansard style, with seven rooms and a 42-foot tower,” says Paiva. “It has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1979.”

The never-ending work of preservation is buoyed by a $10,000 grant Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse recently received from The 1772 Foundation in cooperation with Preserve Rhode Island. The funds will go toward the design, fabrication, and installation of 19 sets of historically accurate shutters, along with restoring the outer appearance to its early years. “The shutter project will help protect the

lighthouse from the harmful e ects of New England storms, which have increased in frequency and intensity in recent years,” explains Paiva.

“We are so grateful to be selected to receive this prestigious award,” noted Dennis Tardiff, president of Friends of Pomham Rocks, in a press release. “It will allow us to safeguard this important landmark, so it will be a lasting symbol of the crucial role our community played in maritime safety.”

Guests wanting to embark on a voyage through time learning about Pomham Rocks’ crucial role of safely guiding mariners across the Providence River can lace up their good walking shoes and board the Lady Pomham II as self-guided tours are available all summer. “Learn about the surgery performed on the kitchen table,” says Paiva, “and a lightkeeper’s cat that gained national attention by

catching his dinner by jumping o the rocky island.” A trek upstairs to see the Fresnel lens – shaped like a beehive and constructed of 54 individual pieces of glass – is well worth it.

“Lighthouses have played an integral role in the history of our nation. By maintaining Pomham Rocks Lighthouse as a museum, we preserve for everyone a time in American history when maritime trade was essential to our economy,” says Paiva. “Historical sites, such as this lighthouse, cannot be replaced. Once they are gone, the cultural history they embody is destroyed forever.”

Find a schedule of tour dates and registration online at PomhamRocksLighthouse.org, and meet the Friends of Pomham Lighthouse (plus models of lighthouse pets Tommy the cat and Jennifer the dog) at the The Loo : East Providence Arts Festival on August 12.

Photo courtesy of Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse

All aboard the Lady Pomham II to the East Providence lighthouse museum

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Roz Raskin on Self-healing and Nova One’s Latest Album

By James Baumgartner

Musician and songwriter Roz Raskin has been a staple of the Providence music scene for years in a way that’s continually evolving. After their indie pop band Roz and the Rice Cakes, Raskin started a new project Nova One. They released their third album, Create Myself on March 31.

LUIS HERNANDEZ: How do you describe the music that you make?

ROZ RASKIN: So I suppose it’s a big mix of things, from music that I grew up listening to, to a lot of DIY influences from touring across the US for many years, but I think mostly sort of dream pop with a little bit of an edge to it.

JAMES BAUMGARTNER: I saw a video on Instagram of you singing along with your father playing piano. How were your parents influential in your musical upbringing?

RASKIN: My dad has been in bands forever and my mom’s a big music fan. She did play guitar and sing at one point. I don’t know how she’d feel about me saying that on air but you know what? I bet she rocked. And my grandfather also played guitar and sang, and actually the guitar I have today was his guitar. My dad and I have been singing together or playing together with him on keys, or sometimes me on guitar, and it’s, I mean, it’s the cutest thing. It’s so sweet.

HERNANDEZ: Let’s talk about the origins of your latest album, Create Myself

RASKIN: I started to record in early 2021, but was writing towards the end of 2020. I think, now looking back, the album really is speaking to a younger version of myself and processing a lot of feelings of what it is to grow up and find yourself, and yeah, I suppose that’s a big chunk of it.

HERNANDEZ: That leads me to this question I had to ask you. In your song “You Deserve” – “you deserve to be loved.” Who are you talking about?

RASKIN: I think I’m talking to me. And I think I’m talking to really all of us. I spent a long time really trying to work on loving myself and was also surrounded by other people that I feel like didn’t truly love themselves either. And it’s, in some ways, it feels like a mantra or something, because it’s not like so many things about healing. I feel like it’s so cliche to say that, that it’s not linear. But it does feel like a daily struggle to accept yourself in a society that has so many pressures and so much discrimination and prejudice, you know, there’s just so many ways to navigate this world that can sometimes feel really hard.

BAUMGARTNER: You always include photos of your family in the artwork for your albums. Why is that?

RASKIN: Ah, you know, I think I saw I was thinking about that a lot recently. And so first o , I love photos, I love old photos of family. And I feel very lucky that I have quite a few of them from like, the last 100 years or whatever. And so I think in this whole conversation around creating myself through this album, it always feels like a really beautiful thing to sort of nod to the folks that came before me that, you know, made me who I am and what they

went through. And so I just feel like it’s almost like a dedication or something like that.

BAUMGARTNER: Like a dedication to your family?

RASKIN: Yeah.

BAUMGARTNER: In some it seems like you’re dressed in sort of period attire and vintage attire. Are you trying to recreate a specific photograph? Or is there anything else there?

RASKIN: Oh, for me?

BAUMGARTNER: Yeah. I’ve seen some photos of you where you’re, it seems like you’re specifically dressed like it’s 1959 or something like that. Am I picking that up right?

RASKIN: Yeah, for sure. So for folks that have never seen my band live, we all dress in these peach wigs. And we all look the exact same when we play, which is actually very confusing when we’re playing shows because nobody knows who is who and people are mistaken for you know, anyways, it’s part of the fun, I suppose. So there’s definitely like a dreamy

Create Myself is a collection of dream-pop songs with a message of love and acceptance to their younger self

Photo by Joey Wharton, courtesy of Nova One

and Luis Hernandez

Nova One live at Newport Folk Fest 2022

sort of retro girl group piece of the way the project first came about. With the first EP that I put out, Secret Princess that was pretty heavily in that sonic realm, if you will, and yeah, I’m just a fan of retro fashion as well. I love wigs. I love to dress up. I love to feel like it’s Halloween every night I’m playing.

HERNANDEZ: Being new to Rhode Island, I’m learning a lot about, you know, musicians and artists here. But from you, your perspective, what’s the music scene like? How do you describe it?

RASKIN: I would say, it’s amazing. I love it so much. I think that it’s really progressed in a lot of ways that are really important. Like, I think it’s the most inclusive it’s ever been. While that’s, you know, something that’s always a process. And I think that it could always be more inclusive. But I feel like there’s more queer artists than ever playing here. And the shows feel, for the most part, at least in, in the circles that I tend to run in, like very welcoming. And I just think that there’s some really unique stu happening here.

BAUMGARTNER: Has anything specifically

changed in the last few years through the pandemic to now?

RASKIN: I would say that things definitely feel like they’re still trying to figure out where they’re going a little bit with the music scene in general. Trying to figure out the most sustainable ways for bands to play shows and tour, which is more challenging than ever because of inflation. Like, with the price of living having gone up so much, it was unfortunate to see quite a few bands either continue to, I mean, not continue to play or to tour, or to fold all together. And just because it’s hard to make it happen. It’s hard to a ord all the things that go into being a band, let alone a ord to survive out here. So I think that we’re still trying to recover quite a bit. And I think that I still know quite a few people that don’t even go to shows because they don’t like being in public spaces. But I think I feel hopeful about the situation.

Find Create Myself on Bandcamp and streaming platforms everywhere. This interview has been edited for print and originally posted on April 6, 2023. Luis Hernandez can be reached at LHernandez@ThePubicsRadio.org

Photo by Rich Ferri, courtesy of Nova One

Nova One in performance garb, Roz Raskin in front

By Abigail Lebowitz

Flipp Salon Apothecary

Holistic Salon and Art Studio

We’re on the hunt for Rhody Gems! Every neighborhood has that secret, hidden, cool and unusual, or hole-in-the-wall spot that locals love. Email or tag us on social media using #RhodyGem to suggest yours, and we might just feature it!

What it is:

A collab of like-minded stylists, Flipp is the state’s first plant-based hair salon and herbal apothecary, and also o ers a time-based model for services rather than by gender.

Where to find it:

On that brief stretch of Transit Street between Benefit and South Main streets, look for a sign with a logo that bears resemblance to iconic ‘60s model Twiggy.

What makes it a Rhody Gem?

Concerned about what you’re putting on your head? With a focus on goods that use minimal chemical ingredients, Flipp hopes to protect your health as well as the environment. According to owner Jo-Anna Cassino, “We believe that beauty and wellness are symbiotic, and we’re committed to using safe, non-toxic products that not only provide high-performing results but also promote overall well-being.” After you get your hair done, check their fully stocked apothecary of teas, bath and beauty products, and more. Flipp also takes great care to promote local artisans through their rotating gallery which o ers works for sale; they even host a concert series called Flipp by Night where the salon transforms into a night club vibe.

Flipp Salon Apothecary

38 Transit Street FlippSalon.com

Photo courtesy of Flipp Salon Apothecary To

YOUR PEOPLE ARE

ARTS & CULTURE

OUTDOOR ITINERARIES WHERE TO EAT

@capreceannjackson

photographed by @philip.muriel

Memo to Our New “Quality of Life” Mayor

Mid-year reflections on Mayor Brett Smiley’s successes and challenges

Mayor Brett Smiley has just finished his first six months in o ce. He’s scored some nice initial successes on his pledge to be our new “quality of life” Mayor, but perhaps he should hold the victory laps until he gets through a full cycle. Two of his biggest challenges lie ahead.

Winter was a win! True, we only had 8.2 inches of snow, but the roads remained clear, the schools functioned, and there were no issues. Salt barely got used and from the looks of the mountain on Allens Avenue, the city will save costs next year.

The crushing of 63 street-illegal vehicles and 24 arrests will hopefully stem a long period of terror, highlighted by a lack of enforcement and quite frankly, a lack of concern for residents who were being intimidated and even assaulted by riders who were confident that they could get away with anything. They are still popping up, but they know there’s a new sheri in town. Prime season for these vehicles is coming, so no true victory laps until November!

A great next step is to remove the South Water bike lane which is unused and unnecessary and is only increasing tra c and pollution as cars sit idling. Councilman John “Weathervane” Goncalves still supports the bike lane but acknowledges that it could be removed “if that’s what the Mayor wants to do.” Close the street every other Sunday, and you’ll accomplish more!

Same with the Empire Street, Fountain Street, and Jewelry District bike lanes, which are also rarely used. We don’t have a problem with bike lanes where they make sense and don’t radically and unnecessarily a ect a neighborhood’s quality of life. The Hope Street and Eaton Street bike lane trials highlighted the absurdity of a coalition trying to force a concept where it didn’t belong – same with the speed bumps that impact residents of adjacent streets.

The City’s Comprehensive Plan, due in 2024, is designed to direct policy decisions for growth and development over the next decade. Input comes from many stakeholders, which it should. Leadership should recognize that certain proposals are pushed by small groups that believe that loud voices accurately speak for all residents – they don’t, as the Providence Great Streets Plan has demonstrated with its costly

starts and stops. What seems missing to us is factoring in the lack of parking now required for residential development and the e ect that street parking has on a neighborhood. Brent Runyon of Providence Preservation Society notes, “Over the years, countless studies have been done on the critical importance of adequate parking, and then are ignored.”

Runyon adds, “Development battles are over cost versus benefits. In many cases the ‘benefits’ provide exceptions and options for the developers, with most of the ‘costs’ borne by the neighborhoods.” Building height is a concern, but he believes that parking and good design are paramount thoughts that are echoed by the neighborhood associations.

Capital Center and the 195 District allow greater height because they are not in “neighborhoods,” except for the 195 parcels below Benefit Street. Parcels 2 and 5 with their scale and lack of parking will have a catastrophic e ect on the adjoining neighborhood. Anything that blocks the views of important tourist attractions like Benefit Street would be short-sighted.

The Comprehensive Plan will need to have management of neighborhood commercialization and growth. Three entire

blocks of single- and multi-family homes on Brook Street, a buffer between Thayer Street and the institutional zone, are now gone and this pattern will only increase if the institutions are not restrained.

To make matters worse, city councilors, state senators, and representatives at developers’ behest are using “state legislative workarounds” to marginalize the liquor and zoning boards creating a new precedent for eroding neighborhoods with liquor licenses and increased commercialization. This is wrong on so many levels. Just look at the 195 District.

Finally, the PILOT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) agreements are to be renegotiated. The city desperately needs fair payments from the non-profits. Brown has continuously treated this “negotiation” as a give-get situation and has been able to significantly reduce their “give” by what they “get” in all the past PILOTs. They have gotten absurd concessions and taken advantage of the city. This time it should not be an option.

Given Smiley’s commitment to quality of life in Providence, his mastery of the facts and figures and his straight-forward presentation skills, we look forward to his continued success.

Photo by Rose Kenyon

OF FUN! OF

This Land is Our Land

“Feeling at home in outdoor spaces” is just one tenet of Movement Education Outdoors’ (MEO) programming – and it can look di erent for each student they serve. Maybe it’s the confidence that comes with navigating a trail by compass for the first time, or growing a garden from seed to harvest through the West End Raices program. It could also be kayaking Narrow River or dancing, running, and taking up space outside.

“If the young people who join us experience a chance to just be their full selves, we’re doing things right. That’s liberatory,” says Lizz Malloy, program manager at MEO. “We cultivate outdoor belonging by celebrating the deep relationships that people of color have always had with their environment.”

MEO was founded by Joann Ayuso in 2018 with a mission of empowering Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and low-income youth from Providence, Woonsocket, Central Falls, and Pawtucket to engage with the land and waterways they live on through outdoor learning experiences. Programming takes place all over the state, including their West End community garden and, through a partnership with the Nature Conservancy, the MEO Lodge in Saunderstown at the King Benson Preserve.

Though the natural world is all around us, accessibility to its recreation and stewardship is often inequitable. Malloy explains that mainstream environmentalism tends to favor white, colonial frameworks over Indigenous knowledge. “MEO is all about challenging this,” she explains. “We center the rich place-based knowledge that our communities hold collectively, accumulated through direct experience and across generations. We honor the expertise that everyone holds about their own surroundings. In a lot of ways, our programs are spaces for exchange more than education – everyone is a teacher and a learner.”

Take oysters, for example. With MEO students, Malloy says, “we talk about the Black ancestors on this land who found freedom and economic security by farming oysters or running oyster houses. We’ll hear from educators at the Tomaquag Museum about Indigenous relationships with oysters. So while we’re learning how

to monitor and support oyster populations in our waterways, we’re coming at it from a lineage of deep relationships between these beings and our communities.”

Along with lessons in ecosystems and history, students at MEO’s Agua Day Camp get to take the plunge with four weeks of water experiences. Partnerships with community organizations help remove barriers – such as transportation, equipment, and specialized training – to get kids in kayaks and sailboats, along with foraging for natural dyes to create costumes for an end-ofcamp performance.

With three weeks kayaking and three hiking, the once-weekly MOBILE program sees high school youth of color getting their feet wet in aquaculture and marine science career paths.

“Participants visit locations throughout Rhode Island, learn about their Black and Indigenous history, connect that history to current-day environmental justice issues, and work together on projects to educate their communities about those issues,” says Malloy. The program culminates in an overnight camping trip.

More than experiencing the outdoors, students are doing the work of stewarding the land

– whether that’s testing water quality or monitoring oyster populations – and reclaiming ownership of the spaces they occupy. “We’ve seen so many strong friendships blossom through our programming, fostering confidence and comfortability for the youth, which helps guide them towards stepping into their power,” says Malloy.

From centering ancestral stories to unpacking a history of colonization that has led to environmental injustices impacting community youth today, MEO leaders and peers forge ahead by learning modes of healing in mindfulness and joy among nature – but also mobilizing.

“We find it’s really powerful to create spaces for youth agency and leadership,” says Malloy. “We hand the reins to our young people as much as possible – they make decisions and guide their own experiences, sometimes literally, holding the map and compass and taking charge of group navigation. When we honor the knowledge and agency of our young people and really trust them as leaders, that’s empowering.”

To learn more about programming or donate gear, visit MEOutdoorsRI.com, and watch for calls for volunteers to participate in public intergenerational hikes.

A mission-based education organization provides opportunities for youth to embrace ancestral knowledge and be outside

Photo courtesy of Movement Education Outdoors

Youth learn about and test water quality through MEO programming

Neighborhood News

A space made available to Providence’s neighborhood associations free of charge.

HOT TOPICS

An overview of what’s happening around the city right now

Fox Point Neighborhood Association seeks board members

Are you a Fox Point resident with concerns about the neighborhood, ideas for improvements, and a ection for the vibrant, historic area? The Fox Point Neighborhood Association (FPNA) seeks enthusiastic residents to serve on its board of directors. Whether you are a homeowner or renter, longtime resident, or newcomer, FPNA values your participation.

FPNA board membership involves attending local meetings, thinking about current neighborhood issues, and sharing your views. In recent years, board members have fought for a thoughtful redesign of lower Gano Street, weighed in on proposals for developments on 195 land, and spoken out on issues of historic preservation. They’ve worked with local business owners seeking licenses and expansions, and they have helped sister organizations in e orts to fight the Fane tower and bury the power lines in India Point Park – all in only a few hours each month. FPNA board membership is a chance to learn the latest neighborhood news, engage on issues large and small, and in so doing, help make a di erence. Interested neighbors can contact FPNA executive secretary Amy Mendillo at FoxPointNeighborhood@gmail.com

New food pantry in Summit neighborhood

Summit Neighborhood Association is proud to support the new Your Neighborhood Food Pantry (YNFP) at 533 Branch Avenue by helping coordinate volunteers. Founded by Donver Gardiner and Jackie Watson-Gardiner with their nonprofit board in December 2022, YNFP started assisting the community with free food in the beginning of May 2023. A team of volunteers unloads boxes, sorts and shelves food, and distributes nutritious supplies to neighbors. For more information or to donate non-perishable goods or financial support, contact them at ynfp22@gmail.com or via Facebook: Your Neighborhood Food Pantry.

In May, SNA was also happy to provide food and refreshments for the Refugee Voices: Art from The Community event at the Rochambeau Library, showcasing a range of thought-provoking artwork and crafts, including paintings, basketwork, knitted items, and photographs.

Mile of History development updates and summer concerts

Mile of History Association (MoHA) continues to press for a building worthy of the historic section of Providence on I-195 Parcel 2. MoHA representatives, in collaboration with the Fox Point Neighborhood Association and the College Hill Neighborhood Association, are evaluating the latest design proposal. Although the design is much improved, concerns remain regarding the height of the structure and provision of parking for cars. In the meantime, now that MoHA’s streetlight restoration project improving nighttime safety on Benefit Street is in motion, they are seeking ideas for uses of the old street lights, which are destined for the trash heap.

The Providence Preservation Society’s (PPS) Music in the Garden series, of which MoHA is a sponsor, continues with a July 19 concert. Bluegrass band Greystone Rail takes the stage for a high-energy set at Shakespeare Head Garden. Gates open at 6pm, and music starts at 6:30pm. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $12 for PPS and MoHA members. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs, as seating is not provided.

Elmwood neighbors weigh in on proposed homeless shelter

Open Doors held a meeting at Knight Library in mid-May inviting neighbors to voice their opinions about the proposed shelter at 572 Elmwood Avenue in light of the Cranston Street Armory temporary shelter closing. Numerous residents, representatives, and Elmwood Neighborhood Association members have spoken to Nick Horton, co-executive director of Open Doors about the saturation of social services in the southern part of Providence. Horton remains interested in the property as a temporary shelter for women in the coming six months and later as transitional housing for women and children; however, the proposed numbers and genders of occupants have been reduced from 25 men to 12-16 women. The building has eight bedrooms and four baths and has been used as transitional housing in the past. Horton plans for a series of Zoom meetings to talk more with community members. In the meantime, State Representative Grace Diaz is in the process of collecting addresses of shelters and wraparound services for people in need with the intention of creating a map of their locations.

Inside the new Your Neighborhood Food Pantry on Branch Avenue

Providence Neighborhood Associations

Blackstone Parks Conservancy

Jane Peterson

P.O. Box 603141

Providence, RI 02906

401-270-3014

BlackstoneParks@gmail.com

BlackstoneParksConservancy.org

College Hill Neighborhood Association

Rick Champagne

P.O. Box 2442

Providence, RI 02906

CHNA@chnaprovidence.org

CHNAProvidence.org

Downtown Neighborhood Association

DNAPVD@gmail.com

DNAPVD.com

Facebook: Providence Downtown Neighborhood Association, DNA

Elmwood Neighborhood Association

Karen Hlynsky

ENA-PVD.org

Facebook: Elmwood Neighborhood Association PVD

Fox Point Neighborhood Association

Meeting Date: July 10

Amy Mendillo

P.O. Box 2315

Providence, RI 02906

FoxPointNeighborhood@gmail.com

FPNA.net

Jewelry District Association

Sharon Steele

Sharon@sharonsteele.com

JewelryDistrict.org

Facebook: Jewelry District Association Providence, RI

Mile of History Association

Charles Hewitt, Secretary

1 Governor Street, Providence

MileOfHistory@gmail.com MileOfHistory.org

Mount Hope Community Center 401-521-8830

MHNAInc@gmail.com

Facebook: Mount Hope Neighborhood Association, Inc.

Olneyville Neighborhood Association

Eduardo Sandoval

122 Manton Avenue, Box 8 Providence, RI 02909 ONAProvidence@gmail.com

Facebook: Olneyville Library

Providence Coalition of Neighborhood Associations Info@provcna.org

ProvCNA.org

Reservoir Triangle Neighborhood Association

David Talan

25 Santiago St. Providence, RI 02907 401-941-3662

DaveTalan@aol.com

Smith Hill Partners’ Initiative

Wole Akinbi

400 Smith Street Providence, RI 02908 Suite #1 AAkinbi@half-full.com

Facebook: Smith Hill Partners’ Initiative

South Providence Neighborhood Association

c/o Dwayne Keys

P.O. Box 5653

Providence, RI 02903

401-369-1334

SouthProvNeighbors@gmail.com

Facebook: South Providence Neighborhood Association

Summit Neighborhood Association

Meeting Date: July 17

P.O. Box 41092

Providence, RI 02940

401-400-0986

SNAProv@gmail.com

SummitNeighbors.org

Washington Park

Neighborhood Association

237 Washington Avenue

Providence, RI 02905

BettyLinda@aol.com

Facebook: Washington Park Association

Wayland Square Neighborhood Association

Katherine Touafek

Facebook: Wayland Square Neighborhood Association

WaylandSquareNeighbors@gmail.com

West Broadway Neighborhood Association

1560 Westminster Street

Providence, RI 02909

401-831-9344

WBNA@wbna.org

WBNA.org

New streetlights on Benefit Street thanks to Mile of History Association

Photo courtesy of Mile of History Association

At last, a cream liqueur as nature intendeD

Full of chocolate, caramel and vanilla avor, Wild-Arbor has the rich indulgent taste of a traditional cream liqueur, but is the only one that is clear and made from only natural, plant-based ingredients; as such it is also almost half the calories. is makes Wild-Arbor amazingly versatile; best served on its own, chilled, over ice or you can make a delicious cocktail, like the Espresso Martini for some sweet sophistication or a Hampton Mudslide for the ultimate indulgence. Please enjoy Wild-Arbor responsibly and join us in giving back to nature. A tree is planted in the Wild-Arbor nature reserve for every bottle sold.

Level Up Your Grilling Game with KitchenGuys

When it comes to choosing between natural gas and propane grills, several factors need to be considered. The experts at KitchenGuys break down the advantages of each. Natural gas grills are connected to a fixed natural gas line, o ering convenience by eliminating the need for refilling or replacing tanks. They provide a continuous and consistent fuel supply, ensuring uninterrupted grilling sessions.

On the other hand, propane grills, which use portable propane tanks, o er portability, making them suitable for camping or tailgating. In terms of heat output, both types of grills can reach high temperatures for e ective grilling, as they are both designed to have the same BTU outputs. However, natural gas burns cleaner and produces less than half of the carbon emissions that coal does per unit of energy used.

No matter which grill is best suited for your needs, KitchenGuys carries a wide variety of natural gas and propane grills, both freestanding and built-ins, and for Scratch and Dent appliances, the cost savings are significant.

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THE PRICEIS R I THG

PROVIDENCE RESTAURANT WEEKS ISN’T

JUST A WILDLY SUCCESSFUL PROMOTION FOR LOCAL RESTAURANTS – IT’S THE THING THAT HELPED

PUT THE CITY ON THE CULINARY MAP BY ANN MARTINI

“Oh, I have a list!” says Erin Kaufman of Warwick, when she hears that the Providence Restaurant Weeks promotion will be back for its 17th year this July. “I always have this running tally of restaurants I want to try. My goal is to get to a new one every month, but it doesn’t always work. So when Restaurant Weeks gets here, it’s like I’ve been given a permission slip to go nuts,” she says.

Lucky for Kaufman, Providence Restaurant Weeks is back this month. The initiative, created by the Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau (PWCVB), runs twice a year – in January and July – from the 9th to the 22nd. The annual promotion is a celebration of all things culinary throughout (and sometimes beyond) the capital city.

Participating restaurants o er diners a special menu at promotional prices for lunch or dinner, plus other deals on cocktails, family meals, specialty products, and more. In January, for example, Providence Oyster Bar in Providence and East Greenwich o ered a three-course lunch for $23.95 or dinner for $39.95, while Ten Prime Steak and Sushi in Providence o ered a buy-one, get-one free filet mignon special. Restaurant Weeks is the darling project of the PWCVB, increasing tra c to and buzz about the pride of Providence: its culinary prowess.

Photos courtesy of Ten Prime Steak and Sushi

10 Prime Steak & Sushi offers a full sushi menu featuring 15 designer rolls

Providence isn’t the only city to hold the biannual promotion, nor was it the first. The concept was introduced in 1992 by restaurateur Joe Baum and Tim Zagat, co-founder of the iconic Zagat Survey, as a way to boost business during the Democratic National Convention held in New York City that year. The event was an instant success, drawing attention from visitors, but also from locals empowered to try otherwise-out-of-their-price-range establishments. The participating restaurants o ered fixed-price lunch and dinner menus for $19.92, allowing diners to enjoy a multi-course meal at a fraction of the usual cost.

The concept caught on, and news of it swiftly spread to other cities, who instituted their own versions. It is now a lynch pin promotion for convention and visitors authorities, and even spurred a graduate thesis dissertation by a student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2016 entitled “Investigating How Restaurant Week’s Price Promotion A ects Diners’ Online Perceptions.” Restaurant Week was a brilliant concept, it surmised, because the lower price point made diners perceive a restaurant more positively. What’s more, a positive Restaurant Week experience is likely to result in a repeat visit to the restaurant, even if another price reduction is not o ered.

American-infused Mediterranean dishes include scallops (above) and pork chops at Circe

Photos by Ti any Medrano

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It was marketing gold, and the PWCVB knew it back in 2006. President and CEO Kristen Adamo recalls that first discussion. “My then-boss handed me some polling that showed Providence second to last in ranking of culinary cities in New England,” she recalls. Adamo, an enthusiastic fan of the local culinary scene, convened with State Senator Joshua Miller (D-28) and the city to execute the concept. “It was planned to take place between holidays and other event-heavy times such as graduations, so restaurants were eager to participate,” Miller recalls.

The PWCVB made it the centerpiece of its wildly successful and ongoing effort to transform Providence into a culinary destination. “A few years after that initial meeting, the readers of Travel + Leisure voted Providence ‘Best Food City’ in the United States,” Adamo says. “That turnaround happened because we had exceptional food talent and because the PWCVB and the Cicilline administration worked handin-hand to develop a culinary brand and strategy for the city. Providence Restaurant Weeks was the first step in the development of that brand.”

One of many Marcelino’s Boutique Bar craft cocktails

Comfort and elegance at Circe

Photo (L) courtesy of Marcelino’s, (R) by Ti any Medrano

WE WERE THRILLED WHEN RESTAURANT WEEK STARTED IN PROVIDENCE IN 2006. IT GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE ALL WE DO TO A BROADER AUDIENCE THAT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH GRACIE’S.

ELLEN GRACYALNY, GRACIE’S

Photos by JWessel Photography, courtesy of Gracie’s

A coastal wine pairing at Gracie’s

That first year, July 2006, 40 restaurants signed up to participate. The idea was similar to that first one in New York: o er a threecourse menu at a reduced price. Over the years, Restaurant Week became Restaurant Weeks, to allow restaurants and diners alike a bit more time to take it all in. “A big goal of Restaurant Weeks is to help the restaurants and the restaurant sta during times that aren’t typically as busy,” says Christine

Walsh Phillips, senior director of community and public a airs at the PWCVB.

Ellen Gracyalny, owner of Gracie’s restaurant (and Ellie’s Bakery) in Providence, was the first to sign on as a participating restaurant. “We were thrilled when Restaurant Week started in Providence in 2006. It gave us the opportunity to showcase all we do to a broader audience that was unfamiliar with Gracie’s,” she says.

“We have pivoted over the years to allow more restaurants to participate by letting them set up their own special offers,” explains Phillips. Gracyalny appreciates the added freedom. “We decided to offer our five-course tasting menu at a reduced price for the entire month of July,” she says. “The tasting menu experience is a three-hour journey, like going to the theater, so it gives people more time to plan instead of being limited to a two-week time span,” she says.

This year, that flexibility in the way establishments interpret Restaurant Weeks continues to expand. Marcelino’s Boutique Bar in the Omni Providence Hotel is best known for their mixology. “I wanted to be the first cocktail bar in Restaurant Weeks,” says owner Marcelino Abou Ali. The 70-seat space o ers an upscale bar program featuring unique, hand-crafted drinks and is becoming particularly well-known for its espresso martinis.

“For Restaurant Weeks we can o er specials on drinks and aperitifs and digestifs. People can start here, go to dinner, and end the evening here. It’s a way for them to extend the Restaurant Weeks experience,” he says.

Marcelino’s bar director Refaat Ghostine mixing up magic

Valet parking for Marcelino’s available at the Omni Hotel

Note that curated non-alcoholic cocktails are also available at Marcelino’s

A BIG GOAL OF RESTAURANT WEEKS IS TO HELP THE RESTAURANTS AND THE RESTAURANT STAFF DURING TIMES THAT AREN’T TYPICALLY AS BUSY.

Photos courtesy of Marcelino’s

CHRISTINE WALSH PHILLIPS, PWCVB

Dine along South Main Street at Hemenway’s Restaurant

BELOW: Fresh local oysters

Not that Restaurant Weeks is a hard sell. “It’s a great promotion for our city and industry,” says Nicole Christie, general manager of Hemenway’s restaurant in Providence, also a long-time participant. “It helps generate extra foot traffic and excitement in the city because it has a strong following with guests who look forward to this time every year to try out a new place. Hemenway’s is excited to continue to participate,” she says.

Even Hemenway’s chef, Max Peterson, gets into the groove. “We have a great following of loyal guests, so it gives chef Max the opportunity to try out some new items for them,” Christie explains. And then there are new guests – a key target in the promotion –who otherwise might not have experienced Hemenway’s. “We love first-time guests! We are excited to welcome someone who has never been to the restaurant before.”

RIGHT: Yellowfin Tuna

Photos courtesy of Newport Restaurant Group

CAV has been serving up award-winning cuisine in a historic loft since 1989

Photo courtesy of Providence Warwick CVB

There are sometimes unexpected benefits along the way. “We noticed that during January Restaurant Weeks, there was an uptick in college students dining out,” Adamo says, speculating that the more a ordable o erings were encouraging younger audiences. And some restaurants get downright strategic when it comes to appealing to a specific crowd. “The menu is designed to increase value and get a younger, 30- to 40-year-old budget-conscious guest to come in,” says CAV restaurant co-owner John Moubayed. Gracyalny, too, was delighted to learn that Gracie’s was attracting new fans. “We noticed that 80 percent of the guests were coming from

Massachusetts and Boston,” she says of their Restaurant Weeks patrons. Restaurant owner Carlo Carlozzi of Circe restaurant in Providence and East Greenwich, noticed a significant bump in profits from the promotion. “We saw a revenue increase of 17 percent,” he says of the January event.

But it’s still the local diner, like Kaufman, who benefits most. “It’s exciting,” she says. “I might not necessarily like sushi, but if a great sushi restaurant is participating, I’ll go, just to see. Even if I don’t go back, I can speak more about the city’s restaurants. I feel like it makes me a more responsible and educated diner,” she says with a laugh. “Plus, you know…yum!”

Artful presentation and outstanding meals are CAV hallmarks

& FOOD

Crime and Cuisine

A foodie tour of Federal Hill regales with stories of mafia families and phenomenal pasta

It’s a fitting emblem, as acquiring abundance and prosperity – by almost any means necessary – was a theme of the Crime and Cuisine Tour. Sammartino regaled us with everything from Italian-American folklore to Buddy Cianci’s reign as mayor of Providence from 1975 to 1984 and again from 1991 to 2002 (despite being a convicted felon), and stories about the state’s banking crisis in the ‘90s, all while we ate our way through a handful of Atwells Avenue’s many restaurants and eateries – each with a tasty tale of its own.

Passing beneath Federal Hill’s iconic pine cone-bearing arch, a friend and I joined the Providence Tour Company group gathering in Garibaldi Park, ready to take a deep dive into the historic Italian neighborhood’s food-filled past. Our guide, Patti Sammartino, explained that the gateway’s pine cone, La Pigna, symbolizes abundance and prosperity.

Photo courtesy of Providence Tour Company

Our tour started in the 1950s with the Sicilian Mafia, also known as La Cosa Nostra, which means “our thing” in Italian. Led by mob gangster Raymond Patriarca, Sr., “The O ce” was headquartered at 168 Atwells Avenue. Patriarca operated the Coin-O-Matic front, loaning cigarette vending machines to establishments, who would pay dues, or “kick up,” to La Cosa Nostra in exchange for protection – “mostly from them,” Sammartino added.

Strolling Federal Hill in 2023, we could almost picture Patriarca sitting in front of the Coin-OMatic (now a smoke shop), o ering a friendly wave to the passersby, or at least to those who were in good standing with The O ce.

Trattoria Zooma was our first restaurant stop, where general manager Dino DiFante welcomed us into the elegant dining room. Tiny espresso cup in hand, DiFante told us stories of growing up in Italy, the strong presence of the Mafia in southern Italy, and Federal Hill’s transition from mostly Italian-American culture to the present-day multi-ethnic community, all while we enjoyed fresh house-made penne served with a velvety red sauce and flavorful veal meatballs.

Next up was the grocer and co ee shop where “Every Day is Sunday” – Venda Ravioli. At this staple dating back three decades, cheesemonger Caitlin “Cait” Armitage

Photos courtesy of Providence Tour Company

Patti Sammartino

(far left) leads the Crime and Cuisine Tour of Federal Hill

Dino DiFante tells the story of Trattoria Zooma

explained that several pantry items are imported from Italy and sold wholesale to many establishments nationally. She showed us the many varieties of fresh pasta Venda carries, found in all cuts and flavors, such as squid ink, tru e, lemon, spinach, and more.

It felt good to walk a couple of blocks to our next location, Gasbarro’s Wines. The liquor store has stood for over 125 years, meaning it operated through Prohibition, three pandemics, and two world wars. If these walls could talk, the hidden cellar behind a barricade of wooden liquor boxes, especially, would have tales to tell. Gasbarro’s Wines has liquor imported from all over the world, including

Photos courtesy of Providence Tour Company

Tasting reds at Gasbarro’s Wines

many parts of Italy, even housing some of the most globally sought-after wines. Now, I tend to be a Moscato gal, but the Ripasso served to us was perfect, dry yet robust.

The Crime and Cuisine Tour teased our appetite for Federal Hill’s riveting history, which is inexplicably bound in food and wine. For an immersive tour of Providence’s culinary hotspot, meet at La Pigna with an empty stomach.

Providence Tour Company

Book a Crime and Cuisine tour online, recurring Saturdays throughout the summer. PVDTourCo.com/crime-and-cuisine-tour

Tour guests stop inside Venda Ravioli

Known for drawing eager brunchers lining the sidewalk every weekend, Julian’s on Broadway will soon be adding more seats, a new bar, and an inside waiting area. In 2020, owner Brian Oakley secured the space adjacent to the restaurant formerly occupied by Broadway Cleaners. “The plan was to expand into that space,” says Oakley. “Then the pandemic hit. With the shutdown, there was no sta ng, no seating; we literally put in the order for the windows we just installed over two years ago.”

The expansion is expected to be completed by the fall. “When the pause happened, we started closing at 8pm and went to an all-day brunch menu. [In May], we reimplemented our dinner program. That will be a part of the expansion.” That daily brunch menu, served from 9am until 4pm, features traditional entrees along with unique dishes like the Nova Scotia Eggs Benedict, Tofu Scram, and the popular Special Oakelbowl: “poached eggs laying majestically across a bed of Homies kicking it with smoked bacon and kimchi cuddling under a blanket of sriracha hollandaise with pillows made of scallions.” 318 Broadway, Providence, JuliansProvidence.com – Ken Abrams

Known for serving traditional Native American entrees, Willie’s Place recently reopened at a new location in Peace Dale. Owned and operated by William Johnson, a member of the Narragansett Tribe who grew up in Charlestown, the restaurant had previously only sold local favorites through a take-out window. “We now have indoor dining, a deck, and a bigger kitchen,” says Johnson. The menu features creative comfort food. “I call it Native American fusion. That way, I can pretty much bring anything on and o the menu,” explains Johnson. “We’ll be doing a lot of traditional Native American meals, fresh lemonade, and weekly specials.” Willie’s signature dish is The Gansett, named after the tribe. “We take a traditional Native American fry bread and put taco toppings on it. Instead of a bean chili, I changed it to a three-meat chili with chorizo, beef chuck, and ground beef with beans served over fry bread with lettuce and tomato.” Top it o with house-made hot sauce and sour cream and you’re good to go! 1283 Kingstown Road, Peace Dale, WilliesPlaceRI.com – Ken Abrams

Recently renovated and under new ownership, Del’s Depot not only carries on the tradition of one of Rhode Island’s most beloved summertime beverages but also pays homage to its Warren location’s roots. The former train depot is now a popular stop on the well-traversed East Bay Bike Path and mere steps from the East Bay town’s many eateries.

“We are four friends, family really, who stumbled upon the opportunity to be a part of this timeless and beloved RI frozen treat,” says co-owner Aliya Johnson. With backgrounds in interior design, the group purchased Del’s from former long-time owner Marsha Matteson and gave the space a facelift, inside and out. New touches like patterned wallpaper complement classic details, including the stacks of green-and-yellow cups – sure to solicit joy. Along with lemon, expect a full line of Del’s flavors – watermelon, blood orange, peach mango, and blueberry – plus shelves on shelves of must-have merch. 65 Child Street, Warren, @dels.depot – Abbie Lahmers

Photo by Abbie Lahmers

Culinary cultures collide in a South Kingstown eatery

Classic Warren lemonade stand gets a facelift

Popular Broadway brunch destination expanding

A view of Julian’s before the new windows went in this summer ahead of their fall expansion

Gouda Days Ahead

Cheese lovers rejoice: Wayland Square’s newest specialty shop carries everything from parmigiano-reggiano to charcuterie

Some people have street cred. Je DiMeo has cheese cred. With a decades-long career buying, selling, importing, distributing, merchandising, making, and consulting about cheese, he knows what he likes, and he has a good idea of what Rhode Islanders will like too.

Jeff and his wife Angie founded a food consultancy business in 2017, merging his cheese and specialty retail acumen with her experience in marketing and the digital landscape. The couple worked directly with independent food businesses and large brands, but along the way, a cheese shop of their own morphed from a wistful dream

to a more seriously considered reality.

For years, Je , a Rhode Island native, lived with Angie in Wayland Square and was keenly aware of the absence left there when nationally recognized chef and cheesemaker Matt Jennings closed his much-loved cheese shop Farmstead and neighboring bistro La Laiterie in 2014 – bonafide institutions for a decade in the lively, community-driven neighborhood. The void only strengthened the DiMeos’ desire to be shopkeepers in the square, only there was never a commercial space available that aligned with their vision. So they waited…and waited, until, after a three-year quest, an unexpected

“for lease” sign popped up in the perfect location this past March, and they pounced.

“We looked at each other and said, between the two of us, I don’t know anyone that could do it better, or at least with more passion,” explains Je . “There are some really wonderful cheese shops that we frequent and love, so we’re just excited to be in that realm and servicing, in my opinion, a very dry specialty cheese market, which is the East Side.” He recognizes there are big box stores with cheese departments, like Whole Foods, which ironically, helped launch his cheese career. DiMeo was working at Bread & Circus in Wellesley,

Photo by Je DiMeo

In The Kitchen | By Andrea E. McHugh FOOD & DRINK

A cheese board expertly prepared by Je and Angie DiMeo

MA, an upscale chain of a dozen markets ultimately bought by Whole Foods. The acquisition changed his professional life’s trajectory.

“At the age of 19, Whole Foods asked me to become a specialty coordinator for the tri-state area, so New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut – they were just opening stores in New York City. They really liked what I was doing, and they liked that I thought outside the box, and honestly, that I was kind of

breaking all the rules at Whole Foods with the cheeses that I sold, and where I sourced them from and how I was selling them,” says Je . Later, working for a cheese importer, he became well versed in cheeses from Italy, Spain, Portugal, and beyond.

When they open the doors to East Side Cheese & Provisions on South Angell Street this month, curious and casual cheese lovers and avid turophiles alike will be able

to shop and sample more than a hundred local, domestic, and international artisanal cheeses in the 1,200-square-foot space.

“Angie and I have a lot of connections and we have a lot of direct relationships, which is only good for everybody,” says Je . “It obviously can potentially lower our cost of goods and allow us to pass that onto our customers, and introduce them to things that would normally be a much more expensive product

In The Kitchen | By Andrea E. McHugh

Photo by Je DiMeo

East Side Cheese & Provisions will stock charcuterie items for all tastes

at a more reasonable rate, but also getting our hands on things that other retailers just can’t, whether that’s a one-o experimental batch from a really well-known cheese maker in Vermont, something that is created specifically for us, or things that we discover along the way in our travels that we really want to introduce to folks in Rhode Island.”

The shop will also stock a selection of pantry staples and items that pair well with cheese, including artisan crackers, jams, pickled items, olives, charcuterie, drinks, and more. Cheese and charcuterie boards will be available to grab and go or to order in advance online. The DiMeos are also planning classes, tastings,

pairings, and fun events at the shop, including Cheesy Bingo and Foodie Trivia.

While it’s hard to choose a favorite, Angie reveals the cheese that means the most to her and Je . “Our favorite of all time is the king of all cheese: parmigiano-reggiano,” says Angie. “That’s the one that’s always in the house. We traveled to Italy and I’ve gotten to see it being made by small family farms and producers. It resonates and sits deep within, I don’t know, my heart – and my belly.”

East Side Cheese & Provisions

17 South Angell Street • 450-0273 EastSideCheese.com

Photo by Angel Tucker, courtesy of Je DiMeo

Je and Angie DiMeo

Discover the flavors of Rhode Island! From fresh seafood shacks to farm-to-table eateries, little Rhody o ers a diverse culinary landscape that caters to all tastes. Indulge in delicious seafood, global cuisines, and locally-inspired dishes, and experience the culinary richness of the Ocean State with a dining experience that will leave you craving for more.

Dave’s Fresh Marketplace

1000 Division Street Suite 20, East Greenwich | 401-558-0190 | davesmarketplace.com/WeeklySpecials

Made fresh daily in our kitchens - 60+ Take Out Options!

All Favorites Cafe

1678 Broad St, Cranston | 401-941-3550 allfavoritescafe.com |

A Breakfast/Lunch restaurant serving a mash up of Southern and French inspired flavors. Everything from French Toast to Cubanos.

Chelo’s Hometown Bar & Grille

8 locations across RI!

Chelos.com |

A Rhode Island staple since 1955! Fresh, homemade deliciousness in every bite.

El Paisa Restaurant Patio and Bar

598 Dexter Street, Central Falls 401-726-8864 | ElPaisa.com |

Since 1978, El Paisa Restaurant and Bar has served home-cooked, classic Colombian recipes and cocktails with great joy.

BLU On The Water

20 Water St. East Greenwich | 401-885-3700

bluonthewater.com |

Fresh seafood daily and live outdoor entertainment make BLU RI’s premier waterfront destination.

Chelo’s Waterfront

1 Masthead Dr. Warwick | 401-884-3000

Cheloswaterfrontri.com |

Fresh food, family friendly, and unparalleled views of Greenwich Bay.

Mambo Sushi

380 Atwells Ave, Providence 401-642-8439 |

mambosushiprovidence.com

Peruvian Flair to Asian Cuisine

CAV Restaurant

14 Imperial Place, Providence | 401 751-9164

CavRestaurant.com |

Bistro style Brunch and Lunch. Fine Dining Dinner.

The Coast Guard House Restaurant

40 Ocean Rd, Narragansett | 401-789-0700

thecoastguardhouse.com |

Waterfront dining - local raw bar, lobster, pasta, steak & seafood. Award-winning wine list. Dining rooms, bars, patio & deck.

Marcelino’s Boutique Bar

1 W Exchange St, Providence | 401-666-0088

marcelinosboutiquebar.com |

Craft cocktail bar serving Mid-Terranean Fusion Mezze and World-Class Craft Cocktails | #ItsMarcelinos

Slice of Heaven

32 Narragansett Ave. Jamestown

401-423-9866 | sliceofheavenri.com

| Serving breakfast, lunch and daily handcrafted pastries. Family and dog friendly with a great outdoor patio.

Stack House

99 Fortin Road, Unit 108, Kingston

401-854-7470 | Stackhouseus.com |

New England’s Premier Brunch, Fried Chicken and Southern Cuisine Restaurant with a menu boastings over 20 chicken flavors.

Tallulah’s Taqueria

Three Locations:

West End • Fox Point • Jamestown

tallulahstaqueria.com |

Order by App, Online, or In-Store. Chicano Street Food...Rooted in Hospitality.

Twin Willows

865 Boston Neck Road, Narragansett

401-789-8153 | TwinWillowsRI.com |

Water-view dining with fresh lobsters & steamers served daily in this casual sports bar/restaurant.

& LIFE

Upper cabinets were replaced with shelves, adding light and access to everyday dishes

STYLE

Building Character

A 1945 Colonial gets a hands-on makeover from its homeowner, DIY blogger Carli Alves

When Rhode Island-based blogger and DIY content creator Carli Alves and her husband Justin first laid eyes on their 1945 South County Colonial, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. Between the overgrown hedges, the hostas growing from the gutters, and the mildew that shrouded the faded yellow facade, they knew they had their work cut out for them. Having just come o the heels of a 140-year-old Victorian renovation, Carli and Justin had some tricks up their sleeve to turn this 1,700-square-foot forgotten house into a home for their family of six.

Photography by Carli Alves

E ective layering includes artwork, textiles, lighting, and window treatments

For Alves and her family, the kitchen is the place to gather. “While I love a formal dining room, it just didn’t match our more casual lifestyle,” she says. So she instead turned the home’s dining room into a sitting room to enjoy cozy fires in the colder months, and in the kitchen, Alves built an almost 10-footlong window seat to create a comfy dining nook for her family to settle on at the end of a long day. “It was the perfect way to maximize the space and create a comfy-cozy feeling in the kitchen.”

The home’s dedicated family room was dark and dated so the couple vaulted the less-than-eight-foot ceiling and installed two large skylights to brighten up the room. A large relaxed sectional

Photography by Carli Alves

A wall-mounted sink saves space in the powder room

completes the space making this family room perfect for movie nights.

Being just three miles from the beach, Alves drew inspiration from her surroundings for the couple’s bedroom. “I’ve always loved light, bright, and airy spaces, so

using natural wood tones, mixed with grays, blues, and whites, was a no-brainer for creating a calm, coastal-inspired bedroom to retreat to,” she says.

The home’s walk-up attic was a bonus. “My daughter has always wanted an attic

room, so she claimed the space the moment she laid eyes on it,” Alves explains. Brightening up the attic with crisp white vertical shiplap and freshly painted floorboards created not one but two additional spaces for the family to utilize. Alves turned one side

Photography by Carli Alves

Use plants to soften hard lines and add natural color and texture

In addition to serving lunch (Monday-Friday) and dinner nightly, CAV o ers unique daily o erings:

of the attic into an office/studio space for her four children to create art and music, and the other side became a hangout room for her teenage daughter. “Finishing these spaces added roughly 300 square feet to our home, giving us all a little more room to spread out.”

Although the footprint of the main level bathroom is small, Alves gave it an unexpected treatment by installing shiplap vertically and painting it in a deep charcoal shade that added depth and drama to the small space. “The wall color was inspired

Photography by Carli Alves

A custom desk turns an attic nook into a study area

by the wallpaper, and I figured if there was a space in our home to be a little dramatic, it was here.” Alves also chose a console-style sink that she modified herself to better fit the scale of the bathroom.

“There are still a bunch of projects that we want to tackle in this home, including a second-floor bathroom renovation and basement we hope to finish, but for now we are enjoying the fruits of our labors.”

Photography by Carli Alves

Black dining chairs connect with the light fixture above

Photography by Carli Alves

GET RHODY STYLE

Carli Alves shares ideas and resources for making the most of living in the Ocean State.

COASTAL CUES

“As a native New Englander, I love incorporating coastal accents like vintage sailboat sketches, antique landscape paintings, and ocean-inspired brass trinkets to add charm and character to my home.”

EXPLORE WESTERLY

“Downtown Westerly is so charming with its historic buildings filled with trendy shops and restaurants. We are thrilled with the recent additions of KNEAD Doughnuts and the Mexican American eatery, Surf Cantina. Wilcox Park is great for enjoying open-air concerts, theater, and a host of other fun events. We love The Andrea; its waterfront location is a dream for beautiful ocean views and delicious food and drinks. Bonus: there’s space for the kids to throw a frisbee around on the beach, so it has something for everyone!”

ALVES’ FAVES

“A few of my favorite local spots to thrift are the Jonnycake Center in Westerly, Estate Services in West Warwick, and South County Habitat Restore in Charlestown.”

MADE BY CARLI

Carli Alves has been chronicling her love for DIY and all things home and lifestyle on her blog since 2010. Her mission is to encourage and empower readers to easily make their homes beautiful on a budget. Learn more at FWMadeByCarli.com; IG: @madebycarli

Lunch Break Escape

Minutes from downtown is a destination with seaport charm

What if I told you that in less than 15 minutes from downtown Providence by car (22 minutes via RIPTA bus), you could be walking the sidewalks of a quintessential New England seaside town, ice cream cone in hand – where there’s harbor views, cafe umbrellas signaling al fresco dining, a white steepled church, flowers cascading from colorful window boxes, and enough blossoming trees and shrubs (including beach roses) to sweeten the breeze? I’m describing Pawtuxet Village, a place many Rhode Islanders have yet to experience (chat with a village shopkeeper for a minute or less and they’ll tell you).

Even if Pawtuxet Village doesn’t ring a bell, you may have heard of Gaspee Days. Held each June, it’s essentially a smallscale version of Bristol’s Fourth of July festival that commemorates the 1772 burning of the HMS Gaspee, considered “America’s First Blow for Freedom” – the main drag even has a red, white, and blue stripe down the center, and flags fly from most every telephone pole. But if a Revolutionary War reenactment and parade haven’t lured you to this spot that straddles Cranston and Warwick, there’s plenty to experience all year long.

So, where is this mini Mystic? There are a couple of ways to get there, but opt for scenic 1A. Take Eddy Street to Allens Avenue, where you’ll pass all kinds of interesting sights, including a mountainous scrap yard – somehow bordered with rose bushes – and the classic Seaplane Diner. Before long, spot the entrance to Johnson & Wales University’s Harborside Campus and it’s around here where you’ll turn onto Broad Street, so you don’t miss All Favorites Cafe, a cool eatery serving up inventive classics amidst Joe Strummer posters.

You have now crossed the line into Cranston and are in Edgewood, a historic neighborhood not far from Roger Williams Park Botanical Center (mind blown?). When you reach Trinity Church, you’re about to enter the thick of the village: sidewalks dappled from tall leafy trees, awnings and strings of

Photo by Elyse Major

Bagel Express Deli & Cafe

PAWTUXET VILLAGE FARMERS MARKET

Attend one of Rhody’s oldest farmers markets Saturdays from 9am-12pm. Rhodes on the Pawtuxet 60 Rhodes Place

Edison bulbs, and street signs about boat parking. Broad Street is lined with cafes, small shops, and businesses, and there’s a bridge that you can walk across and take in views of the rolling Pawtuxet River. Keep going, even past Noon Designs, because Pawtuxet Park is not to be missed. The well-tended green space by the water’s edge features

a playground, stone checkers/chess tables, identification labels on trees, a few Little Free Libraries, and a picturesque gazebo. Tall flora creates framed vistas of the harbor and homes across the water, comparable to a snippet of Camden, Maine.

For even more visual surprises, take Narragansett Avenue back to Providence where

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

From eateries to handmade gifts to salons, here’s a sampling of what Pawtuxet o ers. Learn more at FriendsOfPawtuxetVillage.org

All Favorites Cafe

Anchored Soul

Basta Italian Restaurant

NEW! The Blue Room

Bobby Pins Hair Salon

Eden Botanicals

Fellini’s Pizzeria

Lucy Juicy

Noon Design Shop

O’Rourke’s Bar & Grill

RealPro Art Gallery

Tag Sale Treasures

Twice Told Tales / Village Art & Antiques

you’ll skirt the water. Turn onto Ocean Avenue and follow to the end – past Rhode Island Yacht Club – for a good look at the Providence River, the wind turbines, maybe even a sailboat or two. Back in the city, chances are good you’ll already be plotting a return visit to spend a full daycation by the water, no ferry or long drive required.

Photos by Elyse Major

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Providing financial assistance to the parents of children battling brain cancer

Honoring the children who suffer from cancer and fight everyday. Our hopes are to make a day in the life of a family suffering from cancer a little bit brighter

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Summer at Your Feet

Harvested honey is part of this buzzworthy pedicure to get toes sandal-ready

My mom always told me that if you’re going to show your feet, they ought to look nice. This adage was centered around toenails shimmering like seashells; I don’t recall her ever having any specialist tools beyond small glass bottles of pale pink polish in the bathroom drawer. I’ve always followed this rule so when I recently moved my strappy sandals to the front of the closet, I knew show time for my tootsies was around the corner.

I can probably count on one foot, maybe both, the amount of times I’ve had a professional pedicure. Like my mom, I mostly

take care of business at home with clippers and a collection of polish. My most recent pedi was a walk-in (no appointment) at a bustling strip mall before the pandemic. To kick off this summer in style, I decided it was high time to go pro and booked a visit at The Norwich Spa located inside Graduate Providence.

It’s always a treat to step inside the opulent hotel lobby (formerly, the Biltmore) and I had to pause and marvel at the Titanic -like staircase before heading toward the back, just beyond the front desk, to enter the spa. Inside is a sensory juxtaposition of the vibrant and lively lobby – neutral tones and breathing space lend serenity to the luminous interior; I’m asked if I’d like tea, coffee, or water before being led up by

GOOD TO KNOW

• Honey “Be” Pedicure: 50 minutes, $65 as of press date

• The Graduate no longer has valet parking so be prepared to park in a nearby lot.

• If opting for street parking, remove some ticket panic by paying the meter via PPPRK.com.

• Wear sandals to your visit to avoid messing up nails post-pedicure.

Photos by Elyse Major

elevator to the second level to the changing and treatment rooms.

This is a third location for the spa, which started at the Norwich Inn, with another facility at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Spa director Melanie Gutierrez suggested I get the Honey “Be” Pedicure, which features homegrown products made with honey harvested from their onsite apiary in Norwich. My appointment was smack-dab in mid-week and mid-day and I practically had the place to myself. My assigned nail technician Jennifer let me know that weekends are generally very busy with travelers and wedding parties.

Snug in my robe with a cup of hot tea, I sat on the pedicure bench with my feet in the square soaking tub. A mix of soft rock music played while Jennifer got busy cutting, filing, and pushing back cuticles before exfoliating my skin with their signature Honey “Be” Body Scrub, made of honey, fine cane sugar, and oils. Nourishing Honey “Be” Body Lotion was then applied and my legs and feet were wrapped in hot towels to help the healing properties sink in. After a short time, the now-cooled towels were unraveled and the treatment ended with a light application of lotion.

Relaxed and ready for a nap, it was time for the polish. Earlier, Jennifer and I discussed painting daisies on my big toes so I selected periwinkle as the base coat. With a fine brush and palette of polishes, she drew the petite flourishes before sealing with coats of clear polish. In provided flip-flops, my feet still slippery, I slowly shuffled to the changing room to turn back into a pumpkin. As I headed out the Graduate lobby doors, I was compelled to stop and take a quick pic of my toes, all pretty with posies peeking out of my black sandals. Summer is here and so are my feet!

CULTURE

Good Times

Three funny guys collaborate on new podcast

Local comedian and national podcast producer Chuck Staton likes to have a good time with his buddies and we’re all invited to watch –and listen. Funbearable is a new podcast starring the comedy trio of Brad Rohrer, Ray Harrington, and Staton. The show evolved from their long-running Agreeing to Disagree , which dates back to 2008 when Staton was trying to promote his punk rock band Senior Discount.

“That was before social media; we were trying to get people to come to our website,” Staton begins. “We had these blogs where we would talk about pop culture – movies, music, television, and video games.” Before long the blog’s Chuck and Brad Podcast evolved into its own thing, completely separate from promoting the band. Eventually they added RI comedian Ray Harrington.

“Ray comes from the standup world, Brad comes from the improv world, and I come from the filmmaking world,” explains Staton. “It’s all based in comedy, but it makes for a fun dynamic.”

After around 500 episodes, Staton, Rohrer, and Harrington decided to start over, change the name to Funbearable and add a video element. Shows are recorded and produced in the basement of the Comedy Connection in East Providence, the home club of the three comedians. “It’s a lot more polished than the original show,” says Staton of the podcast. “We focus on doing fun, spirited, original episodes. You may hear an episode with a movie script at the table, we might play a game, or invite a surprise guest. “We’re just three very different people having a good time.” Learn more at YouTube.com/@funbearablepod |

By Ken Abrams

Photo courtesy of Chuck Staton

Green Energy

In Sarah Greenwell’s latest, one single gets a double take

In a double-single, double-video release, Sarah Greenwell of the slimetime-booger-techdeck punk band GYMSHORTS and strippeddown solo act Greeensleeves has released a real-time revisionist study of her track “Love You Funny.” Side A is the GYMSHORTS version, clocking in at 2:55; side B is Greeensleeves: 3:50. The songwriter/musician delivers the same words and subject in ways that reveal di erent shades of the same song.

“The Greeensleeves version makes the lyrics feel a little sadder or more introspective,” Greenwell begins. “The GYMSHORTS version comes o a little more resentful and has a little more attitude, conceptually speaking.”

Greenwell shares that she wrote “Love You

Funny” at the very start of the pandemic. “I had the structure and lyrics and everything and then when we went to record it, I had Casey Belisle on the drums and KC Goodwin playing some guitar, and Chaimes Parker – who engineered/recorded and helped produce at Big Nice Studio – playing bass. We sorta just jammed it out a few times and they added their parts with some stu I was hearing in it so that’s how we kinda just built up the song in the studio.”

The GYMSHORTS version of “Love You Funny” chugs along with an ‘80s-esque palm-muted, driving verse interspersed with a hook-heavy, instrumental chorus break. A Rilo Kiley-esque catchiness just

barely covers subtle tongue-in-cheek elements just below the surface. It’s just a love song – but is it really?

“I’ve been collaborating and playing guitar in some other projects in the last few years so I think that’s helped change my songwriting and expand it in a lot of ways,” says Greenwell. “Before any of that I would kind of just go with whatever my first thoughts were but sometimes now I find myself challenging my first instincts, which is fun cause it forces me to think a little bit more about the songs before I tell myself it’s finished.”

The accompanying videos are also filmed by different creatives in different spaces.

Photo by Devon Bristol Shaw, courtesy of Sarah Greenwell

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• We believe in the body's native healing powers —the "vis medicatrix naturae" or healing power of nature

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LINER NOTES

“Love You Funny”

Music and lyrics by Sarah Greenwell

Recorded, engineered, produced, and mastered by Chaimes Parker at Big Nice Studio, Lincoln

Mastered by Bradford Krieger

Guitar and vocals: Sarah Greenwell

Drums: Casey Belisle

Bass: Chaimes Parker

Guitar: KC Goodwin

Backup vocals: Chaimes Parker & Roz Raskin

Art by Jared Andrews

The GYMSHORTS video is a riff on the world of ‘90s stand-up comedy by the duo Ethan Vera and Dom Boisvert from Corey Street Studios; Sunny Harum and Patch Darragh filmed the Greeensleeves single, which, featuring scenery and open fields, is more introspective.

“I haven’t played too many Greeensleeves shows live yet and eventually I’d love to get a big ‘ol band going for it,” says the Providence-based Greenwell currently on a US tour with GYMSHORTS. “I’ve recently had my friend John Gallagher, Jr. play some shows with me and that’s been so exciting to me because he is an amazing musician and really adds a lot of amazing guitar parts and beautiful harmonies to the live versions of these songs.”

“The cassette for ‘Love You Funny’ came out on Self Luv Records, and the 7” vinyl on Freeman Street Records. That has been just such a dream working with Roz and then Chuck and Kristen,” says Greenwell, noting the names behind the labels. “They have all been so supportive and given me a lot of freedom in the whole release process.” GYMSHORTS.bandcamp

Get Out of the Water!

From the moment it hit the big screen, Jaws , directed by Steven Spielberg became one of the first summer blockbuster movies. Released in 1975, it scared beachgoers right out of the water (and some never went back in). If you’re a newbie to the film, it’s a fishout-of-water story about a NYC police chief who moves his family of four to the sleepy New England island of Amity. All is calm until a great white shark begins chomping on swimmers and the town’s livelihood is at stake. While some of the filming took place on Martha’s Vineyard, there’s plenty for Rhode Island fans to get excited about right here. Check out these eight things you can do without ever getting drenched.

ON THE BIG SCREEN

Whoever programs the Misquamicut DriveIn Theater must be a fan because according to our calculations, the original not only kicked off their season in May but runs three more times. They even threw a bone by running Jaws 2 in June – while the movie regroups much of the cast and crew (shout-out to Major-Minor fan favorite Fritzi Jane Courtney’s Mrs. Taft), it truly pales in comparison. Jaws : July 2, 9; August 4. Westerly: MBADriveIn.com

JAWS SUMMER PARTY

What better place to see a movie about the terrors of the ocean than in the City by

the Sea? This annual party typically has live music, beer tasting, merch, and swag. The fun starts at 6:30pm, followed by a screening of the movie at 7:30pm. July 20 and 21. Newport, JanePickens.com

LIVING SHARKS MUSEUM

An unassuming building in downtown Westerly is home to some of the best memorabilia available for public viewing, including a replica of Ben Gardner’s head (which, if you remember the scene, becomes detached in one of film history’s greatest “jump scares”). At the Living Sharks Museum, find books, posters, props, and original toys based on the award-winning film while your suggested

Photo courtesy of Misquamicut Drive-In

Jaws fans can crush it this summer with Quint’s go-to beer, screenings, feedings, and more

donation helps support the museum’s mission to educate through a visual record of shark history, exploitation, and conservation. Westerly, LivingSharks.org

NARRAGANSETT BREWERY

“Crush it like Quint” – which takes its cue from the famous scene of the salty shark hunter smashing an emptied can of Narragansett Beer in his bare fist – is a popular saying for Jaws fans and beer lovers alike. Pour one out for Quint with a visit to the actual brewery – an atmospheric bar with good food and river views. The website even has its own Jaws page under the Shop tab. Providence, NarragansettBeer.com

Photo courtesy of Biomes Marine Biology Center

Biomes Marine Biology Center

Photo courtesy of Keith Cowley, Living Sharks Museum

Nostalgia abounds in Westerly

RHODE ISLAND LICENSE PLATE

Help get the coolest plate into production: a rendering of a now-endangered mako by artist Paul McPhee. Nearly half of the proceeds of each plate purchase will go to the Wakefield research nonprofit, the Atlantic Shark Institute. The RI Department of Motor Vehicles requires that 600 plates get ordered and purchased to be put into production, so don’t be a chum and order yours now. AtlanticSharkInstitute.org/LicensePlate

SHARK CAMP

For one week in July, high school sophomores and juniors interested in sharks, marine life, and biological sciences can enroll in Shark Camp at the University of Rhode Island. Students participate in classwork and conduct a trawl in Narragansett Bay where they examine sharks, fish, squid, crabs, whelk, and other marine life aboard the school’s research vessel, the Cap’n Bert. It’s a great way for young people to get their feet wet as they explore careers in marine biology. Begins July 17. Kingston & Narragansett Bay: Web.URI.edu

SHARK FEEDING AND PETTING

Interact with two species of shark –dogfish and bamboo – at Biomes Marine Biology Center, an education facility boasting the largest collection of New England marine life in the world! Demonstrations and feedings are typically held on weekend afternoons (best to contact first to confirm). You can even host a Shark Petting Birthday Party. Open daily, 12-5pm. North Kingstown, BiomesCenter.com

SHARK LOUNGE

The shark in Jaws was described by character Matt Hooper as an eating machine and you can be one, too, at this authentic Peruvian restaurant serving fresh, delicious seafood in a relaxed atmosphere. Dine on items like Choros al Tiburon (chorus to the shark), a mussels dish, and wash it down with a Shark Drink cocktail. Pawtucket, SharkLoungeRI.com

The Must List

10 essential events this month

July 1-2:

Teatro ECAS presents Alex Vasques Escaño’s acclaimed production Yoleros, the story of a man who embarks on various risky trades traveling through the Mona Passage between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. TeatroEcas.org

July 2:

Head to India Point Park for the City of Providence 4th of July Celebration, with a concert headlined by Becky Bass and Friends (begins at 6pm), food trucks, and a fireworks show over the water (scheduled for 9pm). GoProvidence.com

July 13:

All aboard the Narragansett Brewery Brew Cruise, a one-hour beer tasting led by brewery VP Jim Crooks, who will regale guests with trivia about Quint’s favorite beer and more. The 21+ event returns August 3. ProvidenceRiverBoat.com

July 13:

Learn how to Forge Your Own Bottle Opener at a three-hour blacksmithing workshop with an expert instructor at the Steel Yard. No previous experience necessary; all tools and materials are provided. TheSteelYard.org

July 15:

Pot Au Feu has cooked up an agenda of activities to celebrate Bastille Day, the national day of France, with music from Dahlia Dumont, foods, and a champagne cork unleashed by saber by owner Bob Burke. PotAuFeuRI.com

July 16-29:

FringePVD, presented by The Wilbury Theatre Group, encourages attendees to “keep an open mind and have fun.” 300+ artists from across the US will share their work in performances of theater, dance, visual arts, and more. FringePVD.org

Photo courtesy of Red Baraat

FirstWorks’ Summer Beats Concert Series brings Red Baraat to Roger Williams Park

July 18:

Rock out with Grammy and Academy Award-nominated ‘90s band Counting Crows, led by frontman Adam Duritz with support from cult-favorite Dashboard Confessional in a midsummer concert event. PPACRI.org

July 23:

The FirstWorks Summer Beats Concert Series continues with Red Baraat, an NYC-based bhangra funk band performing explosive, multicultural dance music in a high-energy live show at the Roger Williams Park Bandstand. FirstWorks.org

July 29:

Texas legend and four-time Grammy Award-winner Lyle Lovett and his Big Band fuse country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues for a genre-busting blend certain to please even the most hesitant concert-goer. TheVetRI.com

July 29-30:

The gang from RI Comic Con presents the Rhode Island Anime Com with voice actors, industry celebrities, artists, vendors, and a Maid Cafe for two days of excitement at the RI Convention Center. RIAnimeCon.com

Pic of PVD

The city through the Independent Man’s eyes

ABOUT DAVID @runofthemillshop

Photo courtesy o f DrolwaLdiva

David Lawlor is an avid filmmaker and documentarian who lives in Providence, with an interest in telling the stories of places undergoing transformation and historic mill buildings.

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