Issuu

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3000 Chapel View Blvd. Cranston, RI 02920 www.ChapelGrilleRI.com 401.944.4900 Holiday Promotion going on now through December 31st 2013

*Complimentary Card is valid for a one-time use only, and cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion. No Cash Value. Can only be used towards the purchase of food, excluding taxes and gratuities. Cannot be used for private events, the purchase of gift cards or alcoholic beverages. Complimentary Card is valid January 1, 2014 to March 15, 2014. No substitutions may be made.

sienari.com Imagine celebrating your holiday festivities in Tuscany. Book your event today.

Our gift cards are a great & easy gift to give this holiday season.

Voted Best Restaurant In Rhode Island 2013, 2012, 2010 & 2008

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Fine Clothiers

Ladies Night December 12th

The Finest in Men’s Fashion M

arc Allen Fine Clothiers offers everything that the discerning man could want: exquisite bespoke tailoring, high-end lines like Loro Piana, distinguished colorful ties, and personally designed items by Marc and Jim. If you haven’t been into their newly created store, you won’t want to wait, it’s gorgeous! Want to see their latest styles in stock? You better hurry, since the store has been redone, business has been amazing and they are constantly selling out of their newest designs. For the past year and a half, the guys have been working on a new project: it’s a new custom line that

is made overseas and allows them to offer a garment that not only rivals, but beats, the so called “main stream” name brands in the market. “This is perfect for the man who wants a great fitted garment at a price that is only about 30% more than better off the rack clothing,” Jim explains. In addition to having everything from the finest Bespoke clothing to the most luxurious Italian sportswear, Marc Allen also carries some very comfortable loungewear made by Derek Rose. This is the same company that produces robes and pajamas for the British Royal Family. Marc says, “The nice thing is you can go from the

house to the grocery store, because it doesn’t look like traditional loungewear.” Significant others who are looking to get that special gift for their men, Marc Allen has beautiful accessories: Cufflinks from Robin Rotenier, cashmere socks from Marcoliani, and even hats from Bullish to name a few. Marc Allen also does premium in-home concierge service for men looking update their entire wardrobes. Marc or Jim will come to your home and give your current clothing a look over and assist in cleaning out what is not working and keeping the items that do. The goal is to create a functional wardrobe base so when you look in your closet you are excited to see what you can wear. Stop into Marc Allen and let Marc and Jim expertly guide you towards that perfect look

Marc Allen

200 South Main Street Providence, RI • (401) 453-0025 marcalleninc.com • theclubchair.com

Contents

Photography: (R) Tiffany Medrano

DECEMbEr 2013

brown students excavate archaeology sites on campus

This Month 25 The Archeology of College Hill Find out what's buried under Brown

31 The Highs and Lows of 2013 A Providence Monthly year in review

Public Kitchen & bar kicks up hotel dining

45 City Style Artistic style on the West Side 47 The Look 49 Get Fit 50 Shop Talk 53 Beauty

55 Feast Fun and creative dining at a landmark downtown building 56 Review 59 In the Kitchen 60 On the Menu 63 Behind the Bar 64 In the Drink 67 Dining Guide

Every Month 4 Editorâ€™s Note 11 Providence Monthly Online

15 Providence Pulse The Cable Car showcases a local filmmaker 17 City 18 Malcontent 20 Scene in PVD

73 Get Out The Wilbury Group presents a non-traditional holiday play 74 Calendar 76 Music 79 Theatre 80 Art

82 The Last Detail Narragansett Brewing Companyâ€™s year-end competition

On the Cover:

Detail from The Industrial Trust Building, screenprint by Ian J G Cozzens.

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

Editor’s Note

PROVIDENCE MONTHLY

Publishers Barry Fain Richard Fleischer John Howell Publishing Director Jeanette St. Pierre

Providence Gets High, Drops it Low It’s been a hell of a year. While we’ve had some remarkable victories – the legalization of same-sex marriage chief among them – we’ve also had some pretty substantial lows, like the fact that we were last in socially progressive New England to pass that law. The Narragansett Bay Commission may have made substantial inroads in clean water and preservation, but they basically shut down Hope Street and its merchants for six months in doing so. The State may have finally decriminalized marijuana, but… well, there really isn’t a downside to that one. This month, we take aim at the best and worst of 2013 in a way only Providence Monthly can.

Check out our Highs and Lows of 2013, then tell us your own on Twitter with the hashtag #pvd2013. Enjoy the end of the year and all of the highs (holiday dinners) and lows (holiday credit card debt) that come with it.

Executive Editor Julie Tremaine Associate Editor Grace Lentini Editorial Assistant Dale Rappaneau Special Projects Manager John Taraborelli Digital Manager Samantha Pezza Art Director Karli Hendrickson Assistant Art Director Meghan H. Follett Advertising Design Director Layheang Meas Graphic Designer Veatsna Sok Account Managers Louann DiMuccioDarwich Ann Gallagher Nicole Greenspun

Contributor Ian J G Cozzens Designer

This month’s eye-catching cover comes from the mind of Ian J G Cozzens, an artist of many titles (printer, designer, carpenter, teacher, volunteer farmer, Scorpio). “It was originally a drawing I had made for a poster for an art installation in 2002. I draw inspiration from a lot of buildings and find them very interesting as echoes and surrogates for human embodi-

Kristine Mangan Elizabeth Riel Dan Schwartz Kimberly Tingle

Illustrators Ashley MacLure

Caleigh McGrath

Photographers Amy Amerantes Katie Poor Mike Braca Melissa Stimpson Corey Grayhorse Dawn Temple Tiffany Medrano Contributing Writers Keith Andrade Sarah Bertness Michael Clark Emily Dietsch Alicia Kamm Molly Lederer

Stephanie Obodda Cristy Raposo Jenn Salcido Jen Senecal Eric Smith Erin Swanson Interns

Anita Baffoni Courtney Melo

Paige Snyder Alexa Pacheco

ment. They’re also interesting because they are a record of how we live in terms of daily

Members Of:

living and work. I also like signs and letters, especially hand-painted letters. I am a poster maker so I am very interested in communica-

Audited by:

tion and getting a message across, so text is a big part of that.” secretdoorprojects.org.

Sr u nout ou e for O B heck k pagwin a o C bo e to n’s e c c a Fa han of I int c y p a pr co ver co

Providence Monthly | December 2013

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER. PAPER CONTAINS 20-25% POST-CONSUMER CONTENT Providence Monthly 1070 Main Street, Suite 302 Pawtucket RI 02860 • Fax: 401-305-3392 www.providenceonline.com providencemonthly@providenceonline.com For advertising rates call: 401-305-3391 We welcome all contributions, but we assume no responsibility for unsolicited material. No portion of this publication can be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission. Copyright ©2013 by Providence Monthly, All rights reserved. Printed by Gannett Offset. Distributed by Special Delivery.

– Opening Soon –

Rhode Island Cosmetic Dentistry A Reason to Smile!

A collaboration of dental health specialists 63 Cedar Ave., East Greenwich 885-8808 • 885-8809

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

The PM LIST

Southern new england'S largeSt Ski and Snowboard Shop

Web • Social Media • Promotions • events We Fit Every Need Every Detail Announcing

For the holidays

Alpine Annex Outlet in Middletown, Ri 1397 W Main Road Middletown

» Custom Boot Fitting » Performance Tuning » Apparel • Skis • Snowboards • Rentals » Kids Packages and Leasing starting at $99.95

Opening nOvember thrOugh FebruAry 28

Free Lift Ticket With The Purchase Of Select Items

95 to Exit 15 in Warwick • 105 Chestnut Street, Warwick Shop: (401) 781-4444 • www.RISkiShop.com

Our readers know we’re all about shopping local. If you picked up last month’s issue, then you saw our Great Local Gifts holiday shopping guide, which contained 40 uniquely Rhode Island gift ideas. If you missed it, you can still find it all at our website (providenceonline.com). Now we’re going to double down on that effort and give away a $500 shopping spree to dozens of local, independent retailers throughout the state. Follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/providenceonline) to find out how you can win our Great Local Gifts shopping spree.

Great Local Providence Monthly’s

Gifts! 40

uniquely Rhode Island gift ideas

ing If you’re not e’Sa,t CASERTA you’re not eating pizza!

1. OFF

$ 00

A DELICIOUS 12-PIECE PIZZA

The ORIGINAL

Handcrafted in RI

ProvidenceOnline.com

John Medeiros’s Winter ColleCtion Available at Charming treasures, scituate | tickle’s, swansea | Wright’s Gift shop, harrisville | the hospitality shop At Kent hospital, Warwick

CASERTA PIZZERIA

A Rhode Island Tradition for over 50 years

In Your Inbox Providence Monthly is always your guide to what’s happening in Providence and around the state – whether it’s dining, shopping, events, the arts and more. But what do you do between issues? Well, you can always go to our website (providenceonline.com), but you can also get the best of it delivered to your inbox

(On the Hill) Parking Available

Take out 272-3618 or 621-3618 or 621-9190

Live in Wayland Square! every other week with The Pulse, our email newsletter. It’s always full of news you can use, from weekend best bets to sponsored events to social media giveaways. Now you don’t have to miss us so much between monthly editions. Just go to providenceonline.com/newsletter.html to sign up.

At RhodyBites.com

Photography: Michael Cevoli

There’s Only One Caserta 121 Spruce St., Providence

By now you should have checked out RhodyBites.com, our statewide dining guide. We’re adding new restaurants and expanding profiles all the time, so you can browse the best in local dining and plan your next meal. But now RhodyBites is also on Facebook (facebook.com/RhodyBites) and Twitter (@RhodyBites). Be sure to like and follow us for updates, news items, tantalizing food photos and prize giveaways. And if you haven’t already, check out RhodyBites.com before dinner tonight. Bon appetit!

Studios, 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments, and Private Penthouse

All Utilities & Parking Included

Cafes & Boutiques right outside your door

24 Hour Fitness Center 24 Hour Concierge 24 Hour Emergency Service Restaurant on site Tailor Shop on Site Salon on site

Spa Citron now located on the 1st floor! 500 Angell Street, Providence • 751-7700 www.waylandmanor.com • info@waylandmanor.com

CELEBRATE A NEW YEAR AT “THE RUE!” reserve your table for new year's eve and new year's day

Rue De L’Espoir American Bistro Cooking

open daily breakfast, lunch, dinner 99 Hope Street, Providence, RI 02906 info/reservations 751-8890 www.therue.com

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

The s ay d i l o h in

Wa Yla Nd square

orDer online!

minervAPizzA.Com

PiCk uP or Delivery

large Cheese Pizza Greek Salad Small Chicken Wings or Fingers

$16.95

Get all wrapped up this holiday season

Mrs. Robinson

Call 272-2279

Fine Lingerie

20 South Angell Street, Providence Wayland Square â€˘ www.minervapizza.com

190 Wayland Square, Providence â€˘ 401.831.7740

gift books! stocking stuffers! calendars and more! Always complimentary gift wrapping booksq.com

Untitled-3 1

11/6/13 3:15 PM

CORE

New to CORE?

First group fitness class on us!

Fitness & Pilates Mind/Body Studios

NO Membership Fees!

Give the Gift of Health This Holiday! CORE Studio Gift Certificates Available

Small Group Classes at Pilates Mind/Body Studios: • Reformer ESST (Essential) • Reformer INT (Intermediate) • Reformer JuMpBoaRd Circuit

• Reformer Mix up • Reformer/Barre

TrACK TrAINING

Train to do 5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon, & sports specific track training

Kim Paré Group Fitness Director

Denise Chakoian-Olney Owner, Lead Fitness Pro

Melody Gamba Pilates Director

Learn the foundational moves before joining our Small Group Classes! Call the studio for more information, advance registration is required.

Core Body Barre®

Personal Training Specializing in individual, group, rehabilitative, and sport specific training.

Small Group Classes at Fitness Studio: • 3d personal Training • TRX Suspension Training

Core Leaders

• MVe pilates Chair • MVe pilates Chair/Barre

CORE Pilates Mind/Body Studio 208 Governor Street Providence

Transform your body with this heart pumping, total body, one-hour workout. You will never experience a Barre workout like it.

Core’s Signature Services include: Sports Specific Training • personal Training • C.o.R.E. Body Barre State of the art Keiser Indoor Cycle program • MVe • Vinyasa Yoga Strength Training • willpower & grace • Navy SEaLs • pilates Run Group • TRX-Suspension Training • Indo-Row Barefoot Training • Functional Movement Screening

CORE Fitness Studio 469 Angell Street, Providence Wayland Square

– all fitness levels welcome • parking available –

273-CORE • www.corefitprov.com

FOR THE

H LI DAYS

SATURDAY

NOV. 30TH & THE GOLDEN ENVELOPE PROMOTION BE ONE OF THE FIRST 20 CUSTOMERS FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A $200 GIFT CERTIFICATE OR OTHER PRIZES! VISIT INDOWNCITY.COM FOR DETAILS!

S anta ON THE BLOCK

SATURDAYS 12PM TO 4PM

11/30-12 /21 NO LINES, NO TICKETS, THIS SANTA IS FREE AND HAS HIS OWN PHOTOGRAPHER! JOIN US AT GRANT’S BLOCK, 260 WESTMINSTER ST., AND CAPTURE SOME MEMORIES!

Providence Pulse

Photography: Grace Lentini

CITY / MALCONTENT / SCENE IN PVD

Downtown Gets Decorated Itâ€™s not just presents Public arts paints Providence in a creative light

and homes that are being decorated this time of year. Popping up across the city are artistic expressions in the form of public art. Turn the page and read how and where these installations can be seen.

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

i really don'T need a nice relaxing day aT The Spa.

Gifts Outside the Box

– Said no one, EVER

Facing Thayer BeauTy Spa & BouTique giFT cardS

the perfect Holiday Gift! available in the spa or online at

facingthayer.com

297 Thayer STreeT, Providence • 401.331.4777

OFFICE OR HOME COLOR CONSULTATION NEW CABINET HARDWARE | COOL TOOLS FANCY COUCH FABRIC | FURNITURE PAINT AND OTHER THINGS THAT SURPRISE & AMAZE

f 173 WICKENDEN PROVIDENCE 401 421-5157 M-F 7:30-6PM SAT 8-5PM www.adlersri.com

Skin Cancer or Not?

Worried about a spot and don't have a skin doctor? A FREE online skin cancer screening is now available for a limited time. It's simple! Upload a photo of your dermatological area in question to skincancerornot.com\beta. A dermatology professional will review your photo and advise you if further attention is needed. Space is limited. This is a FREE service provided by the volunteer dermatology professionals at:

skincancerornot.com\beta 16

Providence Monthly | December 2013

Pulse |

City

From page 15

Get Geek Your Friendly Neighborhood Comic Shop Before Multiverse Comics opened on Broadway in October, Providence was missing what its owner, Brandon Amorin, calls “a neighborhood comic book store.” “In the ten years or more that I’ve lived here there hasn’t really been a comic book store you could just walk to,” he says. Amorin, who is friendly enough to be the Bizarro-version of The Simpsons’ sarcastic Comic Book Guy, has imagined opening a comic book shop since his days of organizing new release bins in exchange for Snickers bars and a weekly stipend of comics as a kid. “I’ve always wanted to have my own business, and I’ve always loved comic books. I figured if I’m going to do something for myself it’s gotta be something I love.” Multiverse is small, but has big aims to satisfy a long felt need in the city’s geek community. “I’m trying to have a spot where I can talk to people who’re into the same sort of stuff that I’m into. We offer a spot where you can hang out when you’re on your way to the café or downtown to work. It gives everyone another reason to interact with other people who are interested in the same sorts of genres.” 265 Broadway. 223-2112 –Tony Pacitti

Movie Making A Providence-based Filmmaker Shows at the Cable Car

Public Art Photography: Grace Lentini

Downtown Gets a Facelift Two new murals have

popped up in the Creative Capitol, both on Washington Street. One, depicting landmarks in unique artistic form in front of the George C. Arnold Building, was commissioned by Mayor Angel Taveras and painted by AS220 Youth. The other is on a large brick wall adjacent to the Coastway Community Bank lot. “Three Waves for Coastway” is a three-story high painting of ocean waves that was commissioned by Coastway, facilitated by AS220 and painted by local artist Amy Bartlett Wright. –Grace Lentini

Blending in with Brown and RISD faculty, Providence-based filmmaker Laura Colella is having a preview run for her feature film Breakfast With Curtis. In early December, the Cable Car Cinema will showcase Laura’s third feature film that she edited and directed in Providence. The movie tells the story of an estranged young boy, named Curtis, who moved to an offbeat neighborhood of bohemians. While welcoming him into their world, the heartwarming film captures the warmth of a community that embraced the introverted boy. Laura has been named one of “Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces in Independent Film” and has won the 2013 Independent Spirit award for her films. While Breakfast With Curtis had its World Premiere at last year’s Los Angeles Film Festival, Laura says, “I look forward very much to the run at the Cable Car, and hope people will come out to experience the film with an audience, which is the most fun way.” For more information, check out the Cable Car’s website for screening times during the month of December. cablecarcinema.com –Anita Baffoni

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

Pulse |

City

The Malcontent

Happy Holidays, Consumers

A message from your friendly neighborhood retailer Season’s greetings, and a

warm, non-denominational wish for a happy holiday season to you, an American, typically between the ages of 25-54, most likely female, Caucasian, with a median household income of $75,549.23, from us, Your Local Neighborhood Boxcorp Omni-mart™. Here at Your Local Neighborhood Boxcorp Omni-mart™, we’re dedicated to creating a sense of community in (HAVE INTERN FILL IN NAME OF TOWN HERE). That’s why when you walk into our store, you’re greeted by friendly, familiar faces who know you – people like the guy who used to own the town hardware store, the guy who used to run the appliance shop down the street, the former Boy Scout Troop Leader out on work release, and your creepy uncle. It’s just our way of saying, “Howdy, neighbor! Our retinal scanners Inceptioned money saving coupons on your preferred detergent brand directly into your brain the moment you walked in the door. It’s been exactly 52 days since we’ve seen you – the second longest absence in your CardMember® Rewards Lifetime©. Are you mad at us? We hear your daughter’s pregnant… Oh, you didn’t know?” Our statistics indicate that you want only the best

for your family during this non-specific time of seasonal merriment, and that’s why we’re committed to offering the best values on the gifts they really want: smart phones, tablets, phablets, fablettes (like phablets, but faaaab), an entire NFL season beamed directly into your penis, guns, other guns, crossbows, princess beds, a Chinese baby, nondefense aircraft parts and a Boxcorp Xxxclusive™ live double album and soft core porn Blu-Ray by Michael Buble. You’ll find them all in stock and at rock bottom prices this month and YOU DON’T NEED TO SHOP ANYWHERE ELSE. Excuse us. What we’re trying to say is that we here at Your Local Neighborhood Boxcorp Omni-mart™ are truly your neighbors – and not just because our full service parking lot with complimentary shuttle service, amusement park and sausage eating contest is large enough to border each and every one of your yards, or because all of your teenage children work here. We like to think that it’s our shared commitment to Good, Old Fashioned, AllAmerican Values® that unites us. That’s why you can feel safe sharing things with us, like the contents of your cell phone, which we began scanning

when you entered the parking lot; your medical records, which you granted us full, legal access to when you agreed to the terms of service on our mobile app; and your innermost secrets and fears, which we access through a sustained campaign of sophisticated psychological warfare techniques pioneered against the Viet Cong. According to our Directorate of Liquid Affairs and Pinterest, that’s what the holidays are truly all about. So, during this festive season of non-sectarian joyfulness, we invite you to SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE AT YOUR LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD BOXCORP OMNI-MART™. We guarantee you’ll find the perfect gift for every loved one on your list, or we’ll refer that person to our Directorate of Liquid Affairs and Pinterest for “Re-Welcoming.”© Just tell us who that person is. We need a name. We thank you for visiting us for all your seasonal needs – from decorations to gift wrap to heavy industrial chemicals – right here in your (former) neighborhood. And sorry, we’re not hiring at this time. Sincerely, Rufus Wentworth “Skeeter” Duke IV Boxcorp CEO

Made in RI

Rhode Island Born and Bred 2014 Calendars With the plethora of local artists running rampant throughout the city, it’s no surprise that you can have a special piece of artwork every month of the year. Here are some local artists that will keep the creative juices flowing all year through. 1. 2014 Monthly Calendar in twelve animals… & twelve months – Spoon & Sailor. Available at etsy.com/shop/SPOONandSAILOR and Craftland, 235 Westminster St. 272-4285, craftlandshop.com 2. 2014 Year-at-a-Glance Calendar – Spoon & Sailor. Available at etsy.com/shop/SPOONandSAILOR and Craftland. 3. 2014 Monthly Trees Calendar – Lois Harada Letterpress. Available at Craftland. 4. 2014 Year-at-a-Glance Calendar – Parrot Design Studio. etsy. com/shop/ParrottDesignStudio and Craftland. 5. 2014 Monthly Rhode Island Calendar – Richard Benjamin. Available at the Brown Bookstore, Books on the Square, Twice Told Tales, Only in Rhode Island, The Camera Werks and Picture This Framing and Gallery.

Providence Monthly | December 2013

2 4

Holiday Open Studios at

Saturday, Dec. 7, 9am-4pm Sunday, Dec. 8, 10am-4pm

Special Sales • Live Music Hot Cider • Snacks Fiber Arts Studio

Ahlers Designs 999 (studio 707) • 401-365-1010 AhlersDesigns.com Gift collection clearance sale! Great holiday gifts & jewelry. Take advantage of their “Buy it Now” bargains, before it’s gone. New Appreciation Art & Sculpture.

innovative SOURCING GROUP 1005 (studio 8210) innovativesourcinggroup.com iSG is a unique sourcing company committed to the design and innovation of private label and specialized apparel disciplines for performance sportswear.

babs fine handmade bags 1005 (studio 8235) • 401-331-2301 babsetc.com

DA Metals Jewelry 1005 (studio 8206) • 401-654-6852 dametals.com

Is it even possible to have too many bags? Give in to your obsession with these colorful, one-of-a-kind felted handbags and totes.

DA Metals Jewelry is a full operating studio with a gallery, where you can find collections of hand-made jewelry and see how they are made!

Jamie Oliver At Home 1005 (studio 8224) • 401-722-4253 JamieOliverAtHome.com

Mixed Magic Theatre 999 (studio 115) • 401-305-7333 mmtri.com

Jamie Oliver At Home’s mission is Mixed Magic Theatre presents “Better Food for a Better Life.” They Shakepeare’s Othello. Performances staged offer beautiful kitchen and serving November 15-December 15: products via home parties and online. Fri & Sat 7:30pm, and Sundays 3pm.

Dragonfly Fiber Arts Studio 1005 (studio 2219) • 401-219-6976 dragonflyfiberarts.com Inspired hand spun fibers and one-of-a-kind wearable art and textiles. Find us on Facebook!

New Harvest Coffee Roasters 999 (studio 108) • 401-438-1999 newharvestcoffee.com

OneWay Gallery Hope 999 (studio 712) Onewaygallery.com

Everything for your caffeine fix: locally roasted coffee & beans, espresso bar, and lots of good gifts for the holidays!

OneWay Gallery Hope, a contemporary and fine art gallery. Voted ‘Best New Art Gallery’ by Rhode Island Monthly Magazine.

Rhody Craft 1005 (studio 2230) RhodyCraft.com

Sassy Mama Cuisine 1005 (studio 8216) • 401-524-6291 sassymamacuisine.com

The Village Stylist 1005 (studio 2228) • 401-338-4010 danycapenick.jhilburn.com

Tish Bodell Hopkins 1005 (studio 8201) 401-578-4685

Shop locally hand-made art and craft. Jewelry, ceramics, prints, cards, photography, fabric, our very own geeketeria, and oh so much more!

Offering the finest quality condiments, seasonings, sauces, spices and everything in-between, Sassy Mama Cuisine delivers a true taste, As their saying goes: Some HOT, Some NOT.

One-of-a-kind handmade custom shirts from the finest Italian fabrics with 10 unique measurements. JHILBURN gift cards: perfectly tailored for any occasion. Wear it well gentlemen.

Tish Bodell Hopkins is a Rhode Island native who draws from her horticultural background to design decorative (and often times whimsical) botanic-inspired creations.

Hope Artiste Village • 999 - 1005 Main Street • Pawtucket, RI

the

GIFTof STYLE The holidays are a celebration of light, life, and love. Indulge yourself and loved ones in the best of the season, with sparkling accessories, luxurious styles and elegant gifts that give a glamorous glow to every occasion.

holiday ‘13

MUST-HAVES MY WISH LIST:

Pulse |

Scene in PVD

Foodies gathered at the Providence Public Library for A Taste of the Hill, a food and wine event benefiting the Federal Hill House. At 126 years old, FHH is one of the country’s oldest charities, and provides the community with help in times of need. federalhillhouse.org Photography by Mike Braca. Maria Meza (El Rancho Grande)

Sweater coat Cashmere sweater Faux fur vest Snake skin bag Suede boots Warm scarves, hats & gloves

Cozy pj’s Fluffy Robe Colored jeans Fleece-lined leggings Funky jewelry

Mark & Donna Ross Meaghan Igoe, Micheline Denis, Rachel Field

Complimentary gift wrapping Gift certificates

A specialty boutique

Hours: Mon-Fri 10-5:30 Saturday 10-5 Sunday 12-5

Michele Henriques, Theresa Meresi (Palmieri’s) Jay Martinez, Anthony Tarro (Siena)

The Village CenTer 290 County road, Barrington 247-1087

Contemporary women’s apparel, lingerie, shoes and accessories

Providence Monthly | December 2013

Mayor Tavares, Major Thomas Verdi

Joe Silva, Despina Izzo

Bring your child to college to major in playology, the science of fun! Kid Think at Providence College explores how and why children play, think, learn, and develop Find out what opportunies are available for your family! Learn more or register at www.kidthink.org 401.865.2342 • pckidthink@gmail.com

O u r E x c l u s i v e 2 0 1 3 S t e r l i n g S n o w f l a k e P i n / P e n d a n t R e g . $ 3 6

M a t c h i n g S t e r l i n g E a r r i n g s R e g . $ 2 4

S a l e $ 1 9

S a l e $ 2 9 C h a i n s o l d s e p a r a t e l y .

Find us on Facebook and Twitter!

F r e e G i f t W r a p p i n g . E x t e n d e d H o l i d a y H o u r s . W i c k f o r d P r o v i d e n c e B r i s t o l 2 4 B r o w n S t . 7 3 5 H o p e S t . 2 9 7 H o p e S t . 2 9 5 - 0 0 8 6 6 2 1 - 9 0 9 2 2 5 3 - 5 0 0 5 w w w . g r e e n r i v e r s i l v e r . c o m

East sidE Primary CarE Same Day and Evening Appointments 331-8555

Celebrate at the DorranCe AvA i l A b l e f o r W e d d i n g s & s p e c i A l e v e n t s

DSC_8096.JPG From Right to Left: David Ramos NP, Jason Xynellis PA, Frederick Crisafulli MD, Christine Cassel PA, Christoph Sahar MD Colds & Flu • Minor Trauma • Sprains & Strains • X-Ray/Labs Available Workman’s Comp Exams • Immunization • DOT, School, and Sports Physicals

Appointments available for Travel Medicine

photogrAphy courtesy of M. studios in pAWtucket

East sidE UrgEnt CarE The Right Care, Right Now

DSC_8097.jpg

1195 North Main Street, Providence • 401.861.3782 Mon-Fri: 9am to 8pm • Sat & Sun: 9am to 4pm

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

HOLIDAY AT

EMERALD SQUARE It’s a Family Affair!

Create memories this holiday season! For information on holiday events, extended shopping hours, photos with Santa and more visit simon.com. JCPENNEY • MACY’S • SEARS • BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP • FOREVER 21 • LOFT

For Long Long HoLiday getaways We Will Transport Your Car For You! Happy Holidays!

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Providence Monthly | December 2013

The Archaeology of College Hill Digging into Providence’s history, one semester at a time By Michael Clark

t’s a Monday afternoon in

late September, and it’s the first day of excavations for an undergraduate course at Brown University called Archaeology of College Hill. A group of students carefully scrape away dirt from two pits on the Quiet Green looking for remnants of the house of the first president of Brown University, James Manning. It’s tedious work. Using trowels, students meticulously scrape away layers of dirt and deposit it in white five gallon buckets. The dirt is then dumped into a sifter, a wood contraption with a screen at the top. A student gently shakes the sifter allowing the finer particles of dirt and debris to pass through the screen and onto the ground, while catching larger debris and potential objects of interest. The students scrape and sift, all under the watchful eye of their professor, Linda Gosner, a graduate student from Arizona, and their teaching assistant, Andrew Dufton, an energetic fellow wearing a shirt with the words “I’d rather be cockfighting” plastered on the front. He instructs students on digging techniques: “Small roots can come out by cutting them at the ends.” Gosner, who spent the summer

excavating a coptic hermitage in Egypt, says that the goal of the class is to precisely locate Manning’s house. “There’s a plaque on the fence at the Quiet Green that says the president’s house is located ‘near this location.’ We want to change that.” It is hoped that excavations will solve the mystery, a fitting task for Brown’s 250th Anniversary celebrations, which start in January. The process of scraping and sifting goes on for 15 minutes or so. The 12 students crack jokes to break the monotony: “What’s our policy on worms?” But soon enough the monotony is broken. First, a bottle cap appears in the sifter. Then a coin appears in one of the pits. Next to the coin students place a photographic scale and a trowel with the tip facing north and snap a photo. A few more coins turn up. A square button is found in the sifter. A piece of ceramic is found, an artifact Dufton refers to as potential ‘material culture.’ A key turns up. They find a pen marked Hotel Concorde St. Lazare. Each is dutifully bagged and marked with the date, pit number and the context, a distinct layer of soil with similar characteristics. Most of the finds are coming from the trench referred to as

Quiet Green 3, which is thought to be the one overlying the first president’s house. The other trench, referred to as Quiet Green 4, is thought to overlay a path leading to the house.

he class known as the Archaeology of College Hill was dreamed up by graduate students about seven years ago. Since then, teams of undergraduate archaeology students have excavated at various locations of historical importance on College Hill. Artifacts are catalogued and displayed in Rhode Island Hall, the home of the archaeology department. Classes generally blog about their exploits, posting daily excavation reports, photos of findings and final reports. In 2007, students dug at the First Baptist Church. The September 24, 2007 entry indicates that students “continue to puzzle over three square features” found in one pit. The November 12, 2007 entry describes the first day in the lab, which included washing and drying the artifacts, preparing them for weighing, measuring and analysis. Students then prepare an extensively detailed object biography, which includes the origins of each artifact and its potential relationship to the project site.

In 2008 and 2009, students dug at the John Brown House. One student wrote a fascinatingly detailed study on a plastic coffee lid from McDonalds. The lid was eventually included in the final exhibition at the John Brown House in a panel entitled “Coffee Culture,” which is accompanied by a brief description: “Rhode Islanders love their coffee! All of these Coffee artifacts were excavated from the John Brown House lawn.” Excavations moved to campus in 2012. Students performed excavations at the Hope College Dormitory. This year, they moved to what once was the heart of the original campus: the Quiet Green, so called because it’s mainly quiet these days, since the bulk of the action now happens on the Main Green. The first building was University Hall. Built in 1770, it was sited to look out over the city of Providence to the west. The campus was composed primarily of University Hall, Rhode Island Hall, Hope College and Manning Hall, and the Quiet Green was essentially the school’s front lawn. But all of this changed. Raymond Rhinehart, in a wonderful piece on Brown’s architectural history in the September/October 2013 issue of Brown Alumni Magazine, writes:

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

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Providence Monthly | December 2013

Professor Alcock, Andy Dufton and Catherine Teitz looking to see if sifting revealed anything exciting. As Providence expanded up what was now called College Hill, and as the city became a great industrial center, Brown gradually turned in on itself as a place apart. Walls and gates went up; the center of the campus was no longer the lawn in front of University Hall but the emerging College Green on the other side. It was on the Quiet Green where the house of the school’s first president, James Manning, sat. A contemporary depiction of the house indicates an almost pastoral scene: the house, made of clapboard, rests among what appears to be small plots of crops, and in the background rises University Hall, a smooth, sloping green lawn between it and the house. A plaque on the fence at the western terminus of the Quiet Green marks the general location of the house, which stood until 1840, when it was demolished.

his year’s Archaeology of College Hill class began with a ground penetrating radar survey of the Quiet Green, the results indicating a subsurface rectilinear anomaly in an area northwest of University Hall, the general location where Manning’s house stood. The results of this survey were used to locate two 6’ by 6’ excavation pits, one thought to intersect with the house’s foundation, the other with a footpath linking the house and Prospect Street. A fence was built around the excavation area. Digging, which began on September 23, occurs every Monday from 3 to 5:20pm. The class created a Facebook page and a blog to provide updates on findings and progress. The class hosted a special day of excavation on Parents Weekend, which was well

Skeleton Key found in Quiet Green Trench 3 (QG3) attended. On that day, much of the ‘usual’ was found: chunks of brick, rusted nails, glass, and ceramic. But they also found something a little unusual: pieces of animal bones and bits of a smoking pipe. Excavations were completed November 4. Students then moved indoors for lab analyses of objects. Students will put on an exhibition of the findings at the end of the semester. After this, the artifacts will be displayed with all of the other artifacts found by previous Archaeology of College Hill classes, in the basement of Rhode Island Hall. There are some interesting finds. In Quiet Green 4, the students found what appears to be a potential indication of an old, long forgotten pathway, perhaps the one leading from the house to the street. Most notably perhaps was the discovery of a large skeleton key, in Quiet Green 3, a find documented on the class’s Facebook page: “Top find so far this afternoon - a giant key!” Unfortunately, however, indications of a house foundation were not found, so it would appear that the mystery of the exact location of James Manning’s house lives on. It’s a bittersweet result: the mystery remains, as does the reason for future digs.

Photo (top): Linda Gosner

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Providence Monthly | December 2013

the highs & Lows of 2013

A Providence Monthly yeAr in review By gra Ce Lentini, John taraBore LLi & JuLie tremaine infographiCs By meghan h. f oLLett

as we conclude another year of covering our favorite city, we take a moment to look at back the things that made 2013 so... well, 2013.

the Best and worst of City reaL estate The BesT The reopening of the Arcade In October, America’s oldest indoor shopping mall reopened, and with an enviable makeover. The Arcade now features local artists like Jessica Ricci, who makes fine jewelry from internationally found objects, and the six StyleWeek designers who have collaborated to open clothing and accessory shop Nude, amongst other offerings like New Harvest Coffee’s bar and LunicacGlamour’s salon that features a walk-in blowout bar. Eleven businesses have opened so far, with more on the way.

Illustration: Ian Cozzens

The WorsT Lights out at the superman Building What’s arguably Providence’s most iconic structure went dark in March when the building’s only tenant, Bank of America, moved out. Massachusetts-based High Rock owns the building and is trying to get credits to convert it into offices and condos, but Rhode Islanders won’t risk another 38 Studios debacle, so development is at a standstill. Now High Rock and Bank of America are suing and countersuing each other. Even NPR and The New York Times have reported on the Superman Building’s first total vacancy in 85 years.

Low

HIGH

the entire City was shut down in feBruary when “snowiCane nemo” suCker punChed us.

From our readers

in apri L, the downtown provid e n Ce pa r k s C o n s e rvanCy unvei Led a p Lan to revam p ke n n e d y p La z a into a more pedestrian-friend Ly Ci t y C e n t e r .

Joshua Klemp [via providenceonline.com] HIGH: Gay marriage legislation being passed by our lawmakers.

#pvd2013

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

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hasBro’s Chutes and Ladders With much fanfare, including a rotating sign atop the old Blue Cross and Blue Shield building, Hasbro expanded operations to downtown Providence in January. Almost immediately after, the company, forced to make tough decisions, laid off 10% of its employees, including some surprising choices. Here, some of the company’s most famous members react.

“Somebody tried to eat us! Times are tough, but when you’ve been a member of the family for 61 years, you expect better.”

the wedding of the year When same sex marriage was legalized in August, cheers of delight mixed with sighs of relief across the state. That was followed by a run on City Hall for marriage licenses. A month later, Stephen Hartley (better known as Miss Kitty Litter, Providence’s most recognizable drag queen) married Brian Deslauriers at the Beneficent Congregational Church. The ceremony featured a performance by – who else? – The Providence Gay Men’s Choir, and was followed by a fabulous black and white reception at the Biltmore.

Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head

“There are budget cuts, and the there’s mercilessly firing two of your most beloved icons. We’re facing eviction from Sesame Street. And we can’t help but think: is this because we’re out of the closet? The ACLU will be hearing from us.” Bert and Ernie

“First my video game deal with 38 Studios fell through, now this. I don’t know why I ever left Cybertron for this Energon cube-forsaken place. I hope Unicron devours the whole damn city.”

Low

Optimus Prime

“I W I L L H A U N T Y O U R D R E A M S.”

afte r g i v i n g o u t 1 6 s t a f f Buyo u t s , T h e P r o v i d e n c e Jour n a l L a i d o f f 1 1 emp L o y e e s i n o Ct oB e r .

Disgruntled ghost via Ouija board

“We had no way of knowing that this was going to happen – and knowing is half the battle.” Duke from G.I. Joe

HIGH t o th e d eL i g h t o f s t o n e r s ever y w h e r e , m a r iJ u a n a was d eC r i m i n aLi z e d B y t h e stat e i n a p r iL , p r o v i d i n g the h i g h e s t h i g h o f them aL L.

Scott Champagne [via providenceonline.com] HIGH: I love that the Arcade reopened, love supporting local businesses. LOW: The number of tickets and lack of parking ruined a lot of my year. #pvd2013

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

the history of rhode isLand Beer Narragansett began brewing beer in 1890 and apparently that was good enough for the state of Rhode Island for over 100 years. It wasn’t until Trinity opened their doors in 1995 and started brewing their own beer that we had another RI beer choice. Then, in the last few years, the craft brewery scene has rapidly expanded, bringing more options to the people.

2012 ravenous Brewing Company

2010 revival Brewing Company 100 years later...

1995 Trinity Brewhouse

uhhh.... where’s the beer?

1890

2013

Narragansett Beer Yay Rhode Island beer!

1997 Newport storm

adding to our repertoire Many new restaurants have not only added more places to eat but have filled food niches that were missing from the Creative Capital. From down home southern cooking to boutique Spanish cider, Providence continues to grow in quantity and quality.

What We didn’t knoW We needed * Gourmet vegetarian food at the Grange * Boutique Spanish hard cider at Bodega Malasana * Wood grilled pigeon at birch * Gin and tonic on tap at The Eddy

2011 Grey sail & Bucket Brewery

Foolproof Brewing Company opens & Bucket Brewery opens a tasting room

Low t he g o v e r n m e n t s h u tdow n L e f t a p p r o x i m a t eL y 7,000 r h o d e is La n d e r s out o f w o r k f o r o v e r two w e e k s i n o Ct oB e r .

HIGH t he L e g aL i z a t i o n o f t aB L e gami n g a t tw i n ri v e r , whi Ch s t a r t e d i n J uL y .

* An upscale cigar bar at Hanley’s Cigar & Ale House * A place to rub shoulders with the Patriots at Circe * A taste of the South at Succotash * Grilled figs at Figidini Wood Fire Eatery * Macaron ice cream sandwiches at Ellie’s Bakery * Delectable dessert boards at Public Kitchen & Bar

Low BuiLd i n g 1 9 f iL e d f o r Bank r u p tC y i n no v e mB e r , prov i n g t h a t t h e i r “goo d s t u f f C h e a p ” w a s , in fa Ct , t o o C h e a p .

Frederick J. Harkins [via Twitter, @HarkinsWealth] HIGH: the City’s new master #bike plan just released by the mayor

Providence Monthly | December 2013

#pvd2013

The girl-next-door with a dirty mind January 25th at 8pm

The sequel to the hilarious Fifty Shades Parody February 6th at 7pm

HOPE

STREET h e h o l i a ys t r o d f

Belly laughs and larger than life humor February 15th at 8pm

Get in the Spirit at the Winter Stroll Thursday, December 5, 4-8pm (rain date Thursday, December 12)

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The Broadway hit returns to Providence March 1st at 7pm

The Australian musical sensation sings the favorites

March 5th at 7:30

Providence Monthly | December 2013

Hay Rides • Pictures with Santa Extraordinary Rendition Band • Glass Blowing Fire jugglers • Food trucks • Petting zoo Providence Children ’s Film Festival Free refreshments and so much more!

the year that everyBody Considered running

Angel Taveras Governor

Gina raimondo

Governor

Clay Pell Governor

Ken Block Governor

Jorge elorza Mayor

Brett smiley Mayor

Lorne Adrain Mayor

Michael solomon Mayor

ernie Almonte Treasurer

seth Magaziner Treasurer

Frank Caprio Treasurer

h riC zy CrA

h riC

Wo u Co Ld Pr MF o oLd orTA BABL yL BLe LAd TAL ooK yA TA K C hu i N G T r Ch o AN CA FeA NG sT e -iN -LA T you WA rB JoB roT her

AT h Gre

4 4

Mayor

John Lombardi dan harrop

4 4

Governor

Allan Fung

Air

ish Ks sPA N sPe A

Po L dyN iTiCA AsT L y

Gu y iTe Wh

office sought

NAT isL ive r AN derhode

CANdidATe

oFF iCiA

Ly eT?

If 2014 is going to be a big election year, 2013 was the year that everybody seemed to be weighing their odds. A veritable musical chairs of elected officials seeking higher office and contenders look to take their places all either threw their hats into the ring, or very publicly flirted with the idea of doing so. The coming year will bring plenty of debate about issues, ideas and policies. However, we wanted to size up the big name candidates (and potential candidates) according to the criteria that most Rhode Islanders will really use to make their decisions.

Susan [via providenceonline.com] LOW: The murder of Aynis Vargas. A devastating acknowledgement that gang violence continues to grow in this city. #pvd2013

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

our humBLe waLL of awesome This year, the rest of the country finally figured out that Providence has the best food around.

Food&WiNe BEST NEW CHEFS 2013 NOMINEES

S AV E U R

DINING REvIEW

north

Providence, RI

March, 2013

Nemo Bolin Cook & Brown Public House

Benajamin Sukle The Dorrance

“Maybe once a year if I’m lucky I get to eat somewhere that blows my mind. I just got my taste for 2013.” - Boston Globe’s review of north. They also ran a piece on a culinary tour of Providence.

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Bizarre 2013 Nominees outstanding bar program:

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features PrOVIdenCe rhode Island

zagat 50 states 50 burgers hArry’s Burger BAr ProvIdence, rI

the year of detours Okay, so seeing a plethora of orange cones, potholes and “keep out” signs isn’t so strange for the Ocean State. However, add in a few key neighborhoods where the residents have a lot of civic pride and aren’t afraid to use their voice, and you have the perfect storm of disgruntled citizens.

hoPe sTreeT Oy vey! The hope street Merchant’s Association’s pants were “metaphorically ankled” all summer.

NorTh MAiN sTreeT rhode island summer construction at its best. it’s now fall construction, maybe even winter construction?

dAvey LoPes reCreATioN CeNTer PooL

Low at a photo shoot at the taJ mahaL, miss universe oLivia CuLpo aCCidentaLLy posed in front of a saCred spaCe, spawning worLdwide internet BaCkLash.

Can’t the kids learn to swim in the Bay? Just dodge the barges, sunken ships and toxic runoff.

Michaela Johnson [via Twitter, @Michaela_J_] High: Finally trying The Grange for the first time! Their bartender took home top prize during #pvdcocktailweek! #pvd2013

Providence Monthly | December 2013

United Way staff, like Judy and Lucious, help Rhode Islanders access the information they need when there’s nowhere else to turn. Together, we’re ensuring our neighbors have access to critical information and referral services during difficult times as well as for seniors and adults with disabilities through United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island and THE POINT.

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the year soCiaL media shot to #1 Social media has been a big factor in our friend requesting, liking and commenting, information sharing lives for several years now, but this year there was a quiet, yet significant ground shift. 2013 is the year that social media finally overtook porn as the number one activity on the internet. It’s having a big impact on all media – the way we present our stories in print and online, the way we organize information, the way we share content with our readers – and Providence Monthly is no exception. Here are some examples of the ways social media is changing the face of your city magazine.

Macbook Air

keep on truCkin’ While at first it could have become another fizzled cupcake-like trend, the food truck scene just keeps rolling and getting better. Here are our favorites that debuted this year:

sushi AWesoMe Go! Go! Must-try dish: Fugu Liver Dangerous! Delicious! Spicy Roll with Hot Where to find: On Twitter @!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! >_<

salami, blunt wraps, toilet paper, scratch tickets, looseys, condoms, phone cards, Santeria candles, bootleg DvDs of The Avengers Where to find: Dexter Park during kickball games

WiNGs over Mordor Must-try dish: The Fellowship of the Wing, a monstrous 16-wing sampler platter, including flavors like Balrog’s Blazin’ Buffalo Wings and The Shire’s

Famous Ale Batter, with a side of Magical Elf Bread Where to find: Look to its coming at first light on the fifth day, at dawn look east

Bro-TAsTiC CoCK PuNCh Must-try dish: Slammin’ Tequila Lime Wasabi Tuna Burger Shooters with Mango Habañero Bacon BBQ Sauce and S’More Crumbles, served in a Bloody Mary Where to find: Where are the drunk chicks at, bro?

uNCLe Nuryev’s PiLAF yurT Fun fact: Although the genial, eccentric Uncle Nuryev has quickly become a beloved character on College Hill, it’s widely suspected that he’s actually wanted for war crimes back in his native Uzbekistan Where to find: My friend, my friend, my friend, look here – good food, pretty girls!

The sWeeTesT TouCh WiNdoWLess CANdy vAN Fun fact: Kids are always welcome to come inside the van where they can pet puppies and play video games Where to find: Exactly 1000 feet from the nearest elementary school

WesT side GodeGA Popular items: Beef empanadas, arroz con pollo,

Philip Eil [via Twitter, @PhilEil] HIGH: I didn’t attend the whole thing, but by all appearances, @necronomiConPVd was a HUGe success. #Lovecraft #Cthulhu It was pretty damn cool when we legalized #samesexmarriage, too. #pvd2013

Providence Monthly | December 2013

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City Style

AT HOME / SHOP TALK / THE LOOK / BEAUTY / GET FIT 3

About the Homeowner Taylor Colantonio is an object designer and design strategist with a Masters in Furniture Design from RISD. He lives on the West Side in a renovated mill.

5 1

Photography: Melissa Stimpson

Life in Color 1. I designed these vases in collaboration with a factory in Pawtucket that produces braided rugs for the floor. They’re modeled after a John Singer Sargent painting in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. 2. Those are French pochoirs, part of a collection I’ve been developing. They’re from a magazine from the 1920s Gazette du Bon Ton. They were individually hand colored and there were only 300 ever printed. They’re really beautiful and among my favorite pieces. 3. The insects have been a longtime hobby. My parents would buy them on holidays and I buy them on my travels: Notting Hill Market in

London, a local antique shop in my hometown in Massachusetts. Every time they get a new one in they call my parents to see if it could be a stocking stuffer. My sister bought me one in Salamanca, Spain. It’s a collaborative collection. 4. My friend Jen made that for me in a Materials Exploration class that I taught at RISD. It’s canvas that’s been soaked in Elmer’s Glue and overlaid with hand-woven fabric, wrapped around a block of wood. 5. I got this mask on a National Geographic expedition tracking gray whales in the Sea of Cortes in Baja California in 2009. It was made on a sparsely-populated island in Mexico.

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

Happy Holidays

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The Look

by Grace Lentini

LIFE COACH

Lisa Baillargeon

adolescents & young adults

Harry Fish MA, BCC 80 Calendars, LLC 401-465-5491 80calendars.com

Owner, Fabulocity Boutique

Juggling Instructor

Holiday

Special!

Describe this fabulous outfit. This is a vintage cardigan from my consignment shop Fabulocity, paired with my favorite Ann Taylor dress, a necklace I created for Twist Jewelry Design (Montana agate, black onyx and sterling silver) and insane suede heels from Guess.

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Photography: Corey Grayhorse

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How do you blend textures, patterns and solids? The dress is a washable cotton jersey, the sweater is merino wool with ribbon trim and the bag, the bag started it all. I fell in love with Glenda Gies bags and ordered them for my booth at the Newport Flower Show to merchandise with my jewelry line, Twist Jewelry Design. The bags sold like crazy so when the idea for opening a store came along, I knew “The Glendas” would have a great home. We also hope to start carrying StyleWeek alum Kent Stetson at the store. 9 Cedar Swamp Road, Smithfield. 231-5900, fabulocityemporium.com

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Does your store reflect your own style? We keep up with trends but mix them with classic wearable pieces. There is definitely a lot of “me” in the store but I am also very aware of my core customers’ style and what they look for when they visit. Anthropologie, J.Crew, Free People, Boden, Samuel Dong and vintage pieces, including furs, are wardrobe staples right now. When the dreary weather hits, everyone loves a jolt of color to shake things up. We also love outfitting ladies for the many great soirees on the social calendar.

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How would you define your style? My style is based upon the belief that in fashion, one should wear things that are flattering first and follow the trends second. Having worked in product development/design in NYC, I believe that the cut and drape of a garment is key for a good fit. Some of my favorite designers are still NYC designers, like Samuel Dong, which we bring to Fabulocity to give Rhode Islanders a taste of NYC fashion. My friends call me “Dress Girl.” I call it “one and done.” What influences your style? Places I’ve visited, fabrics that I fall in love with. I have several vintage pieces from my grandmother that I treasure and work into outfits.

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December 2013 | Providence Monthly

Rhode Island Dermatology

is now open in Providence and Accepting New Patients Services offer treatment of: •Skin Cancer •Acne Treatments •Rosacea •Fungal Infections •Eczema •Mole & Wart Removal •Psoriasis •Medical-grade Facials •Skin Damage •Spider Vein Removal

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Other locations include: RI Dermatology & Cosmetic Center 3 Wake Robin Road Lincoln, RI 401-475-9140

Psoriasis Research Study If you have plaque psoriasis, you may qualify for a research study being conducted at Rhode Island Hospital. Volunteers are currently being sought for a research study of an ointment for the treatment of PSORIASIS. To qualify you must: • Be 18 years of age or older • Have plaque type psoriasis All Study procedures, visits, and study ointment will be provided at no cost to you.

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ConCept Salon

90 Spruce Street, providence • 401.272.4676 Like us on Facebook @ rosebud Salon/Aveda for current looks www.rosebudsalon.com

Providence Monthly | December 2013

City Style |

Get Fit

By Jen Senecal

Waist Watching

Tips on maintaining fitness goals during the holidays

Photography: Amy Amerantes

oh, yes. It’s here.

The most wonderful time of the year. It’s also the most indulgent, consumptive and dessert-filled time of the year. And while I have no grievances with moderate indulgence (or a killer piece of pumpkin cheesecake), there runs a slippery slope from sampling a piece of pie to sampling ten pieces of pie. Without a plan, it can happen quickly and easily at any holiday party or event. I blame it on spirited cocktails, the carefree attitude of the holidays and the fact that it gets dark before you barely make it through lunch (somehow, everything seems acceptable after dark). I chatted with Rhode Island dietician and nutritionist, Jillian Ouhrabka from Restorative Nutrition, on how to keep your healthy habits in check during these decadent days. Jillian became a dietician in 2007 in response to her own struggles with a healthy lifestyle. Having personally dealt with body image issues, disorders and food addiction, she was able to overcome these challenges, embark on a healthy lifestyle and now aids others with similar stories. Like her overall motto for healthy living, Jillian’s message is to moderate during the holidays (and not try to lose weight, but to just maintain). If you want to eat something, eat it, but eat less. She tells us that the most popular unhealthy habit, especially during the holidays, is that people tend to overeat by taking more food than they need, which leads to overconsumption, weight gain and guilt. Complete deprivation will also only lead to binging and it’s better to have some than none, to satisfy that craving. The holidays are about enjoying your friends, family and the foods you look forward to. If you moderate, eat mindfully, fill up on mostly fruits and vegetables, continue to exercise, and avoid “shoveling” food in, you can have a happy, healthy and successful holiday season. Cheers! pArty tIpS • Never go to a party hungry. So often we think we will “save calories” if we skip meals and then eat whatever we want at a party. But in fact, just the opposite happens. You end up being

so hungry that you overeat and consume more calories. Stick to your regular eating schedule, and have a small snack before you go to a party. • Bring a healthy dish to a party. Ensure that you will have at least one healthy option at a party by bringing a big vegetable or fruit salad, veggies and hummus, a grilled chicken or fish dish or a healthy casserole. • Don’t deny yourself foods. If you do, you will want it more! Instead, take small portions of the foods you really want and savor every minute. Tip: Skip the foods you can get all the time and instead indulge in the treats you don’t have the rest of the year (i.e. pumpkin pie, your grandma’s cheesecake and your dad’s famous stuffing). • Stay active. Exercise will not only help keep extra weight off, but it can help you handle the added stress of the holidays. Aim to exercise at least three days a week for 30-45 minutes. Tip: Make exercise social – invite friends or family to walk with you after a big holiday meal. Or, instead of meeting friends for lunch, opt for a walk or go shopping to stay active • Buffet tables: browse before you decide. Give the table a quick look, fill your plate with mostly vegetables and fruit, and then go for lean chicken, turkey, shrimp or fish dishes. Have small portions of the less healthy options, savor every bite and remember you can always go back for more. • enjoy your food. Eat it slowly and mindfully. Pause between bites and talk during meals so you are less likely to overeat. • Ask for dips and sauces on the side – you can save hundreds of calories by adding dressing to salad yourself or dipping items in sauce. • Cut servings into smaller sizes than what is recommended. • Drink water between meals to help you feel full and eat less. • Lastly, make the holidays about being together and not all about eating. Plan active activities such as ice skating, walks and shopping to spend time together. HeALtHy DISH IDeAS • Anything with hummus or salsa.

Nutritionist Jillian Ouhrabka offers healthy holiday advice

These are healthy, yet delicious, foods that go great with a variety of items, including vegetable sticks, crackers, fruit (try mango, pineapple or apples) or wholegrain tortillas. • Grilled chicken skewers. This is an easy, and relatively healthy dish – simply grill chicken, place on skewers and pair with a variety of dipping sauces (bbq, honey mustard, teriyaki and buffalo sauce). • oven-roasted vegetables. Simply dice onions, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, asparagus and any other vegetables you like. Place vegetables in a bowl, coat with olive oil, add rosemary herbs and any other seasoning you like, pour into glass pan and bake in oven for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees. JILLIAN’S fAvorIte HoLIDAy DISH My favorite healthy meal is a peanut Butter Stir fry. Put one cup diced carrots, two cups broccoli and one medium onion in a frying pan with a little bit of water, onion powder, pepper and garlic powder. As the vegetables cook, alternate adding water with rice vinegar. Next, add about four cups of whole pea pods and one can of sliced water

chestnuts. Let this cook for a few minutes, and then add about four tablespoons peanut butter, three tablespoons soy sauce and a little buffalo sauce. Let the sauce mix with the water/rice vinegar to coat the veggies, add some crushed cashews and serve over a bed of rice noodles or brown rice. HeALtHy, DeLICIouS DeSSert optIoNS • Pumpkin pie made with Greek yogurt • Fruit dipped in chocolate • Baked apples with cinnamon and nutmeg tIpS oN HeALtHy HoLIDAy HABItS for kIDS • You and your kids should eat regular, healthy meals and snacks during the holidays so you don’t overdo it on sweets. • Help your child make a dessert decision – if they want to try everything, cut tiny pieces of each thing or share a few desserts with them. • You can help your kids eat less candy and dessert at holiday parties by ensuring they sit down at the table to eat and are not running around while eating. restorativenutritionri.com

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

City Style |

Shop Talk

By Erin Swanson

Go Nude!

Six local fashion designers open up shop in the Arcade

50 Park Row West Cityside of the Train Station while we prepare our new location on the Brown University walkway Parking Available With Meters & Validated Garage Ten Minute Walk From Brown Campus Make your appointment today

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Local fashion designers Jonathan Joseph Peters (who appeared on season seven of Project Runway) and Jess Abernethy (who has worked under acclaimed American designer Liz Collins) were in the midst of searching for shared retail space when they stumbled upon one building-inthe-works that felt just right: the historic Providence Arcade, America’s oldest indoor shopping mall. “The Arcade is beautiful and we love it here!” Peters says excitedly from a chair inside Nude, the brand new clothing and accessory boutique that he owns and manages along with Abernethy. She sits beside him, nodding in agreement. With classic architectural details such as a tin ceiling and bay windows, Nude blends old-world charm with modern flare. Its neutral gray walls allow the colorful garments to take center stage. And they do. Peters and Abernethy handpicked the décor, right down to the very kitschy and surprising dressing room, which you’ll just have to see for yourself. “What [developer] Evan Granoff has done with this building is truly inspiring and revolutionary for Providence,” Peters says. “We wanted to be a part of that. Entering the space really gives you the feeling of being transported to another era. We love the aesthetic of the building, being in the heart of downtown and, of course, the fact that all of the businesses in The Arcade are local.” Once the no-brainer location was designated, the two friends began to flesh out the concept. Peters and Abernethy believe that the more items a client has to peruse, the better, and so they chose to expand the store’s inventory by inviting four other local and talented designers to display merchandise there: Amy Stetkiewicz, Sarah Prost, Kent Stetson and Susan Troy. Nude sells ready-to-wear, women’s

Nude is a collaborative boutique of StyleWeek designers

custom clothing and handbags. All of the boutique’s designers have shown at StyleWeek. “We are hoping to target women who are professionals,” Peters says. “Smart, sharp and sophisticated women who want to abandon mall mentality and wear special hand-made garments that are completely individualized. The price points of merchandise varies greatly as there are six separate designers – however, shoppers might be surprised to find that there is handmade ready-to-wear available for no more than what they would pay at a specialty shop.” Abernethy pipes in: “Yes, people think our clothing must be expensive but really it’s affordable. We’re no more expensive than a store like Nordstrom at the Providence Place Mall. Plus we’re local and every item in store is designer-created and made. If we don’t have an item in your size we can easily custom make it for you!” Oh, and in case you’re wondering how they came up with their unusual name…

“Jess and I decided on the name Nude,” says Peters. “We thought it made a lot of sense along with our tagline of ‘local talent exposed’ and it also gave way to lots of funny, witty and tongue-in-cheek marketing possibilities!” While getting the boutique up and running has been a feat of both time management and dexterity, Peters says he’s lucky to have Abernethy doing this project with him. “We have known each other for over a decade and she is a great partner,” he says. “We make a giant todo list and then get to split it in half. Honestly, when remaining focused, it’s amazing how much a person can accomplish in a day!” Nude is now open Monday-Saturday from 12-5pm.

Nude 65 Weybosset Street, Unit #110 521-NUDE

Providence Monthly | East Side Monthly SO Rhode Island | The Bay

SHop LIke A LADy for A SpeCIAL MAN High-end menswear shop Marc Allen Fine Clothiers is hosting its sixth annual Ladies Night on December 12. Owner Marc Allen says, “ladies can come in, have an amazing assortment of beverages, tasty food, listen to great music and shop till they drop for their loved ones… all the while knowing that they’re saving 20% on their total purchase.” For the event, the store is bringing in special items: handmade cufflinks, Loro Piana scarves, bracelets and cashmere socks that make great stocking stuffers. Complimentary valet only sweetens the deal. Who says holiday shopping isn’t fun? 200 South Main Street. 4530025, marcalleninc.com

Providence Monthly | December 2013

Photography: Corey Grayhorse

Has Temporarily Relocated To Moderne Salon Center Place

31st AnnuAl

Foundry Artists AssociAtion HolidAy sAle DECEMBER 6th–8th & DECEMBER 13th–15th

Grand Opening & Reception Thursday, december 5th From 5pm–9pm live music and refreshments 65+ artisans • Fine art and Functional Craft

Free Parking • Free admission no ri sales Tax For hours, directions and exhibitor listings please visit

www.Foundryshow.com

The Pawtucket armory arts Center 172 exchange street, Pawtucket

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Providence Monthly | December 2013

City Style |Beauty

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Illustration: Caleigh McGrath

When I was younger, I had great skin. Really great skin. People used to stop me pretty regularly to comment on my unblemished, ivory complexion. But now that I’m firmly in my 30s, I’ve learned that they call it a “youthful glow” for a reason. Like it or not, mine is fading into skin concerns. I get hormonal breakouts like nobody’s business now, which leave unpleasant discolorations in their wake. I cover them well enough with makeup, but I hate them with this other new thing I’m getting, which I like to call “the bitter resentment of age.” Still, I had never considered getting a laser skin treatment. Those seemed so drastic, like they were only for serious problems like major skin issues or turning 50. In fact, when I went to Agape, I thought I was going there for one of their fancy facials. But when I sat down with Medical Aesthetician Amy Medeiros for my consultation, wearing no makeup, the horror of my breakout* in full force in the glaring light of day, she had another suggestion: Elos Laser Skin Rejuvenation. Elos, she promised, would improve those dark spots, as well as improve sun damage, dark circles, crow’s feet, future breakouts and the overall elasticity and glow of my skin. Sign me up, I said, and made an appointment to come back for laser skin treatment. (*Ok, I may be overstating this slightly. But two big, yucky blemishes are a

lot for someone who didn’t even have that many for the entire four years of high school. Feel bad for me yet? I thought so.) Here’s how it works: you go in, have your face slathered in a thick coat of numbing gel, and then wait half an hour for the dual purpose of desensitizing your face and letting your mind do its absolute worst with how you’re about to get your skin lasered off and come out looking like an unwrapped mummy in a horror movie. Oh, that’s just me? Weird. When I was good and numb, Amy came to get me. I was nervous. Really nervous. But she explained that the waiting was necessary. Lasers are hot. They’re made of supercharged light particles. I definitely didn’t want the laser without the gel, she said. And when she applied the first little zap to my forehead and I barely felt anything, I knew she was right. She went over my face, zapping each freckle and sun spot. It was quick and not very painful at all. The whole process took maybe 15 minutes. She explained that my discolored spots would get darker (but that nobody would notice except me, which was completely true) and then come off naturally in about a week. I’d need to come back for one or two more visits to get the full effect. When I left, my skin was tender for a few hours, like I was getting a sunburn. I could wear makeup immediately, and

felt fine by that night. In a couple of days, I noticed the darkening effect, followed a few days later by a noticeable lessening of my freckles. My skin looked nicer, too, and when that time of the month came around, my breakout was much smaller and more manageable than it had been before. A month later, I went back for my second treatment. This time, I knew what to expect, and Amy did a more serious application on my dark circles. Knowing that it would hurt for a minute but that it would make a big difference in the long run, I was all for it. We did our 15 minutes of blue light zapping. This time, when I left, I wasn’t tender at all, and the after-effect was remarkable. My skin looks like it did 10 years ago, back in the halcyon days of youthful glow. Almost all of my discolorations are gone, my breakouts barely exist, and my skin tone is clear and glowing. To maintain this, I’m willing to put in a few minutes and some zaps every couple of months. It turns out laser skin treatments are much less drastic – and much more of a thing I want in my life – after all.

Agape 400 Bald Hill Road Suite #506 Warwick 737-SKIN Agapemedical.com

SPECTRUM -INDIA

Open Late The place for unique, uncommon, unusual, exotic gifts and stocking stuffers... all attractively priced

Overf lowing Glass Outlook!TM 252 Thayer St., Providence (401) 421-1010 Facebook.Com/SpectrumIndia

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

A Providence Original... Providing award-winning food & impeccable service for 11 years • 7-time Winner of the Forbes Four Star Rating • Providence Phoenix Best Steakhouse 2013

• Join us for lunch this Holiday season, Monday - Friday 12/9-12/20 • Host your Holiday parties in our private room • Receive a $50 Appreciation Card when you purchase $250 worth of gift cards Complimentary Valet Parking $29.95 3-course Tavern Menu

millstavernrestaurant.com

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Naughty or Nice? It doesn’t matter! Receive a $10 Guest Appreciation Card when you purchase $50 worth of gift cards through December 31st. Celebrate the season with us & enjoy selections from our new Winter menu. For reservations visit:

redstriperestaurants.com

401.437.6950 465 Angell St. in Wayland Square, Providence Open Sunday, including Brunch from 10am - 3pm

Feast

Photography: Tiffany Medrano

IN THE KITCHEN / oN THE mENu / bEHINd THE bAr / rEvIEw / IN THE drINK

Landmark Dining Atlantic Salmon

What do you get when you combine dramatic atmosphere with a thoughtfully crafted menu? The welcoming space now occupied by Public Kitchen & Bar. Turn the page to read about their fun and approachable offerings.

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

Feast |

review

By Stephanie Obodda

A Delicious Makeover Public Kitchen & bar rethinks hotel food Providence for a decade or more, you probably still remember when the abandoned Masonic temple haunted the city’s skyline like a hollow gray tomb. In 2007, the construction that halted 78 years earlier was finally completed and the building was vibrantly resurrected as a Renaissance Hotel. Temple, the hotel’s original restaurant, closed at the end of 2012, and this fall Public Kitchen & Bar opened in its place. The basic layout of the restaurant remains the same, but new colors and materials, like antiqued mirrors, give the space a distinct feel. We were seated in a horseshoeshaped side booth, a private nook for a romantic meal given the right company. We started with cocktails; I ordered the Repossessed ($12), a smoky tequila-based cocktail flavored with bell pepper, mescal smoke, lime and Sriracha, served with an alderwood smoked black sea salt rim. If this combination looks good to you on paper, you’ll probably like it as much as I did. My husband got the Whiskey Hollow ($12), a fall riff on a whiskey sour with maple syrup and rosemary. Public Kitchen & Bar’s menu is best described as upscale comfort food.

None of the menu items seem fussy, but signature touches and creative ingredients take them beyond the basic versions. The dinner menu is divided into Soup/Salads, Small Plates, Pizza, Sandwiches, Large Plates and Sides, each with a few well-picked offerings. The menu demonstrates how they’ve risen to the challenge of a hotel restaurant – to offer crowd-pleasing choices that everyone expects, like a hamburger or steak, alongside must-have dishes for Rhode Island visitors like clam chowder and lobster roll sliders. A focus on comfort food might prompt some diners to consider the prices high for the “simpler” dishes (like the $17 burger or $14 mac and cheese), but with quality ingredients, the pricing is pretty much on par with comparable restaurants. The Chef’s Bar Bites Board ($16) seemed like the perfect way to get a taste of several menu items and a feel for the chef’s abilities. On the day we visited, the board featured Buffalostyle Cauliflower, Super Food Salad, English Muffin Pizzas and Beef Sliders. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit I’ll try anything “buffalo” at least once, but I felt no shame in loving this Buffalo

Chef’s dessert board: fried oreos, caramel popcorn, snicker doodles and hazlenut cupcakes

roasted beet Salad

Cauliflower, lightly fried and saturated with spicy flavor. The Super Food Salad is available on the regular menu and consists of farro, pomegranate, spinach,

mint and hazelnuts in Chardonnay vinaigrette. I love grain-based salads, and the flavor combination of mint and hazelnut was spot on. The English Muffin Pizzas paired mild mortadella with a surprise burst of pistachio. Expertly cooked Beef Sliders, basically miniature hamburgers, established why friends raved about the restaurant’s hamburger entrée. For our main course, we shared the Fried Chicken n’ Waffles ($17) and Lobster Sliders ($16). The chicken was listed as a large plate and the sliders as small, but the amount of food was similar. Cheddar jalapeño waffles were smeared with herb butter, topped with buttermilk-fried chicken breast and surrounded with dots of brown butter maple glaze. Public’s version of the popular dish is somewhere in the middle on the casual and fine dining chicken and waffles continuum. I can’t say it’s the best chicken and waffles I’ve

ONE MORE BITE: Prior to the opening of Public Kitchen & Bar, executive chef Willis Stepp wowed diners at Todd English’s Tuscany at Mohegan Sun and Hartford favorite Trumbull Kitchen. 56

Providence Monthly | December 2013

Photography: Tiffany Medrano

If you’ve lived in

City Gardens Flower Shop Distinctive Cut Flowers & Plants for all Occasions

We’re Celebrating Over 26 Years in Business! Cheers! 1986-2013 284 Wickenden Street, Providence, RI • 401-351-1775 Order online at citygardensflowershop.com

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Photography: Tiffany Medrano

Pulled Pork Tacos

ever tried - that honor is reserved for Bouchon in Las Vegas, which sets the bar astronomically high. Still, it was delicious and will hit the spot for anyone with a chicken and waffles craving, not an easy one to satisfy in Rhode Island. The three lobster roll sliders were on par with lobster rolls I’ve had in state, but to our surprise the star of the dish was the pile of perfect homemade Old Bay potato chips. When we spotted the Chef’s dessert Board ($13) on the menu, we hoped it would be as diverse and exciting as the appetizer board - and it was. Two small mugs held Matcha Crème Brûlée. Mini Carrot Cakes were topped with swirls of cream cheese frosting. A stack of airy Almond Meringues

promised not to fill us up too much and a single homemade Snickersesque candy bar sat in a swirl of caramel. It was a dessert lover’s dream and ideal to share. We enjoyed the whole meal, but were especially impressed by the appetizer and dessert boards. These two dishes really showed off the kitchen’s creativity and would make an ideal light meal for two - one I’d like to repeat someday.

Public Kitchen & Bar 120 Francis Street 919-5050 publickitchenprovidence.com

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Let Award Winning Chef Fab Goldberg Cook For You J Private dinners, family gatherings and corporate functions J Specialties include gluten-free, macrobiotic & organic fare

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December 2013 | Providence Monthly

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Come visit us for our 27th Annual • Open House December 1st! Garden City (942-2720) & Wakefield (783-4433) www.sweenorschocolates.com

the perfect choice for your

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Parkside Rotisserie and Bar | 76 South Main Street | Providence, RI 02903 | (401) 331-0003 www.parksideprovidence.com

Providence Monthly | December 2013

Feast |

In the Kitchen

Happy Holidays

By Grace Lentini

From the STAFF at the...

Soup for the Soul

Authentic Indian Cuisine Right on Federal Hill!

vietnamese family food in Pawtucket

145 Dean St. (Off Atwells Ave) Providence 273-6363

bombayclubri.com

Teven Tran is the Executive Chef and co-owner of Pho Horn’s – a little hole in the wall who’s big flavors shine bright especially in the cold winter months. The pho, or beef noodle soup, and other traditional Vietnamese dishes are family recipes that have been handed down through the generations.

Convenient free parking in back

How did your family come to be in Providence? My father came here from Vietnam in 1987 with my brother and sister. Then my mom and I came over in 1992, to Woonsocket, my first hometown. We had planned to open the restaurant for a few years before we actually purchased it. It was my mom’s idea. We bought it in 2006 and has been family owned and operated ever since. So your mom had a huge hand in opening this place? My mom would say, “Why should we go all the way to Boston to have pho?” The original recipe of our pho was from my mom and we’ve since made improvements. I’ve also hired two chefs – one from New York and one locally.

Photography: Mike Braca

How do you get so much flavor into your pho beef broth? We cook it with a beef bone. To start the broth out we put beef bone, beef brisket and beef flank into boiling water. After a few hours we take out the brisket and flank so that they don’t overcook. After the bone has cooked for 24 hours, we throw away the bone and strain the broth. We take the strained liquid, transfer it to a pot where we add sugar, salt, white onions, cinnamon, star anise, ground black pepper, whole ginger, shallot and the white part of scallions. We grill the shallot and ginger and mash it before adding them. We cook that for another two hours and then strain that mixture. That is the base of our pho. Is the pho you serve here much different than what you ate growing up in Vietnam? We eat it pretty much the same way. The cut of meat is different based on where you eat it (restaurant versus street food). If you are at a more high-end restaurant you might get filet mignon. But the cuts

Executive Chef and co-owner Teven Tran prepares a bowl of pho

of meat you get here are the same that you would get in Vietnam. The bigger difference is the use of beef bones. In Vietnam everyone uses beef bones because we use the entire cow. In America, no one really uses it. It is actually pretty cheap. I use about 50-60 pounds in each 100-quart pot. What type of pho do you recommend to someone who has never tried it before? Have the pho with either chicken or just the steak. What is your background? I went to URI and majored in Electrical Engineering. I didn’t learn to cook pho until after I graduated. I started cooking here because my family bought this place. I learned how to cook pho from my mother and learned all the other recipes from my uncle. All the other recipes are from his restaurant in Vietnam from before the war. Aside from the pho, what are some other must-try items on the menu? The Clay Pot is very traditional in Vietnam. It has salmon, catfish or pork cut into small pieces and simmered in fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, salt, garlic – it looks like a caramel but instead is a

little salty. Back in my country we would eat this with the Hot Sweet and Sour Soup. Traditionally we would eat these together. The soup has salmon, catfish or shrimp with bean sprouts, pineapple chunks, celery, fresh tomatoes and thai basil in an aromatic spicy broth. The soup is sweet and sour and the Clay Pot is salty. When you eat these two together they balance each other out. Do you adjust any dishes according to the season? In the winter I slightly increase the pepper and the ginger in the pho. In the winter when you eat my soup, I want you to feel good. I want to build up your immune system and other systems. My mom cooked this way. She would say, “In the winter, the human body catches cold easily.” So, we increase the pepper and the ginger to keep the body warm. We decrease it in the summer.

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Feast |

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Providence Monthly | December 2013

Outside of the PVD

epicenter lies The Barstow, a recently opened restaurant eager to appease an eater’s appetite. Born from the brilliant culinary mind of Michael McHugh, who previously worked for such spots as Red Stripe and Mill’s Tavern, this restaurant brings together McHugh’s desire for reinvigorating more areas of Providence and his fascination with the diversity of Mediterranean open markets. “We feel [South Providence] is the next place for growth,” says McHugh, adding that “all it takes [are] a few businesses to bring people to the area.” This kind of business- and restaurant-driven urban reinvigoration, he argues, can be seen all across the city: “I remember the area around Broadway itself, you wouldn’t hang out past dark,” but successful stores moved in and the bad vibes moved out. As for where the Mediterranean open markets come into the picture, McHugh is attracted to their ability to bring together “people of all ages and types and backgrounds,” an enviable quality that he finds worth recreating. He wants The Barstow to be a “malleable” and “customizable” experience. And to accomplish this effect, McHugh created a menu rich with exquisite options, so that The Barstow

can be “your drink place and your family sit-down place.” The menu itself seems to know no end. “During the daytime, it’s a smart healthy lunch mix targeted at office workers, stay-at-home moms and people going out for a quick lunch,” says McHugh. Dinner brings forth an arsenal of dishes that showcase The Barstow’s “full-spectrum [of] Mediterranean” influences, which include “some Italian, some French, some Middle Eastern, some Spanish” and so forth. The restaurant also offers an all-day snacks menu featuring $2-5 items such as crispy chicken with warming sauces and house-made flatbread. “Stuff for when you’re hungry and you want [food] in three minutes,” says McHugh. Moreover, many dishes straddle the line between exquisite and conventional - a purposeful target, for McHugh wants to “connect [the food] to familiar things for an everyday person.” He adds that bringing this kind of cooking to its peak is about “using the familiar in unfamiliar ways.” 800 Allens Avenue. 785-1818, thebarstowri.com. SWEET AND SAVORy Frequenters of the Bucket will be happy to know that Lucy’s Sugar N Spice, a pastry and wedding cake shop, has officially opened. Located at 423 Weeden

Street, Pawtucket, this little storefront is the passionate byproduct of owner Lucy Reall’s love affair with “elegant, beautiful and delicious” cakes and pastries. 808-1931, lucysugarnspice.com. The sugar-laden seasonal news continues with Sin’s holiday menu, this time featuring their rendition of a gingerbread house. For $80, Sin creates a moist, fragrant house made of real gingerbread cake. For $24, Sin offers a DIY gingerbread house kit that contains everything to build a house at home. (For $48, Sin will professionally decorate that DIY house.) 200 Allens Ave. 369-8427, eatwicked.com. In honor of Burger Week - which apparently is a thing - online food and travel guide Zagat compiled a “50 States, 50 Burgers” list, in which each state is represented by a single burger joint, and Harry’s Bar & Burgers is Rhode Island’s representative. “Harry’s specialty is sliders, and you’ll want to order M.O.A.B., which features freshly ground Hereford beef, cheese, bacon, mushrooms and fried onion strings with special sauce,” writes Zagat. But then again, we already knew that, right? The complete list can be found at zagat. com/b/50-states-50-burgers. 121 North Main Street. 228-7437, harrysbarburger.com.

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Providence Monthly | December 2013

Feast |

behind the bar

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By Cristy Raposo

Drinking for Fun

Simple and delicious cocktails without the fanfare Jesse Hedberg, winner of the recent US Bartenders’ Guild Campari competition, takes a “less is more” approach with his cocktails. Once a regular at Local 121, he now serves his own regulars on Fridays and Saturdays with tasty cocktails and his conviviality. Describe your cocktail list. Our list has a few classics and our house drinks, which will change with the season. Drinks are meant to be simple and delicious. We take a less is more approach with our cocktails. 121 isn’t trying to be challenging with a lot of obscure ingredients; guests aren’t intimidated by our cocktail menu. I’ve worked at those cocktail places. We keep things simple, with quality ingredients, so drinks come out in a timely fashion. It’s actually more difficult to make a delicious drink when you’re only using three or four ingredients. I appreciate simplicity in flavor. Our drinks are simple, fun and tasty. That’s really what people want. Which cocktail best represents Local 121? Rockefeller Royal. It’s a simple drink that you could make at home very easily. Grand Marnier, pomegranate juice, a dash of cranberry bitters (available at any liquor store) topped off with champagne. It’s a great drink to start your night off – the perfect aperitif cocktail. Just like 121, it’s celebratory without being pretentious.

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Are your cocktails created to be paired with 121’s meals? Order a bottle of wine with dinner. If you have a cocktail, it can be overwhelming to a meal. Enjoy one of our tasty cocktails before or after dinner. This is part of the experience you can have here. Many bars open and close at the drop of a hat. Why has Local 121 been here for six years? We have something for everyone; from live entertainment to DJs to live music. It’s a versatile space. We don’t pigeonhole ourselves or take ourselves too seriously; we really strive to be an unpretentious restaurant. That translates to the bar as well. This isn’t the place you’ll see 30 different artisanal

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bitters and 10 imported vermouths. You can come here, watch the game, talk to your bartenders about sports, women or politics. Order a burger and a beer or an old-fashioned, hang out late night and unwind. You’re not going to talk to us about that bottle of rye, where it came from and how it was distilled. It’s a little more fun here. Some of our dishes are fanciful, with interesting preperations and cook techniques. However, at the end of the day, you can get a burger and steak without the fanfare. What turns you off about bartending? I’m interested in the now and how of bartending. A lot of bartenders are obsessed with the history of drinks and spirits. You almost have to be a historian to be a bartender. That’s really not why most people go to the bar. Somewhere, bartenders decided they had to dress like they were part of a barbershop quartet. Cocktails have become such a big thing recently; bartenders get too sucked up in the hype. It’s just a drink. It’s not a way of life or a cultural revolution. You’re going into a bar to have a cocktail and un-

wind. That’s what a bar should be – a place where you can lose yourself for a while, have a laugh. That’s what we are good at here. What’s your reaction to a guest’s “Make me something delicious?” I’ll ask them, “Do you want a gin martini?” That’s my favorite drink; I know how to make it well. 95% of the time, they’ll say no. So then I’ll make them an English Milk Punch, an old citrus recipe from the 1860s; made with rum, apple brandy, fresh pineapple, cinnamon, clove, coriander, green tea and whey. Mix it, let it sit, add boiling milk and a little bit of citrus juice. Watch it curdle and then strain it out. You’re left with an unbelievable drink that isn’t creamy at all. It’s light, refreshing and tropical. Extremely complex in flavor, but still totally quaffable – an easy sipper.

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Providence Monthly | December 2013

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Reinventing Punch Surprisingly delicious festive sipping “Old people.” “High school dances.” “Victorian times.” And simply, “ew.” When I settled on punch as the topic of this month’s column, I asked friends and barkeeps what they most associated with the stalwart beverage, and their answers were less than complimentary. And that’s a damn shame. Punch itself is not the problem. Rather, the problem is the rivers of dreck that have been poured under its good name. Punch deserves better, dear readers. More to the point, we deserve better. For starters, the holiday season practically begs for punch, which is convivial to its boozy core, in a way that cocktails can’t be. Sure, Martinis and Manhattans are swell, and lend swift, privatized relief after Great Aunt Louise tells yet another ribald joke at dinner. But punch? Punch breeds happiness and harmony on a group scale. All that compulsory sharing from a single vessel isn’t for naught. Secondly, there’s the romance of its long history. Punch happens to be the world’s first mixed drink, thieved from India by British sailors almost five centuries ago. (“Punch” reputedly derives from “panch,” the Hindi word for “five,” and refers to its five key ingredients: spirits, water, citrus, sugar and spices.) In colonial America, punch satisfied a common penchant for egalitarianism, and bowls of it held symbolic value among our deeply unsober founding fathers. Most importantly, though, then as now, a well-made punch is dangerously delicious. Forget the cloying, bad decision-fueling punches of yesteryear. Versions mixed with fresh citrus, good spirits, whole spices and an ounce of restraint are a revelation. Jen Ferreira and a small crowd of Providence’s boozehounds think so, too. Formerly the mastermind behind Cook & Brown’s bar program, Ferreira is currently the East Coast Brand Ambassador for Bols Genever, a Dutch spirit that begat gin and stars in classic punch recipes. This past month, Ferreira organized a punch crawl that included cocktail geekery hubs like the West Side’s The Avery and downtown’s new-ish kid on the block, The Eddy. Part revelry and part education, the event ladled up a specially designed brew at each venue,

and taught crawlers about the punch tradition along the way. It was one sign that Providence may be in step with the punch mini-revival that’s flickering in cities like Chicago, San Francisco, and, of course, New York. Renowned cocktail historian David Wondrich is often credited with galvanizing the trend, after publishing a now-classic book on the topic several years ago, and proselytizing it since then with infectious zeal. It’s working, at least somewhat. Wondrich’s book became a bestseller that got extensive press, and punchcentric bars like Chicago’s buzzedabout Punch House have popped up in major metropolises. Among the cool kids, punch has acquired a kind of new-penny sheen – or, at least, a sexy vintage re-branding – that was unthinkable a decade ago. Still, it hasn’t caught fire yet. Not on the order of the ‘90s cocktail renaissance, for example, which made household names of arcane drinks like the Sazerac, and invited unthinkably large numbers of people to take a position on trivia such as whether bitters belong in a Martini (they do), or whether ice’s shape and size impact a cocktail’s quality (again, they do). Put simply, punch still dwells in niche-land. I asked Ferreira – who rubs elbows with Wondrich through her Bols Genever gig – if she thinks that America’s mania for individualism, our characteristic “have it your way”

culture, stands in the way of a true revival. Conceivably, dipping from a communal punch bowl stirs up the same national aversion to sharing that renders standstill traffic more appealing to most people than riding kneeto-knee with strangers in a subway car. “Maybe”, she said, “but punch could be the next bottle service. It should be.” In other words, we’re already drinking from the same well in one respect, and loving it enough to ratchet up astronomic sales figures. Why not share something more interesting and hand-crafted than a magnum of massproduced vodka? I say pass the ladle and fill ‘er to the brim.

Rockefeller Royal

By Jesse Hedberg of Local 121 It’s the perfect drink and you can serve it as a punch. The last thing you want to be doing as a host is making drinks all night. Mix together in a lovely punch bowl...

1 liter of Grand Marnier 64 oz. of pomegranate juice 1 oz of cranberry bitters (angostura, orange bitters or any kind of aromatic bitter will work) and 2 bottles of champagne A block of ice

Illustration: Ashley MacLure

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Providence Monthly | December 2013

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Feast |

dining Guide

special advertising section

fair price in a family friendly setting. Daily specials. BBR $ BOMBAy CLUB 145 Dean St.; 2736363, bombayclubri.com. Located on Federal Hill, this Indian restaurant features dinner everyday and a buffet lunch on weekends. Try the specialty Bombay Mix Grill with an assortment of kebobs on a sizzling plate. LD $$$$$ BRICKWAy ON WICKENDEN 234 Wickenden St; 751-2477, brickwayonwickenden.com. Brickway will delight your eyes as well as your taste buds with its vibrant mural and 15+ choices of highly acclaimed and creativelynamed omelets. Just as mouthwatering are its Cajun chicken wrap and veggie roll up. BBRL $ CAFé PARAGON 234 Thayer St.; 3316200, paragonandviva.com. This hip eatery serves sandwiches, pasta and entrées at prices lower than the chic décor would have you believe. The adjoining Viva lounge is perfect for after-dinner drinks and private parties. BrLD $-$$

The dorrance 60 dorrance St.; 521-6000, thedorrance.com. The dorrance, a 2012 James beard Foundation award semi-finalist (best new restaurant and chef), is known for its impressive architecture, hand-crafted cocktails and delicious modern American cuisine. LD $$-$$$

Providence

Photography: Rupert Whiteley

10 PRIME STEAK & SUSHI 55 Pine St.; 453-2333, tenprimesteakandsushi. com. Located downtown, 10 offers a sophisticated yet lively atmosphere, complemented by aged prime steaks, a full sushi menu and creative cocktails. LD $$-$$$ ANDREAS 268 Thayer St.; 3317879, andreasri.com. For a taste of Greece, head to Andreas. Their menu includes souvlaki, moussaka and a variety of kabobs, along with specialties like Lemon Oregano Lamb Chops and Spanakopita, an appetizer of spinach and feta in flaky phyllo dough. BrLD $-$$

ASPIRE RESTAURANT 311 Westminster St.; 521-333, aspirerestaurantcom. Aspire offers an exquisite fine dining experience with a number of delicious small and large plates, numerous fine wines and a full bar – with an emphasis on local ingredients. BBrLD $-$$$

BAKER STREET RUE 75 Baker St.; 4905025, therue.com. The Rue De L’Espoir empire expands with this comfortable neighborhood café serving “upscale diner food” with an emphasis on local ingredients. BBrL $ BLUE COTTAGE 748 Hope St.; 3837307. Enjoy a bed and breakfast style morning meal or deli sandwich at this cozy diner. It’s a good breakfast at a

CASERTA’S PIZZERIA 121 Spruce St.; 621-3618, casertapizzeria.com. This Rhode Island tradition serves big pizzas with generous toppings and thick, rich tomato sauce. Their famous Wimpy Skippy, a spinach pie with cheese and pepperoni, is not to be missed. LD $-$$ CAV 14 Imperial Pl.; 751-9164, cavrestaurant.com. The New York Times’ choice as one of Providence’s five best restaurants, CAV’s contemporary award-winning cuisine is available for lunch and dinner daily. They also feature Saturday/Sunday brunch. BrLD $$-$$$ DON JOSE TEQUILAS 351 Atwells Ave.; 454-8951, donjosetequilas.com. Don Jose’s digs a little deeper than your average Mexican restaurant, with all the basics you love alongside more artfully composed entrées and a wonderful selection of house-made tequilas. LD $$ THE St.; The

DORRANCE 60 Dorrance 521-6000, thedorrance.com. Dorrance, a 2012 James

Beard Foundation award semifinalist (best new restaurant and chef), is known for its impressive architecture, hand-crafted cocktails and delicious modern American cuisine. LD $$-$$$ GOURMET HEAVEN 173 Weybossett St.& 205 Meeting St; 536-9000, gourmetheaven.com. Whether in need of a quick bite, a couple of items to fill the pantry or a thoughtfully made meal, Gourmet Heaven has it all. Choices abound from their always fresh hot/ cold buffet, deli counter and wellstocked shelves. BLD $-$$ HARRy’S BURGER & BAR 121 North Main St.; 228-7437, harrysbarburger. com. Harry’s features only freshly ground beef, Nathan’s hot dogs, a long list of craft beers and new twists on cocktails. A perfect quick bite or night out. LD $-$$ HARUKI EAST 172 Wayland Ave.; 223-0332, harukisushi.com. For authentic Japanese dining, try Haruki’s large variety of sushi, sashimi, bento boxes, soba noodles and delicious specialty entrées. Enjoy the chic atmosphere and the freshest sushi around. LD $-$$$ KARTABAR 284 Thayer St.; 331-8111, kartabar.com. This European-style restaurant and lounge offers a full menu of unique dishes with Mediterranean flair and eclectic flavors. They also offer a top-notch wine list and martini menu. LD $-$$ KITCHEN BAR 771 Hope Street; 3314100, kitchenbarri.com. Offering contemporary comfort cuisine in an elegant setting, Kitchen Bar features daily specials and take-out. Try their Clams Zuppa or Coriander Encrusted Flat Iron Steak or have the kids order from the kids’ menu. LD $-$$ LIM’S 18 Angell St.; 383-8340, limsri. com. Dive into the unique combination of Lim’s fine Thai cuisine and sushi served in an intimate and modern setting. LD $$ LUXE BURGER BAR 5 Memorial Blvd.; 621-5893, luxeburgerbar.com. Luxe brings the classic burger to a new level. Their build-your-own burger list, which

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Providence Monthly | December 2013

Feast |

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MCBRIDE’S PUB 161 Wayland Ave.; 7513000, mcbrides-pub.com. McBride’s is a traditional Irish pub serving all the classics from Fish ‘n Chips to Corned Beef and Cabbage. They offer live entertainment on Tuesdays and Saturdays. LD $-$$ MILLS TAVERN 101 North Main St., 272-3331, millstavernrestaurant.com. The only restaurant in RI to receive The Mobile Four Star Award for five consecutive years, Mills Tavern provides traditional American cuisine in a warm, friendly setting. D $$-$$$

MUMU CUISINE 220 Atwells Ave; 3697040, mumucuisine.com. This upscale Providence restaurant features authentic Chinese food in a modern, relaxing atmosphere. Try some of the best-rated dishes, such as the savory (and grease-free) Scallion Pancakes or Ambrosial Tea-Smoked Duck in a chic red-and-black themed setting. LD $$ PARKSIDE 76 South Main St.; 3310003, parksideprovidence.com. Chef/ owner Steven Davenport offers innovative and classic foods with eclectic flare. The menu also includes creative pasta dishes and, of course, the signature rotisserie meats for which Parkside is famous. LD $-$$

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PUBLIC KITCHEN & BAR 120 Francis St.; 919-5050, publickitchenprovidence. com. Public maintains its historic architecture while embodying an atmosphere fit for hipsters and Senators alike. With mature cocktails and creative American cuisine, come for the food, stay for the ambience.

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RICK’S ROADHOUSE 370 Richmond St.; 272-7675, ricksroadhouseri.com. With hand-cut, fire-kissed steaks, gut-busting burgers and fall off the bone ribs, Rick’s brings the best slowcooked cuisine to the Ocean State. LD $-$$ RUE BIS 95 South St.; 490-9966, therue.com. This intimate eatery provides breakfast and lunch in a cozy, neighborhood bistro atmosphere – all with the gourmet pedigree of Hope Street dining staple Rue De L’Espoir behind it. BBrL $

PHO HORN’S 50 Ann Mary St.; 3656278, phohorns.com. Pho Horn’s offers authentic Vietnamese cuisine, including traditional dishes like the popular Pho (noodle soup) and Rice Chowder with Pulled Pork. It’s a delicious choice for anyone looking for something different. LD $-$$

RUE DE L’ESPOIR 99 Hope St.; 7518890, therue.com. In business for over 30 years, the Rue has only gotten better. Beautifully prepared with the freshest ingredients, the innovative, constantly changing menu keeps diners on their toes. BBrLD $$

PROVIDENCE OySTER BAR 283 Atwells Ave.; 272-8866, providenceoysterbar.com. Visit this unique restaurant for a taste of the sea, featuring “Today’s Catch” and specialty Shrimp and Fish Tacos. “Appy Hour” from 4-6:30pm features a sushi and raw oyster bar. LD $-$$

THREE SISTERS 1074 Hope Street; 2737230, threesistersri.com. This highly acclaimed creamery features traditional Vanilla Bean along with new awardwinning flavors such as Kulfi (cardamom, cinnamon, pistachio). Don’t miss its well-crafted breakfast omelets and lunchtime paninis. BBRL $

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EVENTS / ART / MUSIC / THEATRE

Trans-Siberian Orchestra plays The Dunk this month

rock the Holidays 1.

December 18: One of the most beloved holiday traditions returns to Providence much to the excitement of many. Visit the Dunkin’ Donuts Center for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Lost Christmas Eve. The orchestra’s acclaimed rock opera is a captivating onstage performance with lights, lazers and pyrotechnics; it tells the heart-warming tale of loss and redemption on a magical Christmas Eve in New York City. Grab the whole family; this show is not to be missed. Luxury suites are available (and make a great gift!); call 680-4716 to reserve. $41.50-$71.50. 7:30pm. Dunkin’ Donuts Center, 1 La Salle Square. 865-4672, dunkindonutscenter.com.

December 7: Santa will be hard at work making Christmas presents at the beautifully decorated Slater Mill Musuem during Santa’s Workshop. It’s your chance to meet the big guy, make ornaments, sample treats and shop for handmade crafts. 10am-4pm. 67 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket. 7258638, slatermill.org.

December 5-15: Do some early shopping at the Holiday Open Studio Sale and the Foundry Artists Holiday Show at Mad Dog Artist Studios and the adjacent Pawtucket Armory. Enjoy light refreshments and wine. Hours vary; go online for details. 65 Blackstone Avenue, Pawtucket. 339-9311, maddogartiststudios.com.

December 7: The Audubon Society’s Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Center presents its Annual Holiday craft Fair with a variety of nature and wildlife related wares including jewelry, children’s items, ornaments, stationary and more. Snack while you shop! 10am4pm. 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield. 949-5454, audubon.org.

December 5-7: Celebrate the magic of the season with The Saint Antoine community christmas Tree Jubilee, featuring children’s activities, live entertainment, photos with Santa, storytelling and more! Call for details and hours. 400 Mendon Road, North Smithfield. 7673500, christmastreejubilee.com.

December 2013 | Providence Monthly

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Calendar

By Erin Swanson

This month

December 1-8: Roger Williams Park Zoo hosts Visits with Santa. Meet the jolly ol’ fellow, enjoy tasty treats and take part in fun activities. $5 ages 0-2; $10 children 3-12; adults free. 10am-12pm & 1-3pm. 100 Elmwood Avenue. 941-4998, rwpzoo.org. December 1-22: Stop into Trinity Rep this month to see the New England premiere of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, $54-$68. 2pm and 7:30pm show times. 201 Washington Street. 351-4242, trinityrep.com. December 1-29: Every Sunday at AS220 you can hop into your leotard for a drop-in beginner or Intermediate ballet class with Stephanie Albanese. $13. 10:30-11:30am beginner; 12-1:30pm intermediate. 95 Empire Street. 831-9327, as220.org. December 1-29: Every Saturday and Sunday this month join Save the Bay for a Seal cruise. One- and two-hour trips available. Call for reservations. $17-42. 142 Long Wharf Dock, Newport. 203-SEAL. savebay.org. December 1-31: War and art combine in The Ghost Army of WWII, a unique exhibit about American GIs who duped Hitler’s army. See artifacts, photos and art by soldiers. Call for hours. 42 South Main Street, Woonsocket. 769-9675, rihs.org. December 2: Kick off the month with a trip to Columbus Theatre for Newport Folk Fest favorite bombino with special guest Last Good Tooth. $20 advance; $25 day of. 7pm doors; 8pm music. 270 Broadway. columbustheatre.com. December 3: As part of the Festival of Light Tour matisyahu brings his blend of rap, beatbox and reggae to Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel. $25

ONLINe eXcLUSIVe 74

For

advance; $28 day of; $35 reserved. 7pm doors; 8pm show. 79 Washington Street. 331-5876, lupos.com. December 3-31: Looking to switch up your workout routine? Try YobalAtes at AS220’s 95 Empire Dance Studio. It’s a unique mix of yoga, ballet and pilates. 6-7pm. 95 Empire Street. 8319327, as220.org. December 3-31: Head to Trinity Brewhouse every Tuesday night for Stump! Trivia. Winning teams go home with prizes so be sure to bring your smartest friends. 8pm. 186 Fountain Street. 453-2337, stumptrivia.com. December 3-31: Take a look at the night sky every Tuesday night at the Ladd’s weekly Telescope Observing Night, weather permitting. Free. 7-9pm. 210 Doyle Avenue. 863-2323, brown.edu. December 4-28: Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s Wintertime Farmers’ market takes place at Hope Artiste Village every Wednesday and Saturday. Rain or shine. Wednesdays 3pm-6pm; Saturdays 9am-1pm. 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. farmfreshri.org. December 5: Don’t miss the Annual Artists for Save the bay Show and Sale, featuring more than 35 artists and 145 pieces of affordable art. Enjoy food, beer and wine too! 6-8:30pm. 100 Save the Bay Drive. 272-3540, savebay.org. December 5: Get in the holiday spirit with Opera Providence’s A Holiday masterpiece at the Providence Art Club with great food, art and music. $55. 11 Thomas Street. 331-6060, operaprovidence.org. December 6: Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Dean of Graduate Studies Mary Davis discusses “Style Setting in the Salon” at the Providence Athenaeum. 5-7pm. 251 Benefit Street. 4216970, providenceathenaeum.org. December 6-8 & 13-15: Veteran comedian Frank O’Donnell brings his original

The Nutcracker at PPAC

December 20-22: Where else can you see toy soldiers, giant mice and a Sugar Plum Fairy? At PPAC’s performance of The Nutcracker, of course! Come see the beloved ballet about one girl’s magical adventure. $23-$85. 8pm Friday; 2pm and 7pm Saturday & 1:30pm Sunday. 220 Weybosset Street. 421-2787, ppacri.org

play A Christmas Carmella to Theatre Works in Woonsocket. 2pm and 8pm show times. 142 Clinton Street, Woonsocket. 766-1898, twri.org. December 6-27: Every Friday it’s Friday Night Live at Everett. Performers improvise on song, dance and skits that are appropriate for all ages. Prepare to laugh, cry, snort and wet your pants. $5. 7pm. 9 Duncan Avenue. 831-9479, everettri.org. December 6-28: Swing by Bottles for a weekly beer or wine tasting. You may even Skype with a faraway winemaker as you sip his wares! Free. Fri beer tasting 3:30-7:30pm; Sat wine tasting 3-7pm. 141 Pitman Street. 372-2030, bottlesfinewine.com. December 7: Folk and bluegrass musician Austin Lucas comes to Fete along with Allison Weiss, Mina Caputo and PJ Bond. $10 advance; $12 doors. 7pm doors; 8pm show time. 103 Dike Street. 383-1112, fetemusic.com. December 7: Calling all sugar junkies, young and old alike! The Artists’ Exchange presents its 9th Annual Gingerbread House Decorating contest. Be creative, sneak candy, have fun! $12 per

house. 9am-6pm. 50 Rolfe Square, Cranston. 490-9475, artists-exchange.org. December 7-8: The holiday ballet that has captivated audiences for decades comes to Foxwoods. Don’t miss the Nutcracker Spectacular. $33-$55. 7pm Saturday; 2pm Sunday. 350 Trolley Line Boulevard, Mashantucket, CT. 800200-2882, foxwoods.com. December 7-28: Saturday Nights bring Improv Jones to the 95 Empire Black Box. Enjoy a fantastically funny world that’s different every week. $5. 10pm. 95 Empire Street. 831-9327, improvjones.com. December 7-28: Make a date with your little one for the Brown University Bookstore’s weekly children’s Story Time each Saturday, a magical world where tots can learn. Free. 244 Thayer Street. 863-3168, bookstore.brown.edu/. December 12: This month photographer and manager of Bambu Tattoo, Chris Almeida, is exhibiting his black and white photography of Providence at the recently opened Eighty Eight Lounge downtown. Don’t miss the Opening Party. Free. 8pm-

an up-to-date statewide calendar and to submit your own listings visit providenceonline.com

Providence Monthly | December 2013

Photo: Thomas Nola-Rion

December 1: On the first Sunday of each month, from now ‘til forever, head downtown to AS220 for its empire revue, a night of sketch comedy and more. $8. 8-11:30pm. 115 Empire Street. 831-9327, as220.org.

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Calendar

By Erin Swanson

JOIN US FOR THE HOLIDAY FAVORITE!

Miracle on 34th Street The Musical New England Premiere!

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12am. 55 Union Street. 347-4995, facebook.com/events/1429198773968473/. December 13: Get ready for some hockey on a $5 off Friday as the Providence bruins take on the Portland Pirates at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. $22-$32, 7:05pm. 1 LaSalle Square. 273-5000, providencebruins.com. December 14: Join everyone’s favorite brother/sister singing duo at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center for Donny & marie christmas in Providence. $78-$897. 7:30pm. 1 LaSalle Square. 331-6700, dunkindonutscenter.com. December 15: For delicious treats and fun activities, check out the Family Holiday Afternoon at the Lippitt House. The event is geared for ages preschool to 10. 3-5pm. 199 Hope Street. 453-0688, lippitthouse.org. December 19-21: Rediscover the true meaning of Christmas spirit with A Christmas Carol at Park Theatre. $18. 7pm Thursday and Friday; 2pm Saturday; 8pm Sunday. 848 Park Avenue, Cranston. 467-7275, parktheatreri.com. December 21: Join Audubon naturalist Kim Calcagno for Welcome Winter! Tales for the Winter Solstice. Families will enjoy stories, solstice tidbits and treats! 3:30-5pm. $5-$6. 12 Sanderson Road, Smithfield. 9495454, audubon.org.

DECEMBER 4 ‐ 29 Based on the popular holiday film, this musical will make you believe!

December 22: Join RICCO for In Sweet Rejoicing: christmas with the rhode Island civic chorale chamber choir. 3pm. First Baptist Church in America, 75 North Main Street. 521-5670, ricco.org. December 30: Don’t let the postChristmas blues get you down. Head to The Met for Transit with special guests misser, Long Lost and Trophy Wives. $10 advance; $12 day of. 7pm doors; 7:30 show time. 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. 729-1005, themetri.com. December 31: Do something to pass the time before your big NYE night out. Check out a Providence college Friars men’s basketball game versus Seton Hall. $12-$85. 2:30pm. Dunkin’ Donuts Center, 1 La Salle Square. 8654672, friars.com. December 31: If you’re looking for something different to do this NYE head to Mohegan Sun for cirque celebration – an explosion of acrobatics and imagination. $25. 7pm. 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard, Uncasville, CT. 888226-7711, mohegansun.com.

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A Christmas Carol at Trinity

Now through December 28: Trinity Rep proudly continues the celebration of their 50th season with their annual presentation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Appealing to young and old alike, this heartwarming story of the power of forgiveness shows us that anything is possible – and hope is always just around the corner. $15-$36. Showtimes at 12pm, 5pm & 730pm. Trinity Rep, 201 Washington Street. 351-4242, trinityrep.com

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Music

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institution, lording over the intersection of Park and Pontiac Avenues as a gateway to the magic of the movies for just shy of eight decades. But like so many of yesteryear’s once proud cinemas, it was eventually bested by time and the theatre closed its doors in 2002. Seven years and ten million dollars later, the Park reopened as a performing arts center, determined to bring some of that magic back to its stage and to a new generation of audiences. The theatre required a total overhaul when businessman Piyush Patel took on the task of whipping the Park back into shape. “It was a totally dilapidated cinema house,” recalls Executive Director Yusuf Gandhi. State of the art lighting and sound systems were installed, transforming a dead, single-screen movie theatre into the kind of up-todate performance space capable of handling everything from intimate performances by singer-songwriters like Ani DiFranco to the awe-inspiring theatrics of the National Circus of the People’s Republic of China. The needs and comforts of contemporary audiences were also addressed, resulting in a completely handicapped accessible auditorium that seats 1,000 extremely comfortably. Large, cushy, modern seats line the first floor and the balcony. Flat screen TVs populate many of the walls outside of the

auditorium, guaranteeing that anyone needing to excuse themselves midperformance won’t miss a moment of what’s happening on stage. Full bars were added to the main and balcony lobbies and an independently operated restaurant was opened in the same building to cater to audiences looking to make a full evening of their visit to The Park. But while the inside has all of the high-tech hallmarks of a modern theatre experience, little has changed to the building’s iconic facade. Careful steps were taken to ensure that nothing done to the theatre’s exterior would interfere with its classic appearance, and with the exception of a new digital marquee, little seems to have changed between the Park Theatre of old and the one of today. “We were very particular,” explains Gandhi. “It’s a landmark building. The original Park sign is still there.” In an age where so much of our culture is taken in through our smartphones or big, faceless multiplexes, it’s something as seemingly simple as an appreciation for a building’s historical significance and it’s place in the mind of it’s community that help make a theatre-going experience feel like a special one. It is in fact that commitment to the community and its expectations of the theatre that have helped the Park in successfully navigating the transition away from neighborhood relic to a vital source of

art and culture. Rhode Island, Gandhi believes, is a diverse community that demands equally diverse and representative entertainment. “It’s a small, melting pot of communities,” he says. “Besides American music, the Park can cater to a whole variety of performing arts.” In the last year alone the Park has seen everything from the Russian National Ballet Theatre to Buddy Guy, Graham Nash and Anoushka Shankar. “All of our programming is quality entertainment,” Gandhi states proudly, “I’ve been happy when people come in and say, ‘Wow that was a fantastic show.’ That’s what we want to be. We want to be the place where people say ‘Let’s see what’s at the Park’ because they know we put on good shows.” December 7: Jazz fusion wizards Spyro Gyra, accompanied by Grammy-winning guitarist Stanley Jordan December 8: The Temptations December 14: Sisters Erica and Tina Campbell of the gospel duo Mary Mary December 19-21: Artists’ Exchange’s annual production of A Christmas Carol

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Theatre

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From a child’s Perspective The Wilbury Theatre celebrates the holidays with Scientology

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’Tis the season to be harried. No, wait. Merry? I don’t know. It really depends on your world view, I suppose. Most likely, either you’re ambivalent (and rightly so – no matter what your faith, there are extra cookies to be had in the office kitchen and egg nog ripe for the slurping at many a dinner party, but on the other hand, there’s a lot more traffic and there’s no such thing as a quick errand anymore), excited (hanging the stockings with care! Presents! Family!) or terrified (hanging the stockings with care! Returning presents! Family!). But what if you stopped to look at the holiday season from a slightly different perspective? What if you questioned the rituals and rites, the holly and the hullaballoo? That’s what the Wilbury Theatre Group is doing this month as they present A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant. Not only is it the group’s first “holiday” offering, though Founding Artistic Director Josh Short is careful to say that it’s not necessarily intended that way, it’s the Rhode Island premiere of the show. And there’s a lot to like here, both as a – dare I say it – holiday experience and as a theatrical endeavor. Written by Kyle Jarrow based on a concept by director Alex Timbers (one of the writers behind the hit play Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), the play follows the origin story behind something even scarier than the mall parking lot this time of year: Scientology. Told in the style of a traditional Christmas pageant, the production stays true to those expectations in one respect – it’s made up of a cast of eleven children between the ages of 10 to 13, except for the musical director and accompanist, adult actor Kerry Callery. But this is not your average pageant, says Josh. “It’s extremely thought-provoking. The use of children is important because when you hear these words” – real text from the founder of Scientology, the late great novelist, Hollywood hob-knobber and likely extraterrestrial L. Ron Hubbard, by the way – “spoken by children about the ideas behind Scientology, the innocence with

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which they do it strikes you.” No matter what your view of religion in general or Scientology specifically, you have to admit that the writers are onto something in their takedown of the unilateral proclamations and illogical, strangely childlike leaps that L. Ron’s followers make in the play “This is basically a reflection of how when adults join these religions, or cults, they revert back to this childlike state of believing whatever you tell them to believe. It’s scary,” says Josh. Working with children is so essential to the fabric of the play, in fact, that Josh says the writers make it explicitly clear in the production notes that the parts are not to be played by adult actors. But working with an all-child cast was something that was new to the Wilbury Group, says Josh, though in the hands of director David Tessier, who has experience working with children in theater classes, any hesitation he had went out the window. The group has just started rehearsals as of this writing, and Josh reports that the kids are indeed “adorable.” Undoubtedly, one of the reasons why Josh is so reluctant to simply label this a “holiday” play and be done with it is the group’s mission, which is to bring cutting-edge theater to Rhode Island audiences. . “We try, with each of our productions, to spark some discussion and promote some

thought,” he says. “My hope is that this sparks discussion in our audience about religion in general, what are some of the good and detrimental effects it has on our lives. A discussion about what is a healthy belief in something as opposed to an unhealthy belief when people are being duped,” says Josh. To help promote the spirit of discussion, the group is offering a talkback after three of its Thursday shows (December 5, 12 & 19). A comparative religion professor will be on-hand to moderate the first two discussions, while the last will be moderated by the cast. “We’re very excited to be able to present this to people. It’s our first full season as a theater company, so if people haven’t come to see us yet, we’re hoping this will get them there,” says Short. I, for one, will be there with bells on.

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Art

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Providence Monthly | December 2013

David Ellison makes beautiful furniture from reclaimed wood

History Lessons in Hardwood Old is new again for a local furniture maker The Lorimer Workshop’s founder David Ellison knows that a table is never just a table. It’s a meeting place; a place to entertain and celebrate, to catch up and enjoy the comfort and company of family and friends. That’s why each piece that David custom-designs and handcrafts is as unique as the carefully chosen lumber it’s made from and customer it’s made for. “People want to be part of the discussion,” says David of his customer demographic and their creative input. When David took an “early retirement” eight years ago with plans to spend more time pursuing his lifelong hobby of restoring antique furniture, he had no idea that his passion project would become a full time business. He started an online Etsy store to sell his furniture, and the company that specializes in sales of arts and handicrafts was so impressed with the product they placed an order of their own, filling their Brooklyn offices with dozens of David-designed desks. Now with a staff of seven and a workshop in an addition to Providence’s renovated Dyerville Mill, David and his team are crafting custom tables for homes across the country. David has always been interested in the history and functionality of design, a love he credits to his mother

and a childhood visiting old houses all across his native Scotland. His tables have a story already engrained in their purpose and construction technique, whether crafting a utilitarian American farm table or a contemporary industrial design with legs crafted from old cast iron machinery. “There’s almost an excitement about building something the way it would have been built 100, 200 years ago, with some improvements, with modern materials and saws.” David draws inspiration from the unique origins, eras and cultures of table styles, as well as from the customers themselves. “The creativity over the years has been the customer’s creativity,” says David on the input and collaboration he embraces. Often customers will bring him an idea or even their own design, and David will work to adapt their vision into a piece of furniture that will become part of their home and family history. David documents the whole process, giving insight into the artistry and workmanship behind each table and acquainting the customer with their table before it even arrives. When he can, David personally delivers the product, sharing a glass of wine and toasting the memories yet to be made around the table. When he can, David likes to use salvaged wood. He has long-standing

history with the demolition crews around the state, and on a recent road trip tells me he pulled off the road twice upon hearing of old mill spaces that were being gutted on a timber beam treasure hunt. “Its tremendous fun to look at a board, and envisage how to make it into a table that has that same uniqueness.” David’s designs don’t just include the natural flaws of the wood, they embrace them, in a way that can only be described as art. Nothing goes to waste in his studio. In fact, things seem to accumulate. His love of items and antiques that tell stories of past owners and lifetimes is evident from walls covered in vintage posters and a covetable collection of typewriters. An old bicycle sits in a far corner. “I probably can’t make a table out of that,” David jokes. But that won’t stop him from trying. Touring through the studio I begin to see the endless possibilities in everything through his artisan eye. Something tells me I’ll be back to make some hardwood history of my own.

The Lorimer Workshop 610 Manton Ave., Providence 529-3565 lorimerworkshop.com

Photography: Dawn Temple

HARUKI EXPRESS

The gift you love to give. “Webs of Gold” pendant from New Zealand, $245. Chain sold separately.

Princess cut halo style diamond ring, $3995.

Plante Jewelers Holiday Hours December 2013 SUN

MON

11-4

8 11-4

15 11-4

22 11-4

29 Sterling silver and turquoise drop earrings, $115.

Hand carved Tahitian pearl pendant on a chain, $740.

Closed

TUES

Closed

9 Closed

16 10-8

23 10-8

30 Closed

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

10-5:30

10-8

24 10-4

31 10-4

10-8

25 Closed

1 Closed

10-8

12 10-8

19 10-8

26 Closed

2 10-8

10-5:30

13 10-5:30

20 10-8

27 10-5:30

3 10-5:30

10-5

14 10-5

21 10-5

28 10-5

4 10-5

207 SWANSEA MALL DRIVE • SWANSEA CROSSING PLAZA, SWANSEA MA • 508-673-0561 • INFO@PLANTEJEWELERS.COM • WWW.PLANTEJEWELERS.COM

Need help planning your holiday party? Providence Monthly presents

Informative profiles of restaurants and caterers statewide to help you plan your best event ever Featuring 10 Prime Steak & Sushi, The Dorrance, Eleven Forty Nine, Kartabar, Mariner Grille, Mews Tavern, Pavilion Steakhouse, Rue De L’Espoir, Siena, T’s Restaurant, Waterman Grille and more

WWW.RHODYBITES.COM December 2013 | Providence Monthly

The Last Detail

Knot a Bad Idea Somewhere along man’s transformation from

Narragansett Beer announces its 7th annual Father’s Day Tie Design Contest

Providence Monthly | December 2013

primordial ape to postmodernist intellectual grew the idea that fabric (read: ties) worn noose-like around the neck falls into the category of “manly” - some even say “studly.” Now, as if neckties needed more solidification in their manly status, Narragansett Beer presents its 7th Annual Father’s Day Tie Design Contest. Designers, artists and allaround manly men are encouraged to submit their best necktie design, for the chance of winning cash money and

‘Gansett beer. The only stipulation, though, is that submitted designs must incorporate Narragansett beer elements and imagery… which begs the question, is there anything more manly than paying for beer with the money earned from a beer-inspired necktie? (Hint: There isn’t.) To enter, send a high or low resolution JPEG of the design to Contact@NarragansettBeer.com. Contest ends Friday, December 27. –Dale Rappaneau

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