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Theater

Catch a Hilarious Holiday Play

Okay, so it involves a ride “all the way” up to Woonsocket. And yes it will be occurring during perhaps the busiest month of the year. That said, it’s still worth the effort to catch comedian-extraordinaire Frank O’Donnell’s annual holiday gift to Rhode Island. For the third year in a row, the talented Providence native will be writing, directing and producing an original holiday play that will be running at Theatre Works in Woonsocket on December 6, 7, 8 and 13, 14, 15. Called A Christmas Carmella, the play revolves around grandmother Carmella who is having trouble remembering the exact details of Dickens’ classic as she presents it to her grandchildren. The first two plays in the series were laugh out loud funny and broke all attendance records, we’re told. Special celebrity guests will appear in each of the performances. For tickets and more information about the play, call 766-1898.

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Making a Difference, One Cup at a Time

While making an effort to keep cool this summer, you can support a good cause too. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is a charity committed to finding a cure as well as making a difference for children with cancer everywhere. The foundation also funds nursing grants in an effort to improve the quality of life and care of children who are living with cancer.

Old Navy in the Providence Place Mall will be hosting an Alex's Lemonade Stand next week, starting this Saturday July 21st until next Saturday July 28th. During regular mall hours you can stop in to Old Navy, located off of Francis Street, and grab a refreshing cup of lemonade from Alex's stand. Good lemonade for a good cause, why not?   More

An Hour in the Life of Artist Joseph Skorupa

Who: Joseph Skorupa

What: Artist & Founder of Owls to Athens

When: 1pm, Friday June 22

Where: His studio, Harris Ave, Providence

Why: The man is a modern day visionary

It’s a smoldering hot day in June, and I’m following Joe down a familiar hallway. I’d taken the same path through that same mill building hall back in December, when I’d come to talk with another Joe — Pretty Snake designer Joseph Aaron Segal. It was much colder then. “I just finished putting the air conditioner in a few minutes ago,” he says, looking back at me. Thank the Lord, I think.

Supporting himself entirely through his art, Joe is heavily involved with helping to grow the network of creative minds here in Providence. “My main priorities are to provide opportunities for emerging artists so that they won’t have to move elsewhere to make a living, and to establish a tight knit arts community in the city,” he says with a modest smile. “We need a pack of wolves around here.”

Easily, he’s leading the pack: Joe founded Owls to Athens with his friend Michael Spillane so that street and contemporary artists can share ideas and help each other grow. On May 17, Owls to Athens held a group art exhibition titled Spring Night Riot at E&O Tap. Art was hung, a DJ spun tunes, friends grilled food out back. It’s casual events such as this that make art accessible to those who may not normally seek out more formal gallery experiences. Joe gets it.

“Owls to Athens comes from an old expression used to denote a useless action – carrying owls to Athens. It’s a reminder to not take yourself too seriously,” Joe explains. “Obviously, I’m extremely passionate about what I do, but still you can’t take yourself too seriously – especially in the art world.” I glance again at his collection of work strewn about the studio; indeed his passion is …   More

An Hour in the Life of Jewelry Designer Jessica Ricci

Who: Jessica Ricci

What: Designer, Jessica Ricci Jewelry

When: 3:30pm, Monday, November 12

Where: Her studio at Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket

Why: We have so much in common it’s sort of frightening

I first met Jess Ricci in April at TEDx Providence; we bonded over a shared love of innovative ideas and cute lap dogs. (Jess calls her Cavapoo the love of her life.) After doing some research I discovered a few other passions we share: traveling and writing. In fact, she built her wildly successful jewelry brand around the two.

After graduating with a master’s in journalism from NYU, she worked and lived in Manhattan. Seeking adventure, she moved to Italy to teach English and gain some creative inspiration. (Did I mention that I too used to be a teacher?) It was there in Rome that Jess discovered her passion for jewelry making.

I enter Jess’s studio to find her answering emails, a pup curled up on her lap. She greets me with a smile; Aggie greets me with a lick. The bright and airy studio inside Hope Artiste Village functions as both workspace and storefront. While Jess sometimes utilizes interns, her only full-time employee has fur.

“Aggie comes here every day with me,” Jess says as she stands up from her chair. She lovingly pets the tiny hypoallergenic pooch that’s now nestled in the crook of her elbow while I browse her meticulous display cases. I notice there’s nothing I wouldn’t myself wear. Everything is so chic, so global. There’s a reason for that.

While in Italy, Jess was mesmerized by found objects such as coins and keys. “Back then I had no real jewelry making experience except for stringing beads. I thought it would be amazing if I could figure out a way to turn the antiques into jewelry.” It wasn’t an easy task, but the results of her work are impressive.

Pieces from Jess’s collection have been featured in magazines including InStyle, O, Real …   More

Music

Indie Pop Comes to PVD

Forget the usual Tuesday routine and do something memorable tonight: two indie pop bands are playing a double bill at Lupo's. You've probably heard Fitz and The Tantrums's "Out of My League" on WBRU recently, and you've heard "Safe and Sound," the breakout hit by Capital Cities, well, everywhere this summer. The night’s ear-ringing insanity is only the second concert of the duo’s cross-country Bright Futures Tour.

And the evening’s eclectic love affair includes another: acclaimed mashup artist DJ Ear Worm, who created a new track, “Kangaroo League,” specifically for the tour. The track creates a terrifyingly delicious threesome of Fitz and The Tantrums’ “Out Of My League” and Capital Cities’ “Safe and Sound” and “Kangaroo Court.” It’s bound to be unbelievable.

Doors open at 6:30pm and the show starts around 7:30pm. Tickets are $25 at the door. Get on it now if you want to get in. 79 Washington Street, Providence. 401-331-5876. Purchase tickets online.   More

Blog

A Fond Farewell

I’ve been writing about food, restaurants and chefs for SO Rhode Island since this magazine made its debut in September 2007, and since 1998 for its parent company which also publishes Providence Monthly and The Bay. I figure I’ve written hundreds of articles and restaurant reviews during my career as a food writer, which began in 1983. During that time I’ve also written several books about Rhode Island, its wonderful restaurant scene and its many talented home cooks.

It has been a dream job, but now it’s time to slow down a bit, and this is my final column for SO Rhode Island. I’m giving up almost all aspects of my career as of this month. The only thing I’ll be doing from now on is writing cookbooks and restaurant guides. That will keep me more than busy.

In 2006 I wrote The Providence and Rhode Island Cookbook, which was published by Globe Pequot Press. Last year, my publisher asked me to update the book, and The Providence and Rhode Island Cookbook, Second Edition came out a few months ago. The 292-page book has been totally updated and now features 30 new recipes from some of the hottest restaurants in the area. The second edition also features new color photography that illustrates how beautiful our state is, and how appealing our delicious food is – from arancini to zeppoles.

The book contains more than 200 recipes that are unique to Rhode Island, especially from the southern part of the state. I write about our beloved johnnycakes, the thin variety from Newport County and the thicker version found in South County. I sing the praises of Allie’s Donuts, Block Island doughnuts, May breakfasts and the breakfast sandwich favored by local sportfishermen.

And then there’s our amazing seafood – real Rhode Island chowder with its clear broth, the red clam chowder we enjoyed at Rocky Point and the creamy scallop chowder from The Mooring Restaurant in Newport. So many of my favorite recipes are in …   More

Taking Their Show On the Road

One of our former "10 to Watch" honorees and a former "Most Eligible Singles" cover girl respectively, performers Kristen Minsky and Miss Wensday are heading out on tour. Their adventures in vintage jazz will take them from Providence, through Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, DC, North Carolina and back home, picking up cleverly stashed-away members of their band, The Cotillions, along the way. Of course, with the price of gas these days, it can be tough for a gal to make a living. That's why they've started a Kickstarter campaign to get their show on the road. In exchange for a little travel budget, they're offering everything from autographed prints to show tickets to command performances. We love to see PVD performers going out to conquer the world (or at least the mid-Atlantic), so check them out before the deadline on August 31.   More

Community News

Planting the Seeds of a Social Ecosystem

Ecosystems aren’t just reserved for the environmentally-minded anymore. Now, the term is being used as a way to describe the need for interconnectedness within the social enterprise sector. Still a developing field, many of these entrepreneurs and the businesses that support them don’t have best management practices for the day-to-day operations or long-term goals. In response to this need, the 2014 SEEED (Social Enterprise Ecosystem for Economic Development) Summit will be held at Brown University, April 25-26. The conference will focus on what is needed to create an effective social enterprise ecosystem that can drive economic development. This is the first national conference of its kind, focusing on the economic impacts on social networking, gathering over 500 ecosystem stakeholders.

Keynote speakers at this year’s conference are leading social entrepreneurs including Dennis Whittle, Jim Gibbons, Jeffrey Hollender, Rob Kaplan and Gar Alperovitz. Last year’s conference culminated in the first piece of national legislation calling for an extension of the Small Business Act to support social enterprises, we expect similarly big things this year. For more information and to register visit www.seeed.org/register, or on the day of starting at 8am Friday and 8:30am Saturday. Designated parking will also be available.

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Providence's Ethiopian Ambassador Takes It Outside

Abyssinia opened on Wickenden Street last year as the first Ethiopian restaurant in Providence. Despite its popularity elsewhere in New England, particularly in Boston, the East African cuisine hadn’t yet taken hold here – and despite Abyssinia’s popularity, for many people it still hasn’t. (African food in general is sadly scarce in the Providence area. Elea’s in South Providence is a popular neighborhood spot for Liberian food. Village provides some Nigerian specialties in Pawtucket, and the excellent Senegalese restaurant Dakar was unfortunately short lived in Central Falls.) That’s why Ben Thorp, one of the proprietors of Abyssinia, is launching the restaurant’s food cart this month. It’s expanding on the business’ twofold mission: to help popularize the cuisines of Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea in Providence, and to cultivate what Thorp calls a “social entrepreneur business,” which employs refugees and immigrants to use and share the culinary skills developed in their home countries. The modified hot dog cart will make many of the usual food truck rounds – special events, College Hill, farmer’s markets – serving a variety of Ethiopian specialties, with a focus on the wats, or stews, for which the cuisine is best known. The restaurant already has a loyal fan base, and the ability to go mobile will allow Abyssinia to bring what is arguably one of the world’s most underrated food cultures to more people in more places. It’s the first step in what Thorp envisions as a fleet of mobile eateries, all employing refugees to share the foods of their home countries, and he’s trying to secure nonprofit funding to establish training programs. Be on the lookout for it this summer, because if you’re one of the unfortunate souls who still hasn’t tried Ethiopian food, now’s the time to change that.    More

Food

Restaurant News That Will Make Your Mouth Water

Remember Marley’s on the Beach in Warwick? Well, while they’ve kept the name we’ve all come to know, thanks to the transformative efforts of Spike TV’s Bar Rescue it’s under gone a major overhaul. Bar Rescue features world-renowned food and drink industry consultant Jon Taffer, who has in his career flipped or owned over 800 nightclubs and bar establishments. A hulking man with jet black hair, Taffer exudes the authority and know-how to kick failing establishments from the depths of bankruptcy despair to the models of profitable success, with the help of updated industry technology and experienced chefs and mixologists. With new food items like Grilled Swordfish Kebobs and specialty cocktails like The Beachcomber, which features Smirnoff Watermelon, blue Curacao, cranberry and lime juice, with an orange garnish, it seems “out with the old and in with the new” is just what this place needed. Episode airs Sept. 15.

Rocco’s Pub and Grub, the small jewel of a pub, is also enjoying a bit of a change now, with new Chef Matt and Bar Manager Bruce Livingston, who are sure to bring an innovative twist to the loved pub. And while no mention of menu changes are in the works, surprises are sure to be just around the corner.

Quench Your Thirst

Some say that change is good, but new is better. Nay & Poppy is a new operation that seeks to promote healthy living through its locally made, organic, vegan artisan teas. With tea names like Hibiscus Sunshine, a fruity flavored tea boasting ingredients like hibiscus, rosehips, orange peel, lemongrass, rose petals and spearmint it’s not hard to see how this bunch is popular among tea lovers and newbies alike. They even feature a tea for expectant moms, cleverly named Juicy Goddess, that uses raspberry leaf, alfalfa leaf and fenugreek, packed with vitamins, to promote milk production and anti-inflammatory properties. Items can be found on their website or …   More

A Cool, Refreshing (and Healthy) Treat

With last summer’s opening of Pinkberry in Garden City qualifying as Probably the Best Thing to Happen in Cranston Ever, the popularity of urban/Asian-style frozen yogurt shops continues to rise. There are already Juniper and Froyo World on Thayer Street, and now the north side of town is getting in on the action with the opening of Hot & Cold at 895 Smith Street, a combination coffee and frozen yogurt shop (hence the name). Open since the spring, Hot & Cold maintains the tradition established by operations like Pinkberry of offering healthier, more thoughtfully sourced treats. In addition to high quality frozen yogurt, a more waistline-friendly alternative to ice cream, they feature fresh fruit toppings that are replenished throughout the day, as well as organic coffee. Co-owners Vicky Fernandez and her brother were inspired by their time living in New York and California respectively, and their goal is to bring a product that is better for you and better for the environment to the neighborhood – which, considering the shop’s proximity to LaSalle Academy and its popularity with the students, qualifies as both a smart plan and an admirable one.   More

Malcontent

Looking Beyond Providence’s “Bad” Climate for Business

Providence’s economy is ailing and continues to lag in its recovery efforts. The job market is tough. The taxes are high. It routinely ranks near the bottom on various lists of cities that are good places to do business. These harsh truths are among our favorite topics of discussion – on talk radio, during election season, around the barbershop, at the dinner table, it seems like someone is always decrying the economic climate in our fair city. While none of these facts are in dispute, and improving these grim circumstances remains imperative for the health of the city, we must also examine the full scope of our socio-economic reality before throwing up our hands in utter despair. There’s a lot more to a vibrant metropolis than taxes and employment numbers, and a lot more to the business climate than the concerns of – to borrow a phrase from one partner in a small, creative local business – “silver-haired CFOs.”

A couple of months back, venerable news site The Daily Beast published its list of “America’s Thriving Cities,” ranking the 100 largest cities based on factors like population growth, unemployment and earnings, and market strength. Not surprisingly, Providence was nowhere near the top. Among the cities that were: Gilbert, AZ (#8); Plano, TX (#7); and number 1, Irvine, CA. If you’re ready to pack your bags and leave Providence behind in favor of any of those boomtowns, I’ll drive you to the airport.

The problem with gauging a city’s health by purely economic readings is that they’re so cut and dry –there isn’t a whole lot of room for the intangibles that can make a place truly great. New Orleans, surprisingly, is in the midst of a tech-driven economic surge that has led some to call it “the Silicon Valley of the South.” If I were to ask you to list the top ten appealing things about the Big Easy, you probably wouldn’t land on that one. It’s the food, the music, the celebrations, the history and countless other …   More

Food

Do The Jerk

Half Way Tree Authentic Jamaican Cuisine has opened at 44 Hospital Street in the Jewelry District, providing full service lunch and dinner as well as takeout. The menu includes all the Jamaican and Caribbean classics you’d expect. They offer authentic jerk chicken wings and spicy meat patties, plus small and large plates of oxtail, curry goat, red snapper and jerk chicken accompanied by rice and peas, fried plantains and vegetables. On Friday and Saturday they’ll have a special of ackee fruit and saltfish, another classic Jamaican dish.   More

Blog

Foods News for Spring

The season looks promising, with several new bars and restaurants in full swing. Probably the biggest news was the late March opening of The Grange, a vegetable restaurant from Garden Grille veteran Jon Dille. Much like its predecessor, The Grange’s plant-based cuisine is intended to appeal beyond the vegan/vegetarian set and attract all diners – even carnivorous ones. The Kyla Coburn-designed restaurant (she’s responsible for Loie Fuller’s, The Avery and several other restaurants that have caused you to comment on how gorgeous they are) occupies the fantastic space on the corner of Broadway and Dean Street that has sadly come and gone in various incarnations over the past few years. But judging by the work they put into it (the new façade is beautiful) and the early buzz, The Grange is here to stay.

Elsewhere on the West Side, enigmatic restaurateur Mike Sears (Lili Marlene’s, Ama’s) has opened Justine’s, his newest cocktail lounge, in Olneyville Square. The speakeasy style bar is squarely aimed at appealing to women (and by extension, of course, men): you enter it through a curtain in the back of a lingerie shop, and the “ladies’ lounge” (read: bathroom) has its own bar inside. There is a well-curated selection of classic cocktails that are shockingly only $5, and some light snacks. There is, of course, no website and I’m not going to tell you the address because Sears is probably already upset just that this is appearing in print. You’ll have to ask around and find it yourself.

After a long delay, Nami is finally open on Federal Hill, serving sushi and other Japanese fare in a handsomely renovated space. Moving Downtown, Bodega Malasaña is the new wine bar from the …   More

Community

This Month at Rochambeau Library

So you ask, are libraries still relevant in this digital age? Yes! Of course many of us still delight in paging through a book, sliding our fingers across its surfaces and even sniffing the print. But, equally important in these times, Providence Community Library (PCL) is a digital lender and educator.

PCL has a large collection of E-books that you can download on your own Kindle or iPad without even leaving your home. Just go to “Using the library” on the PCL website (provcomlib.org) and open “Download Free EBooks.” If you have trouble doing it at home, bring your Kindle or iPad to your neighborhood library and the librarian will teach you how to do it. You don’t have an e-reader? Well, you can even use your library card at the Rochambeau Library to borrow a Kindle already loaded with good books to read.

Of course, you can always use PCL’s free computers. On the East Side there are 12 computers for adults at Rochambeau and eight computers for adults at Fox Point. If you are still uncertain whether you can master the computer, classes are available especially tailored to your speed. On Thursdays at 2pm Cheryl Hunt, a librarian at Rochambeau, holds Digital Literacy Classes for Adults (you can’t be too old to start). And if you need more help understanding the digital world, Stephanie Shea, PCL’s Internet Specialist will help you solve your problems. You can contact her at 595-7468.

Librarians, I have discovered, are special people. At a library association meeting I learned the credo of reference librarians: “no question is too dumb.” Happily that applies to digital questions too. So now is the time for you to join the 21st century.

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Behind the Scenes of a Superlative Photo Shoot

We went back to school for the cover photo shoot of our July edition. For the third annual installment of our Superlatives Issue, we found two native Lincoln gals who made it to the big leagues as members of the New England Patriots cheerleading squad – who better for our cover photo? In keeping with the high school yearbook superlatives spirit of the story, we brought rookie Brittany Dickie and third-year veteran Jodi Ricci to Classical High School for the shoot with photographer Corey Grayhorse. Needless to say, they caused quite a stir. They slipped in the door relatively unnoticed in the warmup sweats, but once they changed into the iconic uniforms they became an undeniable presence.

First, we met with Principal Scott Barr, who, as you might imagine, was more than gracious in welcoming the ladies into his school.

Next up, we brought them into the library. Not surprisingly, bringing two cheerleaders in uniform into a library full of high school kids proved to be a bit of a distraction.

We also got librarian Jonathan Ryder into the mix, playing off the job's reputation for professional shush-ing.

For the second photo setup, we moved out into the hallway, where student Odina Ellis was kind enough to let us commandeer her locker.

When the bell between classes rang while we were still mid-shoot, our ladies again proved to be the center of attention.

For the final set-up, we moved them out in front of the school's trophy case. Though the ladies were forbidden by NFL policy from jumping or dancing in our photos, that didn't stop Corey from showing off a couple moves.

Of course, fuzzy iPhone photos barely do justice to the incredible work these ladies put in. To see the final results, you'll just have to wait for our July issue. Suffice to say it will be one of our most cheerful covers ever.   More

Events

Let's Do the Time Warp Again at the Columbus Theater

The ultimate cult of the ultimate cult movie is coming to Providence. Celebrate the 38th anniversary of Rocky Horror Picture Show with Rhode Island’s Rocky Horror Picture Show shadowcast (RKO Army) during RKO CON 2013, the RHPS world convention, from August 22-25. This popular convention, in Providence for the first time, offers a variety of exciting activities for movie buffs, including shadow casting performances at the Columbus Theater, where performers will act out the film as the movie rolls. Not content to stop at just RHPS, they will give the shadowcast treatment to other beloved classics like Buffy the Vampire Slayer: ‘Once More, With Feeling’, Shock Treatment, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog and Repo! The Genetic Opera. Other activities will follow throughout the weekend at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, including The Newlywed/Not-So-Newlywed Game, where married couples will be quizzed about their spouses, and the Team Scavenger Hunt Gameshow, a classic scavenger hunt with a comedic twist. Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel will also be holding the Time Warp Dance Party, put on by both RKO Army and Tight Crew, a production company that provides electronic dance music in safe surroundings. Here, fans can spend an evening of dancing and refreshments to finish off the night with guest DJs. Make sure to wear your costumes!  For more information and ticket pricing, visit their website.   More

PM Experiment

One Day I’ll Play Bass

At the age of ten I asked my parents if I could take music lessons. I imagined playing something badass like bass guitar, swinging wild the phallic instrument and doing that Gene Simmons-tongue thing. After some persuading, my parents came over to the musical dark side, felt its dangerous chill and knew their son had to experience the full effects of hardcore music.

So they signed me up for accordion lessons, at Arruda Music.

It’s important to remember my age, as the naiveté of youth made the following scenario possible: my parents convinced me that the accordion was a stepping-stone for playing the bass guitar. Like it was some kind of training wheels instrument that introduced me to music before I was allowed to rock.

Four years later, still playing the accordion, I realized that the bass guitar remained out of my grasp. Worse still, when I confronted my parents about the stepping-stone concept, they denied all allegations. So I quit playing the accordion.

Now, as a 25-year-old who digs Gogol Bordello, I felt the urge to again pick up the musical mantle and pursue my bellow-pumping ambidexterity. After snagging a used 120-bass accordion from Warwick’s Blue Merle Consignment, I scheduled a lesson with Arruda Music, still located on Newport Avenue. As if frozen in time, the place looked exactly the same as it had a decade before. The only thing that changed was my instructor – then a bubbly college girl; now a suave gentleman named Ralph.

First Ralph ran me through the basics, like reading music and counting time. Then he moved into the total-body coordination that makes the accordion such a monster of an instrument. Basically, playing an accordion requires one hand to play piano keys, the other hand to press bass buttons and for both arms to breathe the accordion’s bellows. All the while, the musician must simultaneously read two lines of music, one for bass and one for treble. It’s an overload of information that left me flailing like …   More

Charity

Saying Goodbye and Thanks to Susie

The local PBS affiliate in RI (WSBE) is holding its major fundraiser called “An Evening Uncorked” on Saturday, April 12 from 7-10pm at the Pawtucket Armory on Exchange Street. They promise a lively evening of “small bites” prepared by 17 of the area’s finest award-winning restaurants paired with special selected domestic and international wines. But of particular note, the evening will also feature a special presentation in honor of the late Susan Farmer, a long time East Sider who was an ardent supporter of public TV and herself once the former CEO of WSBE. It should be a wonderful celebration of an important part of our local media scene as well as remembering one of the pioneers who made it happen. Email for more information.

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