A Big Weekend For Eating Local

Daniele Foods and ourselves, are sponsoring this month’s EatDrinkRI Festival. The three-day event (April 19-21) is the brainchild of local foodies David Dadekian, who runs the website EatDrinkRI and is the restaurant reviewer for our sister magazine, The Bay, and Brendan Roane, Director of Marketing and Events at Gracie’s. Key events include Friday night’s Cocktail Couture, an exclusive cocktail and fashion event produced in concert with StyleWeek Northeast at the Biltmore; the Saturday night Grand Tasting (also at the Biltmore), featuring over 40 food, wine, beer and spirit exhibitors, as well as cooking demonstrations from chefs like The Dorrance’s Ben Sukle and Persimmon’s Champe Speidel; and a Sunday morning Grand Brunch at Gracie’s, featuring chefs from Nicks on Broadway and north on the West Side, Warren’s The Sunnyside, the Boat House in Tiverton, and more. Tickets range in price per event, or you can attend the whole festival, including several smaller events and panel discussions, for $200 (standard) or $250 (VIP).