Saúde!

The latest food truck to hit the streets is Portu-Galo. As the name implies, it serves “Portuguese sandwiches and small bites.” Proprietor and JWU alum Levi Bettencourt Medina is serving up classic Portuguese sandwiches on locally made bread, including Bifana (pork loin with garlic and spices), Prego No Pão (steak topped with a pan-fried egg) and spicy Piri Piri Chicken. Small bites include Iberian style Batatas Bravas (potatoes with garlic aioli and spicy bravas sauce) and Chouriço Empanadas. They’ve been making the usual East Side-centric rounds, but, as always, the best way to find them is to follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

Down On The Farm

Pasture to Plate is a new certified mobile kitchen offering dinners and food workshops at local farms. Director Margiana Peterson-Rockney has spent the past four years developing and managing Rosaharn Farm CSA in Rehoboth, an outgrowth of her family’s dairy goat farm of the same name. The first two events are coming up this month: On June 16, there will be a Father’s Day brunch at Rosaharn Farm, with seatings at 10am and noon; and on June 30 there will be a multicourse farm dinner at Little Compton’s Wishing Stone Farm, with seatings at 5:15 and 7pm.

Welcome To Town

Mile & a Quarter  has a new chef. Executive Chef Jose Franco moved to Rhode Island from his home in Los Angeles (his wife is a native Rhode Islander) to take over the riverfront restaurant. Before this, he ran several restaurants in and around LA, where he cooked for a number of celebs, including catering the wedding of Jack Nicholson’s daughter. Look for him to begin revising the menu at Mile & a Quarter over the summer, incorporating more local and seasonal foods.More

Ingredients:

6-8 fresh mint leaves

Crushed ice

2-3 oz. bourbon

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. water

Directions:

1. Muddle mint leaves, sugar and water in a glass.

2. Fill glass with crushed ice.

3. Pour in bourbon.

4. Garnish with a sprig of mint

Enjoy.More

We know them. We cherish them. Some of us are them. And, whether we like it or not, at some point, they’re usually right.

If you haven’t guessed, I’m talking about mothers.

Whether you’re a writer, blogger, mom, dad, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, have friends with kids, or have a lovely mom of your own, you probably have story to tell about motherhood. It could be a remarkable moment of motherhood that changed your life. Or the instance that your own mother inspired by moving mountains. Or even that moment your niece drew an entire mural on her parent’s bedroom wall, because, “that’s how much she loves them.”

Whatever the story may be, Listen To Your Mother: Providence is going to tell it. 

Part live reading and part social media phenomenon, Listen To Your Mother: Providence brings together 14 talented writers to share their original stories on motherhood. It’s about celebrating the beauty, the beast and barely rested roller coaster ride of mamahood. With cast members from as far as New Hampshire and Western Massachusetts and as close our own backyard in Little Rhody, the show is about bringing people who are mothers, have a mother, know a mother or aspire to one day be a mother together in a celebration of one of the hardest jobs on earth.

Date: Saturday, May 4th

Time: 2pm – 5pm

Location: Providence Public Library on Empire Street

Tickets (which are only $14!) can be purchased here: http://ltymprovidence.brownpapertickets.com

Charity: 10% of ticket sales goes to the Rhode Island Family Literacy Initiative who supports the local immigrant community by providing literacy, citizenship and job readiness programs at no cost. LTYM is excited to support their efforts in making sure every citizen in Rhode Island feels empowered to take care of their families and be thriving members of the community.

JOIN THE CAST AND CREW AFTER THE SHOW AT PROVIDENCE …More

Have you (or your kiddos) ever wondered what it would be like to be a zookeeper? All month long, Roger Williams Park Zoo is offering visitors the chance to get up close and personal with giraffes, seals and other animals with its group Animal Feedings (May 4-31). The cost is $10-$20 for a feed bucket depending on the type of animal to be fed that day. Parents may share a bucket with a child. There will be limited capacity of 10 participants per day for the group feedings and tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Be sure to reserve yours ahead of time – this is sure to win you some major parental brownie points.More

One thing Providence does really well is maintain its character while simultaneously incorporating new and innovative technologies. A perfect example is the Cable Car Cinema’s conversion from 35mm film to a digital projector. It’s the way of the industry; many production companies will no longer distribute 35mm film as they are ultimately phased out, relegated to museums and archives. Opened in 1976, the Cable Car has been a mecca for independent films and film festivals but more so, a cornerstone in the community and beloved landmark. This digital conversion is not cheap; in fact, the Cable Car Cinema started a Kickstarter campaign to raise $48,000. The campaign is over, and they raised $54,581. Clearly, the community is on board. The upgrades are expected to be implemented in August. Until then, it may be time for another visit to the movies so that you can experience the clicking and clacking of a soon to be forgotten, century-old film projecting method one more time.More

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

Have you heard? Athleta, the fitness and lifestyle brand designed by women athletes for women athletes, has opened its first Rhode Island store at the Providence Place Mall. Shop apparel for running, yoga, gym/training, swimming,hiking and everything in between. 

Run with Ro is a weekly run club for ladies in the Providence area who want to network while working on their fitness. The group meets at Lippitt Park on Blackstone Boulevard every Wednesday evening at 6:30pm. The run is led by Olympic runner and founder of Believe I Am, Ro McGettigan. More

It seemed like an April Fool’s joke – as of midnight on April 1, marijuana is decriminalized in Rhode Island – but, no, it was in fact reality. Those caught with less than an ounce of weed will no longer face criminal charges, but rather a simple $150 fine. So as I sit here with 9/10s of an ounce and a check for $150 made out to the State of Rhode Island, I can’t help wondering, what the f&*@ took so long?

I’m going to spare you the freshman-year-of-liberal-arts-college tirade about marijuana legalization: the extolling of the many health benefits of this natural medicine, the stock criticisms of our deplorable and ineffective War on Drugs, the debunking of the “gateway drug” myth, and all the other arguments we’ve been making for legalization since at least the ‘70s. I’m going to assume you know all that and talk to you like an adult.

You smoke pot. Or at least you have at some point in your past – and probably more recently than you’d care to admit in polite company. The same is probably true for at least half the people you know. We joke about it a lot – pot humor always goes a long way because damn near everybody can relate to it. I personally have witnessed some of the leaders of our community smoking up: lawyers, architects, politicians, entrepreneurs, PR professionals, scientists, executive directors of nonprofits – the list goes on. I won’t call anybody out by name, but they know who they are. Does this make them drug users? Potheads? Hypocrites? None of the above. They’re fine, upstanding citizens and productive members of society. They’re also rational adults who recognize that indulging in a little vice here and there is good for the mind, body and soul. The benefits are over-whelming, while the risks are minimal and, until now, mostly of the legal sort.

Though I was never a fan of the TV show Will and Grace, I always respected …More

Now that spring is actually feeling like spring, there is no more snow on the ground and everyone is in higher spirits, why not add to the feelings of elation and head on down to the newest comedy club in Cranston, The Joke Store. Its opening weekend is May 17-18 with Nick Albanese headlining the occasion.

We all have to do some spring cleaning, and Chef Walter Potenza is no exception. His longtime Federal Hill establishment Potenza Ristorante-Bar is moving to Cranston. They will still be serving the same seasonal menu, appy hour and gluten free options, but are just changing locations.

And while one business is leaving the Hill another has put in some roots. Fruitzzy is officially open and serves frozen yogurt by weight. With 11 flavors to choose from and a nearly endless amount of available toppings, it’s a sure way to cool down the much anticipated summer nights.

If you don’t have a sweet tooth then maybe knocking back a cold one is more your style. Lucky for you, Foolproof Brewing Company in Pawtucket has recently completed its first expansion. The brewery installed three new brewing tanks which has doubled the company’s production capability. Crack open one of their year-round brews and raise your glass to celebrate this local success story.

The food truck craze is not slowing down, and adding to the fleet is Sprout: The Vegetarian Food Truck. They are out to prove that vegetarian o!erings are just as satisfying as their meaty counterparts. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter to keep up on their current location.More

Move over, Alec Baldwin. Your time as champion of the Adams Memorial Library is over. This month, RISD grad student Emily Leighton is staging the Central Falls Museum Project, a pop-up museum celebrating the city’s arts and culture. From May 3-11, the carriage house at the library will become a gallery, performance space and place to create. Central Falls has had more than its fair share of problems, but Leighton’s idea is that sharing the city’s artistic talent is a step towards revitalization. The weeklong event will have art exhibits, dance performances, art lessons and more. What’s better, everything is free and open to the public. Good news from Central Falls? That’s something worth commemorating.More