When the Providence Culinary Collective debuts in Providence, Rhode Island March 27-30, remember this: While new to the foodie “festival” scene, the city is no newcomer to amazing cuisine. Providence has been a foodie destination since way back.
First, there’s the tapestry of tastes, built by waves of immigration over the centuries. In the late 19th century the city was the destination for immigrants from Ireland, France, Canada and Switzerland, each bringing recipes and customs and blending them with others.
The years leading up to World War I saw Italian and Portuguese settlers, and their influence on food is still strong today. Federal Hill is hailed internationally for Italian fare, and the tastes of Portugal seem to be everywhere.
Today, with 13% of Rhode Island’s population foreign born, Providence also is home to many originally from the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and India.
Then there’s the access to fresh ingredients. There’s the ocean and all if offers, of course. But just a few minutes outside of the city you’ll find the farms that restaurants source from. Providence likes to say they’ve been farm-to-table before it was a dining category.
Add the fact that one of the world’s most prestigious culinary institutes, Johnson & Wales University, sits in the middle of the city and feeds the culinary landscape with talented professionals, and you’ve got yourself the foundation for fabulous foodie fare.
Those in the know have been heading there for years. Now, all that will be celebrated at this new event, taking place alongside the inaugural Rhode Island Wine Experience.
The weekend will feature signature tastings, demos, and specially curated paired dinners that honor the city’s culinary legacy.
The lineup of events, from a grand tasting to more intimate chef dinners to special food and wine events cater to ever taste and budget; some events are free. Look for everything from a posh caviar brunch to a free Drag Food Truck event.
The city’s Lil Rhody Laugh Riot (lilrhodylaughriot.com) takes place the same weekend and easily overlaps (like the food truck event just before Leslie Jones performs). You can guffaw at shows by Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari and a wealth of locally-grown comedians.
Providence is easy to get to via train. Bostonians can head down and back for a day via Amtrak or make an overnight trip. The airport is just a quick zip from downtown proper, and the hotels in the city are as varied for tastes as the food. For boutique-ish, consider The Graduate by Hilton or The Beatrice. There’s a big Omni in the middle of town and other choices as well.
You’ll want to plan ahead, peruse the event schedules and make reservations.
All the events are new – and special – but a few to consider bumping up on your to-do list include the Hope & Main Foodcraft, a free event on March 27 that showcases the success of Hope & Main, one of the state’s top culinary incubators, which has helped more than 500 local businesses thrive. You’ll nosh on free passed appetizers like Guatemalan Chuchitos, Ethiopian Injera, Afghan nigella cookies, and classic American cheesecake, and you can shop at their Downtown Makers Marketplace, where you’ll find one-of-a-kind specialty foods, a cash bar serving craft cocktails and mocktails, and live music. (Reserved tickets required).
A centerpiece – and a truly affordable affair at $55 – is the RI Wine Experience Grand Tasting on March 29 at the Providence G. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. you can taste more than 35 wines (local and international), and can sit in on three wine panels.
On March 30 you can experience the Drag Brunch Food Truck Event. From 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at 17 Snow St., you can join drag queens as they mix, mingle and perform throughout the afternoon. There’s live music and attending is free – you just pay for food from your choice of trucks.
There are multiple wine dinners to choose from, and you can even take home the best souvenir of all: knowledge of how to cook some of the many city cuisines: Chef’s cooking classes are available as well.
And then there’s the city itself: Walkable, art-filled and pretty, it’s got tons of history. You simply can’t pass up a trip to a local doughnut shop.
Hundreds of years ago, the Providence food scene took root. This March, it’s fully grown and ready to share.
