NEW: Tazza Caffe to Close for Business
Monday, December 30, 2013
GoLocalProv Food Team
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Photo courtesy of ©Marianne Lee/ Providence Downtown Improvement District
Tazza Caffe, a staple for downtown dining in Providence, will be closing its doors as of the New Year.
The Westminster Street restaurant, which underwent a full renovation just a few years ago, confirmed to GoLocal that December 31 would be their last day of operation.
"Our ten year lease is up," Tazza's Executive Chef, Ben Lloyd told GoLocal. "The landlord chose not to renew it."
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Tazza is known for great and affordable cuisine, a great coffee and espresso bar, and special events, like game night on "Mellow Mondays" or "Smokin' Wednesdays" where they served family style barbecue from their house smoker.
According to recent post to the restaurant's Facebook page: "Just a few nights left, stop by for one last drink."
Tazza was founded and owned by Mike Corso. He is the leading tax credit broker in the market and has been deeply involved with many of the movies produced in Rhode Island. Corso is also a strong supporter and close friend of Speaker of the House Gordon Fox.
The lease is for the first floor of the Alice Building in Providence. The City assesses the value of the building at $3,680,500.
The Alice Building is owned by Cornish Associates which is run by Providence developer Buff Chase. Corso once served as legal counsel to Cornish before starting his own firm and serving as a registered lobbyist.
As GoLocal reported in June of 2012:
The Providence lawyer who pledged more than $14 million in Rhode Island motion picture tax credits that had not actually been issued as collateral in order to obtain an $8.5 million loan for Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios is now playing a behind-the-scenes role in a Michael Corrente movie that is slated to receive $625,000 in state tax credits, GoLocalProv has learned.
Michael Corso, a top tax credit broker whose loan agreement with BankRI is among several 38 Studios-related matters currently being investigated by state and federal authorities, is one of seven producers for “Backmask,” a horror film currently being shot in Exeter, according to IMDB. Corso’s business partner, Anthony Gudas, is listed as the executive producer and former State Rep. John Loughlin has a small role in the film.
Related Slideshow: 13 Biggest Food Stories in RI in 2013
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13 Rhody's Best Burger
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Another Ocean State restaurant, Cook & Brown Public House in Providence, was also named as a semi-finalist for its bar program.
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11 Best Pizza in America
Providence's Al Forno made The Daily Meal's list of the "Best 101 Pizzas in America," coming in at #10 overall (#3 in New England).
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10 Cooking for the Pope
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9 Most Romantic Dining
Three Rhode Island restaurants, Newport's The Spiced Pear and Restaurant Bouchard as well as Basil's of Narragansett, were named by OpenTable in their list of Top 100 “Most Romantic” Restaurants in the US.
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7 #2 Ice Cream City
Providence was named by Travel + Leisure Magazine as the 2nd Best Ice Cream City in America in their July issue. Whether you prefer the great gelato available on Federal Hill, or the hipster favorite PVD Pops ice cream cart, Providence certainly has its finger on the pulse of frozen treats.
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6 Food Trucks
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See Ann + Michael Martini's list of the best food trucks in New England here.
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5 Foolproof Brewing
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4 America's Best Taco
Providence showed off its diverse mixture of high-quality dining options when Olneyville's La Lupita Tacos Mexicanos was named by the Huffington Post as one of The Best Tacos in America in March.
See Ann + Micheal Martini's picks for the best Mexican food in RI here.
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3
Carolyn's Sakonnet Vineyard
Alex + Ani's Carolyn Rafaelian purchased Sakonnet Vineyards in late 2012. And in 2013, the new ownership released its first wine, Blessed Blend, to positive reviews. A great year kept getting better for the Little Compton vineyard when the Boston Celtics named Carolyn's Sakonnet Vineyards as its official Team Wine.
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1 Health Code Violations
Not all of Rhode Island's food stories in 2013 were good news. In 2013 GoLocalProv went through the health inspection records for Providence-area dining establishments and unveiled a list of the worst offenders.
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See the full list of violators here.
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