Rhode Island Food Businesses To Be Thankful For
Thursday, November 22, 2012
On this Thanksgiving day we are counting all the ways we are thankful this year. Family, friends and food are all taken care of so we found 5 fabulous Rhode Island food businesses that we should all be thankful for...
Seven Stars Bakery, Providence
We were lucky enough to be living off Hope Street in Providence, when Seven Stars opened up. The neighborhood was abuzz with possibilities for this new bakery. Little did we all know that we were at ground zero for some of the best artisinal breads and pastries. Fast forward to today and Seven Stars has expanded to the west side of Providence and Rumford but kept the quality the same. Their stuff is legendary...the lemon cake; the buttery croissants; the airy sourdough bread. You really can't go wrong here when it comes to doughy goodness. The fairer of our pairing swears by the chocolate almond croissant as an elixir to too much holiday cheer. Light and flaky--flakiest we've ever had--the combination of chocolate and almonds and fire come together in perfection. you've got sweet, savory, smoky and crunchy all in one bite! 820 Hope St. 521-2200, www.sevenstarsbakery.com
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Garrison Confections, Central Falls
Rhode Island gained a top-notch artisan the day that chocolatier Andrew Shotts decided to call our little state home. Having come from the south, originally, and New York City, recently, Shotts is among the best in the world at what he does. He has become a leader in the revitalization of Central Falls. He keeps his shop/retail store there and has worked with local manufacturers to produce all of his packaging right there in C.F. His flavors combinations are unparalleled. This is were we first fell in love with salted caramel. Our current obsession is the orangecello that he makes in-house and combines with 2 kinds of chocolate. It is a burst of citrus and chocolate.
Plans are hatching for a chocolate cafe, so keep an ear to the streets this year. Shotts opens his shop for retail around the holidays, so you can get all your gifts in one, tasty stop.He's open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday in December from 11 am to 6 pm. 72 Ledge St. 725-0790, www.garrisonconfections.com
Daniele, Pascoag
One of the hottest restaurant trends is the use of charcuterie that is made by the chef. Chefs have taken the idea of cured meats to new, and tasty, heights. Well, what do you do if you are not a top chef? We in Rhode Island are lucky to have had a local company producing amazing cured meats for our holiday tables since 1945. Daniele is a family owned and operated business that specializes in all those delicious sounding meats: sopressata, salame, mortadella, pancetta and even awesome stuffed peppers. They have been doing it since the family fled Croatia after World War 2 and we are very lucky to have had them here all these years. Our mom's ubiquitous holiday antipasto wouldn't be the same without Daniele's prosciutto and capocollo. She says that she has never found a product that is so consistent year after year. and the way we destroy that meat covered salad is a testament to all of Daniele's hard work. You can order online at www.danielefoods.com or by calling 568-6228.
Newport Wine Cellar, Newport
We are thankful that Maria Chiancola decided to open her own shop. Newport Wine Cellar is that cool, boutique wine shop that Newport was dying to call its own. Maria began by traveling the world and tasting wines. As she developed her palate we happily followed along and found truly interesting wines. Now, when you hear words like "small batch" "organic"and "Newport" you tend to think expensive.
Well Maria's philosophy is that if you're going to enjoy wine multiple night s a week, it's got to be affordable, so you can find as many low priced wines as expensive ones. We love the incredible selection but the real coup here is Maria. In a small shop like this, you can make friends with your wine merchant and she is our go-to guide for wines. She remembers what you like and don't like and will guide you to the perfect selection for you! 24 Bellevue Ave. 619-3966, www.newportwinecellar.com
Schartner Farms, Exeter
We would be remiss if we didn't include a fabulous local farm on our list. The farm to table movement wouldn't be the same without them. Truth be told, we ar lucky in that we could've included 10-15 local farms here. We focus on one of the 1st that we can remember that was supplying both local chefs and home cooks..Schartner farms. Schartner has been providing everything from produce to flowers to some of the best cooks in the state. We are addicted to the sweet corn. Schartner's is always looking to history for past versions of favorites and this year that research produced the best variety of corn we've had in a long, long time: Mirai. It is an all yellow variety that kicks the cob of butter and sugar corn that dominates the market. We also love--and give as gifts--the flavorful jellies and sauces that they make and sell. A current addiction is the hot pepper jelly on homemade chicken and black bean taquitos. The flavors all work perfectly together. 1 Arnold Pl. 294-2044, www.schartnerfarms.com
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