Rhode Island’s Best Summer Foods You Have To Eat Before Labor Day
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Lobster seems to be the first thing we all crave in summer, but have you had it like they do it at Tiverton's Boat House Restaurant?
Bacaro, Providence...Corn
Of all we have, we love corn the best. At this time of year it takes a myriad of shapes and textures and flavors. You find it in appetizers and entrees and desserts. We love the treatment this favorite starchy vegetable gets at Bacaro. Chef Brian Kingsford has been bringing local farms and foods to his Mediterranean flavored restaurant since day one and corn is something of a passion. You'll find it in fritters and on top of perfectly grilled pizzas. On the latter, Kingsford has raised a local art form to an even higher standard with perfect crispness and clean flavors. The corn remains crisp during the quick baking and a spicy oil provides the perfect foil for all that corn sweetness. 262 South Water St. 751-3700, www.bacarorestaurant.net
New Rivers, Providence...Tomatoes
A close second in terms of seasonal love, for us, is tomatoes. Everyone from your mom to local, artisan farmers have delicious tomatoes. We often wondered why our relatives traveled so far and stayed in Rhode Island, but we have to assume they got here in late summer and had the tomatoes. If you are looking for a perfect degustation of local tomatoes look no further than Chef Beau Vestal and his talented team at New Rivers. The tasting features perfectly ripe local heirloom tomatoes with the minimal accompaniments they need: salt, basil, olive oil and a touch of aged balsamic. The chef shows amazing--and welcomed--restraint. Why mess with the perfect flavors of nature? This plate sang! 7 Steeple St. 751-0350, www.newriversrestaurant.com
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Next up we have local berries. These are great because you can gather your own wild berries or allow an award-winning chef to gather them for you. Chef Matt Jennings has been gathering deliciousness for us for a long time now but here we defer to his better half, Kate. Her cheddar chive biscuits and desserts are half the fun at Farmstead. Local berries are the ingredient du jour this time of year on her desserts. You will find a blackberry sauce on a fruit tart...a delicious blueberry shortcake...and one of our favorite combos: sweet corn and blueberry. A perfect sweet corn cake is served with blueberry/buttermilk ice cream. We told you...corn desserts! 186 Wayland Ave. 274-7177, www.farmsteadinc.com
The White Horse Tavern, Newport...Local, Sustainable Fish
One of the newer trends in the sustainability movement is "trash fish". We know...terrible name for a wonderful concept. You see, you could once catch swordfish just off of Block Island. Then the swordfish figured out that we loved the way they tasted and that, combined with over-fishing, it made them scarce around here. You can't just eat one kind of fish. So, thanks to chefs like Rich Silvia and fish companies like Brown Family Seafood, today you can eat a plethora of fish from sea robins to tautog to dogfish. The latter--once just a nuisance shark species--was recently featured at the White Horse and got rave reviews. And heck...it's not just good fish, it's feeling good about the fish and the future too. 26 Marlborough St. 849-3600, www.whitehorsenewport.com
The Boat House, Tiverton...Local Lobster
We finish where a lot of Rhode Islanders would begin: with lobster and a view. We have extolled the virtues of the Boat House before as one of the top spots to eat outdoors in Rhode Island and this remains today. One of the best views and sunsets in the state is only enhanced by the taste-bud-tempting treats being doled out of the kitchen. Here we chose the classic baked stuffed lobster. The fresh Maine lobster was stuffed with an abundance of fresh seafood and topped with a lemony bread crumb. It had all of the season's flavors: salty, sweet, clean, crisp. It was just about perfect. And did we mention the views? We did? O.K. then...carry on! 227 Schooner Dr. 624-6300, www.boathousetiverton.com
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