Farm Fresh Rhode Island Winter Time Farmers Market

     During the summer, Rhode Island becomes riddled with farmers markets. No matter what day it is, there's always at least one farmers market happening. During the spring and summer, the sustainability movement in Rhode Island is a roaring culture of diverse individuals working together for a good cause. Seeing the amount of people that frequent all of the farmers markets is a great and hopeful sight. Most of them are out doors at parks or other public areas. Unfortunately, once winter rolls around, all of the out door markets go into hibernation until spring, and farmers markets become a much rarer sight. However, there is one market that operates in Rhode Island, and being the only market that operates during the off season, it draws huge crowds of farm fresh food lovers from around the state every week. The winter time market is put on by an organization called Farm Fresh Rhode Island. Farm Fresh Rhode Island puts on many events throughout Rhode Island, including farmers markets, film screenings, community classes, art shows, and more. They are the glue that hold the incredible sustainability movement of Rhode Island together.
     The winter time market operates twice a week indoors at Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket, RI. On Wednesdays, the market is open from 4:00pm-7:00pm, and on Saturdays, the market is open from 9:00am-1:00pm. I got a chance to go to the market this week, and it was absolutely wonderful. Whether you're shopping for produce, meats, eggs, baked goods, or just looking to strike up an interesting conversation with local farmers and business owners, this market is always a fun time.
     The whole market smells of warm, fresh baked bread, and earthy, locally roasted coffee which gives it a warm, comforting, homey feel, which is absolutely perfect during the cold, bitter winter season. There are over 50 vendors at this huge market, and some of my favorites include:
Seven Stars Bakery, Aquidneck Honey, Barden Family Orchard, New Harvest Coffee Roasters, Matunuck Vegetable Farm, Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co., Baffoni's Poultry Farm, Melville Grille, Taza Chocolate, Narragansett Creamery, New Urban Farmers, The Local Catch, and many more. I managed to get pictures of some of the vendors and their amazing products while I was there as well:

Wishing Stone Farm

Aquidneck Honey

Olga's Cup & Saucer

Narragansett Creamery

Baffoni's Poultry Farm

Virginia & Spanish Peanut Co.

Seven Stars Bakery

The Stirring Spoon

 

     I absolutely love Rhode Island's farmers markets, and this is one of my favorites. I've never been to the winter time farmers market without having at least one delightfully interesting and inspiring conversation with one of the vendors. You'll never find employees that are this passionate about their products at any super market. If you like fresh food, and friendly people, then take a trip to one of your local farmers markets. You'll see just how lovely of an experience it can be, and you'll be sure to walk away with some amazing food, whether it be fresh veggies, Warm pastries, or locally made organic peanut butter. You can't go wrong at this farmers market.

The Locals (Neighborhood Eats)

     Just out of the way of Providence, nestled in a corner of the suburban labyrinth known as North Providence, stands one of my favorite restaurants in our foodie-heaven of a state: The Locals. The Locals is a cozy little restaurant which serves up some seriously tasty food made from the best ingredients in Rhode Island. At The Locals, all of the food is made from scratch using ingredients sourced from local farms in Rhode Island and the surrounding area. I've been to this restaurant many times, and I've never had a disappointing experience. The Locals serves mostly lunch, dinner, and on Sunday, brunch. This is definitely one of my all time favorite spots for Sunday brunch. What better could you do on a Sunday than eat an amazing veggie omelet while listening to the awesome tunes of whichever local musician happens to be performing that day? Simply put: The Locals is good, clean eating.

The Veggie Omelet

     The Locals is a pretty new establishment, opened in 2010 by owner/chef Andrea Cipolla. Just like the seasonal weather of New England, the menu at The Locals is constantly changing based on what ingredients are locally available at the time, which makes for a delicious new experience with every visit. The menu has everything from sweet potato mac 'n' cheese in the fall, to grilled summer squash pizza in summer. However, no matter what season you choose to visit The Locals, I doubt you'll ever have a less-than-delicious meal (I certainly haven't). As expected with any food that is sourced sustainably, it can't always be as cheap as your average Sysco-slop-house, but The Locals manages to keep their prices relatively low in comparison to other local eateries. The appetizers rang in price from $5-$7; breakfast food such as omelets range $6-$8, and main courses range $10-$15. A small price to pay for food of such high quality.
     The décor at The Locals could best be described as artsy. With mismatched chairs and tables, and couches along the wall, the décor has a very modern hipster coffee shop feel which I personally find very comfortable and homey. On the wall, there hangs a plethora of art pieces and chalkboards on which various things are written. These include food specials, drink specials, and other pleasant sayings and messages. One particularly interesting sentence on one of the chalkboards reads "Welcome to the slow food movement babies!" And they hold true to that. While all of the food is absolutely delightful, this is no place to eat when you're in a rush. The extremely small kitchen is usually staffed by only Andrea and one other employee, preparing all of the food, with enough time taken to truly make each dish with care and love. Though the wait is long, the finished product has proven over and over to be worth the wait, and the wonderful wait staff makes sure that your wait is nothing but pleasant.
     The service at The Locals feels very personal. After just a couple visits, the waitresses all remembered who I was and recognize me when I walk in. But even if you're a first-timer here, all of the wait staff want to make you feel at home.

     Having spent most of my childhood on my family farm (Baffoni's Poultry Farm in Johnston, RI), you could say that I was literally born into Rhode Island's sustainability movement. To me, eating local food has always been very important because it supports your local farmers; it keeps more money in your economy; sustainable food is better for both you and the environment; and most importantly, it tastes better! The only thing I love more than food, is great tasting, fresh, scratch-made food, and that's exactly what The Locals delivers! Amazing food; amazing coffee; amazing people; amazing place. Next time you're in the mood for  comfort food, I would highly recommend trying out this awesome local eatery! For more information on The Locals, you can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Eat.At.The.Locals

Sakura Restaurant

     Providence is filled with "hidden gems." Small, independently owned operations that aren't quite as popular as the competition, yet more enjoyable, and more affordable. I've lived in Rhode Island all my life, so I've heard about and tried many of these hidden gems, and they're usually pretty good. Most recently, I was told about a unique sushi and Japanese restaurant on Wickenden street called Sakura Restaurant, and after trying it, I can't believe I've never been before. The experience I had at Sakura was like no other restaurant I've ever been to.
     It was a Thursday night when Adriana and I went to Sakura, which was a good choice. On Thursdays, restaurants in the city are busy enough to be operating at full speed because Thursday night marks the beginning of the college weekend, though they're not busy enough to be slowed down by an overwhelming amount of customers like some Friday nights. Upon walking in, we were immediately tended to and seated. We were seated in their traditional tatami room (a room in which you take off your shoes, sit comfortably on tatami mats, and eat on a table which stands about a foot and a half high) which was very unique, and equally relaxing. Due to the location and affordable prices, a pretty big portion of the customers here are college kids, which makes for a very comfortable atmosphere. The wait staff here manages to always be available when needed, yet never be overly present during your meal. It can be really difficult to tend to all of a customers needs without being pestering by checking up on them every few minutes, and they've found a perfect balance of presence and absence.

      The menu at Sakura was nicely sized. They have a good selection of both sushi and Japanese cuisine, but the menu isn't so large that a glance through becomes overwhelming. After looking over the menu for a while, we placed our perfectly planned order: two miso soups, one order of spicy salmon sandwich sushi, chicken maki, and yaki udon. The food started coming surprisingly fast. In just a few minutes, our soup came out. Miso soup is made from a traditional Japanese seafood stock called dashi, mixed with miso paste, which is made from fermented soybeans. The miso soup at Sakura was one of the best that I've ever had. The broth was rich and flavorful, and the soft cubes of tofu were completely saturated with flavor from the broth, each one bursting with a mouthful of robust, salty goodness. When we were about half way through the soup, our sushi came. It was made with thick layers of sticky rice, nori, and spicy salmon blend.

     The presentation of the sushi was quite a bit nicer than what you'd expect for only $8.25, and so was the quality. The salmon tasted very fresh and was just spicy enough without being overpowering. The rice was cooked perfectly, and absorbed all of the delicious flavor from the wasabi and soy sauce. After having miso soup to get our appetites going, it took all of five minutes to chow down these delicious morsels. Five perfect, blissful minutes of sushi-induced euphoria. Having the cold sushi between the two hot courses was a perfect way to cleanse our palates and break up the meal. Almost as soon as we finished our sushi, it was taken away, and the next course was on its way.

     When our entrée course showed up, and it looked amazing. The chicken maki was filleted chicken breast rolled with seaweed, breaded, and fried. It was sliced and laid out on the plate at if it were a sushi roll, surrounded by piles of cold bean sprouts, cabbage, and noodles. On the side, was a sauce which looked like soy sauce, but tasted much sweeter, with a hint of sesame oil. The sauce complimented the chicken perfectly, and the cabbage and bean sprouts on the side were crisp and refreshing which contrasted the deep fried maki excellently. The yaki udon was a traditional Japanese udon noodle stir-fried with vegetables and chicken. The noodles were a bit dense and heavy, which filled me up pretty quickly, but the flavor was delightful.

     After a pretty big three course meal which left us both unable to eat another bite, our bill came to only $40 which was impressive considering the high quality of both the food, and the atmosphere. Everything about our experience at Sakura left me pleasantly surprised, and I would absolutely go back (many times). If you're looking for a cool place to take a date, or a friend, with fresh sushi, great food, and affordable prices, you should seriously consider giving Sakura a visit. It's like a little slice of Japan right in the heart of the east side. You can check out their full menu at http://sakuraprovidence.com/

Coffee Worth Wrting About (White Electric)

     A dreary, wet, cold day in New England. My long time friend Chris and I are roaming the empty city, shrouded in fog. On rare winter days such as these, Providence begins to feel like a ghost town, but luckily, Providence is riddled with coffee shops. Small, independently owned hang outs filled with artsy 20-something-year-olds serving up organic fair-trade coffee and espresso. A safe haven of warmth and comfort in even the coldest weather. Perfect for brightening any sunless, cloudy day. Usually, we're regulars at Small Point Café, a wonderful little coffee shop with amazing coffee and amazing food, but after having gone there almost every day for a month, we decided that today, we would switch it up and try a different café in the area. Within 5 minutes walking distance of Small Point Café, there is another coffee shop across the street from Classical High School called White Electric. We've been to White Electric once before, but it was years ago, and we have all but forgotten about it.
    After a short walk, we arrive at a small black sign, hanging from a building. on the sign there is a picture of a mug with "White Electric" written in black cursive letters. A perfect sign; simple and to the point. Upon opening the door, I'm almost knocked back by a wall of warm air, which carries the smell of hot coffee, fresh pastries, and comfort. One of the most powerful first impressions you can get of a restaurant is the smell of the air when you first walk in, and on a day such as this, that was the best scent I could imagine. The décor inside was beautiful and unique. The wall to the left was lines with strange stuffed animal heads made of various fabrics (A play of the term "stuffed" being used for taxidermy I'm assuming), and high above, hanging on the walls were various pieces of metal and yard tools which spell out the words "WHITE ELECTRIC." On the wall to the right, there were two giant letters (W E) hung on the walls, which look like they came straight from a late 19th century circus, covered in lights (About 1/4 of which were blown out, which had a surprisingly charming effect), and further along, there was a table with milk and sugar for your coffee. The wall above was covered in a layer of flyers so cluttered that the wall beneath could have been a different color than the rest and I wouldn't have noticed. The best way I could describe the décor would be: Artsy and strange, in a charming, homey feeling way.

The vintage letters on the right wall (Photo by Christian Castillo)

"WHITE ELECTRIC" spelled out is mismatched metal and yard tools (Photo by Christian Castillo)

Flyers for various local art and music events (Photo by Christian Castillo)

 

     At the front counter, there is a display case, bursting with fresh, flakey, sweet pastries, radiating with warmth. Just looking at them can warm your insides after coming in from the cold. There were three women working behind the counter, taking orders, pouring drinks, and making food. Regardless of the fact that they were pretty busy, when we stepped up to the counter, we immediately got service, and it didn't seem rushed at all. I ordered a dark roast coffee, and a bagel with avocado and cream cheese. It was just over $5, which is pretty reasonable for a coffee shop with local ingredients. The coffee is just a few cents cheaper than Small Point Café, and it is of similar quality. The dark roast is a special roast made by New Harvest in Pawtucket for White Electric, and it was excellent. As I took my first sip, a rush of flavor and aroma filled my senses which I can only describe as delightfully bitter and comforting. It was very bold and full-bodied. I even bought a pound of the beans for myself, which I've been grinding and drinking regularly since. I've always loved coffee from New Harvest, and the White Electric dark roast is no exception. This particular roast definitely makes my list of favorites and it is as good- in quality- as the dark roast by Equal Exchange which I got from Small Point Café a couple of months earlier. My bagel with avocado and cream cheese was a perfect contrast. The refreshing smooth avocado balanced out the bitter slight-acidity of the hot coffee.

      When it comes to coffee shops in Providence, White Electric is one of the best, along with other favorites of mine, such as Coffee Exchange, Small Point Café, and Blue State Coffee. The service is wonderful and friendly, and the coffee and food are delicious and competitively priced. I plan on returning regularly over the winter, and maybe longer. If you like other similar cafes and are looking for a cool spot with unique décor, friendly service, and exceptional coffee, I would absolutely recommend White Electric.

#Moffle

     A new trend has recently risen in the streets of Japan, and it's called a moffle. But what exactly is a moffle? A moffle is a mix between mochi, a traditional Japanese rice cake made with glutinous rice, and a waffle. It is made by making a mochi based waffle batter and cooking it in a waffle iron. Moffles are usually topped with fruits, nuts, syrup, and other sweet and savory delights. As of late, moffles have become very popular in Japanese cafes, but they've stayed mostly in the far east. During the beginning of 2012, in the art district of Providence, a restaurant called Teriyaki & Korean House opened, as Rhode Islands first restaurant to serve moffles. How could I resist?
     Just a block away from the Johnson and Wales campus is Westminister st, the heart of the art district. The sidewalks are as wide as the street, and laid with bricks. In the shop windows, there hangs obscure apparel and artwork. Symposium books, Small Point Café, Craft Land, and other local stores make this street one of my favorites in the city. Just across the street from Small Point Café, a sign in a large glass window-wall reads "Teriyaki and Korean House." It is a decently sized store-front on a corner with glass walls on both outward facing sides.
     When you walk in the door at Teriyaki & Korean house, there are two signs. One pointing to the right which reads "Restaurant," and one pointing to the left which reads "Café." As much as I love Japanese and Korean food, my visit to the restaurant in Teriyaki and Korean House had to wait for another day. I was there for my first moffle at the café.
     Before I get into my moffle experience, I would like to first point out that there is no Arabica "coffee" at this café. All of the coffee drinks are espresso based, which I didn't know until I was ordering. Since I had entered with the expectation of getting a coffee with my moffle, I went with an Americano(1/2 espresso, 1/2 water) since it is the closest espresso drink to a cup of Arabica coffee. Also, Teriyaki and Korean House is definitely a restaurant before it is a café. The restaurant takes up most of the space, while the café occupies 3 or 4 small tables in the front of the restaurant. An enjoyable little spot if you just want a tea or espresso drink and a moffle, but that's about all they serve at the café.
     There were four different flavors of moffle at this location: plain, berry, cream cheese, and oriental. I decided to go with the oriental. The staff member behind the counter was very nice, and the prices are pretty fair. my moffle and Americano came to about $7 after tax, which for breakfast downtown isn't unreasonable by any means. After I had ordered, I got settled at one of the small tables by the door, and in only a few minutes, it was ready. Upon receiving my Japanese-American fusion treat, I was immediately pleased with the presentation. They could have very easily just placed it on a plate with some syrup on top like so many other cafés would do with a waffle, but they put in on a small rectangular plate with a good amount of mixed nuts and seeds on top, and drizzled a sweet syrup-looking sauce over the plate.

 

 The texture of the moffle was very dense, and almost doughy on the inside, which made it very filling for such a small portion. Although it didn't look or have the texture of a waffle or waffle batter. It was much thicker and was definitely made from a mixture closer to a dough that a batter. It was pretty heavy, and very sweet. Definitely a good choice if you're in the mood for a sweet breakfast/junk food. Certainly a step up from a short stack of pancakes. The mixed nuts were a great contrast to the sweetness of the moffle, adding a savory aspect to the dish.

     At first, I thought that the sauce was maple syrup based, but it had a very strange consistency. When I would pick up a piece of moffle, the sauce didn't want to separate, almost like trying to rip a piece off of a rebellious mozzarella stick that absolutely refuses to let you get a bite without a fight. The consistency reminded me of a raw egg white, but it was very sweet. it had a syrup-esque taste, but there were spices in it. Definitely cinnamon, and maybe some nutmeg. Overall, a tasty sauce, but a little sweet for my taste, and the consistency was difficult to work with. It left me looking slightly ridiculous while trying to eat, and glad that there were no other people there to watch the spectacle that was my difficulty attempting to get a bite of my moffle.

     After finishing my moffle, I also got an iced lychee bubble tea which was refreshing although a little sweet for my taste. Overall, I was happy with my first moffle experience. If you're looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth, a moffle from Teriyaki and Korean House will make a nice breakfast or brunch. The service here is very nice, and after all of the wonderful things that I've heard about the restaurant, I'll definitely be returning soon for a full lunch!