Residential PRoPeRties ltd.
Barrington: Elegant architect-designed & custom built 15 room estate on prestigious rumstick Point! rooms have grand proportion! 7 fireplaces, smashing kitchen, nanny suite, fitness room, game room/ bar, 4 finished levels, terraces, porches, guest house! Just sensational! $2,850,000
sWansEa: spectacular waterfront property on Mount Hope Bay. Panoramic southwest views overlooking Mount Hope Bridge. tasteful renovations by newport Collaborative. Handsome custom designed kitchen, spacious master suite with balcony. new septic in 2013. seaside gem! $1,175,000
Bristol: Waterfront on the Kickemuit river! Fabulous dock with float. stunning easterly views across river to farms, woods, audubon Preserve. open floor plan, 2 fireplaces, central air, stone walls. ideal year round or vacation with access to narragansett Bay!! $699,000
Barrington: Beautifully appointed saltbox Colonial in popular Country Club Platt. Walk to bike path, town center and library! Character and charm period details throughout! gorgeous new kitchen, new windows, new mechanicals. $699,000
Barrington: Fabulous Colonial 5/6 bedrooms, 4.2 baths, 2 staircases, finished lower level with media and exercise rooms, in-law/au pair or home office with separate staircase. living room with gas fireplace, large deck, Very Private, abuts conservation land. $695,000
Barrington: Winter water views! totally updatedsiding, new kitchen, windows, doors, flooring, landscaping. Beautiful in-ground pool and hot tub. gas lines to house for cooking, generator (heat conversion possible). $599,000
Bristol: Westside charmer-original Highlands hunting lodge. single level-hardwoods, stone fireplace, front and rear porches, beautiful gardens. any future renovations supported by high-end surrounding values. optional association (beach, tennis, clubhouse) and bike path. $549,000
Bristol: Beautiful ranch with new Kitchen w/granite and ss appliances, roof 6 Years old, gas Heating system 18 Months old, Windows 3 years old. nice flat back yard with patio. Move right into this “Pottery Barn” style home and enjoy. $340,000
Barrington: Water views and cool breezes from this adorable brick Cape. 3 beds, 2 full baths, newer kitchen, living room with fireplace, den with gas fireplace, Playroom in lower level, patio with great views and includes water access. $349,900
259 County Road Barrington 401.245.9600
Rhode Island’s Real Estate Company®
ResidentialProperties.com
Contents Photography: (L) Warren Jagger, (R) Rupert Whiteley
December 2014
Christmas at Blithewold
21
Frenchy’s Stuffed Clams at Ten Cousins
35
This Month
27 Live Well
18 Running with the Pack
28 Homestyle 30 Whole Body 31 Shop Around
The Wolf School has a unique educational approach
21 Merry Everything
Life by design in Barrington 33 Style Connoisseur
35 Taste Firing things up in Westport
Celebrate the season all December long
37 Review 38 News Bites 39 Taste Connoisseur 40 Rhody Bites
Every Month
43 Gallery
5 Editor’s Note/Letters 6 TheBayMagazine.com
Because there are 30 other days in December, too 44 Calendar 46 Artistry 48 On Stage
50 Taste Test Holiday dinner to go
11 The Buzz A Bristolian makes sweet Irish music 12 On the Bay 15 Bay Views
On the cover: The holidays at the Newport Mansions. Photo courtesy of the Preservation Society of Newport County. December 2014 | The BAY
3
The Bay, 1070 Main Street, Suite 302 Pawtucket, RI 02860 • Fax: 401-305-3392 www.thebaymagazine.com @TheBayMag thebay@thebaymagazine.com For advertising rates call: 401-305-3391
Publishers Barry Fain Richard Fleischer Matt Hayes John Howell
Publishing Director Jeanette St. Pierre @JeanetteSTP
Executive Editor Julie Tremaine @JulieTremaine
Associate Editor Grace Lentini @Gracie_NomNom
Digital Manager Elyena de Goguel
Contributor
Art Director Meghan H. Follett
Advertising Design Director Layheang Meas
Assistant Art Director Veatsna Sok
Graphic Designer Caitlin Musso
Account Managers Louann DiMuccio-Darwich: Louann@ProvidenceOnline.com Ann Gallagher: Ann@ProvidenceOnline.com Nicole Fox: Nicole@ProvidenceOnline.com Kristine Mangan: Kristine@ProvidenceOnline.com Dan Schwartz: DanS@ProvidenceOnline.com Elizabeth Riel: Liz@ProvidenceOnline.com Kimberly Tingle: Kim@ProvidenceOnline.com Stephanie Oster Wilmarth: Stephanie@ProvidenceOnline.com
Keith Andrade Writer
Keith Andrade is a Fall River native who grew up in Providence and currently lives in Bristol. After working in real estate investment in Manhattan for eight years, he returned
Contributing Photographers Mike Cevoli Force 4 Photography Brian DeMello Meghan Sepe Judith Gardner Brad Smith Janice Lee Kelly Rupert Whiteley Contributing Illustrator Kendrah Smith Contributing Writers Keith Andrade: @AndradeK Erin Balsa Alastair Cairns Andrea E. McHugh: @NewportStyle Jamie Merolla Nina Murphy
home to further his education,
Stephanie Obodda: @StephanieDoes
work on entrepreneurial en-
Tony Pacitti: @TonyPacitti
deavors and try new things. Some of those new things in-
Mike Sullivan John Taraborelli: @JohnnyTabs Cindy VanSchalkwyk
clude freelancing for The Bay, Alexandra Morel Morgan Pekera
month, the new thing Keith
Interns Emily Davey Claire Flanagan Elizabeth Gallagher
tries is creative pizza at Ten
Member of:
Audited by:
as well as our sister magazine Providence Monthly. This
Cousins in Westport. Check out his findings in our Review.
We welcome all contributions, but we assume no responsibility for unsolicited material. No portion of this publication can be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission. Copyright Š2014 by Providence Media, All rights reserved. Printed by Gannett Offset.
4
the Bay | December 2014
Editor’s Note Formerly Jamiel's
‘Tis the Season Unlike the rest of the year, which I spend either wishing it were still summer or wishing summer would last forever, I’m all about December. The festive month has a charm and beauty unlike any other. It’s only 25 days between then and Christmas to get in as much merriment and holiday cheer as humanly possible - you know, between shopping, wrapping, baking, writing out cards, more shopping, the occasional hour of sleep and, oh yeah, working. My point is this: you don’t have all that much time to fit in the great parts about the holiday season. That’s where The Bay comes in. This year, we did the
heavy lifting for you, and planned out your entire month of holiday cheer. Read on, and discover the surprisingly numerous ways you can be merry and bright this month. Then get out there and celebrate. Come January, the only sparkle you’re going to see is from the falling snow... so enjoy it while it lasts. Happy holidays.
SAVON SHOES
471 Main Street, Warren • 401.245.4389 Mon-Thurs 9-6 • Fri 9-8 • saT 9-6 • sun 12-5 Savonshoes@cox.net • Visit us on Facebook
From Our Facebook Friends “Our customers (and employees) love The Bay! Thank you for bringing this fantastic publication to Mello’s Farm and Flower Center in Portsmouth!” –Mello’s Farm and Flower Center “I loved reading about Hope and Main [News Bites, October 2014] opening! Such a great addition to the community.” –Sara Harrison “The article ‘The Family Jewels’ [Life/Style, October 2014] house was very good. I travel by that house a lot; now I know the story.” –Phyllis Mauretti
talulah.cooper a jewelry boutique
.......................
5 traverse st providence ri 02906
401.273.4324
be my guest.
monday closed tuesday-friday 11-6 saturday+sunday 12-5
talulahcooperboutique.com
Send us a letter Email us a letter to the editor to thebay@thebaymagazine.com and it could be published in an upcoming issue.
fresh local fish & shellfish prepared foods • fine wine • craft beers
Read us online
Full issues of all our magazine available on www.thebaymagazine.com
Find us on Facebook
Reach out to us at The Bay Magazine
1365 Fall River Avenue Seekonk • 508-336-6800 tonysfreshseafood.com December 2014 | The BAY
5
w h a t ’s h a p p e n i n g o n
TheBayMagazine.coM
Book Your HolidaY Function todaY W E B E XC LU S I V E ho ho ho… no.
3 Water Street • South Dartmouth, MA (508) 999-6975 • Blackbassma.com
RI’s #1 Real Estate Company Largest Relocation Company in the country
We love the holidays, obviously, but sometimes Santa’s jolly red face and all the constant caroling can just get a bit much. Need a break from the seasonal madness? Check out our online compendium of all the non-holiday happenings going on this month. It’s ok to be a bit of a humbug… on occasion.
Plus: Winter is here! And we’ve created a winter survival guide just for you with the best ways to stay warm and S.A.D. free during the darkest months of the year.
www.NewEnglandMoves.com
Win ThiS
SHOP WITH US
Barrington – Spacious 5 bedroom cape with many updates, two-story living room, hardwood floors, cathedral ceilings, central air. there is a newer heating system, new windows, kitchen and more! Freshly painted w/ walk-out basement & fenced yard. $ 395,000
Bristol – Elegant historic “jewel box” featured in “Spectacular Homes of new England”. Kitchen was architect designed w/ gas fireplace, coffered ceiling & exquisite cabinetry. award winning porch off kitchen w/ views of koi pond and lovely courtyard. $799,900
Can’t figure out what to get your loved ones this holiday season? Check out our online gift guide featuring your favorite local businesses.
We’re giving away $2,000 in shopping sprees this month. Make sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for weekly giveaway updates.
FO L LOW U S Because we’re awesome on social, too
facebook.com/TheBayMagazine
@TheBayMag
@TheBayMag Bristol – Character abounds in this 1880 colonial. Just needs your personal touch to restore this home to it’s original old world charm. a short walking distance to narragansett Bay and the thriving nautical town of Bristol. $ 229,900
Barrington – adorable 3 bedroom colonial featuring large eat-in kitchen w/ hardwoods throughout and lovely period details. there are high ceilings w/ a new roof, windows, electric, gas heating system and more! nice fenced yard w/ driveway leading to a private neighborhood close to the water, marina, yacht club and bike path. $224,900
(401) 253-4050 / 800-541-4593 495 Hope Street, Bristol, RI (401) 247-0202 280 County Road, Barrington, RI 6
the Bay | December 2014
DINE WELL Our statewide dining guide will keep you informed and well-fed
RhodyBites.com
SIGN UP Events and community highlights delivered to your inbox weekly
Hey Rhody newsletter at TheBayMagazine.com
Plante Jewelers has the perfect present.
Make your Wish List and enter to win a $500 Gift Certificate!
$2295
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H O L I D AY H O U R S F O R D E C E M B E R 2 0 14 SUN
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Open Sundays 11 to 4, starting November 30 Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 10 to 5:30 Thursday from 10 to 8, Saturday from 10 to 5 207 Swansea Mall Drive, Swansea Crossing Plaza, Swansea MA 508-673-0561 www.plantejewelers.com
GIVE A GIFT PROGRAM We’re partnering with St. Vincent’s Home in Fall River – donating new, unwrapped gifts for the children. Every person who brings in a donation from November 1st to December 24th, will receive a sterling silver bracelet!
g n i m Welco
in
Bristol Christian’s A wood fired grille
Happy Holidays!
Purchase a $100 gift card & receive a
Allerton Framing Full Service cuStom Framing
$20
gift card for yourself!
Gift Certifications available
New Years Eve reservations 382 Thames Street, Bristol christiansri.com (401) 396-9811 Sunday 4-9 • Monday-Thursday 5-9 Friday & Saturday 5-10
• We Do RepaiRs • • Mats Cut While you Wait • Hours: Monday-Friday 10-6 Saturday 10-4 500 Metacom avenue Bristol Ri 401-369-9918
We would Love To Host A Spa Party For You And Your Friends! 182 High Street, Bristol, RI • (401) 396-9444 www.spayadira.com
Book Your HolidaY Parties
SHOP LOCAL AND WIN! Get a FREE raffle ticket for every $25 you spend at participating Bristol businesses between November 21st & December 21st.
OpEn ChriStmAS DAy, DinnEr Only
Ticket holder must be present to win. No rain or snow date. One prize per participant. Max 50 tickets for any purchase.
Open New Year’s eve & DaY Come Enjoy Our Award Winning Dishes And Fresh Seafood
WIN ONE OF SEVERAL $500 CASH PRIZES! Raffle Drawing will take place at 5:00 PM on December 21st on lower State Street Festivities will begin at 4:00 PM! It pays to shop, dine, play & stay locally for the holidays! Be on the look out for the big blue snowflake in the window at participating businesses.
At Home on the Waterfront
DeWolf Tavern at Thames Street Landing 259 Thames Street, Bristol • www.DeWolftavern.com • 254-2005
NON PROFIT PARTNERSHIPS:
Bristol Warren Education Foundation • Stone Soup Thrift Shop/East Bay Food Pantry • Friends of the Bristol Animal Shelter
435/437 Hope Street, Bristol (401) 396-9117 hopegalleryfineartfinecraft.com
32 Gooding Avenue Bristol, RI (401) 396-9600 secondhelpingsri.com
HOPE
GALLERY
FINE ART
FINE CRAFT
Holiday open House events Friday, December 12 - Sunday, December 14 from 1-6PM hand blown art glass | jewelry | stained glass | metal sculpture & more
One StOp COnSignment ShOpping! 34 Gooding Avenue Bristol, RI (401) 253-1920 thirdsri.com
C E L E b R at i n g
10 years as an art gallery
Represented artists and guest artists selling many mediums of miniature paintings - 2"x 2" to 11" x 14"
Light refreshments • Exhibit ends January 3
Winter Holiday Hours: Wednesday - Sunday: 12:30-6 *Closed winter break: January 3 - February 3, 2015
The KnoTTy Dog 41.671°
-71.277°
Bristol • rhode island
Free Pashmina Scarf OR Hand Warmer with every $50 purchase *While Supplies Last
31 Bradford Street, Bristol, RI • 401-396-9520 • theknottydog.com • Monday-Saturday 10-6 Sunday 12-5
The Buzz
Photography: Judith Gardner
People and places on the bay
‘Tis the Season to Give Back Anita Randall, Executive Director of the East Bay Food Pantry, helps feed the hungry
With all the giving you’re doing to your loved ones this month, it’s easy to forget that there are people in the community who aren’t able to share the same joy of giving. Take some time out to donate to worthy holiday giving initiatives in the East Bay. Turn the page to find out how.
December 2014 | The BAY
11
Buzz on the bay GIVE BACK
Give a Little, Do a Lot of Good ‘Tis the season for giving and spreading cheer – so here are just a few programs that you can get involved in to really make a difference in your area this holiday season. Child and Family RI’s Adopt-A-Family Program lets you sign up to sponsor a family and shop for gifts for their child or children. This way, families who would not otherwise be able to provide gifts for their children are able to have a warm and merry holiday. Once you sign up, you’ll receive the name of your assigned child (or children) and their wish list, so you can help them have the holiday of their dreams. Visit Child and Family’s website to get a sign-up form and get more details on the program. 31 John Clarke Rd., Middletown. 401-849-2300, www. childandfamilyri.org
Year-round, the East Bay Food Pantry (EBFP) does wonders to support the East Bay area in their mission of “engaging, educating and empowering the East Bay in creating a hungerfree community.” During the months of November and December, they put together extra holiday meal baskets so their clients can have the tools needed to put together a festive holiday meal. The baskets contain such goodies as cranberry sauce, gravy, mashed potato and stuffing mix, veggies, dessert mixes and more. Help keep this special holiday tradition alive by making a monetary donation to the EBFP this season or setting up your own food drive at your school, place of business or just within your community. 150 Franklin Street, Bristol. 401-396-9490, www.eastbayfoodpantry.org –Claire Flanagan
Make a difference to a family in need at Child & Family this month
MUSIC O’THE IRISH
Robbie O’ Connell Celebrates Christmas the Celtic Way Robbie O’Connell, born in Ireland, has become a well-known folk musician in the United States, and calls Bristol home. Robbie visited the United States a couple of times before deciding to marry and move here. “I came out as a student at college in Dublin, then I came back out again, met Roxanne and fell in love,” he says. The couple lived in Massachusetts for 25 years, raising four children before moving to Bristol. Although Robbie has spent less time in the East Bay area, it’s closer to his heart. “I feel much more at home now,” he explains. “It’s relaxing living by the water. It’s also brighter here; Ireland can be overcast or raining for weeks at a time.” Robbie and his cousin Aoife (pronounced “Eefa”) Clancy will be presenting a Celtic Christmas concert at Linden Place in Bristol December 19. Robbie and Aoife are both internationally acclaimed folk musicians and singers who have toured extensively in this country and abroad. Robbie has performed on a few occasions before at Linden Place, including a
12
the Bay | December 2014
similar concert last December. Robin Tremblay, office manager at Linden Place, commented on last year’s holiday event. “Robbie brings in the crowds for his concerts,” she says. “Last year we had over 75 people, and there were lots of compliments. People came from all over, not just Bristol.” The concert at Linden Place will include traditional songs from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, plus a few Christmas songs familiar to most in the United States. The event will also feature spoken stories interwoven with the music. When asked if he has a favorite song, Robbie says it changes all the time. Often a new traditional song he is learning or one he has recently written becomes a current favorite. He writes songs about peace and war and relationships, some serious, some humorous, but often keeping to the style he learned as a lad. “I like to write in the tradition. My preference is to write something that sounds like it’s a couple of hundred years old.” Robbie returns to his native Ireland for at least a couple of months every
Robbie O’Connell performs Celtic holiday songs at Linden Place
year. He and Roxanne began Celtica Music & Tours 19 years ago. ”It’s a music and culture tour, we take them off the beaten path,” he explains. Roxanne is a professor at Roger Williams University and cannot always visit Ireland because of her academic schedule, so Robbie’s sister, Alice, and her husband, Sean Rattigan, a fiddle player, help lead the tours. Celtica Music & Tours began with one tour a year, now Robbie also plans and
leads a tour yearly for WGBH. The traveling gives him the opportunity to stay connected to his native country. “We still have lots of friends and relatives there, and I love the landscape there.” Celtic Christmas Concert: 7:30pm. December 19. Linden Place, 500 Hope Street, Bristol. Tickets should be reserved in advance by calling the museum at 401-2530390. –Cindy VonSchalkwyck
Buzz on the bay MANAGING TIME
A Barrington Service That Helps Organize Your Life Professional, Convenient Dermatological Services Aspire Dermatology, with two convenient offices in Newport and Riverside, is a highly professional provider of a full range of dermatology services from skin screenings to Mohs surgery. Jason Michaels, M.D. and his staff are ready to serve all your skin care needs professionally and on a timely basis. Now accepting new patients. Same day appointments and complementary parking are available. Call 401.239.1800. 1525 Wampanoag Trail Riverside, Rhode Island
Photo: Cheryl Adams Johnson Photography
Marti Del Negro wants to run your life…in a good way
A certain insightful high school student once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” If you find yourself constantly too busy to even think about slowing down and taking the Ferris Bueller approach to life, Marti Del Negro is here to help. Her new business, bENE Lifestyle Management, is a unique concept in Rhode Island. Basically, you hire Marti to handle anything and everything you can’t get to, so you have more time to enjoy the enjoyable parts of life. “A lifestyle manager allows you to confidently outsource all those projects and tasks that have to be done, but not necessarily by you,” Marti says. “Those things that keep you up nights thinking about how you’ll get them done or about what you can give up that you really want to do so you can do what you have to do.” Sure, it’s a luxury, but think about what you could do with your newfound free time: spend time with your
family, travel or follow the passion or hobby that you’ve always wanted to. Your lifestyle manager will do whatever it is that you need taken care of – they’ll manage your kitchen remodel, handle your holiday cards from creation through mailing, research and plan your next vacation, pay your bills, plan that dinner party you’ve been meaning to have and even wait for the cable guy to show up. As a career woman, wife and mother of two boys, Marti knows the difficulties of juggling numerous tasks and finding the time and energy to enjoy li fe. “Each client’s needs are unique and my approach is to understand them individually,” Marti says. “I learn about their lives, their lifestyle and their personal goals, then we discuss what I can take off their plates so they can spend their time and energy doing what they want to do, not what has to be done.” 8 St. Andrews Way, Barrington. 401-318-3749; 401-377-5419, www.benelifestylemanagement.com –Claire Flanagan
51 Long Wharf Mall Newport, Rhode Island
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30 craft beers on draft! upscale pub fare WIth fantastIc Weekly food specIals and proMotIons! kItchen open late! • lIve bands every Weekend December 2014 | The BAY
13
The Finest Woodworking Available
Custom Casework | Fine Furniture | Millwork | Moldings | Wood Doors & Windows 210 Old Airport Road, Middletown, RI | 401.619.5930 | wetstonemillwork.com
Buzz Bay Views Leaf peepers and fun-lovers came out for the Warren Walkabout in October.
Our favOrite
The annual fall festival was part taste of the town, part shopping event, part artist open studios and all fun and games. There was even a dragon ride for brave little adventurers. discoverwarren.com. Photography by: Judith Gardner
display Of the mOnth
High Point Salon in Portsmouth went on a roll with the October issue!
have a favorite Bay distribution point? share it on our facebook page! #DisplayTheBay
sponsored by
December 2014 | The BAY
15
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the Bay | December 2014
Barksfield Botanicals
The Cottage
Courtyards
3964 Main Road 401-816-0944
3847 Main Road 401-625-5814
3980 Main Road • 401-624-8682 courtyardsltd.com
Art, organics and antiques filling second floor in historic Nonquit Grange, c. 1870.
Fine Home Furnishings Accessories and Gifts Open 7 Days
Come discover imaginative gifts and festive holiday trimmings. Open 7 days. Offering gift wrapping and shipping.
Kathrine Lovell Studio & Gallery 3895 Main Road • 401-743-6077 klovell.com
Salt
3845 Main Road • 401-816-0901 facebook.com/shopaqua.salt
Silk Road Traders at Gallery 4
Open Thursday through Sunday 125pm. Ornaments, little pictures & other beautiful objects made by local artists. Thursdays until 8 throughout December.
Casual & hip couture, unique holiday gifts, trendy accessories, and coastal home decor.
Fine art and Oriental rugs. Antique furniture and ceramics from the Middle and Far East. Kilim items, silk and jewelry.
3848 Main Road • 401-816-0999 silkroadgallery4.com
TIFFANY PEAY JEWELRY
Studio by the Sea
3879 Main Road • 401-639-4348 studiobytheseari.com
Tiffany Peay Jewelry
3851 Main Road • 401-816-0878 tiffanypeay.com
Winter’s Arts & Artisan Fair
Jewelry design and fabrication studio, catchy, rhode island made bronze buckles, sterling and gold creations, repair and redesign.
Beautiful fine jewelry handmade on premises. Give the power of gemstones! Open Late December 18th
Festive shopping with finely curated local and regional Artists & Artisans. Saturday December, 13th 10am-6pm & Saturday December, 14th 11am-4pm.
• SpEC iAL ADvErTi Si NG SECT iON •
3850 Main Road tivertonfourcorners.com
Learning to Learn East Providence’s Wolf School keeps students with hard-to-diagnose learning difficulties from falling through the cracks
Have you ever found yourself in an overstimulating situation, unable to focus at the task at hand, unsure which input should be the center of your attention? Do you remember the sense of frustration and distraction, perhaps even being overwhelmed by your environment? Now imagine feeling like that all the time in almost every situation. Worse yet, imagine being a child who feels like that. Imagine having no frame of reference for how you feel or how you process the world happening around you. Imagine being unable to explain what’s happening to you, incapable of articulating your profound bewilderment with stimuli and processes that don’t seem to faze those around you. Imagine being in a classroom that’s structured around the fundamental concept of sitting still in a chair for several hours and learning by rote, and simply struggling just to get through the day, to fight off that feeling of wanting to get up and move or make noise. Imagine enduring the confusion and even scorn of teachers and classmates who don’t understand why you can’t just be normal – or what they perceive as normal, anyway. That’s what it was like for Ben Lorber. As a small child, he was unable to crawl and started walking later than most children. He couldn’t speak on his own and had to be taught to make sounds that come naturally to most of us. His struggles to articulate himself were such that at one point he even resorted to trying to make up his own sign language. The problem was a severe motor planning disorder that was unfortunately impossible to diagnose until he reached the age of five. Even after that, the difficulties continued. Despite the fact that he entered kindergarten in one of the best public school systems in Vermont with an individualized education program, Ben needed attention and accommodations that the school was unable to provide. He was overwhelmed by his environment and couldn’t sort out what he should pay attention to or how he should respond. It would build to the point that he would simply shut down or act out. “Ben was a very frustrated little boy,” recalls his mother, Leslie. She resorted to homemade fixes to alleviate his problems, providing him with vests loaded down with weights or weights he could lay on his lap to keep him in place. She was at the school nearly every day, trying to manage the times when he would shut down. Ben had trouble with sequencing, so she drew him a map of the bases in tee ball. The school provided him with an aide and put him into social skills classes, but
being there twice a week with one other student just wasn’t enough. In second grade, Ben said that he was going to be “a stupid man” when he grew up. Despite the best efforts of both parent and school, Leslie remembers, “I knew this wasn’t going to work.” That’s when, almost by chance, she discovered the Wolf School in East Providence. It’s a place designed expressly for kids like Ben, kids with complex, often interlocking problems that defy easy diagnoses or categorizations like “special needs.” They’re kids that traditional schools often give up on, branding them as having “behavioral problems” that are actually symptoms of an underlying condition. Towards the end of second grade, Leslie brought Ben to the Wolf School for a visit. “He came here and fell to pieces,” she recalls. “This was the norm, but the difference was what they did about it.” Wolf School teachers and administrators are used to reactions like Ben’s and know how to work through them – or perhaps more accurately, learn how to work through them. “It’s almost like our teachers are detectives,” explains Marie Esposito, the school’s Director of Institutional Advancement. “Every day they figure out, what do the students need? How do they tick?” When Ben “fell to pieces” this time, the staff of the Wolf School invested the time to figure out what makes him tick. The Lorbers moved to Rhode Island three weeks later. The Wolf School began in 1999 with three students, one classroom and two parents on a mission. Andrew Wallerstein, Mary Sloane and their son Otto faced the same dilemma that the Lorbers did: a child with complex problems and a school ill-suited to deal with them. Even in the best schools, students like that can often slip through the cracks. Working with a teacher, a speech coach and an occupational therapist, they devised an immersion model for dealing with the unique learning needs of children like Otto and put The Wolf School has innovative – and that model to work in a rented classroom in ever-adapting – approaches to learning the Jewish Community Center on the East Side. The premise, as current Head of School Anna Johnson articulates it, was simple: “Meeting the child where they are.” Johnson began as a teacher during the Wolf School’s early days in the JCC. The mission and model were novel – and still are. “We designed the model as we went,” she recalls. “There was no curriculum. We knew we needed to immerse them in this environment and the kids kind of designed the
“It’s almost like our teachers are detectives: every day they figure out, what do the students need?” -Marie Esposito
18
the Bay | December 2014
Photography this page and next courtesy of the Wolf School
By John Taraborelli
The Joys of Christmas at
curriculum. We gave them what they needed.” The curriculum is guided by the teacher, and incorporates speech and occupational therapy. Movement is a huge part of the Wolf School philosophy, and manifests in a number of ways. Students move every 30-60 minutes to keep them active and engaged. But they don’t simply move between learning, they also move while learning. A typical Wolf School day might include learning to solve math problems on a rock climbing wall, or therapeutic horseback riding. Of course, the term “typical Wolf School day” is kind of an oxymoron. With such an immersive model designed to adapt to so many individual learning styles, there is no such thing as a typical day. “There is no end point,” Johnson says of the school’s approach to curriculum. “It’s constantly evolving. We never know what to expect.” Esposito elaborates, explaining that the school’s model is not so much about learning a specific curriculum as it is about learning, period. “The kids are taught how to learn, how to deal with their differences,” she says. “They need to understand who they are as learners before they can begin to learn.” After the inaugural 1999-2000 school year, Wolf grew by about a classroom a year until 2004, when it moved out of the JCC and into its current East Providence home. In 2005, it added the Pelson Center Gym and Sensory Arena. This unique facility allows students to more fully learn through movement. The gym and arena are designed to accommodate children who can be easily overwhelmed by environmental stimuli – it’s much quieter and more hospitable than the harsh, echoing spaces you might remember from your own school years. In those friendly confines, children who struggle with motor skills can practice things like “pillow polo” or engage in activities like the aforementioned rock wall math lesson. At present, the Wolf School boasts its highest ever enrollment, with 55 students spread across eight classrooms
ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade. Approximately a third of those students are more traditional private school enrollments (albeit with nontraditional needs); another third receive financial aid; and the final third are outof-district enrollments: students from public schools that are not equipped to accommodate the child’s needs. Those enrollments are funded by the respective school districts. Despite the adaptive curriculum, the Wolf School maintains rigorous standards. It is accredited for special education and abides by Common Core. Teachers are given ample planning time to collaborate, compare notes, and address the unique and varied challenges of the student body. At any given time, teachers might be applying six or seven different approaches to reading so that no student is allowed to slip through the cracks. The end goal is to prepare students to move beyond the Wolf School and work towards, “whatever success means for them,” as Johnson puts it. They’ve had over 70 alumni successfully move on from the school. One graduated from a four-year college and may pursue a master’s in social work. Another is currently in a traditional high school and thinking about starting a business after graduation. Another is a volunteer firefighter and hoping to pursue it professionally. Still another arrived in third grade unable to tie his own shoes, and by eighth grade starred in the school play and was reading at grade level. And then there is Ben Lorber. Despite his prediction that he would grow up to be “a stupid man,” Ben is in his second year at Bard College, studying Russian and pursuing journalism and human rights. He’s looking into an internship in Budapest, Hungary. Perhaps even more interesting is the ripple effect of his experience: his sister is now planning to become an occupational therapist. “I don’t think he’d be where he is today without Wolf,” Leslie says. “It’s a special place.” 215 Ferris Avenue, Rumford. 401-4329940, www.thewolfschool.org
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may your days be and
By Julie Tremaine
y Rep now
it turns to Trin as Carol re A Christm
ember 31 through Dec
going around. This year, celebrate the holidays in style with festive adventures all over the state. You’ve got a lot of merry-making to fit into 25 short days.
Party Like it’s 1899 You’ve seen how the other half lives, but have you seen how the other half celebrates? Christmas at the Newport Mansions shows the summer cottages of America’s royalty in a whole new light. The Breakers, The Elms and Rosecliff are decorated to the rafters with stunning holiday decorations, like the floor-to-ceiling tree made of poinsettias at The Elms. Events like caroling, concerts and kid-friendly fun keep the party going all month long. The Nutcracker performed by Island Moving Company at Rosecliff is a performance not to be missed - and unless you want some unhappy kids on Christmas morning, make sure to take them to meet Santa at The Breakers on December 7. One good thing about the short days this month is that there’s more time to see the gorgeous mansions lit up with holiday cheer. Bellevue Avenue, Newport. 401-847-1000, www.newportmansions.org
you oLd Humbugger If you’re a Rhode Islander, it isn’t officially the holiday season until you’ve heard Tiny Tim squeak out his little holiday blessing over a giant Christmas goose. A Christmas Carol is a time-honored tradition many places, but none moreso than the Ocean State. Yes, you’ve seen it already. But if your Inner Scrooge is saying “humbug” to going back this year, drive a stake of holly through his heart and get to the theatre. Trinity Repertory Company reinvents the production every year to make it a new experience, so you get the best of both worlds: time-honored tradition and fresh creativity on stage. This year, Ebenezer is played by Fred Sullivan, Jr., whose booming stage presence makes Scrooge’s redemption all the more powerful. Think we’re kidding? Go ahead and think of the Fezziwigs’ joyous holiday party without smiling. We dare you. Performances run through December 31. 201 Washington Street, Providence. 401-351-4242, www.trinityrep.com
Christmastime at the Marble House
live entertainment. Throughout the month, check out events ranging from the boozy (a Decorate the Brewery event at Coastal Extreme) to the literary (Living Literature Presents: Owen Meany’s Christmas Pageant), from the educational (Holiday Histories Walking Tour) to the black tie (the 38th annual Governor’s Ball at Salve Regina). Christmas concerts happen all over the city all month long, and thanks to some holiday decorating contests, there’s plenty of eye candy to take in while you’re on your way. At the Bellevue Avenue Stroll on December 4, stores will have treats and carolers to entertain you as you shop. You can even take a moment to appreciate what Christmas is really about at a living nativity on December 11, or at the 103rd annual Medieval Christmas Pageant at St. George’s School. We could keep going and going… or you could just go check it out for yourself. www.christmasinnewport.org
a neW kind of cHristmas tree
Craft your Christmas at Blithewold Mansion
sHoP LocaL The charming Old New England hamlet that is Tiverton Four Corners is never more beautiful than at Christmas. Head there for their Winter Arts and Artisan Festival from December 13-14. The boutique artist showcase offers an opportunity to talk with makers about their craft (and don’t forget, Gray’s Ice Cream next door is open every day, even on Christmas.) www.tivertonfourcorners.com
decked, and We mean decked, HaLLs During the warmer months, Blithewold Mansion in Bristol is a special event destination. Its historic manse, rolling lawn down to the water and sculpted gardens make it the perfect spot for weddings or just a weekend tour. Once the cold sets in, though, Blithewold becomes a winter wonderland. We’re pretty sure “Deck the Halls” was written about this place. Festive events take the spotlight all month long, like the Children’s Story Hour on Wednesday afternoons, where kids can listen to a holiday story while parents peek around for a house tour, followed by snacks and crafts (because all that envy can make you hungry). Blithewold also does frequent workshops: this month topics include wreath-making and how to build your own holiday fairy terrarium. Take a lesson from what they do best, though, and head to Style at Home: A holiday party workshop... or just attend their Evening of Holiday Food and Drink on December 10. The delicious party will send you home full, and with recipes to try at home. The Blithewold Christmas Sparkle happens every Friday evening this month, and is a festive holiday mixer with hot cocoa, roasted marshmallows and live music. 101 Ferry Road, Bristol. 401-253-2707, www. blithewold.org
Ho, Ho, Ho Nobody south of the North Pole celebrates the season quite like the City by the Sea. Newport throws down all of the holiday cheer you can handle this month. During Christmas in Newport, there is literally something fun happening every single day in December - and usually more than one thing. The celebration kicks off on December 1 with a tree lighting ceremony (one of three happening in Newport this month) complete with a cannon salute and Break up your shopping with Christmas carols in Newport
When you toss your old, dried out tree to the curb in January, it’s always a sad moment. Not only are the holidays over, not only are you facing a long winter without any more spiked eggnog, but you’ve just discarded a once-living thing. Rethink your Christmas tree by visiting the Re-Tree event in Tiverton Four Corners. Starting December 13, the yard outside the Meeting House will be decorated with all manner of innovative, artful “Christmas trees” made of recycled materials. Register before November 30 to make your own. There’s even a prize for the most innovative tree. www.tivertonfourcorners.com
sing out your cHeer If all that Christmas shopping puts you in a singing mood, join Christopher Carbone and the Thompson Middle School Chorus for Christmas Caroling on Broadway in Newport. Meet in Washington Square and carol your way up Broadway, stopping at local businesses and City Hall along the way. 401-481-5135
a Very bristoLian cHristmas There’s just something irresistible about celebrating the holidays in a quaint seaside town. Lucky for us, this is New England, and the nautical charm
Inside a Barrington holiday tradition It is a holiday tradition many anticipate each December. St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Barrington is home to an annual Christmas cantata. Every year is different; the theme for this year’s cantata is “Love Came Down at Christmas.” It all started in 1999 when Stephen Kirby, Director of Music at St. Luke’s for the past 37 years, was sent a copy of a Christmas cantata. St. Luke’s has had a number of choirs over the years, but this was a new idea for the church. Stephen decided to see what kind of interest it might generate. He placed a notice in the church bulletin and at least forty singers showed up. This December marks the cantata’s 14th year. Children are always part of the tradition. The children’s part of the event also varies every year, but some things are consistent. “They like to sing but they love to dress up in costume,” Stephen says. Mark Searles, channel 10’s chief meteorologist, will be the narrator again this year. “With the cantata there’s always a story. I’ve been using Mark to do the readings the last five or six years.” Stephen says the cantata is always set up to last an hour or less because of the hectic pace of the holiday season. Admission is $5. “But we would never turn anyone away. We’re a church; we want to make everyone welcome.” December 22, at 5pm. 108 Washington Road, Barrington. 401-246-1212, www.stlukesparish.com. Tickets are available at the door. –Cindy VonSchalkwyck
The Trip to the Bountiful runs now through December 21 at 2nd Story Theatre
ceLebrate tHe bounty Christmas at Linden Place
abounds, especially this month. Celebrate at the Bristol Christmas Festival. Have a pancake breakfast with Santa on December 7, spend the day making holiday crafts and taking in festive entertainment, and stick around for the Grand Illumination at 6pm, featuring a recitation of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and a Christmas carol sing-a-long. Until December 21, every $25 you spend enters you into the Snowflake Raffle to win $500 cash prizes. www.facebook.com/BristolChristmasFestival
a ceLebration fit for american royaLty Oh what fun it is to ride… to Bristol, to celebrate Christmas at Linden Place. The 200-year-old Federalist mansion is bedecked and bedazzled for the season, including some larger than life Christmas trees that are probably going to make yours feel inadequate. A special exhibit of vintage and antique children’s toys adds to the spirit of the season - and will remind your kids that yes, life did exist before iPads. Seasonal concerts like The Clancy Legacy Celtic Christmas happen throughout the month. 500 Hope Street, Bristol. 401-253-0390, www.lindenplace.org
Take a moment to appreciate your loved ones at 2nd Story Theatre’s staging of The Trip to Bountiful, a show about homecoming and the true meaning of family at the holidays. It’s an intergenerational story of an elderly woman who makes a pilgrimage to her abandoned hometown. Performances of the heartwarming show take place until December 21. 28 Market St, Warren. 401247-4200, www.2ndstorytheatre.com
gLide into december There’s nothing more Christmassey than gliding across the ice at the Providence Skating Rink. Through the flurry of pink noses and mittens, you’re practically guaranteed to see a marriage proposal on the ice every day in December - after all, love (and ice) is in the air this month. If you’re feeling a little more Dorothy Hamill than Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir, there are adult refresher courses and full-fledged skating lessons for the inexperienced (but if you’d just rather sit on the bench and sip hot cocoa, well, we aren’t going to judge you). There are deals all week long: during weekday lunch hour, admission and skate rental are only $5 each; same goes for Funday Monday afternoons, Wednesday night college nights and weekday after-work specials. Take advantage of the magic of the season: once the cold really sets in during the new year, the last thing in the world you’re going to want to risk is a faceful of hard ice. 2 Kennedy Plaza, Providence. 401-331-5544, www. providencerink.com
Enjoy the outdoors in the city at the Providence Rink
Festival Ballet presents The Nutcracker
a WeLL-crafted HoLiday
HistoricaLLy sPeaking
Ok, so you’re not Martha Stewart. That’s ok. (Well, according to Martha, you’re less than human if you aren’t packaging your own linzertortes for every neighbor in a mile radius, but that’s beside the point.) There are talented artists, like at the Sakonnet Collective, who can handcraft gifts for you so you can still give something unique without losing a limb (or your sanity). Visit their Holiday Bazaar through December 23 to shop pottery, jewelry, furniture, art and photography by talented local artists. 3842 Main Road, Tiverton. 401-484-8141, www.thesakonnetcollective.com
Celebrate a historic holiday at the Whitehall Museum House in Middletown. Whitehall, built in 1729, sits on the remnants of an 18th century farm and is a remarkably well preserved example of colonial life. On December 7, head to the museum for Christmas festivities including caroling, seasonal music and plenty of holiday cheer (including wassail, which is a real beverage you can actually drink - who knew?). You might even spot the Ghost of Christmas Past. 311 Berkeley Avenue, Middletown. 401-846-3116, www.whitehallmuseumhouse.org
dance your Way to ProVidence If there’s a season to experience the ballet, it’s during the holidays. The Nutcracker is practically the official soundtrack of Christmas. See it live for the first (or 50th) time at PPAC, as Festival Ballet performs its annual staging of the holiday classic, from December 19-21. The performance includes a 25-foot Christmas tree, life-size dolls and The Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies in all its glory. For another literary classic, take in a performance of Clement Clarke Moore’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by the Providence Ballet Theatre at Rhode Island College. The show, on December 19, will feature professional dancers and local kids. For something more modern that literally turns the holidays upside down, check out Cirque Dreams: Holidaze. The mix of dance, aerial arts and acrobatics is fun for the whole family. Festival Ballet and Cirque Dreams: 220 Weybosset Street. 401-421-2787, www.ppacri.com; Providence Ballet: 600 Mount Pleasant Avenue. 401-456-8144, www.ric.edu
Where to get your own tree from the farm Some of us prefer the easy, brightly lit, pre-packaged artificial Christmas tree. We can’t blame them: there are environmental and financial benefits, not to mention the blissful lack of pine needles littering your floor for a month. But for some of us, the holiday feeling that comes from that fresh pine scent can’t be duplicated - sap, needles and all. The Rhode Island Christmas Tree Growers Association is a resource for buying local, farmfresh Christmas trees. Besides all the benefits to shopping local, the trees last longer (and you can usually score a cup of hot chocolate at the farm). richristmastrees.com
made WitH LoVe For a handcrafted holiday, visit the 28th annual Christmas Bazaar, November 29-30 at Our Lady of Grace in Westport. The sale will have over 30 tables of gifts made with love, in addition to live Christmas music, prizes and photos with the man in red himself. 569 Sanford Road, Westport. www.westport-ma.com
sHoP for a good cause Stop by the ninth annual Christmas Craft Fair on December 13 at the Knights of Columbus in Middletown. The show will have kids craft activities, and is a fundraiser for Hasbro Children’s Hospital. 7 Valley Road, Middletown. 401-396-9921
JingLe aLL tHe Way Join the Bristol Community Chorus for its 34th annual Christmas Concert, December 7 at St. Mary’s Church in Bristol. The first half of the show will be classical, featuring selections from famous works like Handel’s Messiah, while the second half will be popular holiday music. 330 Wood Street, Bristol. 401-2533300, www.stmarybristolri.org
ride tHe PoLar exPress Take your little ones (kindergarten age or older) to a Polar Express Party at the Seekonk Public Library on December 8. Hear a reading of the beloved story - written by Rhode Islander Chris Van Allsburg. After, enjoy a snack and a take-home craft. 410 Newman Avenue, Seekonk. 508-336-8230, www.seekonkpl.org
dancing tHrougH tHe snoW The Dancing Cop is as much a part of Christmas in Providence as Santa Claus himself. This year is the 30th year of former police officer Tony Lepore dancing in the streets. While we aren’t sure where he will be stationed this year as of press time, last year he was at the intersection of Dorrance and Westminster every day at lunchtime. Lepore even has his own television special he’s currently taping, set to air on local cable access. Find “Providence Dancing Cop” on Facebook
Sometimes battling alien invaders is the best medicine.
A long hospital stay can be tough on a kid. So when one of her younger patients showed signs of loneliness, Kathryn Ridout, MD, decided to get her game on, and let him join in. Every night before going home, she’d stop by the little gamer’s room to find the console on, a game booted up and a controller waiting on her chair. Naysay all you want, parents, but it turns out late-night gaming sessions can be pretty great for a child’s health. Kathryn Ridout, MD Psychiatry Resident, Rhode Island Hospital
™ On behalf of all of us at Lifespan, we’d like to thank Dr. Ridout for her commitment to care. Lifespan.org
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Photography: Michael Cevoli
Stylish finds for you and your home
Color Chameleon Sarah and John Mycroft moved from the city to the quiet Barrington burbs. But the one thing they brought with them: their bold
use of color. Turn the page to find out how this couple combined modern, classic and big, bright colors.
December 2014 | The BAY
27
Live Well Home Style
by Andrea E. McHugh
Sarah and John Mycroft embraced their bold color aesthetic
Color Me Fab One might think a home built in the 1890s on Providence’s East Side and a home built in the 1940s in Barrington might not have much in common, but with an open mind, a creative eye and an adventurous sense of design, the two can find common ground. So when Sarah and John Mycroft were making the transition from city to suburbs, it turned out they didn’t have to abandon all the things they loved, despite transitioning from homes built nearly half a century apart. “We took just about everything that wasn’t nailed down,” says Sarah with a laugh. And she means it. Oftentimes, custom creations like drapes, cornices and upholstered pieces are left behind, but Sarah, who holds two master’s degrees in historic preservation, saw an opportunity to reinvent some of her favorite pieces in their new abode. “I’m all about recycling if you can reuse something,” Sarah says. She’s says that sometimes people think a new
28
the Bay | December 2014
home requires all new furnishings, but that’s not only expensive, it’s too simplistic. “Sometimes it’s just about getting something reupholstered, giving something a new life.” When Sarah and John were looking for a new home to accommodate their growing family, there was something about the Barrington property that spoke to each of them. The two walked under a gargantuan magnolia tree there that Sarah says felt like “magic,” and when they opened the front door, they could see all the way to the opposite end of the home. The Mycrofts talked about their children, two at the time and one on the way, being able to “have free reign” with the open floor plan while they could also keep a watchful eye. A parlor on the right side of the home offered an eye-catching fireplace and ample bookshelves which immediately spoke to Sarah, an avid book collector, so a warm place to showcase her assortment was another serendipitous sign
the home was well suited for the family. However, there were some big changes the couple would need to make to the home their own. “All the bathrooms were super groovy, total ‘60s; there was a lot of pink and yellow tile, and there were only three bedrooms and we knew we’d increase that,” explains Sarah. The couple turned to Calyx Homes in Lincoln to make their plans reality. Though work was progressing, like any home renovation, the Mycrofts’ project had its ups and downs. “We were holding two mortgages for quite a while,” she says. “It was definitely a nail biter and I was super pregnant and had two little babies.” The end project was worth the wait. Calyx took out the back wall of the house and existing kitchen to produce two additional bedrooms, a new expanded kitchen, office, mudroom and an additional bathroom. As each space came together, Sarah let her creative flag fly. “She has no fear of making bold statements,” says Pernilla Frazier, who
co-owns Kreatelier, a fabric and home décor shop on Providence’s East Side. “I met her four years ago. We connected as she’s an antiques appraiser… She has a passion for color, which I share.” Though Sarah changed her zip code, she wasn’t about to change her sources. She returned to Pernilla and Kreatelier to give the Barrington home a colorful, creative air. The two started the process early on by salvaging and resizing all the window treatments. “That doesn’t happen a lot,” explains Pernilla. “She has a strong sense of design herself… we kind of meet in the middle.” Pernilla, who declares unequivocally that Sarah has an “unbelievable” home, says the secret to her extraordinary design sense is Sarah’s ability to juxtapose old and new, classic and modern. “She has beautiful pieces but they’re meant to be lived in.” It’s no wonder they’re friends: the two believe in utilizing what you already have, flirting with irreverence and being ”fearless” and “a little crazy in the
Photography: Michael Cevoli
One couple moves from Providence’s East Side to Barrington, taking with them a passion for color and style
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customers work with what they have already and in some cases, reinventing them; making them “new and lovely.” Her advice is to embrace your likes, not to fight what you’re intrinsically drawn to, and blend new or unexpected pieces – not necessarily expensive ones – with the things you treasure most, be it an expensive antique or sentimental yard sale find. “It’s your home. Make it comfortable. Make it happy. Make it joyful,” she advises. Imperfection is a way of life, she says, calling her own home a “hot mess” at times complete with children’s tents and the random choo-choo train strewn about. “My advice would be to think about what you love. Use that as a basis, and then think about what you can do to add new flavor.”
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Upcycled Chic
Painted Ladies in Seekonk makes old things new again
Photography: Janice Lee Kelly
I drove over to Seekonk on a par-
ticularly cold afternoon and was immediately warmed as soon as I stepped into Painted Ladies. The intimate space was full of charming lamps, neat tables and dressers, robust rocking chairs and eye-catching trinkets. For about a year now, co-owners Patti Ressler and Melissa Treichler have created a store that’s dedicated to breathing new life into old and recycled objects. “The whole idea is to upcycle, recycle and to get people to see that what they have is just as good as something new,” says Patti. She does the refurbishing
and painting of the furniture, while Melissa does the artwork and jewelry. Patti finds and redoes old pieces to display in the store, or you can bring in something from your house that you’re not happy with, and Patti will fix it up just for you. The blend of art and making old things new again is apparent throughout the store – with birdhouses made from old license plates, wine bottles filled with Christmas lights to make a cute twinkly lamp and unique jewelry handmade from scrap metal. Everything in the store is locally made with local materials. Melissa also does Paint At Home
parties, where she’ll come to your home and bring painting supplies and canvases so you and you friends can paint something beautiful together. Explore the beauty of recycling and renewal with a visit to Painted Ladies and find something to warm up your home for the holidays. 1. Cork wreath, $59 2. Potpourri sachets, $5.99 3. Assorted ornaments, $4-$7.99; Blackbureau, $300; NOEL frame, $12.99 4. Wooden storage box, $18.99; Burlap wreaths, $22.99 5. Floral arrangement, $16.99
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Dr. Javier Ramirez, DDS
Se habla EspaÑol & Ele fala Português
32
the Bay | December 2014
Live Well Connoisseur
by Nina Murphy
Decorating en Manse Joanne Murrman gives tips on decorating the big trees at Blithewold
Photography: Judith Gardner
People can get overwhelmed with Christmas decorating. What’s your philosophy? I always did it with my family growing up. If you don’t have that resource it is up to you to carry the ball. If no one wants to decorate, take that on as your gift to the family. It should not be arduous – one corner in a room or just your front door or a table tree. Highlight that one area.
Gift Cards Available 422 Main Street, Warren (401) 289-2550 www.thewaxpots.com
Designer Joanne Murrman (standing), with Blithewold volunteers Gail Whitford, DMargaret Charbomneau and Nancy Dupont
What are some easy Christmas decorating ideas for a tree? It does not need to be coordinated or complicated. Multicolor and multi hues can be rich and fun but then go monochromatic in your lights. Bright colored lights are making a comeback so use those and a box of silver balls from Home Depot or pack the tree with little white lights and a box of one color of balls. All of a sudden you have a statement tree. It is that contrast of simple complex simple complex. A top to the tree doesn’t have to be a star. Just lace some of the balls together with a piece of wire or pipe cleaner and pop that on the top. Keep it simple.
What are your thoughts: Lights from the top down? Tree up earlier or later? What keeps your tree fresh? A ¼ cup of sugar in the water keeps the tree fresh. With lights, start from the top and work your way down, especially if you don’t have a lot of lights. Most people look at a tree from the midsection up, so you want to be sure there are lights at the top. If you don’t have many ornaments go with a dense tree. Christmas is all around you so get it up earlier than later and enjoy the season. How do you decorate in your home? I always have three trees. My dining room tree is vintage to my childhood with ornaments from my parents of the 1950s. My living room tree, which is seven feet, features ornaments I have collected from museums throughout Europe, Boston and New York. And in my kitchen I have a little tree with giant Sequoia pinecones. Each ornament should make you have that moment that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.
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When you decorate, it is the natural motivator to invite people to your house, and that gets you to another step of enjoying the holidays. Decorations are also a tool to invite somebody you have never invited over before or invite someone who is elderly who might no longer be able to decorate. You can say, “Come over for a drink, come see my tree.” People really appreciate and enjoy that experience. Decorating is a natural segue to reminisce about past Christmases – the good or bad. A Christmas tree can be very superficial and commercial, but it can also inspire memories and reflection.
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Can you share a few details about this year’s Blithewold tree? I always have different levels of subtext to my designs and ornaments. Taking from the theme, I thought of the simple but iconic old fashioned party cracker. Every year I try to use something from the archives. This year, the wrapping of the party cracker will feature copies of letters and photos of the family, which reflect their descriptions of gifts, and invitations to family and friends to come and celebrate festivities at Blithewold. I always include a group from the public to help make the ornaments. This year it is some Benjamin Church seniors. So it is not just a party cracker and not just a decorated tree. I want a compelling design so that when you look into the tree it is dialogue between the visitor and the object.
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Since 2007, Joanne Murrman has been the volunteer designer of the Christmas tree at Christmas at Blithewold, which runs through January 4. This year’s theme “You Are Invited” celebrates the Van Wickle family’s love of entertaining. Joanne earned a B.F.A. from Mass College of Art and M. ED. from Boston University and spent many years teaching art in the public schools of a Boston suburb. After purchasing her Bristol home in 2004, she became a year round resident in 2008 and continues to teach dividing her time between All Saints Academy in Middletown, Portsmouth Arts Guild, Arts Enrichment at Barrington’s Hampden Meadows School and private lessons at her studio above the Bristol Art Museum, where she is also a member. As the leaves fell, we talked about the hidden value of Christmas decorating.
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December 2014 | The BAY
33
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Taste
Photography: Rupert Whiteley
Savor the season’s best food and drink
Fresh from the Oven The Farmer’s Market Pizza at Ten Cousins
When the weather gets cold, comfort food is the order of the day. Ten Cousins Brick Oven in Westport serves up delicious twists on classic fare. Read on to see what’s on the menu this month.
December 2014 | The BAY
35
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#onlyatlincolnschool 301 Butler Avenue, Providence, RI 02906 • 401-331-9696 • www.lincolnschool.org
Taste Eat
by Keith Andrade
All Fired Up Ten Cousins Brick Oven serves up delicious family fare in Westport Lafrance Hospitality
Photography: Rupert Whiteley
Company is no stranger to the Westport dining scene, having run Bittersweet Farm Restaurant & Tavern and The Galley Grille at White’s of Westport for many years. The most recent addition to the portfolio is Ten Cousins Brick Oven, located on the site of the former Fred & Ann’s in Westport’s Central Village. The establishment is named after CEO Richard Lafrance’s ten grandchildren, with the idea that all ten (whose adolescent photos grace the entry foyer) will “play various roles for many years to come.” In addition to “family,” the theme is “local.” The concept for the restaurant was “built around the idea that it would be owned, managed, staffed, built, and decorated all by locals, incorporating fresh ingredients supplied by local farms.” The star of the show is an Italian-made, wood-fired brick oven that produces scrumptious gourmet pizzas and breads, but the seasonally-based menu offers a host of delectable dishes. When I lived in Westport, I visited Ten Cousins several times and it was always jam-packed with locals and families. My recent return, the first in a while, yielded a strangely quiet building. Although it was a Friday night, it was also Halloween, and the first wave of trick-ortreaters had likely just set out. For the first time ever, I would not have to wait to eat! I make note of it because in most prime-time situations, expect to wait for a table. As a telling omen, the waiting area is larger than the bar. Our meal started with Brick Oven
The Meatball Brickini
Brick Oven Wings
Wings ($9), which are tossed with lemon, rosemary, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, and olive oil. The wings are accompanied by whole cloves of garlic – a good sign, since garlic makes everything better. The chicken was moist, flavorful, and best of all, not too messy. Too many chicken wings are slathered with enough sauce to make you feel like you need a bath when you’re done eating. Ten Cousins’ recipe focuses on the seasoning. We also tried an order of Frenchy’s Stuffed Clams ($9), four clams stuffed with bacon, chourico, corn and fresh herbs. Four clams does not sound like much, but these clams are heaping with stuffing that’s chock full of ingredients. If you don’t plan on sharing this appetizer, you might not have much room for your entrée.
And if you didn’t have room it would be a shame, because the feast continues. The Meatball Brickini ($8.50) contained sliced jumbo meatballs and mozzarella in fresh, soft homemade bread. I’m a huge fan of meatball sandwiches, and while these meatballs were great, this is the only version I can think of that will have me going back for the bread. However, it will have to wait because on my next trip I’m getting the Mango-Chipotle Pulled Pork ($9) sandwich again. Juicy pulled pork piled high on a toasted sweet roll and topped with slaw – quite simply, it was the best version of this sandwich that I’ve ever had. Our group of three had been splitting everything so far, and we needed one entrée for the mix. We regretfully passed on the Shrimp and Bacon Mac N’ Cheese ($13.50) – shrimp and bacon in a creamy three-cheese sauce topped with tomatoes, toasted panko crumbs and parmesan. It simply sounded too decadent for an already gluttonous evening, but with cold weather upon us, I have a feeling I’ll be back for it before the winter is out. We settled on Leah’s Lasagna ($12.50), a hearty mix of beef, pork, Italian sausage, ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella. While the lasagna was good, it had big shoes to fill and wasn’t as memorable as the other dishes. Last but not least, there was pizza.
There are some unique versions on the menu that take advantage of Ten Cousins’ specialties, like the Hen & Chickens ($11.50) that’s topped with brick-oven roast chicken and the Sow & Pigs ($11.50) that’s topped with the mango-chipotle pulled pork. We went with the Farmer’s Market Pizza ($11.50), topped with spinach pesto, peppers, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, garlic and mozzarella. First impression – it’s beautiful. Every inch is covered with veggies, so much so that it looks like a veggie platter instead of a pizza. The spinach pesto is on the thicker side and replaces tomato sauce. While tasty, it does take a few bites to mentally get over ingesting a thick, green substance on your food. Maybe I watched too much You Can’t Do That On Television as a kid. Nevertheless, the pizza will certainly add to the problem of deciding what to order when we return. I’m sure they have dessert, but by the end of this meal we were too full to find out. With execution this good, Ten Cousins might not be enough cousins to feed the crowds.
Ten Cousins Brick Oven 977 Main Road, Westport 774-264-9700 www.tencousinsbrickoven.com December 2014 | The BAY
37
Greetings & Best Wishes In Your New Home From Welcome Wagon® & The Farmer’s Daughter
Taste News Bites by Alastair Cairns
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38
the Bay | December 2014
Metacom Kitchen
When you enter the new Metacom Kitchen in Warren, your eyes are immediately drawn back to the open kitchen. One chef was expertly rolling out sheets of fresh dough for a fettuccini main. Further back, Richard Allaire, chef and co-owner along with his wife Sue, stands at the pass, where he can survey the whole dining room. It’s strange to think that it was just March when fuzzy green Irish hats were teetering atop an inebriated horde for Saint Patrick’s Day in this very building, when it was the Old Tinkers Nest Pub. After a complete gutting and renovation, the place is unrecognizable. The bar is the only memory of the former space, but, refinished, it fits right in with the new distressed wood aesthetic. Richard plans on taking advantage of the fact that the kitchen reaches out toward the bar by working closely with Bar Manager Steve Patterson with rapid spice infusions, like their Autumn infusion, made with gin, green cardamom, orange long pepper, rather than the typical pumpkin pie spices we’re currently being beaten over the head with. Richard’s aim is to take approachable and moderately priced food and set himself ahead of the pack on execution, ditching the ceremony. The menu takes the familiar and adds a bit of intrigue and the technique of fine dining. For instance, their Rhode Island Mussels is a pressure-cooked, strained zucchini, tomato and onion broth with a splash of vermouth. Richard hopes his customers will find their
favorites, but also find something that they can’t quite put their finger on. For him there’s no conflict between a pretense-free place that attracts repeat business and making intriguing food that gives him and his team a chance to learn and experiment. 322 Metacom Ave, Warren. 401-245-1193, www.metacomkitchen.com Christian’s Moves into Bristol After five years on Bristol’s waterfront on Thames, the Hourglass Brasserie on Thames has closed. Taking its place is Christian’s Wood Fired Grille, an upscale casual restaurant, which, as the name suggests, presents American staples, all centered around their wood-fired grill. Christian’s is open week round for dinner service. 382 Thames St, Bristol. 401396-9811, christiansri.com Bristol Oyster Bar Opens, Really Remember back in July, we told you the Bristol Oyster Bar would be opening up soon? I wrote all about how it was a fresh seafood-focused restaurant run by an oyster farmer uniquely positioned to serve you the very best in local seafood, including his own oysters? After months of delays and wading through red tape, the Bristol Oyster Bar is finally open for business. Currently they are only dinner service, but will be expanding to have lunch shortly. From 4-6pm they run $1 oyster deal, an excellent way to try a range of locally farmed oysters on the cheap. 448 Hope Street, Bristol. 3965820, bristoloysterbar.com
Photography: Force 4 Photography
716 Mooresfield Road (Rt. 138) Wakefield, RI 02879 401-792-1340 www.thefarmersdaughterri.com Open Daily 9am-6pm
Taste Connoisseur
The Freshest Pasta In Rhode Island!
by Kelly Payton
Family Dinner
Robert Vanderhoff of Roberto’s on the most important time of day
Photography: Force 4 Photography
What’s new on the menu this season? Since we moved here three years ago we added a Saltimbocca that we do with either veal or chicken. The Steak Frites are also very popular and now we have wild mushroom ravioli. We tweak [the menu] every six months or so, we might take an item off and add an item or take off two and add two. The chef likes to shake things up now and again. How does Roberto’s give back to Bristol? We do a lot for the community. We support the local charities and participate in fundraisers. The latest one was Bristol Bloom where I donated two dinners for six with Billy Andrade, the local professional golfer, to help raise money for the flowers they hang on the lampposts all over town. We also donate to Mount Hope Farm. We are
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What are some of your favorite dishes at Roberto’s? Lobster alla Dina, which was named after a very good friend of mine. She helped to concoct the dish and I tweaked it to her liking. The customers seemed to like it that way so we named it after her. Other popular dishes are the Chicken Piccatta, the Veal Carbonara and the Shrimp Pepe Nero.
Our Dining Room Offers Great Entrées Such As Chicken Marsala, Veal Saltimbocca, Steak Tips, Baked Cod and so much more!
1154 Stafford Road, Tiverton • 401-624-3087 • nonnispastashop.com
The opening of Roberto’s Restaurant was completely serendipitous. Owner Robert Vanderhoff was a retired optician who was looking for something to do with a chef friend. After finding a little bed and breakfast that was for sale and developing an Italian American menu, the rest is culinary history. We talked about family, food and being part of the community. Do you think it’s important for families to come together and share a meal? Of course, it’s very important. When I was raising my kids we had dinner together every night.
We will be accepting toys for the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation from 11/23 until 12/14
Ferreira at Roberto’s
happy holidays
very community oriented – there are very few requests I get that I don’t grant. Anybody who comes in for a local charity looking for a gift card for a silent auction, we never say no. We donate to Saint Elizabeth [Manor] and we attend the fundraisers as well. We hear your bar is the place to be. The bar is full every night, even if the dining room is quiet. It’s a dining bar – it’s not a drinking bar. People come here to socialize with other people. Typically, if you walk in you’re going to know people if you’re a reguDec 1_8 lar here. We see the same faces all the time in the dining room and the bar – it’s really gratifying. Bristol is a community and I really feel that Roberto’s is part of it. People who have come here have made best friends here – I’ve made dear friends since I opened this restaurant 13 years ago. It’s just that type of community.
Roberto’s Restaurant 450 Hope Street Bristol 401-254-9732 www.robertosofbristol.com
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December 2014 | The BAY
39
RHODY BITES A Sponsored Statewide Dining Guide
View our full restaurant profiles on RhodyBites.com
Portsmouth Publick House Portsmouth Publick House, previously known as the award-winning Custom Coffee House, now offers delectable meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, all made from fresh, natural ingredients from local farms in the area. The Executive Chef, George Doumaney, is featured on The Rhode Show each week where he shows viewers how to make Portsmouth Publick House menu favorites right at home. Come enjoy popular fall entrees such
as a bowl of World Famous Basil Soup topped with feta cheese (and even served in a fresh bread bowl if your heart so desires), or their Drunken Cornish Game Hen, brined in Angry Orchard Hard Cider, roasted to crisp perfection and served with fingerling potatoes. Anyone looking for a fun, upbeat dinner with a side of entertainment can visit Portsmouth Publick House on Thursdays for Trivia Night from 7pm-9pm, or on Saturdays for live music from 7pm-9pm.
Can’t-Miss Dish: Pumpkin Ravioli or our Bistro Tenderloin with bacon blue cheese mashed potatoes.
600 Clock Tower Square, Portsmouth • 682-2600 fare, plus NY-style pizza. 1 Charlestown Beach Rd, Charlestown, 2136615. LD $$
2 Pauls’ City Grille Comfort food with a family feel. 315 Waterman Ave, East Providence, 228-7285. BrLD $-$$
Caprice Restaurant & Bar Upscale Italian, romantic atmosphere. 455 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-2900. D $$-$$$
Andreas Authentic Greek food since 1966. 268 Thayer St, Providence, 3317879. BrLD $-$$
Casa Della Luce American/Italian bistro and gourmet pizzeria. 105 Franklin St, Westerly, 637-4575. LD $$
Arturo Joe’s Italian food close to the beaches. 140 Point Judith Rd, Narragansett, 789-3230. LD $$
CAV Eclectic cuisine and art in a historic setting. 14 Imperial Place, Providence, 751-9164. BrLD $$-$$$
Aspire Seasonal Kitchen Contemporary New England fare. 311 Westminster St, Providence, 521-3333. BBrLD $$-$$
Centro Restaurant & Lounge Contemporary cuisine and cocktails. 1 W Exchange St, Providence, 228-6802. BLD $$$
Besos Kitchen & Cocktails Tapas and eclectic cuisine and cocktails. 378 Main St, East Greenwich, 398-8855. BrLD $$$
Chapel Grille Gourmet food overlooking the Providence skyline. 100 Chapel View Blvd, Cranston, 944-4900. BrLD $$$
Black Bass Grille Classic seafood, historic waterfront setting. 3 Water St, South Dartmouth, 508-999-6975. LD $$
DeWolf Tavern Gourmet American/ Indian fusion. 259 Thames St, Bristol, 254-2005. BLD $$-$$$
Bon Asian Bistro Sushi and hibachi, stylish bar scene. 1386 Atwood Ave, Johnston, 270-0777. LD $$
DiMare Seafood Fresh seafood restaurant and market. 2706 South County Trail, East Greenwich, 885-8100. LD $$-$$$
Breachway Grill Classic New England
Dragon Palace Fresh sushi and Asian
cuisine. 733 Kingstown Rd, Wakefield, 789-2308. LD $-$$ Eleven Forty Nine City sophistication in the suburbs. 1149 Division St, Warwick, 884-1149. LD $$$ Enn Japanese Creative sushi and Japanese food. 600 George Washington Hgwy, Lincoln, 333-0366. LD $$ Fieldstones Relaxed family setting, something for everyone. 980 E Main Rd, Portsmouth, 293-5200. LD $$ Flatbread Company Artisanal pizza, local ingredients. 161 Cushing St, Providence, 273-2737. LD $-$$ Giros Hometown Grille Pub-style food, friendly service. 501 High St, Peace Dale, 887-752-0794. BrLD $-$$ Guytanno’s Cafe Inspired international cuisine. 62 Franklin St, Westerly, 3846221. LD $$ Hanley’s Ale House Full service pub, great fun. 52 Pine St, Providence, 861-0001. LD $-$$ Harry’s Bar & Burger Creative sliders and cocktails. 121 N Main St,
Providence, 228-7437. LD $-$$ Iggy’s Doughboys & Chowder House Classic clam shack fare, plus famous doughboys. 889 Oakland Beach Ave, Warwick, 737-9459; 1157 Point Judith Rd, Narragansett, 783-5608. LD $ Kartabar Mediterranean-style cuisine, chic setting. 284 Thayer St, Providence, 331-8111. LD $-$$ KitchenBar Contemporary comfort cuisine. 771 Hope St, Providence. 3314100. BrLD $$ Kon Asian Bistro Sushi and hibachi, stylish bar scene. 553 Main St, East Greenwich, 886-9200. LD $$ Lim’s Restaurant Upscale Thai and fresh sushi. 18 South Angell St, Providence, 383-8830. LD $$ Lobster Pot Serving traditional New England classics and seafood. 119 Hope St, Bristol, 253-9100 Br L D $$-$$$ Luxe Burger Bar Build your own creative burger. 5 Memorial Blvd, Providence, 621-5893. LD $ Mariner Grille Creative seafood, pub
Key: B breakfast Br brunch L lunch D dinner $ under 10 $$ 10–20 $$$ 20+ 40
the Bay | December 2014
Photography: Rupert Whiteley
10 Prime Steak & Sushi Gourmet steaks and sushi. 55 Pine St, Providence, 4532333. LD $$$
Greek Pizza
Seasons Fine dining at the Ocean House. 1 Bluff Ave, Westerly, 584-7000. BLD $$$
The Twisted Vine Romantic wine bar with tapas and full meals. 3 Canal St, Westerly, 596-4600. D $$
Pavilion Steakhouse & Banquets Grand, banquet-hall style dining. 15A Frontier Rd, Hopkinton, 377-9900. BrLD $$$
Siena Impeccable Italian cuisine. Locations in Providence, East Greenwich, Smithfield. sienari.com D $$-$$$
Tolento’s Ice House Grille Upscale bar featuring authentic Cajun food and more. 1460 Mineral Spring Ave, North Providence, 353-3100 . LD $-$$
Phil’s Main Street Grille Classic comfort food; great rooftop patio. 323 Main St, Wakefield. 783-4073 BBrLD $
Simone’s Gourmet brunch followed by upscale Mediterranean cuisine. 275 Child St, Warren, 247-1200. BLD $$-$$$
PJ’s Pub Mediterranean-influenced pub food. 135 Boone St, Narragansett. 401-789-3200. LD $-$$
Sweet Cakes Coffee shop and gourmet bakery. 1227 Kingstown Rd, Peace Dale, 789-5420. BL $
Portsmouth Publick House Gourmet pub food with a variety of spirit flights. 1 King Charles Dr, Portsmouth. 6822600. BrLD $-$$
T’s Restaurant Plentiful breakfast and lunch. Locations in Cranston, East Greenwich, Narragansett, 946-5900. BL $
atmosphere. 140 Point Judith Rd, Narragansett, 284-3282. LD $$
76 South Main St, Providence, 3310003. LD $-$$
McBlarney’s County Tap Modern, upscale pub with daily specials. 632 Metacom Ave, Warren, 289-0887. LD $$ McBride’s Pub Traditional Irish pub fare. 161 Wayland Ave, Providence, 7513000. LD $$ Meeting Street Cafe Huge sandwiches and cookies. 220 Meeting St, Providence, 273-0166. BLD $ Mews Tavern Family dining, with a whiskey bar. 456 Main St, Wakefield, 783-9370. LD $-$$ Mia’s Prime Time Café Classic cafe comfort food. 1 West Broad St, Pawcatuck, CT. 860-599-3840. BBrLD $ Mile & a Quarter Eclectic cuisine and wine bar. 334 South Water St, Providence, 331-1500. LD $-$$ Mill’s Tavern Historic setting for New American gourmet. 101 N Main St, Providence, 272-3331. D $$$ Nonni’s Italian Restaurant Traditional Italian eatery and pasta shop. 1154 Stafford Rd, Tiverton, 624-3087. LD $$ Oak St. B&B Delicious, inventive burgers and breakfast. 87 Oak St, Westerly, 315-2520. BLD $ Oceanside at the Pier New England fare overlooking the Atlantic. 1 Beach St, Narragansett, 792-3999. BrLD $$ Paragon & Viva Contemporary dining and nightlife. 234 Thayer St, Providence, 331-6200. BrLD $-$$ Parkside Rotisserie & Bar American bistro specializing in rotisserie meats.
Public Kitchen & Bar American food with changing daily inspirations. 120 Francis St, Providence, 919-5050. BrLD $-$$ Rasa Authentic and contemporary Indian. 149 Main St, East Greenwich, 3982822. LD $$ Rasoi Vegetarian-friendly Indian cuisine. 727 East Ave, Pawtucket, 7285500. LD $$ Red Stripe Casual French-American bistro. 465 Angell St, Providence, 4376950. BrLD $$ Rick’s Roadhouse House-smoked barbecue. 370 Richmond St, Providence, 272-7675. LD $-$$
Tara’s Tipperary Tavern Oceanside Irish-American pub fare. 907 Matunuck Beach Rd, Matunuck, 284-1901. BLD $ Tavern by the Sea Waterfront European/American bistro. 16 W Main St, Wickford, 294-5771. LD $$ The Coast Guard House Upscale New England fare with Bay views. 40 Ocean Rd, Narragansett, 789-0700. LD $$-$$$ The Dorrance Fine dining with exquisite cocktails. 60 Dorrance St, Providence, 521-6000. D $$$ The Malted Barley Gourmet pretzels and craft brews. 42 High St, Westerly, 315-2184. $
Two Ten Oyster Bar & Grill Enjoy fresh seafood and sushi by the water. 210 Salt Pond Rd, Wakefield, 782-0100. LD $$-$$$ Trinity Brewhouse Rhode Island’s original brewpub. 186 Fountain St, Providence, 453-2337 LD $-$$ UMelt Fun twists on grilled cheese. Providence and Kingston, 383-6732. LD $ Vetrano’s Ristorante & Pizzeria Italian cooking like grandma made. 130 Granite St, Westerly, 348-5050. LD $$ Vittoria’s NY Pizza Best pizza north of Manhattan. 224 Post Rd, Westerly, 3221901. LD $-$$ Waterman Grille Riverfront New American dining. 4 Richmond Sq, Providence, 521-9229. BLD $$$ Wes’ Rib House Missouri-style BBQ, open late. 38 Dike St, Providence, 4219090. LD $$ Whiskey Republic Delicious dockside pub fare. 515 South Water St, Providence, 588-5158. LD $-$$
Rue De L’Espoir American cooking with French soul. 99 Hope St, Providence, 751-8890. BBrLD $$
The Restaurant at Weekapaug Inn Quintessential New England fare. 25 Spray Rock Rd, Westerly, 322-0301. BLD $$$
XO Cafe Creative cocktails and New American fare. 125 N Main St, Providence, 273-9090. BrD $$
Scampi Seafood and Italian with expansive water views. 657 Park Ave, Portsmouth, 293-5844. LD $$
The Sea Goose Seafood with New England and Southern flair. 265 Post Rd, Westerly, 315-0788. LD $$-$$$
Zooma Trattoria Fresh Italian using house-made pasta. 245 Atwells Ave, Providence, 383-2002. LD $$
Worth The Drive:
McBride’s Pub
Photography: Brad Smith
If you’re looking for a traditional Irish meal with a unique twist, McBride’s Pub, located in the Wayland Square part of Providence, is the place to be. With the many enticing options on McBride’s menu, one can’t help but notice the delicious mix
of American, Irish and other types of culinary cuisine, like the Irish Quesadillas, filled with corned beef, cabbage, mozzarella and cheddar cheese. If you’re craving good food and great drink, look no further than McBride’s
Can’t Miss Dish: The Guinness Beef Stew made with beef sirloin and Guinness Stout topped with a hearty scoop of mashed potatoes... perfect for the chilly winter nights! Beshoff’s Fish’n Chips
For full restaurant profiles, go to RhodyBites.com
161 Wayland Ave, Providence • 401-751-3000 @RhodyBites
facebook.com/RhodyBites
December 2014 | The BAY
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Gallery
Head over to Blithewold every Friday night in December for family friendly holiday fun
Ring in the Holidays in Style 1.
Photo: Allan Millora Photography
December 5-26: Tis the season to shine and sparkle. On Friday nights throughout December, Bilthewold Mansion and Gardens presents Sparkle! An Outdoor Family Event, just one facet of Christmas at Blithewold. Bundle up for an evening of fun for the entire family. You’ll stroll through the illuminated gardens, greenhouse and mansion grounds, breathing in the crisp December air. Join in as carolers sing your favorite Christmas songs, spreading holiday cheer. Cozy up to your loved ones as you sip hot cocoa and roast marshmallows around the roaring bonfire in Blithewold’s enclosed garden. 6pm-8pm. (Caroling begins at 6:30pm around the bonfire.) 101 Ferry Road, Bristol. 401-253-2707, www.blithewold.org.
2.
December 1-29: Mondays bring the weekly Kundalini Yoga class to Sandywoods Farm featuring instructor Deb Brown (Ravijeet Kaur). All levels are welcome. Classes are held in the yellow building. $10. 73 Muse Way, Tiverton. 401-215-6328, www.sandywoodsfarm.org.
3.
December 6, 13 & 27: There’s no better time to tour the Newport Mansions than for Holiday Evenings at the Newport Mansions. Enjoy music and refreshments as you stroll through The Breakers. $30-$45. 6-8pm. 424 Bellevue Avenue, Newport. 401-847-1000, www. newportmansions.org.
4.
December 3: Westport Rivers hosts its monthly Westport Wine Wednesdays – stop by the tasting bar to try any seven wines for just $10. The shop is open too so be sure to grab a bottle to go. 11am-5pm. 417 Hixbridge Road, Westport, MA. 508-636-3423, www. westportrivers.com.
5.
December 12 & 14: Michael DiMucci performs a Christmas Concert in the historic ballroom at Linden Place. Expect a mix of classical numbers, Christmas standards and an audience singa-long. $12-$20. 7:30pm Fri; 2pm Sun. 500 Hope Street, Bristol. 401253-0390, www.lindenplace.org.
December 2014 | The BAY
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Gallery Calendar by Erin Balsa
December December 1-17: Rogers Free Library offers 2 and 3 year olds a weekly Story Time with Miss Molly each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Little ones will enjoy stories, rhymes, games, songs, crafts and snacks. Registration is required. Free. 9:30am. 525 Hope Street, Bristol. 401253-6948, www.rogersfreelibrary.org. December 1-29: Every Sunday at the Hearth Cooking Workshop visitors to Coggeshall Farm prepare recipes at the hearth using farm-raised produce and then enjoy the fruits of their labors by candlelight. $50-$60. 4pm. 1 Coggeshall Farm Road, Bristol. 401253-9062, www.coggeshallfarm.org. December 1-31: This month the Bristol Art Museum presents Cat and Dogs, an exhibition at Rogers Free Library featuring artist Nancy Zametkin LaPolla, a retired teacher whose artistic focus is painting and color. 525 Hope Street, Bristol. 401-253-4400, www.bristolartmuseum.org. December 2: All are welcome to the Tuesday Night Open Mic at Sandywoods Farm. It doesn’t matter whether you play an instrument, sing, read poetry or do spoken word, there’s an audience waiting to listen to whatever talent you bring. Free. 7-10pm. 43 Muse Way, Tiverton. 401-241-7349, www.sandywoodsfarm.org. December 2-26: Buzzards Bay Brewing’s rustic Tap Room is open year round to thirsty Bay residents. Stop in Tuesday through Friday afternoon or early evening to taste some of the best beer east of the Mississippi. 1pm-7pm. 98 Horseneck Road, Westport MA. 508636-2288, www.buzzardsbrew.com. December 2-30: Are you smarter than a fifth grader? Great! Head to Wally’s Tap House every Tuesday night for Stump! Trivia to prove it. Winning teams go home with prizes so be sure
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE 44
the Bay | December 2014
to bring your smartest friends. 8pm. 13 Crandall Road, Tiverton. 401-624-1212, www.stumptrivia.com. December 2-30: Each Tuesday, the public is invited to Roger Williams University for Zen Meditation at the Intercultural Center Prayer Room. Sit, relax and find your true way. Mats and cushions will be provided. 6-7pm. 1 Old Ferry Road, Bristol. 401-254-3626, www.rwu.edu. December 3: The Carpenter Museum announces that Mary Ann McDonald and Diane Goodwin, both of the Somerset Historical Society, will give a talk about Patience Brayton, Rehoboth’s first abolitionist. No reservations are required. Free. 124 Bay State Road, Rehoboth. 508-252-5718, www. carpentermuseum.org. December 4-18: On Thursday mornings the Tiverton Library hosts a Toddler Story Time, which features new books every week. All are designed to engage and build upon your child’s love for reading. Free. 10:30am. 238 Highland Road, Tiverton. 401-625-6796, www.tivertonlibrary.org. December 4-18: Every Thursday morning, Barrington Books hosts Children’s Story Hour with Miss Margie followed by craft time in its charming children’s section. It’s the perfect way to cure that midmorning itch. Free. 10am. 184 County Road, Barrington. 401-245-7925, www.barringtonbooks.com. December 4-21: Second Story Theatre offers the perfect holiday play. On the surface, The Trip to Bountiful is the story of a family living in a cramped apartment in Houston but underneath it’s a masterpiece of memory and mortality. $10-$30. 28 Market Street, Warren. 401-247-4200, www.2ndstorytheatre.com.
December 6 & 13: As part of the Saturday Jazz Series at Greenvale Vineyards, concerts are held in the tasting room each Saturday. Sample wine while you relax and listen. $3 music; $7-$9 wine by the glass; $12 wine tasting. 1-4pm. 582 Wapping Road, Portsmouth. 401-847-3777, www.greenvale.com. December 5-20: The folks at Westport Vineyards offer Public Tours and Wine Tastings every Friday and Saturday evening. You get a special edition etched wine glass and the chance to taste six wines ranging from sparkling to aperitif. $10. 5-8pm. 417 Hixbridge Road, Westport, MA. 508-636-3423, www.westportrivers.com. December 5-26: Drop by The Coffee Depot in Warren on a Friday night for Open Mic Night. Try your hand on stage or just relax with a coffee and a snack while listening to some talented local performers. Because you need a break from the same old bar scene. Free. 7-10pm. 501 Main Street, Warren. 401-608-2553. December 5-26: Newport Storm invites the public to have a beer (or three) on them. Each Friday at the brewery’s Fridays@6 event visitors can
sample several craft beers. A limited number of people are allowed in; signup begins at noon every Friday. Free. 293 JT Connell Road, Newport. 401849-5232, www.newportstorm.com. December 5-27: Head to Newport’s Firehouse Theatre every Friday and Saturday night for Comedy Improv with the Bit Players featuring improvisation with games and audience involvement. Reservations suggested. $15. 8pm Friday & Saturday; 10pm Saturday. 4 Equality Park, Newport. 401-849-3473, www.bitplayers.net. December 6: It’s the first Saturday of the month, which means it’s Citizens Bank Foundation Free Family Fun Day at the Audubon Environmental Education Center. Enjoy crafts, nature stories, animal discoveries, hikes and more! Activities are geared for all ages. Free. 1401 Hope
For an up-to-date statewide calendar and to submit your own listings visit www.thebaymagazine.com
Gallery continued... Poinsettias Ready to Take Home!
Street, Bristol. 401-245-7500, www. asri.org. December 6: On the first Saturday of the month the Tiverton Library hosts Lego Saturday in which children ages 5-10 can use Legos to free build, play or take on the challenge of the day. It’s a great hands-on program. Free. 10:30-11:45am. 238 Highland Road, Tiverton. 401-6256796, www.tivertonlibrary.org. December 6: Don’t dust off the old artificial tree – pick out a freshly cut new one at Audubon’s Christmas Tree Sale and Photos with Santa. Seasonal crafts and activities will be available. Free. 9am-4pm. 1401 Hope Street, Bristol. 401-949-5454, www.asri.org. December 6-27: Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you can’t shop fresh. Check out the Mount Hope Farmers Market, which is open
every Saturday year round with local growers, artisans, live music and kidfriendly programming. Free. 9am-1pm. 250 Metacom Avenue, Bristol. 401254-1745, www.mounthopefarm.org. December 11: This month’s AHA Night New Bedford takes place at locations around the city including Jacobs Family Gallery, Cook Memorial Theatre and Wattles Family Gallery and features the theme of Made in New Bedford. Go online for details about this reoccurring arts event. Free. 5-8pm. www. ahanewbedford.org/calendar. December 26-30: Keep the kiddos busy with December School Vacation Week Programming at Audubon. Children will listen to nature stories, make nature crafts, learn to cook bird food, identify animal footprints and more. All ages. Free with admission. 9am-5pm daily. 1401 Hope Street, Bristol. 401-9495454, www.asri.org.
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December 20-21: Bundle up and join Save the Bay for an exciting one-hour Seal Watch Tour. Departing from The Wyndham Inn on Long Wharf, the tour offers expert guides and binoculars for an educational view of these cute creatures. 12pm-1pm. 142 Long Wharf, Newport. 401-203-7325, www.savebay.org.
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December 2014 | The BAY
45
Gallery On Stage by Mike Sullivan
Classic Cheer
A Christmas Carol comes to the Bristol Theatre Company
Dramatic holidays in Bristol
mas Carol it’s because you want to relive a classic. Instead of watching it on TV for the upteenth billionth time, there’s a great opportunity to watch Bristol Theatre Company’s production of it from December 18-21. What’s great about this is that it gives you the chance to get out of the house during the Christmas season in a manner that doesn’t include death racing strangers for the last parking spot at the mall or elbowing them over the last action figure in stock. It’s an opportunity to decompress, relax and breath in the spirit of the season. And that’s the point. Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol as an alternative to creating a treatise on the struggles of the poor, particularly on the horrible working conditions of children. He figured that his message would better endure in form of a Christmas story. Seeing on how it’s remained popular for over 150 years, it’s safe to say he made the right choice. “What we think makes Dickens’ A Christmas Carol timeless is the fact that it can be done in a variety of manners,” says Nathan Melo, co-director of the Bristol Theatre production. “From a musical version to a steampunk Victorianstyle, the spectrum is virtually endless as far as what you can add to make this show “new,” at least visually. We also find that the characters of A Christmas Carol make this show timeless as well. Written in 1843, each generation has grown up with tales of the horribly ill-willed Scrooge, the sweet, hopeful Tiny Tim, the scary truth of the ghost of Jacob Marley and the lessons taught by the three ghosts (Christmas’ Past, Present and Future).”
46
the Bay | December 2014
“We think, no matter how many times the show has been reinvented, that audience members arrive with the typical expectations of the traditional story to unfold,” Nathan says. “We feel that they remember the first time they either saw or were read the tale and hope to see it brought to life, welcoming the changes the decades have brought to performances of the work.” This is the Bristol Theatre Company’s third annual production of A Christmas Carol, A Play With Music, co-directed by Nathan and Tyler DaPonte and produced by Marie Knapman. Nathan is also the Musical Director. They are a non-profit group, started in 1983 as the Bristol High School Alumni Theatre Company. Their goal is to produce and promote the theater arts in the East Bay, and a partial list of their past performances include Heaven Can Wait, Fiddler on the Roof, Camelot, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Alice in Wonderland. A fun aside: all but four actors are under the age of 16. This is going to be the year I finally join the rest of humanity and see A Christmas Carol. Attending the Bristol Theatre Company’s Christmas Carol, A Play With Music provides a two-fer: watching a masterpiece while supporting a great organization.
A Christmas Carol Reynolds School 235 High Street, Bristol 401-424-1315 December 18-21 www.bristoltheatre.com
Photo: Janet Deshaies
When you want to watch A Christ-
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Richard Benjamin
You know Richard Benjamin. You just can’t remember how. Perhaps it was his photos in Stars & Stripes; perhaps his iconic images as a photojournalist for the Providence Journal; perhaps it’s the four books of his best work he keeps selling or his Rhode Island landmark calendars. Richard, now 75, has always stuck with what he loves – shooting the loveliness of his native Rhode Island that escapes most of us, in our everyday bustle. He has been fascinated by all things photographic since 1951, 65 years ago. His first exposure to photography came when he was about ten, as a boy scout. “I was helping my troop collect newspapers and magazines for recycling and found them fascinating,” says Richard. “That sparked my interest enough so that I then started to notice the photos in the Providence Journal and the Evening Bulletin.” Richard requested a camera as a high school graduation gift. He then went to Brown University, majoring in art history, and immediately signed up as a staffer for the Brown Daily Herald. It was on an assignment to photograph a visiting scientist (Niels Bohr) that he met Winfield (Win) I. Parks, while simultaneously getting his first front page photo published. Later, Win judged a photo contest at Brown. “I won second place and I had the opportunity to talk with him one to one. I told him he was my hero and he invited me to visit the Journal photo lab and meet the other staffers, which I did. That began my relationship with the
Providence Journal,” a 27-year marriage. But first, he had a shotgun wedding with the Army when he left Brown in 1960. Stationed in Germany, he kept in touch with Win. “He used to send me film and papers from time to time,” says Richard. “I ended up as a photographer in Germany and had a lot of photos published in the Stars & Stripes, which gave me a good portfolio to start looking for a job on a newspaper. I wanted it to be the ProJo.” Now living in Rehoboth, he cannot discern a favorite or best-known image among the tens of thousands he has taken, but two come to his mind when reminiscing. “Journalism-wise, I look back on the Blizzard of ‘78 when I, and two or three other photographers, had the blizzard to ourselves for the first few days and some of those images stand out as most memorable,” says Richard. “Gallerywise, there is an image of the city from Prospect Park that I could call a favorite.” “I like to think that what sets my work apart from other photographers is that there is still a photojournalist in me and I do not consider that a constraint.“ says Richard. “But I also like to shoot things like the old front porch with a tattered American flag on it, or an early morning view of Main Street in Warren with the clock and blooming spring tree in front of town hall.”
Richard Benjamin www.richardbenjamin.com
Photography: Brian DeMello
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49
Taste Test
by Grace Lentini
Holiday Snacktacular Exactly how many holiday parties did you pencil in this season? I bet it’s a few too many. But, hey, it’s time to eat, drink and be merry. While you may not be able to cook a dish for every party you go to, you can pick something up on the way. In the spirit of giving, we’ve sampled portable and, more importantly, tasty dishes that will be a big hit wherever you take them. So bundle up, grab these to go options and arrive at your party with these yummy gifts in hand.
Sprouting Joy
A Delicious Dunk
“These Brussels sprouts are perfect,” was the response by our resident Brussels sprouts lover staff member to The Pantry at Avenue N’s Brussels sprouts with crispy pancetta. The sprouts were cooked perfectly, not too hard or soft, and had a great sear so that there was a bit a caramelization on them. The crispy pancetta added a great hint of salt and the right amount of savory. 20 Newman Avenue, Rumford. 401-270-2836, www.avenuenamericankitchen.com.
“Give me more,” was the general consensus of the seafood platter from Tony’s Seafood. It was a great representation of the bounty of Narragansett Bay. Between the creamy smoke salmon pâté, smoked bluefish and jumbo shrimp cocktail, there was a little something for everyone. All the seafood was plump, fresh and best of all, delicious. 1365 Fall River Avenue, Seekonk. 508-336-6800, www.tonysfreshseafood.com
A Bite of Cheer No holiday would be complete without those little finger foods that whet your appetite before the big meal. The stuffed phyllo triangles filled with spinach and feta from Leon’s KitchenWorx really hit the spot. Once dipped in the lemony, dilly and cucumbery and not too garlicky tzatziki sauce, the whole dish really came together. And best of all, the phyllo dough remained crispy, buttery and tasty bite after bite. 230 Waseca Avenue, Barrington. 401-247-1660, www.leonskitchenworx.com
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the Bay | December 2014
Get Sauced Need to bring a side dish to dinner? Pick up tortellini with Bolognese sauce from the Italian Corner Deli. The tortellini was cooked al dente and the cheese filling did not overwhelm the pasta. This dish traveled well and reminded us of our childhood, sitting around the dinner table. It’ll be a crowdpleaser for sure. 10 Boyd Avenue, East Providence. 401-431-1737, www.italiancorner-ri.com
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