Tag Archives: The Providence Journal

Fun Friday: Summer is here!

26 May

Ready to plan your summer?

Well, not officially, but it’s Memorial Day weekend, and that often signifies the un-official start of summer, while seasonally it doesn’t officially start until mid-June. Today, I wanted to share two exciting links with you from my work with The Providence Journal, which will help you plan your summer adventures, if you are local to Rhode Island, most especially your eating adventures.

The Providence Journal published its annual Summer Guide last weekend, providing readers with nearly 100 pages of summertime fun. I was asked to be a contributor to the guide, providing readers with a comprehensive roundup of great places to eat during the summer months and great food festivals to visit all summer long.

To create my lists of places to eat and festivals to visit, I polled my social media community. I asked them where they like to eat, and what their favorite festivals are each summer. I was amazed by the answers. My family and I tend to be creatures of habit, and we often visit our same favorites over and over again, forgetting that our littlest state packs quite a punch when it comes to delectable meals. I found myself saying, “We’ll have to remember this place, and that one, and that one….next time we want to eat out.”

And so, here are my two pieces for you so that as you sit down and with your calendar to plan out some summer fun, you have a place to start.

You too, might find a new place to eat that you never knew about!

To see the roundup of Rhode Islanders’ Favorite Restaurants, visit the link here.

To find some great new food festivals to visit (Swedish Meatballs anyone?) visit the link here.

Foodie festivals for everyone’s tastes and budgets!

And finally, to read the entire guide, visit this link here. You can find the best beaches, historic homes, fairs and more, to fill your summer months with fun and adventure.

Tags: , , ,

What’s for Dinner Wednesday: Looking to eat out?

26 Apr

Looking for some dining out adventures and recommendations?

Welcome to a slightly different version of What’s for Dinner Wednesday. Normally I provide you with a recipe or a two week menu plan to help inspire your home-cooked meals.

Not this week.

It’s been some time since I’ve done a blog post, and a big part of the reason why has been work-related. I have had several big projects that I have been working on for The Providence Journal, and I can now share two of those three projects with you!

Take some advice from those who have been there and visit some of our great local restaurants with your family!

The first is a piece that I did about dining out as a family in Rhode Island. If you are a Rhode Islander or live close to the state, or maybe you’ll be visiting the state, I have gathered together some family dining recommendations for you that are great for eating out as a family. You can find that link here.

Looking for meal deals when dining with kids? Check out a few ideas here.

In addition to that piece, I also compiled a list of restaurants both local and chain, that offer kids’ meal deals. Sometimes it’s on a certain day of the week, sometimes there is a required adult meal purchase, but every time there is some sort of deal for kids. Kids can often dine for free or at least dine for less, if you explore your options. This piece will start you off on the right foot, finding out who’s got great deals for kids.

Sharing their love for Syria, the owners of Mosaic hope to introduce many to the traditions and culture of their home country.

Locally, I’ve had the great fortune of being able to explore a wonderful Syrian restaurant that recently opened in Cranston, RI, and that is the second project that I’m sharing with you today. The name of the restaurant is Mosaic, and it’s located in a great part of our city with lots of international dining spots on the same street. Over time I’ve not only gotten to try some delicious new foods, but I’ve also gotten to learn a lot about the Syrian culture and traditions. For example, Ramadan is coming up, and I learned about many of the traditional foods and beverages that are used to break the fast, which takes place from sunrise to sunset.

The decor in Mosaic is stunning, and you feel as if you are there in Syria, enjoying your food among the lovely Syrian people.

Mosaic will be specializing in traditional Ramadan offerings during May and June, when the holiday will take place this year. I’ve truly enjoyed meeting the owners and family members at Mosaic and I am looking forward to visiting them again soon. You can read my dining review of Mosaic here, and learn more about the Syrian culture by reading my feature piece here. Thanks to my friend Shelley for the photos of the Mosaic pieces!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next project I was working on over the past few weeks’ time will be running at the end of May, and I will be sure to share it with you then. I’ve been busy, busy, busy and you won’t be disappointed!

Until that time however, be sure to be on the lookout for my next post. I promise to give you some meal inspiration for eating in, with a special twist.

How’s that for a teaser?!

 

Tags: , , , ,

It was a banner day!

30 Jan
My very first piece for the Providence Journal's Food section!

My very first piece for the Providence Journal’s Food section!

Last Wednesday was an exciting day for me, and I’m so happy to be able to share the excitement with you!

I have been working very hard over the past month or so on some great projects. Recently, I was asked to be a freelance contributor for our state newspaper, The Providence Journal. Specifically, I have been asked to write for their Food section. I have been a fan of this section for a long time now, and in past years both of my grandmothers’ recipes have been featured in it, as have my daughters’ accomplishments in various cooking competitions. The section contains great recipes, restaurant reviews and features, as well as tips and tricks for your kitchen cooking adventures, and I am so thrilled to be a part of it.

On Wednesday, my first piece, “Vive la France at Cranston’s Caffe Bon-Ami” appeared on the front page of the section. You can read the feature here. I’m so proud of this piece, and if you’re local, I highly encourage to pay a visit to Malcolm over at Caffe Bon-Ami, you’ll be glad you did! If you’re not within driving distance, be sure to check out his Facebook page!

This was such a fun project to work on!

This was such a fun project to work on!

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, I also recently agreed to take on a different sort of project for the Beacon Communications newspapers I have worked for, the Cranston Herald, the Johnston SunRise and the Warwick Beacon. I volunteered to take on this month’s special RhodyLife section, which was a bridal feature. I visited local bridal gown vendors, I spoke to brides, photographers, bakers, and explored local and widespread wedding trends. I interviewed a friend who had recently had a Harry Potter themed wedding, and their wedding story was featured in the section, front and center, so I was thrilled to see her smiling face, alongside her husband, when I opened up my paper Wednesday morning. You can read my three wedding articles here, here and here.

All in all, it was a banner day!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,