July 27th Newsletter
You know summer is going fast when August 1st looms on the horizon like a setting sun. Well, we’re here. I noticed today that it has been two months since we have emailed you last. Yikes! Obviously we’ve been a little busy around here.
Well lucky for us, August is no exception. We have plenty of upcoming events, exciting classes, and tantalizing products to whet your appetite. Read on, bon vivants…read on!
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‘Lil Rhody Local Food Fest, Tuesday, August 3rd!
Although tickets are now officially ’sold out’, we hope many of you were able to snatch some up, because man, is this gonna be delicious!
The RI Food Fest is an evening celebrating Rhode Island’s own farmers, fishermen and food artisans. Featuring two dozen local farmers and producers, teamed up with chefs from Castle Hill, Blackstone Caterers, Newport Restaurant Group and nine more-including of course, yours truly! All this, plus, local wines, beers, a raw bar, live music by Brown Bird and a silent auction.
We’ve got some slammin’ grub planned for the event, and Matt will be there to grill up the goods. Come by and say hello and munch on locally grown goodies from our friends at Red Planet Farm.
Rough life. A seat by the ocean wall at Castle Hill Inn & Resort. A plate full of local food. Lil ‘Rhody’s own ‘Brown Bird’ serving up funky beats and sonic, folksy treats. Sounds like a pretty damn fine day to me. We can’t wait to see you there! For more information, check out the festival schedule, here.
Our most recent series of classes- Summer Tastings Under The Stars, co-hosted by the gorgeous roof patio on the top of The Peerless Building (yes, that’s it to the left), as well as ENO Fine Wines, in the bustling Downcity section of Providence, has apparently become all the rage for you cheese and wine geeks.
Not like we are all that surprised! Imagine: a warm, breezy night, the sights of the sun going down over the crown of the Narragansett Bay, the lights of the city twinkling, a selection of carefully procured artisan cheeses and a stem or two of intriguing and infallible wine or beverage pairings to correspond with those cheeses. Heaven!
Add our resident “Mongress” and Artisan Cheese Manager, Katie to the mix, dropping appropriate curd knowledge and tempting you to discover some new flavors and textures of impeccable fromage and it sounds like quite the evening.
Our Rooftop Tasting Series continues in August with our ‘Carbonation & Curds‘ class on Sunday, August 22nd. ‘On Carbonation & Curds’- Our Favorite Bubbles With Cheese And Why!
Beer, Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, sparkling rosé, sparkling sangria, fizzies…there are more than just the run of the mill options here, folks. Now what about cheeses that pair well with them? We’ve got you covered. Come discover which cheeses pair beautifully with those bubbly buddies of ours. (We’ve even got a great cheese pairing for a Gin & Tonic- but you’ll have to just wait and see what it is!). $50 per person, 6pm-8pm at The Peerless Building, reservations required. Please call Katie at 401-274-7177 to reserve your spot now!
We are proud beyond belief to announce that we have been invited to host an evening at the acclaimed national culinary stage, The James Beard House, in New York City on Monday, August 16th, 2010!
Our ‘American Artisan Dinner‘ at The James Beard House in August, will be the culmination of a lifetime dedicated to creating the best food we know how. Matt, Ben and Kate have been tirelessly planning our menu, sourcing our ingredients, and getting ready to showcase what we can do.
Paying homage to America’s best dairy, meats, locally procured vegetables, fruits, herbs and artisan ingredients, we will not rest until our evening at The Beard House is filled with our loyal customers and aficionados of all things ‘honest, seasonal & handmade’.
Tickets are still available. That means you should be there. Click the link above for more information, including our menu, or simply head to the James Beard Foundation website to reserve your tickets, or call 212-627-2308 to purchase over the phone.
With a fantastic list of wines and beers to accompany our menu provided by our friends at M.S. Walker as well as our good buddy & Brewmaster, Shaun E. Hill, this is going to be an event not to be missed. Trust us. We hope to see you all there!
CHEF’S WHIM IN FULL SWING!
Our weekly ‘Chef’s Whim Menu’- a three course tasting menu, available with accompanying wine pairings, is really shining right now. Chef de Cuisine, Ben Sukle, has been diligently sourcing and crafting his whim menu, which is available every Friday and Saturday night. With summer in full swing, our farmers are showcased like never before. Come see what Ben, Pastry Chef Deonna & the boys are up to!
EXCLUSIVE ARGENTINE BREWS AT LA LAITERIE!
Two years ago, as an International Delegate at the Prestigious Slow Food conference, Terre Madre, Matt fell in love with some small batch, craft ales from Ceveceria Jerome, in Mendoza, Argentina. Fast forward two years, and our Bartender and Beer Buyer, David, has been able to find these amazing beers, stateside! We are excited to announce that we are the ONLY restaurant in Rhode Island to offer these amazing brews. Whether it’s the ‘Roja’ the ‘Rubia’ or the ‘Negra’, you are sure to find a new favorite. Beer geeks- come indulge.
MATT ELECTED TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR PROTEIN UNIVERSITY
So, you dig swine? Protein University is the first sustainable butcher network in the United States, supporting responsible farms and heritage species of livestock. The mission is to create an online resource populated with a family tree of butchery techniques from whole animal breakdowns to sausage making from across the globe. Well, if you play your cards right, you could join Matt and a group of 10 other chefs and butchers in Ashville, North Carolina for an exclusive 4-day butcher intensive at Grove Park Inn in Asheville, on August 29, 30 and 31. All you have to do is submit a video of your best butcher work, sausage making, curing or charcuterie. Click here for more info.
CHEFS MOVE TO SCHOOLS INITIATIVE, MOVES RIGHT ALONG
Our friends at Chef’s Collaborative have asked if we are interested in joining Michelle Obama’s ‘Chefs Move To Schools’ initiative this fall. Of course, without much thought, we said ‘YES’! Through Mrs. Obama’s program, chefs are encouraged to ‘adopt’ a school and to work with teachers, parents and school nutrition professionals and administrators to help educate kids about food and nutrition. By creating healthy dishes that taste good, chefs have a unique ability to deliver these messages in a fun and appealing way to the larger audience, particularly children. Kate and Matt will be selecting a local school to work with this fall and already have curriculum ideas for when they hit the classroom. This is important work, and we are thrilled to be involved. Stay tuned!
NEW PRODUCTS ON THE WEBSITE!
Hankerin’ for a hunk ah, a slice, a slab, a chunck ‘ah…hankerin’ for a hunk of cheese? We got you covered. In fact, right now in our online shop, we are selling some of our favorite cheeses of the moment- Equinox, a crumbly & salty goat’s milk cheese from Consider Bardwell Farm, and Twig Farm ‘Tomme’- Michael Lee’s inspired and inspiring aged goat tomme, from West Cornwall, Vermont. Two great goats, one reason to buy: they’re delicious. Check out the shop here.
We sincerely hope that your summer has been a blast so far. Let us help you finish it up right, with one of the many events we have to offer. See you soon for that chunk ‘o cheese, some sliced meats, a dinner at La Laiterie or a tasting under the stars….
Matt & Kate Jennings
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