Projo Food Blog

So it's July 4th and the holiday snuck up on a lot of folks, restaurant folks that is.

Traditionally, it's a day many restaurants are closed either for the day or for a short vacation. But this year, the Fourth is on Saturday, the biggest night of the week at restaurants. In Providence, it's a WaterFire night.

So lots of local restaurants, and a market, alerted me that they were open and here's the scoop.

CAV, 14 Imperial Place, Providence, (401) 751-9164, offers a Fourth of July cookout served outside in the courtyard (or inside if it rains) that includes pasta and vegetable salad, a half-pound Angus beef hamburger with all the fixings, a romaine and wild greens side salad, French fries and ice cream for $15. The regular menu, including brunch, lunch and dinner, is also available from 10 a.m. The Fourth of July fare is available from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the regular menu, from 7:30 to 11 p.m.

Gregg's Restaurants & Pubs are featuring a 4th of July Cake today. The dessert is made up of four layers of red velvet cake filled with cream-cheese frosting and fresh blueberries. Gregg's pubs are at 1303 North Main St., Providence, (401) 831-5700; 1359 Post Rd., Warwick, (401) 467-5700; 1940 Pawtucket Ave., East Providence, (401) 438-5700; and 4120 Quaker Lane (Route 2), North Kingstown, (401) 294-5700. Visit greggsusa.com.

The Capital Grille, 1 Union Station, Providence, (401) 521-5600, will be open for dinner on Saturday and Sunday, July 4 and 5.

Venda Ravioli, 275 Atwells Ave., Providence, (401) 421-9105, vendaravioli.com, will be open =from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

3 Steeple Street, 125 Canal St., Providence, (401) 272-3620, is open all WaterFire nights serving the full menu.

Antonio's Trattoria, 1710 Cranston St., Cranston, (401) 943-1932, antoniotrattoria.com, open from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. with specials.

Basta Restaurant, 2195 Broad St., Cranston, (401) 461-0330, is open from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. with specials.

Mill's Tavern, 101 N Main St., Providence, (401) 272-3331, millstavernrestaurant.com, serves dinner on the Fourth.

Pinelli's Deli by Day and Café at Night, 701 Quaker Lane, West Warwick, (401) 821-8828, serves holiday favorites, including salads, pizzas, calzones, sandwiches and other selections from Pinelli's menu from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the Café will be open on the night of the Fourth.

T's Restaurant, 1059 Park Ave., Cranston, (401) 946-5900, and 5600 Post Rd., East Greenwich, (401) 398-7877, tsrestaurantri.com, celebrates the Fourth of July by serving its Patriot Pancakes for the holiday weekend. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Parkside Rotisserie & Bar, 76 South Main St., Providence, (401) 331-0003, is open on from 5-11 p.m. for dinner with outdoor seating (weather permitting) for the scheduled WaterFire.

Z Bar & Grille, 244 Wickenden St., Providence, celebrates the George M. Cohan Festival July 4th weekend on Wickenden Street and accepts dinner reservations, including for al fresco dining on the garden patio.

Happy Independence Day to all!

For lunch today, get out, get out, get out!
If the rain holds off tonight, get out, get out, get out.

I bet hardly anybody has been up to Chez Pascal's Hewtin Hot Dog Cart at Lippitt Park on Hope Street across from Chez Pascal. Make today the day.

It features all-beef, Connecticut-made Grote & Weigel Hot Dogs, regular and spicy, as well as house-made relishes such as Sweet Pepper & Vidalia Onion Relish, Classic Pickle Relish, and my favorite, the pineapple and pepperdew relish which is both hot and sweet.

The cart is out Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to about 4:30 p.m., weather permitting. Bring cash.

Tonight, head for the hidden gem at the Providence Marriott Downtown at the corner of Orms and Charles streets. Yes, I'm serious.

This is the second summer for Aqua, oasis-style get-away-from-it-all that feels like a living room with comfy chairs, sofas and floor lamps. But it also feels like a restaurant with outdoor fireplaces, cool drinks, fun food and neon lights.

Yes, all at the Marriott, a hotel where the parking is easy.

Heading to the burbs, there are two spots in Warwick for al fresco dining and drink.

The NYLO Providence/Warwick hotel, 400 Knight St., Warwick, (401) 734-4460, nylohotels.com, has an outdoor patio and restaurant with space-age design.

Eleven Forty Nine Restaurant, 1149 Division St., Warwick, has a lovely fireplaced patio and is at the crossroads of Route 4.

Up north, languish on the patio at the European Café & Restaurant, 645 Douglas Pike (Route 7), Smithfield. (401) 349-4200; europeancaferi.com, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

This just in from Westport, Mass.

TONIGHT AT WESTPORT RIVERS:

Sunset Music Series
Locally grown blues and folk influenced musicians on the lawn. Every Friday in July & August, 6-8pm

On a beautiful summer day, there are few places more lovely and peaceful than Little Compton with its country roads and farmland.

Tonight, Sakonnet Vineyards begins its summer music series from 6-8 p.m. with Stephanie Copley. Pack a blanket, or chair, and sit under the stars. The cost is $10 a carload. Bring a picnic dinner and buy some wine in the tasting room. The Coop Cafe will be open as well.

The upcoming schedule (all Thursday nights) includes:July 16 and Aug. 27, Gary Farias; July 30, Elderly Brothers; and Aug. 13, Copley.

Start thinking about your wine selections now at Sakonnet Vineyards.

How exciting it was to read the Wall Street Journal Weekend section on Saturday and see a familiar name -- Jessica Granatiero, co-owner of the Savory Grape Wine Shop in East Greenwich.

Jessica was quoted by WSJ wine columnists John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter. I think this pair, more than any other regular columnist, knows how to make wine approachable, even for those intimidated by it. Their style is breezy. They have made drinking wine part of their lifestyle and they share their passion in an informative and fun way. This makes their weekend columns a must read.

For the most recent column, they wanted to show how easy it could be to expand one's wine knowledge by drinking different kinds of wine. Don't run out each night and buy a bottle, but buy a case (that's how you get discounts) of different wines and drink them over a few weeks to see which you like best.

They asked three wine merchants, including Jessica, to share which 12 bottles they would suggest among affordable wines.

Though most of their readers may not be near the East Greenwich shop, the idea was to show that with the help of a good merchant, anyone can put together an interesting case of wine.

Jessica's suggestions included these food-friendly suggestions:
1. Farnese Montepulciano (Italy). $9.99.
2. Domaine de Solitude Côtes du Rhône (France). $9.99.
3. Line 39 Sauvignon Blanc (California). $10.49.
4. Robertson Chenin Blanc (South Africa). $9.99.
5. Redtree Pinot Noir (California). $9.99.
6. Finca Flichman Malbec (Argentina). $8.99.
7. Stone Creek Unoaked Chardonnay (California). $10.99.
8. Casa Santos Arinto (Portugal). $8.99.
9. ZaZa Garnacha rosé (Spain). $10.49.
10. Undone Riesling (Germany). $10.99.
11. Cortenova Primitivo (Italy). $9.99.
12. Snoqualmie Sauvignon Blanc (Washington). $8.49.
Total: $107.44, including 10% case discount.

I called Jessica to learn how she connected with the WSJ. She told me she wrote Brecher and Gaiter when they penned a column praising the concept of small boutique wine shops. Jessica's is in that category and she sent them a note saying thank you for recognizing independent shops.

They kept her note, and their assistant called for her to be quoted in last weekend's column.

Jessica does some nice writing of her own with a weekly newsletter alerting customers to bargains and events at her lovely store. Learn more at The Savory Grape.

Food companies are all geared up for back to school. They have been for months. I got my first press release about containers for school lunches weeks before the kids were even out of school. The world is indeed mad.

I also got a box with Goldfish, the snacks, not the fish. And they were such a big hit at home, I'm horrified I have to wait until August to see them again.

They are Goldfish S'mores Adventures. There are graham fish, chocolate fish and marshmallow fish. Yes, you make fish s'mores without the campfire.

The 16-19 year olds at my house, and there are many, dug into the fish to make their little S'mores and judged them "sick". For those of you you don't do teenspeak, that means they are great.

Each bag of fun will cost $2.19 when they launch in August at grocery stores everywhere.

The Big Blue Bug will be enjoying an eight-foot-tall Awful Awful for the next four weeks. The drink was to be in place today.

Newport Creamery teamed up with New England Pest Control for the summer promotion. It includes the introduction of a limited-time Big Blue Bug Awful Awful drink at all Newport Creamery stores.

The drink is basically a Vanilla Awful Awful with chocolate sprinkles and blue food coloring. You know what that means right? Blue tongues for everyone!

The cost is $4.29 (for a 24 ounce drink) and $3.09 for a Junior Awful Awful.

"What says summer more than an Awful Awful? So, we figured it was about time for The Big Blue Bug to get a special treat," said Bill Janikies, COO for The Jan Companies, owner of Newport Creamery.

During the monthlong promotion, a new edition of Goldie's Awful Awful Fun Book will be available for child guests to Newport Creamery.

"It's just a little something for people to smile about while merging onto Route 95 south from the I-Way," joked Janikies.

Heaven knows commuters need a laugh.

Get out your spatula and put on some attitude if you want to be a TV chef! Food Network soon casts a sixth season of The Next Food Network Star.

The network is looking for outstanding chefs and home cooks to compete for the opportunity to win his or her own Food Network series during the 2010 season. We know we have plenty of those here in Rhode Island.

There will be nationwide talent search professional and amateur chefs may apply. Open-call auditions will be held around the country throughout July and August. Contestant hopefuls should bring an application, photograph, and resume and/or bio to the auditions, which will allow them to meet with network casting directors. Interested candidates unable to attend an open casting call may submit a three-minute audition video explaining why he or she should be Food Network's newest star.

Casting locations will include New York City - Friday, July 31, 2009 from 10am-4pm at
CBS, 530 W. 57th Street, New York, NY 10019

For applications, contest rules, and submission instructions visit the Food Network.