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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rabar is among more than 20 chefs from across the nation who will vie for the title of King or Queen of American Seafood at the annual competition. Rabar is vice president of operations and corporate executive chef for the local chain owned by Rick and Cheryl Bready and John Elkhay that includes Ten Prime Steak & Sushi, Cafe Noir, Chinese Laundry, Rick's Roadhouse and Luxe Burger.

The Great American Seafood Cook-off is sponsored by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board and encourages the use of products from sustainable fisheries. Sig Hansen, the commercial fishing captain who stars in TV's Deadliest Catch, will host the Cook Off.

Rabar, who lives in Rumford, is planning a menu comprising solely local products that have been fished, farmed or produced in Rhode Island.

"We have some of the finest seafood in the world available in our waters, and I plan to showcase Littleneck Clams like you've never seen them before,"
Rabar said.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Rabar was named one of "America's Hottest Chefs" by Spirit, the in-flight magazine of Southwest Airlines, in 2003 and was named "Chef of the Year" by the Rhode Island Hospitality & Tourism Association in 2007.

For more information, visit www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookoff.com.

Every year, U.S. embassies around the world celebrate the Fourth with All-American cookouts and parties with local leaders in government, business, civil society and culture. Newport Vineyards of Middletown has supplied the wines for two celebrations, said John Nunes, vintner and co-owner of the winery with his brother Paul, vineyard manager.

At the embassy in Kiev, the winery's Sauvignon Blanc and Rochambeau Red will be served to some 1,600 guests who will dine on grilled salmon on cedar planks with an orange and avocado salsa. Barbecue beef and pork will also be served with rice salad. For dessert, guests will dive into red, white and blue parfaits with strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream.

Nunes said Embassy officials liked the historical name of the Rochambeau Red, a blend named after the French general who landed in Newport with 2,000 troops during the Revolutionary War.

In Barbados, a Colonial-themed event is to be held at Las Cibeles, the Ambassador's residence in St. James. Pinot Gris, Riesling, Great White and Merlot from Newport Vineyards will be served with barbeque and New England seafood. No word on the number of guests from Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.

This is a first for Newport Vineyards, said Nunes. He said the Barbardos connection to the Ocean State is native son Dr. Brent Hardt, Chargè d'Affaires to the Barbados Embassy. As part of a Rhode Island business delegation visiting the Bahamas a few years ago, Nunes met Hardt. He was stationed there then and didn't forget Newport Vineyards.

"He loves our wine," Nunes said.

Newport Vineyards has won national acclaim of late. A 2008 Riesling won a gold medal at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition in Rochester, NY. earlier this spring. Entrants came from 14 countries and 41 states. Last August, the 2007 Riesling was awarded Best of Show at the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition in Haymarket, Va. Winemaker George Chelf bested 458 entries for that prize.

As for the Ukraine connection, it began with a visitor to the winery last summer. Nunes said she was vacationing in Newport and had friends at the Embassy in Kiev. She thought the Newport wines would be perfect for the July 4th party. Six months later, he got a phone call from Embassy employee Irina Petrina for a good-size order. It was shipped by boat in February to arrive in time.

As to whether the Embassies paid retail, Nunes said "They have modest budgets.
"It's for the greater good," he said.

Learn more at Newport Vineyards

Richman wrote: "The crust appeared too skinny to be interesting, but it seemed about the best flatbread I'd ever eaten. The vegetable toppings were remarkably fresh, and it occurred to me that freshness is something we rarely think about when contemplating what pizza we admire. The pie I loved most had three cheeses, the dominant one being feta, which adds tang and saltiness."

Al Forno also made the list at No. 18 for the Grilled Pizza with Roasted Eggplant ($19.95). Richman said "Al Forno's grilled pizzas are more than legends; they're beauties."

He wrote: "The pie was assembled with two cheeses, mild and creamy Bel Paese plus sharp and salty Pecorino Romano; dabs of impossibly delicious tomato sauce intensely flavored with eggplant; flecks of parsley for color; and shreds of mild, bright scallions that added a feathery texture."

On his blog, Richman rated the Top Ten Pizza Cities and there Providence emerged at No. 5 after New York, San Francisco, Detroit and Chicago and before L.A., New Haven, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Boston. He credited Providence with inventing the grilled pizza.

I knew the story was coming because last winter, Richman Emailed me to ask about the state's best pizza. He was familiar with Al Forno, of course, and told me he planned to take his Boston-based girlfriend there on the next Saturday night. I raved about Bob & Timmy's (and a few other spots) but also mentioned how pizza strips are another Rhode Island only phenomenon. That is a fact he also mentioned on his blog.