Coast Guard House sommelier, Elisa Wybraniec, talks about wine
Elisa Wybraniec is a certified sommelier and wine director for the Coast Guard House in Narragansett.
The Providence Culinary Collective and Rhode Island Wine Experience will take place from March 26 to March 29.The four-day event features special restaurant dinners, tastings, and wine pairings across Providence.Events include a free global flavors tasting, a Portuguese wine dinner, and a martini evolution experience.
The Providence Culinary Collective and Rhode Island Wine Experience are coming up soon with many events to delight your palate.
Four days of special restaurant dinners and ones with chef partners, tastings of international cuisine and drinks will start on Thursday, March 26, and run through Sunday, March 29. Some events are already sold out. You can find the whole list online at GoPVDEats.com.
Here are five events not to be missed. One is free but requires reservations. The others have ticket prices and must be purchased online. All events are 21-plus.
Foodcraft: An Evening of Global Flavors
Hope & Main presents Foodcraft: An Evening of Global Flavors at 100 Westminster St. in Providence from 4 to 7 p.m. The culinary business incubator, with a cafe in Providence, offers foods crafted by makers from around the world. Stroll through the party sampling complimentary appetizers from Rhode Island’s diverse food entrepreneurs, featuring delights like Guatemalan chuchitos, Ethiopian injera, Afghan nigella cookies and classic American cheesecake.
This community marketplace will also offer food and products to buy, a cash bar and live music. The first 100 guests to reserve for the free event get a free cocktail or mocktail.
A Tour Through Portugal wine dinner
The Tour through Portugal will be led by Jack Couto from MS Walker on Thursday, March 26, at Track 15, the food hall at One Union Station, Providence. It will feature food from the seven restaurants at Track 15 paired with seven wines. The progressive dining experience will mirror Portugal’s diversity in both flavor and terroir.
Throughout dinner, Couto will discuss indigenous grape varieties, regional influences, and the evolving global presence of Portuguese wine. The dinner promises to be approachable, educational and helpful for collectors. The pairings will feature wines from the Douro Valley, including Castello D’Alba Superiore White, Van Zellers White, Castello D’Alba Superior Red and CV Curriculum Vitae Red. Beyra Grande Reserve Red from the Beira region and Dona Maria Grande Reserve Red from Alentejo will also be served.
The cost is $188.58 for the dinner, which runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased online.
Seven Nations, One Table
Seven Nations, One Table: Celebrating Culinary Futures will be a signature event held at The Reserve on Dorrance, 60 Dorrance St., Providence, on Friday, March 27, at 6 p.m. The evening features a lineup of globally inspired amuse‑bouche. Each dish will be crafted by a local chef who is paired with a Johnson & Wales University culinary student.
The chefs include Kevin O’Donnell of Giusto & Mother Pizzeria, who is a current James Beard finalist for Best Chef Northeast, and Champe Speidel of Persimmon, who over the past 15 years has garnered six nominations as Best Chef Northeast as well as several for Outstanding Service for the restaurant.
Also cooking at the event are Kerri Spady of Ellie’s, Ryan Connors of G Hospitality, Marissa Lo of the Boat House, TJ Delle Donne of JWU, and Mohammed Benjdid of Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor.
The ticket price is $200 with an optional wine pairing for $100. One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit the Rhode Island Hospitality Association’s David DePetrillo Scholarship Fund. DePetrillo was a founding member of RIHA’s Education Foundation and its chairman for 14 years.
Register for tickets here.
Giardino by Sarto
Giardino is a special wine garden evening experience at Sarto, 86 Dorrance St., in Providence. Starting at 8 p.m., sip your way through Piemontese favorites Barbaresco, Barolo, Gavi, Vermouth di Torino and more. Snack on some grissini or make your way through a selection of tagliere misto, antipasto and pasta selections from chef Phil Dushkewich. There will be light jazz and live music by the Matt Kowalski Trio.
This isn’t a formal wine dinner, but an evening escape inspired by terraces and Torino. Tickets are $55 and can be purchased online.
Well Dressed, Well Stirred
It will be a Bellini Rooftop experience at The Beatrice, where guests are invited to explore the evolution of the martini from its sweeter origins to its crisp, savory modern expressions. The event, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, will be led by Bridgette Taylor, CEO and founder of Harridan Vodka. Harridan is a woman-owned distillery using organic, gluten-free ingredients grown by family farmers in upstate New York.
The evening includes a guided tasting of four 3-ounce martini variations, a caviar bump, and Bellini cicchetti served in small, savory bites inspired by Venetian bar culture. Additional caviar will be available to purchase throughout the evening.
Converging with the Harridan Handcrafted Vodka cocktails will be fashion from Lingua Franca. They will host a knitwear and sweater bar of their hand-stitched knitwear products.
The cost is $100 with preferred pricing for Bellini Rooftop members. To shop only, the cost is $25.
Dining and Cooking