March 28, 2024

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Free For All Food

Community cafe chain is not as outdated as you feel

One particular of the most significant surprises of my deep dive into the historical past of Rhode Island dining places, was how younger the state’s biggest community restaurant chain is.



a hand holding a glass of wine: The Mooring is a classic Newport spot to dine right on the waterfront in the heart of the city by the sea.


© The Providence Journal, file
The Mooring is a classic Newport spot to dine suitable on the waterfront in the heart of the town by the sea.

The Newport Restaurant Group has been these types of a big player on the area scene. Yet, it truly is oldest cafe was only open for 14 several years in advance of including the 2nd.

The corporation was founded as the Newport Oil Corp. by a team of neighborhood businessmen led by J.T. O’Connell, president and CEO Paul O’Reilly’s fantastic-grandfather.

In the 1980s, the firm started diversifying and obtained the Newport Yachting Center and the Boat Present.

They manufactured their to start with cafe acquire, The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar, in 1981. It appeared to established the tone for a lot that came following: waterfront, exquisite and upscale. 

Things actually took off as they began operating the jewel in their crown, the Castle Hill Inn in 1995. They had acquired it in the 1940s as run down assets, according to a business historical past.



a boat sitting on top of a table: A window table in the dining room at Castle Hill Inn at the height of summer. Castle Hill was the first purchase by the then Newport Harbor Corporation.


© The Providence Journal, file
A window table in the dining home at Castle Hill Inn at the peak of summertime. Castle Hill was the very first buy by the then Newport Harbor Corporation.

Extra: Dining places in RI: A 348-year timeline of our state’s most beloved dining places, bars, and foods firms

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Far more: RI is a cradle of culinary ingenuity and groundbreaking dining. But when did it all start out?

That yr, the enterprise also adopted an worker stock possession prepare. They are now 100% personnel-owned.

They opened Smokehouse Cafe with a barbecue topic in front of the Mooring in 1996. 

A meat-centric 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar & Grille opened in 2001 in the coronary heart of Newport on Bowen’s Wharf.

In 2005, they improved their name to the Newport Restaurant Group and opened Boat Residence Waterfront Eating in Tiverton.

In 2006, they opened the Waterman Grille on the Seekonk River in Providence and in 2008, they opened Trio in Narragansett.

In 2009, they bought the classic seafood cafe Hemenway’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar. The seafood cafe overlooking the Providence River was founded by Ned Grace in 1985 but owned by Darden Eating places by the time of the sale. 

They purchased the Papa Razzi chain in 2012.

By the time they brought Iron Operates in Warwick into the fold in 2018, it seemed like business enterprise as standard.

Just after the Papa Razzi acquisition, they transformed the Backyard Town restaurant in Cranston to Avvio Ristorante with a terrific Italian pizza oven and Italian regional dishes. There are nonetheless two Papa Razzis in Wellesley and Concord, Massachusetts.  

They released a new thought in 2019 with Bar ‘Cino in Newport, featuring cocktails and pleasurable pizza and tiny plates. They expanded to Brookline, Massachusetts to open up a second Bar ‘Cino.

Nevertheless to occur in summertime 2021, Foodlove, a new enterprise in Middletown that will attribute upscale well prepared meals, neighborhood artisan merchandise, homemade ice cream, sushi, pizza and much more. What’s likely to be astounding is to have food curated from all their distinct places to eat underneath 1 roof. 

And that may well nicely be the most attention-grabbing part of the tale which is how distinctive every of their dining places is from the following.

Much more: Soon after all these a long time, Providence is however contending for the most effective food metropolis with the ideal chefs

Additional: Meals for Believed: Obtaining shed in food reminiscences is straightforward this Rhode Island food editor



a bowl of soup sitting next to a cup of coffee: Corn and Crab Chowder from The Smokehouse in Newport from the archives in 2004.


© The Providence Journal, file / Invoice Murphy
Corn and Crab Chowder from The Smokehouse in Newport from the archives in 2004.

The Smokehouse in Newport received a Schweppes Terrific Chowder Cook-Off with this smoked corn and crab chowder.

RECIPE: SMOKED CORN AND CRAB CHOWDER WITH MOUNT Homosexual RUM

  • 6 crabs
  • 1 cup (1/4-inch) diced potatoes
  • 1/2 adhere butter
  • 1/2 cup finely diced onion
  • 1/4 cup finely diced celery
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups 50 percent & 50 %
  • 1 cup hickory smoked corn from 2-3 ears of corn (see be aware)
  • 1 tablespoon sherry pepper sauce (see note)
  • 1 tablespoon Mount Gay rum
  • Paprika, for garnish

Provide 2 quarts of water to a boil in a massive pot. Add crabs and cook dinner right up until tender and cooked by means of eliminate crabs and established aside to great. Reserve liquid in pot.

About large warmth, make a crab inventory by minimizing crab liquid to 2 cups transfer to a bowl. When crabs are awesome enough, decide on shells from crabmeat (should yield about 1³2 pound of meat) set apart.

Place potatoes in a huge saucepan with more than enough cold drinking water to deal with. Convey to a boil and prepare dinner potatoes right up until al dente. Drain and transfer potatoes to a bowl of ice h2o to cease the cooking. Drain yet again and set apart.

In a large pot, soften butter around medium-lower warmth. Increase onion and celery prepare dinner till tender. Add flour and cook dinner, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Insert crab stock, potatoes, 50 % & fifty percent, smoked corn, sherry pepper sauce, rum and crabmeat cook until heated by way of. Sprinkle with paprika to serve.

Recipe notes: Outerbridges Initial Sherry Pepper Sauce is recommended. It arrives from Bermuda.

If you do not have a smoker, grill the corn to give it a smoky taste or use steamed contemporary corn or canned corn and include Liquid Smoke to style.

Tends to make 4 to 6 servings.

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This short article initially appeared on The Providence Journal: Area restaurant chain is not as previous as you think

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