Four of Rhode Island’s top chefs brought a taste of the state’s “Classic Coast” to New York City on Thursday, showcasing the region’s evolving culinary scene at a sold-out dinner.
The “Cooking on the Classic Coast” event, presented by Discover Newport, took place at Platform at Pier 57 by the James Beard Foundation. More than 50 diners experienced a multi-course meal highlighting local ingredients and innovative techniques.
Among the featured chefs was Peter Carvelli of Foglia in Bristol, a James Beard Award semifinalist. For Carvelli, the nomination came as a complete surprise.
“It was amazing. I was totally surprised. I had no idea that I was in the running,” Carvelli says. “In fact, the person who told me about it, I thought she was kidding, sent me a text message.”
The event brought together chefs from across Rhode Island’s coastal region, including Newport, Bristol, and Middletown. Carvelli describes the experience as “an amazing honor” to be among such esteemed colleagues.
“To be with this group of chefs and these, with the pedigrees that they have and the history they have, it was really an honor for me,” he says.
Collaboration was a key theme of the evening, with chefs working side by side to prepare and plate each dish.
“Everybody really worked well from the first meeting we had about the menu,” Carvelli explains. “There were no egos, there was no angry chef moment. Everybody was rowing in the same direction, helped everybody out.”
Carvelli’s restaurant, Foglia, is celebrating its second anniversary next week. The small Bristol eatery specializes in plant-based cuisine, offering both tasting menus and a la carte options.
“We’re still drawing people in from all over New England, really,” Carvelli says. “And just the type of plant-based cuisine that we do is different than most of the other plant-based restaurants around.”
“This is an inspiration. Tonight is an inspiration for me to even to get better,” he says. “When you work with chefs like this and hear, you know, chef Andy talk about what they’re growing on the vineyard and on his vineyard. And it’s just really inspirational to me as a chef, and I can’t wait to get back and start at it again.”
