The Jamestown restaurant Beech has partnered with James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Schlow, who will join as chef and managing partner to oversee operations, the restaurant announced. The Conanicut Restaurant Group, comprised of Jamestown residents, brought on Schlow, a longtime friend, who will introduce a new menu beginning May 27. While remaining true to the […]
Food & Drink
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Newport Oyster & Chowder Festival returns to Bowen’s Wharf this weekend for 10th year
The 10th annual Newport Oyster & Chowder Festival returns to Bowen’s Wharf this weekend, bringing local oyster growers, restaurant vendors, signature beverage sponsors and live music to the downtown waterfront to kick off the summer season. The free-admission, rain-or-shine festival runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May […]
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Summer arrives as Flo’s expands to daily hours and Easton’s Beach Concessions opens for season
Two seaside dining staples are signaling the official arrival of summer on Aquidneck Island this week. Flo’s Clam Shack on Wave Avenue in Middletown has expanded to daily hours starting Thursday, May 14, after opening for the season in March on a Thursday-through-Sunday schedule. The clam shack, famous for clams since 1936, sits across from […]
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Aurelia at Castle Hill reopens May 22 with new chef de cuisine, Forbes Five-Star designation
Aurelia at Castle Hill, the signature restaurant at Castle Hill Inn, will reopen May 22 with a new chef de cuisine and a fresh Forbes Five-Star designation, the Inn announced Thursday. Reservations are available starting today on OpenTable, with dinner service offered nightly from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Reservations are required and available two weeks […]
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Newport’s Yagi opens second location at Providence’s Track 15
Yagi, the acclaimed Newport restaurant from Chef Basil Yu and Kodi Keith, has officially opened its second location at Track 15, the food hall at 1 Union Station in downtown Providence. The opening, announced Tuesday, follows news in March that Yagi would fill the space previously occupied by Giusto PVD, which closed at the end […]
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Heritage Restaurant Group completes acquisition of Mews Tavern in Wakefield
Heritage Restaurant Group has finalized its acquisition of Mews Tavern, the company announced Monday, completing a deal that was first disclosed in February when the Newport-based hospitality firm went under contract for the longtime South County gathering spot. The tavern, founded in 1947 as a small fisherman’s bar serving the local coastal workforce, will continue […]
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The Vanderbilt opens Roof Deck for the season today
The Vanderbilt, Auberge Collection officially opens its Roof Deck for the season today, returning one of the city’s popular sunset spots to the rotation just in time for the first weekend of May. Overlooking Newport Harbor and the Claiborne Pell Bridge, the Roof Deck offers wraparound views, handcrafted cocktails and a seasonal menu. It will […]
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Smoke House opens for summer season
Smoke House, the Southern-style barbecue restaurant on America’s Cup Avenue, has reopened for the summer season, bringing back its slow-smoked meats alongside a refreshed cocktail list and several new menu additions. The restaurant, located at 31 Scott’s Wharf, is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11:30 […]
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Newport Vineyards to open Farm & Barrel Bistro on May 8
Newport Vineyards will debut a new on-site restaurant, Farm & Barrel Bistro, on Friday, May 8 at its Middletown property. The bistro replaces the vineyard’s previous dining program with a farm-to-table concept built around ingredients from the winery’s own farm and greenhouses, paired with estate-grown wines and beers from Taproot Brewing Co., the on-site brewery […]
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Castle Hill Inn opens dining reservations for 2026 season beginning May 8
Castle Hill Inn announced Tuesday that dining reservations across the property will be available to book beginning May 8, marking another milestone in the Inn’s recovery from a fire that damaged the historic Mansion in February. Reservations for Forbes Five-Star Aurelia at Castle Hill and The Lawn Terrace will be available through OpenTable starting May […]
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A conversation with Robert Andreozzi: Littleneck Hospitality Group arrives at Hotel Viking
Newport’s dining scene is getting a major addition this spring. Last month, Hotel Viking announced that it had officially partnered with Providence-based Littleneck Hospitality Group to launch four new food and beverage concepts inside the historic property, setting the stage for one of the most exciting openings of the season. Behind the group are Robert […]
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Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day returns to Newport on April 14
Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day returns to Newport on April 14, with the Thames Street location offering free scoops to the public from noon to 8 p.m. The annual tradition, which began in 1979, has grown into a global event spanning more than 35 countries. Last year, Ben & Jerry’s served more than 1 […]
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Rhode Island Spirits and Save The Bay launch new gin made with botanicals foraged from Narragansett Bay’s shoreline
Rhode Island Spirits has partnered with Save The Bay to release a new gin made with botanicals foraged directly from the shoreline of Save The Bay’s Providence Bay Center, with a portion of every bottle sold going back to bay conservation. Rhodium Save The Bay Gin is the latest release from Rhode Island Spirits, New […]
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The Vanderbilt in Newport adds redesigned event space inspired by its Gilded Age roots
The Vanderbilt, Auberge Collection has completed a renovation of its Vanderbilt Room, a newly transformed event space at the historic downtown Newport property. The room, located on the lower level of the former Gilded Age mansion, was designed in collaboration with Herkworks Architecture, Whetstone Millwork and Blue Point Construction. The renovation brings the space in […]
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Grey Sail Brewing and sister companies roll out spring and summer lineups
Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island is welcoming warmer weather with a fresh round of seasonal releases, joined by sister companies South County Distillers and Groton, Connecticut’s Outer Light Brewing Company. Grey Sail’s spring and summer lineup features four new offerings: Blueberry Break Wheat Ale and Raspberry Reef Wheat Ale, both available in Rhode Island, […]
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A first look at Claw & Hammer, Stone Crab & Seafood Restaurant
I was invited by the Heritage Group to check out their newest restaurant, Claw & Hammer, ahead of its official opening on April 4. For anyone who has spent time in Newport, you know 527 Thames Street. Scales & Shells was a staple for a long time. One of those places people remember for what […]
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Giusto and Mother Pizzeria are leaving Track 15; Yagi Noodles and Grumpy Pies are moving in
Track 15, the food hall at 1 Union Station in downtown Providence, is welcoming two new concepts this spring after Giusto PVD and Mother Pizzeria PVD announced they will not be renewing their leases in order to focus on their Newport operations. Mother Pizzeria’s last day at Track 15 is Sunday, March 29. Newport’s Mother […]
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Boat House restaurant puts winning student dish on the menu
The Boat House restaurant is featuring an adaptation of the winning dish from the 14th Annual Rhode Island High School Culinary Arts, Foodservice & Hotel Management Competition on its menu through Monday. The appetizer — Asian Chicken Wonton Cups — was created by students Anthony Morales, Richard Desmarais, Tyler Hartley and Liam McGloin from the […]
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Forum Lodge to celebrate Irish and Italian heritage with Gaelic & Garlic dinner March 18
Forum Lodge #391, Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, will host its annual Gaelic and Garlic Celebration of Irish and Italian Heritage on Wednesday, March 18, at Vasco da Gama Hall, 15 Fenner Ave. Held in memory of Ralph J. Gizzi, the evening features corned beef and potatoes, pasta and sausage, Irish and […]
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Newport OUT brings Spring Break Drag Brunch to Stoneacre Brasserie on March 22
Newport OUT is bringing its Spring Break Drag Brunch to Stoneacre Brasserie on Sunday, March 22, with doors opening at 10:30 a.m. and the show beginning at 11 a.m. The event will be hosted by Provincetown’s “Neon Queen,” Mackenzie, with performances by Ladda Nurv, Lucy Diamonds and Kennedy Plaza. Tickets are $58 per person and […]
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The Vanderbilt teams up with The Macallan for a weekend of whisky, classic cars, and fine dining
The Vanderbilt, Auberge Collection is partnering with The Macallan for a two-day whisky and heritage experience at the historic Newport estate March 27-28. “A Weekend with The Macallan at the Mansion” invites guests to explore the Scottish whisky brand’s celebrated expressions through bespoke tastings, an intimate paired dinner and the property’s first-ever Macallan Reserve Room […]
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Newport Burger Bender breaks record with 60 restaurants, 7,000 burgers sold
The 9th Annual Newport Burger Bender broke a record for the second consecutive year, with 60 restaurants participating and more than 7,000 burgers sold across Newport and Bristol counties during the 10-day event held Feb. 13-22. This year’s contest featured the most participating restaurants in the event’s history, including 10 first-time entrants. Organizers say the […]
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Roger Williams University leads effort to restore Rhode Island’s quahog populations in Narragansett Bay
Roger Williams University is spearheading a research initiative aimed at reversing decades of decline in Rhode Island’s quahog fisheries, partnering with state agencies, industry groups and students to bolster wild clam populations in Narragansett Bay. The university’s Center for Economic and Environmental Development, known as CEED, is leading the effort through a grant funded by […]
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Safari Room at OceanCliff wins Newport Winter Festival’s Mac & Cheese Smackdown
Safari Room at OceanCliff claimed first place Sunday in the Mac & Cheese Smackdown, the final event of the 38th Annual Newport Winter Festival. Caleb & Broad finished second, and Skiff Bar at Marriott rounded out the top three in the competition. The Mac & Cheese Smackdown capped off a festival filled with culinary competitions. […]
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The Reef takes top honors at Newport Winter Festival’s annual Hot Drink Contest
The Reef claimed first place Thursday in the Annual Hot Drink Contest, held as part of the 38th Annual Newport Winter Festival. Jo’s American Bistro finished second, and Red Parrot rounded out the top three in the competition. The Hot Drink Contest is among the final events of the festival, which runs Feb. 13–22 across […]