Providence was named one of the “52 Places to Go in 2016” by the New York Times, partly due to its growing food scene. The city is known for its colleges and universities and for its art and design, but it’s the thriving culinary scene that is the current talk of the town.
“Dozens of eclectic restaurants, ranging from high-end steakhouses to modern fusion cuisine as well as many that celebrate the diversity of our city, are all within walking distance of our meetings and conventions hub,” explains Tom Riel, vice president of sales and services for the Providence Warwick CVC.
The Rhode Island Convention Center, which has 167,000 square feet of event space, is located downtown within one mile of 2,200 hotel rooms and connects via a sky bridge to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center arena on one side and the 564-room Omni Providence Hotel on the other. From there, taking in the diverse neighborhoods, ever-changing art scene and the celebrated restaurants is easy in the city that has the friendliness and accessibility of a small town, but the culture and sophistication of a big city.
“Research tells us today’s business travelers want to take time to immerse themselves into a destination and experience it like a local,” says Riel. “This is easily accomplished here in Providence where the walkability of our city lends itself to easy access to our vibrant arts, cultural and culinary scenes.”
Culinary Classes
Along with new restaurants popping up and James Beard nominations rolling in, more people want a firsthand experience when it comes to food. Groups can participate in a cooking class or take a stroll through the city on a culinary tour.
The Chef Walters Cooking School opened in winter 1995 with the philosophy of sharing cultures, foods and diversities in the world of gastronomy, according to Chef Walter. Having a strong focus on regionalism, nutrition and trendy new flavors the school’s motto is, “We teach everyone the art of cooking and living well.” And they make sure that motto is in use for each class they teach and each group that comes through.
Located in the center of the Federal Hill neighborhood, the “Little Italy” of Providence, the school offers a variety of classes and events for groups as well as culinary tours in Italy twice a year. Classes can be themed by cuisine, including The French Country Kitchen or Classic Sauces in Italian Cuisine; by skill, such as Mastering Pan Sauces and Knife Skills; or based on diet, such as Vegetarian and Grains or Cooking for Diabetics.
“Our classes are for everyone interested in learning new techniques, flavors and ethnic discoveries,” says Chef Walters. “All classes are hands-on, as well as demos and tastings lead by Certified Professional Master Chefs with national and international recognition.”
In addition to the cooking demonstrations and classes, the school hosts teambuilding for all kinds of groups. Some popular options are Listen to the Sizzle, where groups are divided and given different communication challenges. One team might not be able to speak, whereas another team has a designated recipe reader forcing groups to use communication to complete the meal.
In another class, Let it Rise, groups form teams and each selects a leader. The leader takes control of the group’s cooking assignment and throughout the course, the chef will shuffle the leadership within the teams. When challenges arise, groups must work to overcome and finish their meal.
If groups want a more instruction-based class, a typical cooking event will start with appetizers as guests arrive, followed by an explanation of the menu and an outline of the basic techniques before the cooking begins. After about an hour and a half of cooking, preparing a four- to five-course meal, the group sits down to enjoy what they have created.
Menus can be tailored to groups and a wine tasting can be added. Equipped with a television studio, groups can have their event filmed, and they leave with a copy feeling like the stars of the newest food show.
Tasty Tours
Getting out of the kitchen and to the pavement, Savoring Rhode Island offers culinary tours around Federal Hill. It all started when Chef Cindy Salvato was teaching pastry arts at Johnson & Wales University.
“I used the tour as incentive for my students to come to class, so I would say, ‘If we have perfect attendance I’ll take you to Federal Hill, I’ll introduce you to some friends and will have something good to eat,’” says Salvato. “When it did work we had a great time and I decided to open it up to the public. That was 15 years ago and we’ve been going strong since.”
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The Federal Hill tour is like a cooking class on foot. As groups walk throughout the historically Italian-American neighborhood, they learn about the important Italian ingredients such as extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pasta, tomatoes and of course wine. Tastings and comparisons are part of the experience as are behind-the-scenes tours and meeting the employees and owners of the shops. And, according to Salvato, eating the whole way.
Most tours have scheduled stops, but groups can customize their own based on interests and needs.
“We had a wonderful grain and wheat convention here in Providence and we talked about these grains on the tour, and how Italians cook with them,” says Salvato.
Variety of Venues
With the foodie movement in full swing, many convention and meetings groups want to experience a hip new venue or well-known restaurant rather than a generic banquet meal.
Known as one of the top spots in Federal Hill, Siena Restaurant opened in 2005 by brothers Anthony and Chris Tarro. Named after the town in central Tuscany, the restaurant serves authentic cuisine from that region in a lively atmosphere.
With two private-dining spaces and the option to rent out the entire restaurant, Siena is a great space for groups that want the restaurant setting and restaurant-quality food.
“These spaces are for those who don’t want a typical basement banquet room and typical banquet food,” explains Chris Tarro. “Groups select the meal based on items we have on our menus.”
The Back Dining Room can accommodate up to 40 while the entire back dining area, consisting of two rooms on split levels, can seat 65 and offers groups the chance to experience the atmosphere of the restaurant.
The Palio Room, which can seat 30 guests, features state-of-the-art electronics including a flat-screen TV, ready for presentations, slideshows and music with a simple laptop hookup. The entire restaurant, which is spread across several rooms and dining areas, can also be rented for events.
Rooftop at ProvidenceG is the city’s first and only rooftop restaurant and bar. With views of downtown, the space has a heated and enclosed bar and lounge as well as six fire pits across the rooftop, making it enjoyable year-round. Located on the roof of the ProvidenceG residential building, Rooftop can be rented by section or as a whole. Groups can take over just one area that can accommodate 50, or smaller parties can use one of the many lounge areas.
“The space as a whole lends itself to cocktail-style parties versus a formal dinner, so whether it is a party or corporate gathering, all events at the Rooftop restaurant are designed for guests to mix and mingle,” explains Rebecca Miller, director of sales and events.
According to Miller, the food at Rooftop focuses on high-end hors d’oeuvres and finger foods. Groups can customize their food and beverage choices based on the restaurant’s menu, with items like grilled wood-fired pizzas and pulled pork sliders, artisan cheese and charcuterie plates, and even some heartier options such as salmon and flat iron steak.
The 4,800-square-foot event space in the ProvidenceG building occupies the former space of the Providence Gas Company. The renovation of the building, which was built in the 1920s, focused on maintaining much of the original architectural details. The ballroom space features marble floors, crystal chandeliers and Greek key moldings on the walls and ceilings. The space is a blank canvas for events of all types.
