Ocean State favorite of celebrity chefs

We return to our favorite restaurants time and time again for a variety of reasons, not all having to do with the food. So it is with celebrity chefs who return to Rhode Island for many different reasons, some of which are not readily apparent.
First, about us. In speaking with restaurateurs and chefs throughout the state, it is interesting to note the philosophies and thought processes that go into the choice to return to a longtime favorite spot.
Sylvia Moubayed of CAV observes that her regulars often choose the same table on repeat visits. As she is fond of saying, the routine at her eclectic restaurant in the Knowledge District in Providence is no routine. But like all good restaurateurs, she is focused on her guests’ experience and her innate sense of hospitality comes to the forefront. So when a regular requests a table because it is one they have occupied on previous visits, she is happy to accommodate. Patrons say when asked for the reason behind their choice that it is the original table they were at on their first visit, possibly on a first date, anniversary, proposal or other significant event.
At Blaze East Side, chef-proprietor Phyllis Arffa finds her regulars increasingly are returning for a taste- of-her-menu philosophy as much as flavor, freshness and preparation. These days, Arffa finds her tables on the Hope Street foodie row occupied by those who are practicing a conscious effort to make a difference in what they eat.
To some, that means making the choice to order vegan specialties, or dishes created from sustainable or local sources whether from farm or boat to table.
Celebrity chefs share some of those thought processes. When chef-author Aliya LeeKong was planning her book tour for her first effort, a cookbook called “Exotic Table,” this first-generation American with Indo-Pakistani and Tanzanian heritage thought about her own experience. LeeKong graduated from Brown University before starting her journey as a chef and culinary innovator. She has traveled the world and has a perspective found in very few people, not only on cooking but life in general. In that world view, her time in Providence left a long-lasting memory. Perhaps it was her regular visits to East Side Pockets and the memory that so many have of the falafel there.
In an interview on my radio show, LeeKong also recalled regular visits to the Thayer Street mainstay Paragon. The influence made its way into her cookbook with a recipe and recollection of calamari. Not in its most recent time in the spotlight as the would-be official state appetizer – LeeKong kept politics out of her book – but in its heritage as a menu favorite and export from our state.
She created a take on calamari for her book and has served it at her New York restaurant, the Michelin-starred Junoon, where she is not only chef but culinary creative director. Instead of the breaded rings, Aliya breaks modern American cooking out of the box and dusts the tender rings with cornstarch and a subtle spice.
Celebrity chefs visit and return to Rhode Island with their cookbooks for a number of reasons, not the least of which is good business. Sales records and impressions reported from appearances by chef authors and TV stars are among the highest in the country. What is significant here is that the appearances are for the most part at independent bookstores.
Elsewhere across the nation, such signings are relegated to chain stores and in large city department stores. Megastars Giada DeLaurentis and Lidia Bastianich have made repeat visits to Dave’s Marketplace, where fans and foodies line up hours in advance to meet and greet these chef-personalities. For them as well as other household names in the star-chef galaxy, their publishers recognize that there is a special affection that we Rhode Islanders have for them.
Already plans are in the works for a number of other “big names” who have transcended the food press and cookbook section of the store to make return visits and some new names will make their first visits to our state as well.
It is human nature to look at such a phenomenon, even a quiet one like this, and try to find reasons for this pattern of success. Perhaps it is our food traditions that come from family recipes that resonate with us and the author-stars alike. It may be our recognition of the independent author, who in turn recognizes the independent business whether it be restaurant, market or bookstore. And the restaurant scene looms large in the affection that these authors and stars have. Whether it is Robert Irvine, who recently returned to the area to star in a one-man stage show at New Bedford’s Zeiterion Theatre, or the Beekman Boys who blogged about their visit to Al Forno to dine following their signing, Rhode Island has a special place in the hearts and appetites of celebrity chefs, cookbook authors and us. •


Bruce Newbury’s “Dining Out” food and wine talk radio show is heard on WADK-AM 1540, WHJJ-AM 920, online and through mobile applications. He can be reached by email at bruce@brucenewbury.com.

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