This week and weekend

Savor Providence, a culinary tour through a variety of Providence restaurants, is set for Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Participants will use tickets to sample a taste of a restaurant’s signature dish or classic cocktail. Participating restaurants include 3 Steeple Street, Aspire, Bluefin Grill, Blue Grotto, Bravo Brasserie, Costantino’s, Fleming’s Prime Steak House, Gracie’s, La Laiterie, Local 121, Mill’s Tavern, Red Stripe, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Trinity Brewhouse, Venda Ravioli and Waterplace. Proceeds will benefit the educational programs of Trinity Repertory Company. Tickets are sold in a book of 10 tastes for $37. Admission includes a map of all restaurants. Purchase tickets at Trinity’s box office, 201 Washington St., Providence; by phone at (401) 351-4242; or at savorprovidence.com.

Whole Foods Market, University Heights, 601 North Main St., Providence, is hosting its first Singles Night tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. Join Kim Zandy from 92 PRO FM for a night of games, prizes and food sampling throughout the store. Free. For information, contact Bonnie Frechette, (401) 621-5990.

The Westport Farmers Market & Craft Fair celebrates Massachusetts Farmers Market Week with a raffle Saturday at 1 p.m. Tickets are available at the Grange Café. The market is at 931 Main Rd., Central Village.

CAV, 14 Imperial Place, Providence, hosts a Gospel Brunch starting at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The live performance with Music One features Terrell Osborne Senior and others. The Southern brunch includes cornbread, grits, scrambled eggs, barbecued or fried chicken, collard greens with ham, rice with black-eyed peas, mac and cheese, and candied yams. The Gospel brunch, including all food and the music ticket, costs $25 plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are recommended by calling (401) 751-9164.CAV has free parking.

The Baptist Church in Warren will be holding cook-outs open to the public this Saturday and Saturday, Aug. 30 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. The all-you-can-eat menu will include hamburgers, hot dogs, beans, salads, desserts and drinks. The church is located at the corner of Main and Miller streets.

Tomato Tasting Day at Coastal Growers’ Market is Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at Casey Farm. Come early at 8 a.m. for a free walking yoga class. There will be demonstrations by chefs Joe Hafner of Gracie’s and Matt Jennings of La Laiterie, a silent auction, music, jonnycakes, alpacas, and lots of tomatoes. Casey Farm is located in Saunderstownon Route 1A, one mile south of Route 138.

Coming up

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 10 Memorial Blvd., Providence, will partner with Cigar Masters for a Cigar Dinner on Wednesday, Aug. 27. There will be a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by a four-course dinner paired with Don Pepin cigars. The cost is $125. To reserve, call (401) 272-2271, ext. 10.

Cornucopia Restaurant, 241 Main St., East Greenwich, will hold a six-course wine tasting with Foods and Wines from Italy on Thursday, Aug. 28, at 6:30 p.m. For reservations, call (401) 884-5660.

A French Farmers’ Market and Heritage Day will be held Saturday, Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at River Island Park, Woonsocket. The event will include music, produce, food items, and arts and crafts. The festival will include a Dynamite cook-off at 11:30 a.m. The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council will host half-price River Tours at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults; $4 for children.

News

Castle Hill Inn & Resort, 590 Ocean Drive, (401) 849-3800, Newport, has named Robert Bankert of Middletown chef tournant at the Relais & Chateaux inn and restaurant at Castle Hill. In his new role, Bankert will be responsible for managing and expediting all meal periods, and overseeing the daily activities of each kitchen station.

On the menu

West Valley Inn, 4 Blossom St., West Warwick, (401) 822-2834, offers a Senior Citizens Special on Thursdays during Family Style Dinners. Seniors can have an all-you-can-eat dinner for $9 with a 55 and over ID.

The Village Haven Restaurant, 90 School St., Forestdale, (401) 762-4242, has a new early-bird menu from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, with 12 light and healthy entrees such as broiled scallops. It includes soup and salad bar. Yankee pot roast is now available on the Sunday menu, served family style. They also have “2 for $22” blackboard specials.

Industry News

The American Culinary Federation Rhode Island Chapter will meet Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Providence Ronald McDonald House, 45 Gay St., Providence. The educational topic will be The Providence Ronald McDonald House. For information, call (401) 789-4307.

Contest

Your original chicken recipe could win $50,000 in the National Chicken Cooking Contest, but hurry — the entry deadline is Aug. 31. The contest leads up to a National Cookoff on May 2, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas, and a grand prize of $50,000. Entries can be submitted through the Web site www.eatchicken.com or on paper to National Chicken Cooking Contest, P.O. Box 27997, Washington DC 20038-7997, or by fax, (202) 293-4005. Entries must be original, that is, developed by the cook and not previously published in substantially the same form. A preliminary winner will be selected from each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia. Each state winner will receive $100 and his or her recipe will go on to a regional level of judging. Each regional winner will receive $1,000 and compete for the grand prize of $50,000. A Judge’s Choice prize of $10,000 will also be awarded as well.

The Web site www.chickencookingcontest. com has recipes from past contests and photos of the last Cook-Off, held in Birmingham, Ala. In addition, the official cookbook of the National Chicken Cooking Contest, with recipes from the last contest and many more, is available for $3 postpaid. Send cash, check or money order with your name and mailing address to: Chicken Cookbook, Dept. NCC-3, Box 307, Coventry, CT 06238.

On TV

Cooking with Class features chef Frank Terranova, an associate instructor at Johnson & Wales University, “Cooking with Color recipes” next week during the noon and 5:30 p.m. newscasts on Channel 10.

gciampa@projo.com