News

Trader Joe’s has opened in Warwick at 1000 Bald Hill Rd., (401) 821-5368. The hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Green Restaurant Association granted certification to Benders Caffe, 129 Weybosset St., Providence, on Oct. 14, upon implementation of environmentally sustainable practices. As part of the certification phase, Benders Caffe and owners Chris Mathis and Julie Pung reduced their environmental impact and increased sustainable practices by accomplishing energy efficiency and conservation, waste reduction, pollution prevention, offering environmental education and sustainable food, and sourcing organic foods, coffee and tea. Learn more at www.benderscaffe.com.

This week and weekend

The Bristol Historical & Preservation Society, 48 Court St., Bristol, hosts its annual Teddy Bear Tea on Sunday with two seatings at 2 and 3:30 p.m. Children of all ages and their families are encouraged to bring teddy bears. Homemade scones, tea sandwiches and desserts will be served along with beverages, including tea, apple juice and milk. The tea is an allergy-free event as there will be no nuts in any of the food. There is a maximum charge per family of $35 for non-members and $30 for members. Individuals pay $15 for non-members and $10 for members. Children under 12 eat for $7.50. Discounts will be given to those who bring their bears. Call (401) 253-7223 to make reservations, which are recommended.

Sts. Vartanantz Church will hold its Armenian Festival on Saturday from 1 to 10 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 9, from noon to 8 p.m. at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, Broad Street, Cranston. The festival features chicken, losh and shish kebabs, kufta dinners, Armenian delicacies, dancing to live music, arts and crafts, a flea market, gift baskets, country store, jewelry, silent auction, hourly raffles, an Armenian cultural exhibit and grand prizes worth $2,000. An Armenian children’s dance group will perform on Saturday at 5 and Sunday at 4. Free admission and parking. For information, call (401) 831-6399.

The Great International Beer Festival will be held Saturday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence. The tasting in two-ounce pours will be from more than 160 breweries showcasing 250 beers from around the world, including beers from Belgium, Russia, Ireland, South America, the United States, with micro and macro beers, and craft beers from the Northeast. Area beers that will be included are from Trinity Brew House, Union Station, Newport Storm, Narragansett and Sam Adams, Harpoon and more. The cost is $36 per person for either session purchased starting at 11 a.m. the day of the show. There will be live music from Bourbon Boys in the afternoon and Route 44 in the evening. Tutored tastings will be presented by Gregg Glaser, a beer writer, and by Tim Calderara, local columnist for Yankee Brew News. For more information, visit www.beerfestamerica.com.

Town Wine & Spirits hosts a French wine tasting from 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at the Rhode Island Antiques Mall, 345 Fountain St., Pawtucket. Co-sponsors are Seven Stars Bakery and Farmstead cheese shop. The cost is $30 and tickets can be purchased at the door or at Town Wine & Spirits, 179 Newport Ave., East Providence.

GiGi’s Global Specialty, 68 South Main St., Woonsocket, (401) 765-4422, hosts an anniversary open house Saturday including a conversation with Death by Chocolate author Marcel Desaulniers from 1-3 p.m.

Venice Restaurant, 165 Shore Rd., Westerly, (401) 348-0055, hosts Coastline Swing Band performing tomorrow night with the full dinner menu. The show starts at 7 p.m.

The Rhode Island Hospitality Education Foundation will host a Service and Leadership Seminar today and tomorrow from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the NYLO Providence/Warwick hotel. The seminar is designed for managers, supervisors and hospitality staff seeking management positions. Those attending will learn how to develop and nurture effective work teams, resolve conflicts and accomplish objectives. Judy Z. King, founder and principal of Quality Management Services, is the featured guest speaker. This two-day program is open to RIHA members as well as the general public. Registration is required by phone at (401) 223-1120.

Coming up

The Jarvis Green Foundation Wine Tasting Gala at Johnson & Wales Inn, 213 Taunton Ave., Seekonk, is set for 7 p.m. on Nov. 15. Green, a New England Patriots defensive end, has made it his goal to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina with the fundraising event. He will be joined by some of his Patriot teammates. Sponsors include Chris Gasbarro’s Fine Wine & Spirits. Hors d’ oeuvres from the chefs at Johnson & Wales will be served with the wine. Ameranouche will perform. A silent auction features sports memorabilia. Tickets cost $100 and can be purchased at the inn or through www.jarvisgreen.com.

The Coast Guard House Restaurant, 40 Ocean Rd., Narragansett, (401) 789-0700, is hosting a four-course wine dinner on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. featuring J. Lohr wines. The cost is $50, inclusive. Call to reserve.

22 Bowen’s Wine Bar & Grille, 22 Bowen’s Wharf, Newport, (401) 841-8884, hosts an Opus One wine dinner on Thursday, Nov. 13, with France Posener, the Eastern Divisional sales manager for Opus One. Executive chef Kevin DiLibero will prepare a four-course dinner. A reception at 6:30 p.m. will be followed by dinner at 7:30. The cost is $175 and tax and gratuity are additional. The restaurant just earned a 2008 Santé Magazine Culinary Hospitality Award, honoring restaurants and professionals that exhibit outstanding achievement in culinary service and hospitality.

Castle Hill Inn & Resort, 590 Ocean Drive, Newport, (401) 848-0918, ext. 150, present a Louis Jadot wine dinner on Saturday with a five-course dinner. A reception will begin at 6:30 p.m.; dinner will be served at 7. The cost is $150; tax and gratuity are additional. Castle Hill also has new menu items for the fall season, including a Wagyu Burger with grilled shallots and Roquefort cheese-thyme aioli and Georges Bank Scallops served with butternut squash puree, Sweet Berry Farm apple relish and cranberry buerre blanc. Lunch is served 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

The North End Café, 1058 Charles St., North Providence, (401) 726-4400, will co-host a harvest wines dinner on Nov. 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. with Douglas Wine and Spirits, 1661 Mineral Spring Ave., North Providence. The four-course menu includes pan-seared sea-salt scallops and Butchers Tender Beef, roasted butternut squash bisque and a fire-grilled pear salad. The cost is $44 and tickets are available either at the wine shop or cafe.

Cattails City Grill, 315 Waterman Ave., East Providence, (401) 434-2288, and Wine Spirits Depot, (401) 433-0231, host a wine dinner on Nov. 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. The multi-course menu includes pumpkin ravioli paired with Trivento Torrontes and Black Angus beef filet tips paired with Trivento Malbec and Chainti Classico Riserva. The cost is $45.

On the menu

Shaw’s locations are offering new, allergy-friendly cookies. HomeFree, a NH-based company founded by Jill Robbins, author of Allergen Free Baking, makes the organic, ready-to-eat, whole-grain cookies and coffee cakes free of common food allergens including peanuts, tree nuts, dairy and eggs. HomeFree cookie boxes cost $4.99 or $5.49 per box (plus shipping and handling) through the company’s Web site, www.homefreetreats.com. Flavors include chocolate chip, chocolate chocolate chip, and oatmeal as well as mini- chocolate chip, mini-chocolate chocolate chip and mini- oatmeal chocolate chip.

The Barking Crab Restaurant, Brick Market Place II on America’s Cup Avenue, Newport, (401) 846-2722, offers daily specials. They include: Way Back Wednesday with 1 1/4-pound lobsters for $7 from 8 to 10 p.m. Thursdays feature live entertainment and half-price snow crab legs and selections from the raw bar from 7 to 11 p.m. Frugal Friday has half-price appetizers at the bar from 4 to 6 p.m. Servicemen and women receive a 10-percent discount daily but on Sunday they can get a free appetizer with military ID. The restaurant is now closed Monday and Tuesday.

Bluecoat Gin has arrived in Connecticut and Rhode Island. It is one of the few American dry gins on the market and noted for use of organic American citrus peels, sweet orange and lemon peel. In Rhode Island, Bluecoat can be found at Cafe Paragon in Providence and Cafe Zelda in Newport as well as Bellevue Wine & Spirits and Vicker’s Liquors in Newport.

Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees throughout Rhode Island and Bristol County, Mass., will donate 25 cents to Special Olympics for every pound of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee sold during the months of November and December. Beginning on Nov. 12, two pounds of coffee cost $11.99.

Pinelli’s Deli by Day, 701 Quaker Lane, West Warwick, (401) 821-8828, menu includes breakfast sandwiches, bagels, croissants, doughboys and full breakfast items starting at $1.50. Breakfast is served Monday through Saturday mornings from 7:30 to 10 a.m.

Trio, 15 Kingstown Rd., Narragansett, www.trio-ri.com, has new menu items including Trio Panzarotti (stuffed, deep-fried hazelnut pasta with roasted pumpkin-lobster filling and rocket greens), Sea Sliders (chopped yellowfin tuna burgers with ginger spiked mayo and crunchy onion rings on soft potato buns) and BBQ’d Chicken Pizza.

Cafe Paragon, 234 Thayer St. Providence, (401) 331-6200, www.paragonandviva.com, offers a fixed price, three-course menu Monday to Thursday for $19.99. The brunch buffet will now be offered both Saturdays and Sundays.

Costantino’s Ristorante, 265 Atwells Ave., Providence, (401) 528-1100, features Umbria for its tour of Italy in November. Umbria is known for pasta, pork and cheeses including mozzarella, ricotta and pecorino. The fixed-price, three-course menu, $25 per person, includes a choice of appetizer, entrée, dessert, and a glass of wine from the region. It is offered on Sunday through Friday nights in addition to the regular dinner menu at Costantino’s, which opens at 5 p.m.

Zooma Bar-Ristorante, 245 Atwells Ave, Providence, (401) 383-2002, www.zoomari.net, notes that chef Jeffery Burgess has expanded his house-made pasta selection, now offering 16 different recipes, including braised ox-tail gnocchi, fresh pumpkin-filled ravioli finished with brown butter and sage, and rigatoni Bolognese finished with fresh grated horseradish. Zooma’s “Prezzo Fisso” menu has returned, featuring a four-course dinner for two, coffee, dessert and a bottle of wine for $39. It’s available Sunday through Thursday until 7 p.m.

Blaze owners Chris Edmonds and Phyllis Arffa have sold Blaze on Thayer but continue to run Blaze East Side, 776 Hope St., Providence, (401) 277-2529, www.blazerestaurants.com. They are now offering a new brunch buffet with all-you-can-eat for $15.95 and half price for kids. There is a make-your-own Bloody Mary bar, mango mimosas, Belgian waffles with fresh fruit and Chantilly cream and Blaze Benedict. It’s served from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Sunday. Also, from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, is “Appy Hour” with a two-for-one appetizer menu offered with the purchase of a beverage.

Brickway on Wickenden, 234 Wickenden St., (401) 751-2477, has added new lunch menu items including a hummas wrap; Ocean State roll-up with chicken, avocado, bacon, tomato, onion and mushroom with choice of dressing; a Brickway burger, a made-to-order burger with bleu cheese, sautéed mushrooms and red onion; and a pesto chicken wrap.

Contests

HP Hood is accepting entries through Jan. 16 for the Hood Holiday Recipe Contest. Submit your favorite original recipes online at Hood.com with the requirement being that each recipe must include one or more of the Hood holiday products: Hood EggNog (all varieties), Sour Cream, Cottage Cheese, Cream, Country Creamer or Instant Whipped Cream (must be used in conjunction with another product). One grand-prize winner will receive a chef-prepared dinner party for 10 at his or her home. Last year’s grand-prize winning entry, Festive EggNog Apple Pudding, submitted by Laura Lufkin of Essex, Mass., calls for Hood Golden EggNog, Hood Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Hood Instant Whipped Cream and can be found at Hood.com.

Diamond Foods launched a contest to find the best holiday entertaining ideas that incorporate Diamond Inshell Nuts. A trip for four to New York City to see a performance of New York City Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker is top prize. Submissions will be accepted through Dec. 31. Enter the contest and obtain more details at www.diamondnuts.com.

Classes

Barrington Community School will offer cooking classes taught by Katie Roberts, owner of Easy Entertaining RI, including a Parent-Child Pizza Class, tomorrow from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Children, age 8 and up, accompanied by a parent or other adult will make three pizzas, two of which will be entrées and one a dessert variety. The dough will be pre-made. The fee is $45 per adult-child pair. Roberts will also teach Mediterranean Makeover incorporating olive oil, fresh fish and whole grains on Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 7 to 9 p.m. The fee is $40 for Barrington residents and $45 for non-residents. Both classes meet at Barrington High School. To register, call (401) 245-0432 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

King Arthur Flour will highlight holiday baking in free baking classes in Boston. The classes — Sweet & Savory Yeast Breads and Festive Cookies & Pies — are each 90 minutes. Sweet & Savory Yeast Breads covers basic yeast-bread recipes and techniques from ingredients and mixing to shaping everything from dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls to decorative loaves and even pizza. In Festive Cookies & Pies, attendees learn how to achieve the perfectly flaky pie crust, make decorated cookies, and even get some of your holiday baking done ahead of time. The classes will be held at the Boston Marriott Copley Place, 110 Huntington Ave., Boston, on Nov. 16. Sweet & Savory Yeast Breads is at 11 a.m. and Festive Cookies & Pies is at 3 p.m. For more information on King Arthur Flour’s free baking classes, call (800) 827-6836 or visit kingarthurflour.com.

Save the dates

The Newport Art Museum hosts Holiday Tabletops and an evening of wine tasting on Friday, Dec. 5, from 5 to 9 p.m. with Bellevue Wine and Spirits and the Newport Showhouse Guild. The evening features wines from around the world and showcases designer-created tabletops on view throughout the Museum’s Griswold House, 76 Bellevue Ave., Newport, from Dec. 3 through Jan. 4. Guests may place orders for featured wines at discount show prices. Proceeds benefit the Newport Art Museum. Tickets cost $35 for Newport Art Museum members; $45 for non-members. Call (401) 848-8200 to reserve. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Via Roma, 308 Atwells Ave., Providence, hosts Holiday Gala Nights on Sundays, Dec. 7, 14 and 21, at 5:30 and Wednesdays, Dec. 3, 10 and 17, at 6:30 p.m. On the menu will be an antipasto display, dinner buffet and coffee and dessert. Live entertainment will be offered. The cost is $26.95. To reserve your party, call (401) 331-1717.

The Federal Hill Stroll is Sunday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m. on Atwells Avenue in Providence. There will be photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, horse-and-buggy rides, Christmas Carols with the Bay View Girls Choir, and discount shopping. For more information, call (401) 453-6161 or visit www.providencefederal hill.com.

On TV

Cooking with Class features chef Frank Terranova, an associate instructor at Johnson & Wales University, offering “Tips for shopping for your Thanksgiving meal” next week during the noon and 5 p.m. newscasts on Channel 10.

To Go

The Radisson Airport Hotel Providence, Warwick, and Johnson & Wales Inn, Seekonk, each offer a dinner-to-go package. The prepared package includes a 14- to 16-pound turkey, stuffing, butternut bisque, mashed potatoes and gravy, glazed yams, and peas with pearl onions. Breads, apple cider and pumpkin and apple pie are included. The Radisson also offers baked ham and roast prime rib dinners. The price ranges from $139 to $180 and serves 10 to 12 people. Radisson orders must be received by noon on Nov. 20 and the deadline for the Johnson & Wales Inn is noon on Nov. 26. Pick up at both places is 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. For the Radisson meals, call (401) 739-3000; for Johnson & Wales Inn meals, call (508) 336-8700.

West Valley Inn, 4 Blossom St., West Warwick, (401) 822-2834, has meals and turkeys to go, priced from $58 for a stuffed turkey to a dinner for 10 at $113. View the offerings at www.westvalleyinn.com/ holiday.php.

Lombardi’s 1025, 1000 Plainfield St., Johnston, (401)-944-1025, offers Thanksgiving dinner that serves 8 to 12 people and features an 8- to 9-pound boneless turkey breast, stuffing, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, butternut squash, cranberry sauce, brown gravy and choice of one pie for $120. Also available is a 16- to 18-pound turkey (must be ordered 1 week prior). Pickup is Thanksgiving Day, 8 a.m. to noon.

gciampa@projo.com