5 Fabulous Fall Food Events

5 Fabulous Fall Food Events

Step aside, salad. It’s fall and we’re ready for rich red wines, hearty chowders and stews, apples and pumpkins and squash. Where to find all this? We’ve got the skinny on 5 fall festivals that will warm you to the brim.

Providence Cocktail Week, Oct. 13-22

Hot on the heels of the most successful ever Providence Restaurant Week comes this “celebration of the art, appreciation and aesthetic of the cocktail.” All around town, mixologists will concoct dreamy, decadent, sophisticated versions of both modern and vintage drinks. Some will be paired with special menu items while others are designed to be enjoyed solo. Events are slated for every night of the week at different hot spots around town, including the Avery, Gracie’s, Waterman Grille, The Duck and Bunny and Bravo, among others. So don your finest “Mad Men” attire and belly up to the bar for an education in flavor. www.cocktailweekprovidence.com

Rhode Island Seafood Festival, Oct. 15

Matunuck Oyster Farm oysters, Narragansett Beer, live local music…we can’t think of a better way to spend a crisp fall day. The first annual seafood festival features all of that plus lots more wine and beer and seafood galore – chowders, clamcakes, steamed clams, lobster and more. Set alongside the bay at India Point Park, this fun, funky and oh-so-tasty festival benefits the Rhode Island Red Cross and the Rhode Island chapter of Surfrider Foundation, whose mission is protect oceans, waves and beaches. We don’t think it gets any more Rhode Island-y than that, do you? 11-6. Free admission. 732-823-8649, India St, Providence, www.riseafoodfest.com.

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Chefs Collaborative Rhode Island Farm Picnic, Oct. 16

For several years now, the national organization Chefs Collaborative has been bringing together forward-thinking chefs who share the ideals of supporting local, sustainable food. We in Rhode Island are lucky to have a number of these chefs working hard to open our eyes-and mouths-to all that our local farms and waters have to offer. Chefs Jake Rojas of Tallulah on Thames and Derek Wagner of Nick's on Broadway and more than 10 local chefs will be on hand to prepare a home-style barbecue featuring locally-sourced ingredients on outdoor pits and smokers while music plays and the kids enjoy a hayride.
Proceeds go to support Chefs Collaborative’s mission of educating the public about shopping locally, while bringing together chefs and farmers and artisans to turn all this local bounty into some crave-worthy treats. 4-7 p.m. $65 per person; $20 for kids 5-13; children under 5 free. Schartner Farms, 1 Arnold Place, Exeter, www.chefscollaborative.org

Taste of Bristol and Beyond, Bristol, Oct. 23

Historic Linden Place Mansion is the setting for the East Bay's premier food and wine event, The Taste of Bristol...and Beyond. This event showcases some of the state's top culinary talent in one gorgeous setting -- you can enjoy the casual goodness of Quito's chowder and the incredible Indian-influenced cuisine of DeWolf Tavern’s Chef Sai Viswanath. Greenvale Vineyards, Trinity Brewhouse and Johnsons Brothers will be providing the beverages, so you can count on some good wines and creative cocktails, to go along with all that yummy food. $50 per person in advance or $60 at the door. 253-0390, 500 Hope St. Bristol, 253-0390, www.lindenplace.org

The Savory Grape Charity Fall Wine Festival, Nov. 5

In the relatively short time it has been open, the Savory Grape has established itself as one of the most popular wine shops around.

They partner with Providence’s hottest new restaurant, The Dorrance, to host this event which features more than 50 fine wines from around the world, including some very rare vintages, heavy hors d’oeuvres from their kitchen, live music and auction items such as vineyard trips and collectible wines. And it is all to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. 6 p.m. $75. 60 Dorrance St, Providence, 886-9463, www.thesavorygrape.com

In the fall mood? Check out GoLocalTV's Greg Berman's interview at Tini in Providence on their latest fall cocktail... here.