Great Late-Summer Foods + Where To Find Them

Great Late-Summer Foods + Where To Find Them

The waning days of summer are full of fall-ready obligations. Add to your list: enjoying some of the foods that are freshest now and won’t be with us much longer. We looked to some of the state’s top chefs to see how they are enjoying late-summer staples. Hurry in – fall’s bounty is right around the corner!

 

New Rivers, Providence

Of all the late summer foods we crave, summer squash is probably the least popular among the masses, and often sidelined by chefs for use in “vegetable medleys.” This inexpensive veggie is underestimated, however, when it comes to flavor and versatility, and Chef Beau Vestal’s summer squash soup makes our case by reigning as one of the tastiest ways we’ve enjoyed it. Vestal harvests his variety from Four Town Farm, and combines it with the fresh flavors of peas. Quinoa adds a little texture, and the flavor is nothing short of bright and beautiful. We followed it up with the restaurant’s famous burger for a perfect summer meal. 7 Steeple St, 751-0350. www.newriversrestaurant.com

Cook and Brown Public House, Providence

Melon is the star of the show at Cook and Brown, where a watermelon and cantaloupe salad tastes exactly as late summer should. Chef Nemo Bolin uses the freshest, ripest varieties of melon he can find, and highlights the delicate flavors with a touch of seasoned ricotta, a little lime, and hints of basil and mint. The result is as refreshing and lovely as anything we have tasted this summer. We followed this beauty up with the grilled Maine lobster, which was made original with a hint of curry and a summer veggie salad. 959 Hope St, 273-7275. www.cookandbrown.com

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Tallulah on Thames, Newport

Heirloom tomatoes are notorious for being unattractive – misshapen, oversized, oddly colored. But their flavors can’t be beat. And you can tell that Chef Jake Rojas thinks they are some of the most beautiful things in the world, and he makes them taste so in his native heirloom tomato salad. A simple rice wine vinaigrette accompanies several varieties of these beauties, as does a bit of basil (of course), mint, and a gorgeous cheese called burrata from Maplebrook Farms in Vermont, which is similar to mozzarella but has a creamy, luscious center. All in all, this salad is a treat for all the senses, just as the best food should be. 464 Thames St, 849-2433. www.tallulahonthames.com

Bacaro, Providence

There aren’t many restaurants in the state that do an interesting peach dessert, and there certainly aren’t many that can hold a candle to the seasonal stone fruit tart for two at Bacaro. Peaches (or sometimes nectarines or plums, depending on what is freshest ) hold court at the center of the flakiest, most delectable pie crust you’ve ever had, and it is all hand-formed into a rustic tart. A sprinkling of sugar finishes off the simple presentation, which allows the flavors of the fruit to really burst forth. Our only issue with it is that we might argue with the notion it is for one…while two certainly could share, we’ve been known to polish off almost the entire thing single-handedly. And we’re not ashamed. 262 South Water St, 751-3700. www.bacarorestaurant.net

La Laiterie at Farmstead, Providence

If it is possible to get all of the flavors of summer into one refreshing dish, Chef Matt Jennings has managed to pull it off with his chilled corn bisque. This bowl is a tour de force of tasty summer corn. It almost tastes as if there is a background of clam to help re-enforce the idea that this is summer in a bowl. A touch of cream adds the required lushness and small kernels of corn add a nice crunch to the soup. It was the best chilled soup we had anywhere this season. Add in all of the other spot-on dishes on the menu at La Lateire and you have the perfect late summer locale! 184-188 Wayland Ave, 274-7177. www.farmsteadinc.com