Rhode Island's Best Upcoming Food Events

Rhode Island's Best Upcoming Food Events

As summer comes to a close, we look to the cooler days of fall to unveil a whole new culinary landscape. As September dawns we look to 5 local food and wine festivals so we can eat and drink through the transition.

The Burnside Park Beer Garden Music Series 8/29 and 9/5

Kennedy Plaza is undergoing its own renaissance of sorts. The growing culinary/hotel/food truck community is helping change the center of Downcity into a vibrant culinary landscape. Part of this growth has been the very cool music series held every Thursday in Burnside Park. As part of the Waterfire Providence schedule of events for the summer it takes local musicians and pairs them with the locally-made beer from Trinity Brewhouse. Add to that some of our favorite food trucks and you have an awesome Thursday evening. They have some tables but this is the perfect setting for throwing down a blanket--along with a cold beer and some food. www.waterfire.org

Outstanding in the Field: birch at Sweet Berry Farm 9/3

Sometimes, really tremendous food can take you places and, sometimes, really cool food events can do the same. Started in California, the Outstanding in the Field series brings together local farms, farmers and chefs all over the country. Here in Rhode Island it offers the opportunity to try one of our best local chefs, Ben Sukle of birch in Providence, at one of our favorite farms, Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown. Chef Sukle pushes the boundaries of creativity with fresh, local ingredients and Sweet Berry Farm will provide some of those delicious ingredients. They'll set up a long table right in the field and, traditionally, you bring your own plates. It provides you with an opportunity to meet the farmers and chefs bringing you the food. Great concept! www.birchrestaurant.com www.sweetberryfarmri.com

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Chez Pascal's 11th Annual Tomato Dinner 9/9

There is one end of summer celebration that we look forward to every year...the Tomato Dinner at Chez Pascal. It is the quintessential celebration of summer's most perfect creation: the tomato. It features tomatoes in every form imaginable. The dinner boasts five courses and that includes a tomato dessert. In the able hands of Chef Matt Gennuso, the humble tomato is elevated without being overshadowed. It takes a deft touch, and a lot of restraint, to not overpower the subtle flavor of the tomatoes but Gennuso always seems to... perfectly. His food is well balanced so every part of a dish shines though. This will be the only menu available on this night, so no dietary changes...just tomatoey goodness! 960 Hope St. 421-4422, www.chez-pascal.com

Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival 9/20-22

When you think of a major food and wine festival, you think of big white tents filled with celebrity chefs. You smell and taste a myriad of food and wine that tempts your senses. You see yourself sitting in a small group being taught how to prepare a dish by one of your favorite national, or local, chefs. Well, the Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival has all of that...on the grounds of the gorgeous mansions. Chefs Alex Guarnaschelli, Michel Richard and Jonathan Cartwright join local faves Champe Speidel and Jake Rojas to help support the mansions. The grand tasting features hundreds of wines featured alongside delicious food. It is as close as we get to the festivals of Aspen or Miami or Napa Valley. Definitely worth an afternoon trip...or two. www.newportmansions.org

Taste Trekkers Food Tourism Conference 9/20-22

With the growth of the Food Network and a culture of educated diners, food travel and tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the industry. People now travel for specific culinary events. We know this all too well in Rhode Island. Our amazing culinary scene draws tourists from all over. One man, Seth Resler, had the vision to pick Providence as the locale for the first ever conference on food tourism. Food lovers and bloggers will join together to demonstrate the best ways to travel when food is the ultimate destination. Local star Matt Jennings of Farmstead is providing the keynote address for the event which also features a tasting pavilion on Saturday afternoon. There will be scrumptious food and wine alongside the education, so you really can't go wrong! www.tastetrekkers.com