By: Students of the Magazine Feature Writing class
Dine out during Newport Restaurant Week-
Most of Newport’s gourmet and upscale restaurants—Castle Hill Inn, 22 Bowens Wharf, The Grille at Forty 1o North—have entrees that cost a mini fortune for the average college student. During Newport Restaurant Week, the three course prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner priced respectively at $16 and $30 make it more affordable for people to enjoy fine dining. The normal extent of my “fine dining” in downtown Newport is a tomato basil mozzarella Panini and a seasonal hot beverage…at Starbucks. Thankfully, I am lucky enough to have my birthday fall on Newport Restaurant week two years in a row. Last year, my family and I went to Brick Alley Pub for dinner. We frequented Brick Alley every so often, but I had never before indulged in ordering a dish of lobster macaroni and cheese. For the appetizer, I had lobster bisque and a brownie ice cream sundae for dessert. By the time I reached dessert, I was too full with fresh lobster and sharp cheddar jack cheese. This year, with my boyfriend at The Mooring, I could not bring myself to eat one more bite of the warm banana bread (which was subtly spiced with a touch of cinnamon) and the gourmet hot chocolate. As much as I tried to fit in one more delicious bite, the belted waist of my dress forced me to stop. We had started our meal with Narragansett Littleneck clams from the raw bar and mussels stewed in chourizo broth served with garlic bread, then had swordfish served with steak frites for the main course. Even after I graduate, I hope to return to Newport on my birthday and participate in Restaurant Week with friends and family in years to come. –Mia Lupo
Volunteer at the McKinney Shelter-
With all of the beautiful mansions on Bellevue Avenue and Ocean Drive, people tend to forget that Newport has the highest class divide between rich and poor. When students walk on Broadway heading towards Fast Net Pub or Pour Judgment, some do not realize that the McKinney Shelter for the homeless is a short stumble across the street. I was not aware the homeless shelter existed until I volunteered with other Salve students through a community service program. We prepared a pasta dinner and cupcakes for dessert (I baked and frosted all 146 of them) and served it to the men and women at the shelter. While sitting in the shelter’s lobby and listening to the director talk, it was humbling to look around and see a glimpse of how these individuals lived. The director spoke about the difficulty living in a shelter and the steps individuals are encouraged to take in order to lead a normal life. Most shelters cannot accommodate the growing population of homeless, so they are forced to sleep on the streets. Perhaps you cannot stop homelessness from persisting, but you can reach out and donate some of your time to help them. The McKinney Shelter appreciates any help that local residents can offer—even if that help comes in over one hundred vanilla frosted cupcakes with colored jimmies on top. –Mia Lupo
Enjoy the newportFILM Documentary Film Series-
The pitch-black room silences as the speaker shuts off her microphone and returns to her seat at the front of the audience. The applauding seizes as the squeaking of shoes rushing to join the rest of the spectators is audible even as the opening lines of the film commence. You are sitting in on a documentary, being presented by newportFILM, the resident film festival of this city by the sea.
newportFILM is a documentary film company founded by the Newport notable Andrea van Buren. The company offers a summer series of documentaries with at least one film being shown per month at locations that coincide with the theme of the film. During the fall and winter months, newportFILM presents one documentary a month. The prices of the events usually range between $0 and $10, allowing all members of the family to attend without breaking their budgets.
The films usually have an emphasis on an environmental or social issue that viewers should be aware of. The company utilizes a form of grass-roots marketing which is admirable given that the subjects they usually try to emphasize in their films are eco-friendliness and sustainability.
By spending $10 on a documentary film that will inform you of an important social or ecological issue, you are also funding a local nonprofit business that relies on its ticket sales to keep their program running. It is definitely worth visiting their website www.newportfilm.com for more information and upcoming events.—Breanne Cabral
Explore the Aquidneck Growers’ Wednesday Farmers Market–
As you cross a busy Memorial Boulevard and walk along the shaded path of the Aquidneck Growers’ Farmers Market on a summer or fall afternoon, you are taken back to that place as a child where you were able to run free and breathe in all that life has to offer. You can see men strumming their guitars as dogs settle in a bit of shade under a large ancient tree to protect themselves from the beating of the sun. And as you are walking from booth to booth of the Rhode Island businesses that bring their fresh products for purchase, you are able to see what the ground around you has to offer as well.
The Aquidneck Wednesday Farmers Marker takes place from June to the last week of October every year from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. With over 25 different vendors, there is something for everyone at this truly enjoyable event. Patrons line up even before the market’s 2:00 start time in the hopes of getting farm fresh produce as soon as possible. Once the bell rings, the shopping commences and tasty goods are sold, and sometimes eaten as fast as they are purchased. There are stands selling everything from freshly baked pastries to
A favorite stand at the Wednesday event is the Tallulah on Thames taco and burrito stand. Tallulah offers chicken and vegetable tacos and burritos, complete with sumptuous fresh vegetables that taste as though they were gathered that morning. A fresh guacamole is the proverbial cherry on top of these delectable burritos and tacos. The tacos are smaller and $3 each, while the burritos are a little pricier at $8 a pop.
Next time you are thinking of visiting a Taco Bell at around midnight next summer, save the $10 that the compulsory trip will set you back and indulge in something that is delicious and good for you at the same time.—Breanne Cabral
