Your February Food News

Kai Bar joins restaurant group, Celebrated opens dessert shop, Impressed Olive 1 hosts chef demos

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Martucci Group expands EG restaurant portfolio with Kai Bar

This winter, The Martucci Group (TMG) added Kai Bar to its portfolio of East Greenwich eateries, including Safehouse Modern Neighborhood Eatery, Besos Kitchen and Cocktails, The Trap Brew Pub & Grill, and Chianti’s Catering.

Many things will remain the same: Award-winning mixologist Jason Kindness will continue to lead the team, bringing a “southern Cali feel to Main Street,” and remain “a great spot for craft cocktails, poke bowls, interactive games, and live music every night of the week,” says T.J. Martucci, president. However, he reveals, they have some “fun new ideas in the works.”

Bonus: For those who enjoy getting rewarded for their dining choices, Kai Bar will fall under TMG’s loyalty program, where patrons can receive reward points for purchases, make reservations, and view current wait times from their mobile app. -Michael Pennacchia

 

Celebrated finds a sweet spot in Warwick

Celebrated desserts are edible art: Encased in sprinkles, adorned with sugared (and real!) flowers, topped with fruit, and frosted in bold, colorful icing. There are cakes, cupcakes, and cake jars; cookies and cookie dough; pop tarts, brownies, and – most famously – macarons. And – they’re all vegan.

Since 2017, pastry chef Becky Morris has been operating remotely, churning out “plant-based indulgences” for special events, popping up at local markets and shops, and baking macarons for Plant City in Providence. Now, she’s opening a brick-and-mortar in Warwick.

“It’s been a dream of mine ever since starting the business to open a little shop,” says Morris. “We want a place where wedding couples can come for tastings and guests can pick up desserts to-go.” This month, customers will be able to sample her eco-conscious confections in a brand-new home at 901 Warwick Avenue. Now that’s a reason to celebrate! -Megan Schmit

 

Balsamic vinegar on ice cream and free chef demos in Wickford

At The Impressed Olive 1, reopened last May, owners Bill and Jeannie Ronci will ply you with shots of exotic oils and aged vinegars from rows of stainless steel “fustis” or decanters lining the walls. There’s sweet almond crème, a white balsamic that can be drizzled on ice cream, or the glazed onion balsamic that Jeannie combines with lean beef to make savory burgers. An extensive line of hot sauces, including Middletown’s Rhed’s and Mad Dog 357, which packs six million Scoville Heat Units (the measure of pungency and heat of chile peppers), are also available.

Starting this month, the Olive is hosting free cooking demos with local chefs. First up is Raymond Montaquila, formerly the executive chef at Coast Guard House, who’ll be preparing local specialties using the Olive’s oils and vinegars. -Michael Pennacchia

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