Doughboy sundaes, seafood platters, and summer breezes on the boardwalk are all quintessential experiences associated with Iggy’s. With locations in Warwick and Narragansett and an iconic mascot that rivals the Big Blue Bug, Iggy’s is a bona-fide Rhode Island institution. Iggy’s Doughboys and Chowderhouse, which started out as a seafood shack and later expanded to a full-service restaurant, introduced the custom-made truck in 2023 and are happy to announce that it’s back!
“We started very slowly last summer at food truck festivals, getting brand awareness, getting people to realize we have a food truck. This year is the first full season for the truck,” says Caitlin White, operations manager. Among the more popular mobile offerings, “our staple items, chowder and clam cakes, fish and chips, and, of course, our Iggy Cheeseburger do really well.” Don’t miss Iggy’s at food truck events and festivals all summer long. “We’re celebrating National Food Truck Day on June 28 at the Oakland Beach location,” says White, with an entirely gluten-free menu for the night. Warwick, IggysRI.com
The summer months get busy at 401 Oyster Company. Owner and operator Brian Pinsky started the oyster farm to provide a sustainable, local food source. “In the summer we sell directly to local restaurants,” says Pinsky, who’s entering his 13th season of farming on nine acres in Ninigret Pond, alongside other local harvesters. “I went to URI for aquaculture and fisheries; that’s what got me into the industry.”
“We do a lot of festivals, including the Charlestown Seafood Festival,” says Pinsky. “We also did 10,000 oysters in the (backstage) anchor tent at the Newport Folk Festival last year. This will be our sixth year doing it.” Pinsky notes that his product is gaining popularity among younger consumers, who enjoy buck-a-shuck servings at raw bars around the region. “It’s been a trendy thing for the past few years,” he notes. Look for 401 Oysters at the Point Judith Farmers Market at Fisherman’s Memorial State Park on Sundays this summer, with overnight shipping on their website, too. Charlestown, 401OysterCompany.com
Ninigret Nectars Oysters started selling directly to local restaurants over a decade ago. “We still have a few of our original clients, but over 80 percent of our oysters now go to distributors,” says owner and operator Matt Behan who sends the harvests of the sea across the country, and even as far as Singapore. “Rhode Island oysters have a good name and tend to have really great flavor. They are sought after everywhere. Ours are a smaller oyster… the big huge honking ones, that’s kind of old school. The new trend is petite; they are a delicacy, like caviar.”
Behan explains how water salinity impacts the oyster’s flavor. “We’re in a salt pond, connected to the ocean, but we don’t get a full turnover of the ocean, so the freshwater input knocks the saltiness down, which really lets the other flavors in there shine. Ours are described as sweet, with a buttery, creamy, nice mouthfeel. You don’t have to load them up with cocktail sauce; you can have them straight up.” Find out how to bring their tide-to-table oysters to your event by visiting online. Charlestown, NinigretNectars.com
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