Food Dude Bruce Newbury

Chef and restaurateur Christopher Bender raising the bar on the Newport RI dining scene with a Game Dinner, a Wagyu Dinner and an entry into the Newport Burger Bender. Listen to how Stoneacre is back in a big way.

So a snowstorm, a penguin and a leprechaun walk into a bar....This was our day on Saturday March 12. The Lake Champlain Penguin Plunge was going on in the midst of a blizzard. Meanwhile, the Newport St Patricks Day Parade was stepping off through the puddles of Newport RI. Food Dude Radio kept on with timeshifted radio broadcast time and the vagaries of weather, computers and stuff. Luckily for you, there's On Demand so here you go. Thanks and "what do we say and believe? Don't Forget To Try The House Dressing!"

The celebration of the Lunar New Year is here. This is the Year of the Tiger. The New Year begins always with meaningful foods symbolizing prosperity, good health and good luck. We interview chefs from Castle Hill Inn - Andy Taur and Stoneacre Garden - Christopher Bender about their Chinese New Year menus.

When Taylor Swift is your neighbor, you have to keep up appearances. You never know who might be dropping in to visit. When you're a luxury resort oceanfront hotel resort and spa, the sky's the limit. So it is at the Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. In the winter, life is not so much a beach as it is Apres-Ski. How do you turn a beach resort in Rhode Island into a ski resort in the French Alps? Bring in a few ski gondolas, uncork some Champagne and arrange for a blizzard, of course. Not sure how they fixed up the blizzard, but we had a great time in our gondola with some good food. Give a listen.

Some sizzle, some crunch, very classy and some great food and cocktails. Pretty good way to start off the New Year, wouldn't you say? We were at 10 Prime Steak and Sushi in Providence RI for some holiday festivities with the new President of Chow Fun Food Group, Harrison Elkhay, Chef Brittany Muggle, and Resident Mixologist Wilkie. You'll hear it all from the mixing to the sizzle. Enjoy!

Cookies are to Christmas as pie is to Thanksgiving, don't you think? We have a kind of virtual cookie exchange going on here. First up, we will speak with Matt Bonoma at Vermont Cookie Love about some of his amazing cookies including some he hasn't made yet! Next its off to Newport RI by way of France with baker Xavier Mauprivez of The French Confection for macarons and a Buche de Noel!

It's David Crowell proprietor of Stoneacre with a preview of the exciting Truffle Dinner on Dec. 4 to accompany the showing of the film The Truffle Hunters at the Jane Pickens Theater in Newport with dinner to follow at the Stoneacre!

Sums up the food part of Thanksgiving, don't you think? Except for the turkey. That's where Celebrity Chef Jamie Gwen comes in. Jamie talks about her favorite way to roast the bird, and sides and what to feed everyone when they first come in the door hungry and dinner is two hours away! Then we will visit with Gail at Greg's Market in Middlebury VT to unpack the Thanksgiving feed you can still pick up - and Gail unveils the December Pack - it's a "pantry filler" or a great gift.  And radio nerds - there's a little something something for you at about 20:20!

Today we are talking with Chef/Author Michael Ruhlman. His book, “From Scratch” could be the title of his biography. He came by his position from the ground up.Ruhlman is best known for writing about food, chefs and the work of professional cooking. He is also the author of nine non-fiction books and a collection of novellas, and is the co-author with various chefs including Thomas Keller of ten other cookbooks.  Ruhlman visited JWU’s Providence Campus in early October to talk with culinary students about his latest book, the full title of which is, “From Scratch: 10 Meals, 175 Recipes, and Dozens of Techniques You Will Use Over and Over.” We agree, it's always great to be on campus with the culinary kids!

See what I did...make that Xee what I did there! We're at Xaco Taco in Providence RI. It's El Dia de la Muerta  - Day of the Dead - sometimes known as Halloween. Let's dress up and hang with Seth the bar manager who is mixing up a Mezcal-based cocktail for the occasion known as The Black and Orange. (Hey those were my high school colors!) A little Citron mezcal, some pineapple, a rim of black salt around the glass and Trick or Treat! Perfect with a couple Birria Tacos and Tres Leches cake from Chef Andy! 

Food Dude Visits OZ. OZ Tacos Tequila in Lincoln RI is another unique concept from Maestro John Elkhay who envisioned "an ideal or fantastical place" with "an amicable blend of foolishness, innocence and freshness, where Tacos Without Borders are served." So what are Tacos without Borders? The best way to tell is to read the handwriting on the wall in the OZ dining room: "Toto, we're not in Mexico anymore!"

The Food Dude Visits The Farm and makes some great friends. How Now Brown Cow was 3 days old here - a week ago - and her sister is about a month old. Cabot Creamery Co-operative has a great partner here at Liberty Hill Farm in Rochester VT. Makes it extra good when you pick up Cabot Cheddar at Dave's Marketplace. WADK 1540AM now on 101.1 FM and Newstalk WVMT

By the bubbling brook With Ted Tomlinsen at The Spanked Puppy in Colchester Vermont - when you can snatch the Lobster Roll from my hand, grasshopper. ..just checking to see if anybody reads this.

Every taste is a memory but sometimes you have to go back to where it all began. For me it was the A & W Drive-In on Route 7 in Middlebury, Vermont. It was great to sit at the same picnic table looking out onto the Green Mountains and talk to Anthony Neri about how retro is cool. Then its off to the Outback at the Spanked Puppy in Colchester with Ted, Chef Tim and Bernie The Spice Guy for some spicy secrets!

Which we could call every episode. This one has it all. People you would like to meet and talk to, food you would love to eat and to find and - well, fun just follows the Food Dude around! So, in order, here are: Stephanie from Rochester Cafe and Country Store on Route 100 in Rochester, VT; Ted Tomlinsen from The Spanked Puppy in Colchester VT; and Ben Newbury and me at The Meltdown in Barre VT.

Poutine. It's not just comfort food. It's a way of life. And it has taken its place on many menus in Rhode Island. How did this Quebecois invasion take place? Deliciously. It's so mainstream, it has its own food competition - The Poutine Indulgence to benefit the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Ecouter, mes amis. Allons!

Back in the Jurassic era of podcasts - 10 years ago - Bruce had a podcast. Back then, there were actual food events too. One was known as "The Woodstock Festival Of Meat." It was called Meatopia. What a time it was. Let's go back to a 105-degree summer weekend and partake of "Meat In The Heat". Its a podcast of a podcast and it sounds like a good time.

So we are sending this one out to Food Dude Pod Fan Maggie at the Scoop Shop in East Providence. Which works because that's where we begin with Maureen Maloney from Sacred Cow Granola. Then its off to KNEAD Doughnuts in Rhode Island for another Walk - Talk - Taste with Brit Decosta. Radio nerd friends - listen all the way to the end! Brought to you by Gaspar's  - the Portuguese sausage the whole world can enjoy!

Everyone else is saying Bob Burke's Pot au Feu restaurant came in second in the Small Business Big Wins sweepstakes. But that wins a Silver Medal, right? So let's hang that medal where it belongs and take a Victory Lap. After the year we have put in, we deserve it and no one more than Bob and his crew. Here's the setup and the votegetting followed by the victory lap and an impassioned wish for all restaurants and all of us too. Enjoy and best wishes Bob and all of us.

OK, I clickbaited you. The premise is that I, your old dj, will talk over anything like they used to on AM radio - EXCEPT for the piece of music that leads off this episode. You will LOVE the interview with Amy Goodson from the Beef Association ( It's What's For Dinner - Dun Dun Dun!) and the most beautiful Prime Rib Roast your mind can picture. Then Ted Tomlinson from the Spanked Puppy in Colchester VT and I drop every celebrity chef's name as we talk tiramisu, eggnog and biscotti, interrupted by my Walk N Taste with Maureen Maloney at her Sacred Cow Granola/Munroe Dairy Pop-Up Market and Ice Cream Scoop Shop. There is a lot packed inside this episode. Enjoy. And leave listener comments at this link: https://anchor.fm/food-dude-bruce-newbury/message And don't forget to review!