Sunny and chilly day in Providence. Lots of folks out. Happy holiday sprits. Lesley R. and HG/BSK were off to the Saturday Farmers Market which occupies spacious ground floor venues in a refurbished loft building complex. Fresh vegetables and fruit. Superior beef, lamb, pork, chicken, sausages. Every variety of jarred pickles and hot sauces. Quality cheeses. Breads, pastries, syrups, honey. Chocolate, toffee. Prepared Middle Eastern food. Hot soups and bowls of exotic stews (cozy dining nooks throughout the market). Fish counter with squid, oysters and clams. Lesley R. picked out many good things for holiday family meals. Among them were sea scallops harvested and frozen in the most natural way. (Lesley is going to serve them with a dinner pasta and HG is looking forward). After the market, the trio visited the venerable Providence Arts Club. Brilliant (and beautiful) granddaughter, Arianna R., is on the staff of the Club (the manager assured the trio that Ms. A. is doing very good work and her colleagues are very fond of her). The Club is deceptive. At first glance, it seems to consist of one Tudor style building. The reality is the club consists of four (maybe five) buildings joined together and containing a warren of exhibition spaces, studios, lecture halls, classrooms and more. There’s a cafe and a very impressive bar in an antique setting of big, comfy well-worn leather sofas and chairs. Big Chinese rug. Massive oak chest as a coffee table. Fireplace and wood-paneled walls. (HG hopes to get back there someday and make a dent in the vodka supply). Though the atmosphere and furnishings of the club are antique (much of the art on walls is a century or more old) the Club exudes artistic vitality and creativity. The Market and Club explorations made the trio hungry. So, there was a visit to Hemenway’s Restaurant for superb Rhody oysters, clear Rhody clam chowder (the best), superior bread and butter plus a few glasses of wine. A perfect midday meal.
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