Tag: Food
Trader Joe’s Opens Downtown Providence Store
by Sarah McLaughlin '23 on November 3, 2022
Editor-in-Chief
Local Food
by Sarah McLaughlin ’23
Great news for fans of frozen fried ravioli and strawberry mochi—Trader Joe’s opened a new location in Downtown Providence this morning, Nov. 3. Located at 425 South Main Street, the store is within walking distance of Brown’s campus and PVDonuts and is now the closest Trader Joe’s location to PC’s campus, as Providence students previously would have had to travel to either Warwick, RI or Foxborough, MA.
Trader Joe’s is known across the U.S. for its low prices, which is due in part to how the chain sells primarily products of its own brand (about 80 percent of products on shelves) rather than typical name-brand groceries. PC students, often strapped for spare grocery cash but just as often out of Friar Bucks, could benefit from this new opening.
Through the company’s long standing Neighborhood Shares Program, Trader Joe’s locations pledge to make daily donations of 100 percent of the unsold, unexpired products they would otherwise throw away to local nonprofit organizations. The company has one of the best food waste management programs in the country; most grocery store waste ends up in landfills. In 2021, Trader Joe’s donated more than $349 million worth of food and beverages to nonprofits across the country. The new Providence location will ideally contribute to this environmental and socioeconomic initiative.
RI Food Fights Offers a Taste of Competition
by The Cowl Editor on September 3, 2021
Arts & Entertainment
RI Food Fights Offers a Taste of Competition
A Fun and Easy Way to Explore Local Flavors
By Grace Whitman ’22
Have you ever sat in your dorm room and said to your roommates, “guys, what should we have for dinner? The Ray food just isn’t cutting it today?” If so, log onto Instagram and check out Rhode Island Food Fights’ account (@rifoodfights). The local blog posts the best food finds across the state of Rhode Island.
You may ask, what makes RI Food Fights different from any other state food Instagram account? Each month, they bring people together by hosting competitions between local restaurants and other food businesses.
RI Food Fights originally only hosted competitions in set locations. The purpose of these contests was for restaurants to compete with one another in order to find the “Best in Rhode Island.” The first food “fight” was a cupcake challenge held at The Spot Underground in
March 2011. This competition was such a success that the company expanded their events to include ice cream and cookie challenges.
As RI Food Fights grew bigger and became more popular, it became harder for restaurants to bring their hot food like burgers, pizza, and wings to an off-site event. This complication sparked the creation of a second type of food fight: the passport event.
How does this event work? RI foodies buy a $25 passport full of coupons for 20-30 shops or restaurants in the Ocean State. Participants travel to these different locations and vote on which stops are their favorite. Each month, the food voted on varies. Recent contests have centered around ice cream, pizza, donuts, and hot wings.
This past month, Providence College students participated in the #BestScoopsRI competition, traveling to 25 different ice cream shops in 31 days.
Kate Zenobio ’22 said she “would highly recommend participating in RI Food Fights!” Zenobio explained, “I have gotten to explore the state of RI and try some really good ice cream! My favorite is from the Sacred Cow in East Providence! Definitely give it a try!”
Each monthly competition is split into two categories: one judged by the people of Rhode Island and the other by expert judges, who are chefs and food industry professionals. Past winners have been Providence’s Knead Donuts, who have claimed victory in the d
onut category for the past four years, Cranston’s La Casa for best Taco, and Federal Hill’s Bun Fun for Best Burger.
Since these local shops only span approximately 48 miles from the northern border of Rhode Island to the state’s southernmost tip, stopping at them won’t kill your car’s mileage. With over 90% of the Providence College student body coming from out of state, participating in the RI Food Fight Passport Program can be a great way to explore the Ocean State during your four years at PC.
Those looking to participate in an upcoming Rhode Island Food Fights event can head to their website, www.rifoodfights.com, to buy a passport. The month of September will be best Vegan Eats & Treats, October will be Best Tacos, November will be best pizza, and January will be best wings.
Delicious Dishes from Around the World: PC Cultural Clubs Celebrate Diversity
by The Cowl Editor on December 6, 2018
Campus
by Kyle Burgess ’21
News Staff
In keeping with a week full of themed cuisine nights sponsored by Providence College’s numerous student-run cultural clubs, Friartown’s Circolo Italiano brought the flavors of the Bel Paese to McPhail’s this past Tuesday. Students had a wide array of traditional Italian dishes to choose from, such as chicken and eggplant parmesan, gnocchi, penne and broccoli, and desserts like cannolis and cheesecake.
Mangia Night continues to be a fan-favorite of students at PC as it has been for the past eight years. “What first inspired it was the traditional Sunday dinner which a lot of Italians do at home,” explained Felicia Lopez ’19, vice president of the club. “We wanted a way to bring our Friar Family and Italian culture together, hence why we invented Mangia as a means of keeping this tradition alive here on campus.”
Il Circolo also has several functions in the works to continue sharing and showcasing their Italian heritage with the student body. On Thursday, December 6, for example, the club plans to collaborate with the College’s Italian department to host a day of celebration of Italian heritage in Sullivan 212.
Additionally, the club hopes to ring in St. Joseph’s Day with zeppoles and other Italian pastries this coming March, along with a wine tasting event next semester for those 21 and older.
Alongside PC’s Italian club, other student organizations such as Campus Ministry, the Gaelic Society in partnership with Students Obtaining the Meaning of Spanish (SOMOS), and the Board of Multicultural Student Affairs (BMSA) also held food-related events this past week.
Campus Ministry held a beignet run on Thursday, November 29 that helped raise funds for their upcoming NOLA immersion trip in 2019. This trip allows students to take part in working alongside the New Orleans community that is still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
BMSA hosted Cheesefest in ’64 Hall on Monday, November 26, to share cheese-themed dishes from around the world with the student body. BMSA holds this event every year, making it a fun-filled and delicious event the PC student body always looks forward to.
“Cheesefest is an annual opportunity for PC to come together to celebrate the glory of cheese as well as eleborate culture and explore the tradition of food in various cultures and places around the world,” Hannah Mackie ’19, vice president of BMSA.
Other on-campus events included a potato mash co-sponsored by PC’s Gaelic Society and SOMOS, which showcased traditional dishes of Irish and hispanic cultures. “We really loved the opportunity to co-sponsor with SOMOS because there are so many fantastic cultures represented on this campus and BMSA gives us a chance to show them to the greater PC community,” explained Camille Greaney ’19, vice president of Gaelic Society. “I have always found that sharing food is a great way to come together and what better food to share than potatoes!”
With the semester coming to a close and finals just around the corner, these clubs have helped students take a break from the workload to enjoy some good food and learn more about the cultures at PC.
Delicious Dishes from Around the World: PC Cultural Clubs Celebrate Diversity
by The Cowl Editor on December 6, 2018
Campus
by Kyle Burgess ’21
News Staff
In keeping with a week full of themed cuisine nights sponsored by Providence College’s numerous student-run cultural clubs, Friartown’s Circolo Italiano brought the flavors of the Bel Paese to McPhail’s this past Tuesday. Students had a wide array of traditional Italian dishes to choose from, such as chicken and eggplant parmesan, gnocchi, penne and broccoli, and desserts like cannolis and cheesecake.
Mangia Night continues to be a fan-favorite of students at PC as it has been for the past eight years. “What first inspired it was the traditional Sunday dinner which a lot of Italians do at home,” explained Felicia Lopez ’19, vice president of the club. “We wanted a way to bring our Friar Family and Italian culture together, hence why we invented Mangia as a means of keeping this tradition alive here on campus.”
Il Circolo also has several functions in the works to continue sharing and showcasing their Italian heritage with the student body. On Thursday, December 6, for example, the club plans to collaborate with the College’s Italian department to host a day of celebration of Italian heritage in Sullivan 212.
Additionally, the club hopes to ring in St. Joseph’s Day with zeppoles and other Italian pastries this coming March, along with a wine tasting event next semester for those 21 and older.
Alongside PC’s Italian club, other student organizations such as Campus Ministry, the Gaelic Society in partnership with Students Obtaining the Meaning of Spanish (SOMOS), and the Board of Multicultural Student Affairs (BMSA) also held food-related events this past week.
Campus Ministry held a beignet run on Thursday, November 29 that helped raise funds for their upcoming NOLA immersion trip in 2019. This trip allows students to take part in working alongside the New Orleans community that is still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
BMSA hosted Cheesefest in ’64 Hall on Monday, November 26, to share cheese-themed dishes from around the world with the student body. BMSA holds this event every year, making it a fun-filled and delicious event the PC student body always looks forward to.
“Cheesefest is an annual opportunity for PC to come together to celebrate the glory of cheese as well as eleborate culture and explore the tradition of food in various cultures and places around the world,” Hannah Mackie ’19, vice president of BMSA.
Other on-campus events included a potato mash co-sponsored by PC’s Gaelic Society and SOMOS, which showcased traditional dishes of Irish and hispanic cultures. “We really loved the opportunity to co-sponsor with SOMOS because there are so many fantastic cultures represented on this campus and BMSA gives us a chance to show them to the greater PC community,” explained Camille Greaney ’19, vice president of Gaelic Society. “I have always found that sharing food is a great way to come together and what better food to share than potatoes!”
With the semester coming to a close and finals just around the corner, these clubs have helped students take a break from the workload to enjoy some good food and learn more about the cultures at PC.
New Food Options at PC
by The Cowl Editor on September 14, 2017
Campus
New Food Options Available in McPhail’s and Beyond
By, Gabriella Pisano ’18
Assistant News Editor
From the ongoing construction on Albertus Magnus Hall to the transformation of Guzman Hill, Providence College students are used to seeing changes to the campus. While construction projects mark physical changes, there are other changes happening at PC, including the availability of Allie’s Donuts and the serving of food in McPhail’s.
Last semester when Sandella’s closed, students were given an upgraded dining option with the opening of the Eaton Street Café, located in the Arthur F. and Patricia Ryan Center for Business Studies. Changes in food options at the College haven’t stopped there.
Allie’s Donuts are now sold at the Eaton Street and Ruane Cafés. Allie’s Donuts, a small bakery in North Kingston, Rhode Island, is known for their delicious, and often colorful sprinkle-topped donuts. Thrillist named the bakery one of the 33 “Best Donut Shops in America.”
The two cafés on campus now supply a variety of types of Allie’s donuts Tuesday through Friday. For $2.49 students, faculty, and staff can purchase an Allie’s donut of their choosing. Ashleigh Arenas ’18, a Rhode Island native, said, “It’s great to see a Rhode Island staple here on campus.”
Student responses have been highly positive. “Having Allie’s Donuts at Ruane Café has been wild. Students are losing their minds,” said Emma O’Rourke ’18, student employee at Ruane Café.
“Eli Estavez and the Sodexo Team worked so hard to make this happen and we sell out almost every night. These donuts are definitely taking Friartown by storm!”
Milkshakes, beer, mixed drinks, and free popcorn are available at McPhail’s, but that is nothing new. Starting this past Monday, September 11, the on-campus bar is serving food cooked and served on site. The new food options in McPhail’s include chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, and personal pizzas.
While most of these food options are available in Alumni Dining Hall, student employee at McPhail’s Kelsey Doyle ’19 said, “With the option to serve food at McPhail’s, a greater customer base is served. It’s for the kids!”
Selena Ainzuain ’17, McPhail’s staff supervisor spoke to another benefit, stating, “Now when someone is having a drink, they don’t need to leave to go get food. Instead, they can keep socializing and eat right here.”
Though excited about the new food options, Doyle urged students not to forget $2 milkshake Wednesdays. Doyle said, “Don’t forget to come down on Wednesday nights to enjoy $2 milkshakes with your McPhamily!”
In the early 2000s, food was available for order at McPhail’s, but since the bar does not have a kitchen food was cooked and served in Alumni Dining Hall. Trish Swanson ’18G, graduate assistant at McPhail’s, explained that ordering in McPhail’s was put to a stop because there was often confusion when food was ordered from McPhail’s and picked up in Alumni.
With a small oven that thoroughly cooks food located right in the bar, confusion can now be avoided when ordering food. Food will be available during regular hours.
“In recent years there weren’t food options, since all we had in the past was popcorn. The food options now available are really for the convenience of students enjoying time in McPhail’s. There are now more options available for students of all ages, not just students 21+,” said Swanson.
