Raves for Crave: Sample foods from land to sea at this annual culinary event

We Rhode Islanders proudly boast of our home when talking to out-of-staters, and one of our favorite things to talk about is the multitude of culinary options in the state. This year, CVS will once again help us celebrate RI’s many restaurants and food businesses. The CVS Health Charity Classic, which includes a golf tournament, is anchored by CRAVE RI, a two-day food festival curating culinary concoctions from local restaurants, breweries and vineyards. CRAVE RI will take place on June 20 and 21 at Dunkin Donuts Center from 5:30 – 10pm.

CRAVE RI culls samples from 100 local restaurants and provides tastes from more than 150 beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverage makers. Guests can delve into delectable samples from returning stars such as The Aviary, Red Fin Crudo + Kitchen, Matunuck Oyster Bar, Narragansett Beer, Newport Vineyards and Sons of Liberty Spirits. Other notable RI food gastronomic luminaries include Milk Money, The Malted Barley, Granny Squibb’s Tea, Bully Boy Spirits, Providence Bagel, Pasta Beach, Knead Doughnuts, Nettle’s Kettle Corn, Sarcastic Sweets, Kabob & Curry, La Creperie, HG80 food truck and Woods Tavern.

The craft beers of RI will be represented by local titans Revival, Whalers, Grey Sail, Newport Craft, Union Station, Shaidzon and Taproot. Or one can sip on Wise Mouth Tea, Dave’s Coffee, LuLuna Kombucha and others.

A particularly tantalizing aspect of the event is the chef demonstrations, which take place each night on the hour.

Food allows us to celebrate history while exploring new trends. Cultures intertwine while eras of yesterday are reinvented and lauded by exuberant chefs. Whether filling and comfortable or delicate and nuanced, the flavors of RI will lure and please all palates with a stimulating cross-section of the shores and woods and fields of this small yet abundant landscape.

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