Open and Closed May 2018

OPENED

Options: The temporarily defunct Providence queer culture magazine has reinvigorated and busted back onto the scene with a new board and mostly new staff. optionsri.org

The Lotus Garden Noodle & Sushi House: True to its name, this Cambodian-style dining experience joins the culinary cluster on Federal Hill. 223 Atwells Ave, PVD. fb.com/LotusGardenPVD

White Dog Distilling: Like a brewery, only with spirits, this entry into the next micro-alcohol category (or so we’re shamelessly predicting) has opened for tastings in Pawtucket. 560 Mineral Spring Ave, Unit 2-143. fb.com/whitedogdistilling

Diego’s Barrio Cantina: This extension of the Bowen’s Wharf features a multifunction room, seated dining and take-out if you need a to-go taco. Expect regular live music and fancy cocktails as they get rolling — differences from the Wharf location that co-owner Scott Kirmil’s particularly looking forward to. “We are also excited about the menu we’ve developed with Chef Mark Tallman. Spanish street food I would call it — we’ll have a few crossovers, but a lot of new entrees,” Kirmil explains. Where Easton’s Point Pub used to be — 116 Aquidneck Ave, Middletown. Search facebook for online info.

The owners of the Salted Slate in Wayland Square have also opened a quasi-extension — Mercer’s Deli, a New York style deli that maintains the restaurant’s focus on locally sourced offerings and farm-to-fork practices. If you want to know when your beef sandwich last mooed, this is your chance. The deli is named after owner Ben Lloyd’s mother (her maiden name) and takes over where the esteemed Olive Tap used to be. 485 Angell St, Wayland Square, PVD. mercersdeli.com

Augusta’s Street Kitchen is a bakery focusing on unprocessed/minimally processed ingredients, small-batch baking and “ingredients you can pronounce.” Although we can pronounce corn syrup, we’ll be excited to see items without it, along with salads and grass-fed meat products, as well as vegan and veggie options. Oddly, this street kitchen is not on a street, but rather on an avenue. Look for it at 361 Academy Ave, PVD. augustastreetkitchen.com

Yoleni’s: The greek grocery store will open its first US location in PVD any day now. If you like to cook Greek food, you should be able to find plenty of authentic, hard-to-find ingredients alongside the pitas. 292 Westminster St, PVD. fb.com/YolenisProvidenceUSA

Dairy Queen opened its first “Grill and Chill” location in RI. This is different from a regular DQ in that it has an “amazing variety of high quality food offerings,” according to their website. Did they just accidentally dis the quality of the food at a regular DQ? Do people really get anything other than ice cream there? Now you can go and get these questions answered. 275 Atwood Ave, Cranston. dairyqueen.com

Zambrero, an international chain of Mexican restaurants (sounds kind of like Chipotle, only healthier), has opened its first RI location in Warwick in the strip mall at 1000 Bald Hill Rd, about halfway between Smash Burger and Panera Bread. zambrero.com

CLOSED

The Newport Mercury: Gatehouse Media, which also commands the indentured servitude of the Providence Journal, has announced that it is closing down the Newport Mercury, the beloved hyper-local paper that’s been printing Newportant News since 1758. The slower moving planets will miss you, Mercury. There are plans for the paper to reappear as a special insert in the Newport Daily News, and the website will continue to feature new content. newportmercury.ri.newsmemory.com

The East Greenwich Golf and Country Club locked out its own members in mid-April, a result of conflict between the company managing the club and New England Tech, which owns the course and land. Negotiations are ongoing, so it might reopen at any time. Meanwhile, Rodney Dangerfields of RI, it sounds like there’s no one to kick you out! (Or let you in.) 1646 Division St, EG. eggolfcourse.com

Craftland East Greenwich: You can still find local craft products at Craftland PVD, although their foray into South County appears to have been less successful. craftlandshop.com

Bertucci’s: The Italian food chain is bankrupt, but many of the individual restaurants remain open, thanks to the serpentine logic of modern bankruptcy processes. The Taunton spot has closed, but the one in Warwick remains open for now. The closed outlets have been unceremoniously removed from the website – no word on what happens to any winners of their “eat free for a year” sweepstakes. bertuccis.com

Cable Car Cinema: This much-loved film venue with the comfy couches has announced it will close its doors at the end of May. We’ll miss you madly, Cable Car!