The Steel Yard - Works In Progress - A Long Weekend Party with Something for Everyone, May 15 - 18

This weekend long fundraiser at the Steel Yard has something for the artist, foodie, dancer, historian, tv/movie goer etc.–Something for everyone!!!

Whether you are interested in local steel industry history, preservation, how to make the best smoked meat, reviving your interest in ceramics, finally fixing your bike (hey - gas isn’t getting any cheaper!), dancing at the best dance party in town, seeing a locally made movie or any of the events listed below, you will find it all at the Steel Yard, May 15 - 18.

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The Arcade

This is where it all began. The Arcade is the country’s oldest indoor shopping mall. Built entirely of granite in 1828 (when Providence’s population numbered only 14,000), it was the first commercial venture established on the west side of the Providence River.

The 216-foot structure, which fronts on both Westminster and Weybosset Streets, was originally owned by two separate groups whose architects argued over the building’s design. This resulted in a structure with mismatched entrances: The Weybosset Street entrance is topped off by a stepped parapet, while the Westminster Street side is topped by a pediment. The Arcade’s twelve massive 21-foot granite columns, which were quarried in Johnston and dragged to the construction site by a team of 30 oxen, were the largest monolithic columns in the country at the time, weighing in at 13 tons a piece. The total cost of the building was $145,000 ($2,128,100 in today’s money - cheap!).

The building was once named by the Metropolitan Museum of Art as one of the finest commercial buildings in the history of American architecture, and it has also been designated a National Historic Landmark. In addition to its impressive exterior, it boasts a huge glass skylight, supported by wooden beams, that runs the length of the building and floods the open area between the three floors with natural light. Shops on the second and third levels are connected by long, open balconies overlooking the ground-floor. The building has survived a fire, three hurricanes, the threat of demolition, and a $3 million refurbishment.

Incidentally, Cleveland, Ohio’s Old Arcade (1894), Seattle, Washington’s Northgate Mall (1950), Appleton, Wisconsin’s Valley Fair shopping mall (1954), and Edina, Minnesota’s Southdale Center (1958) all claim to be the country’s oldest/first indoor/enclosed shopping mall. Losers.

These are the people in your neighborhood…

Mark Anderson fled New Orleans after Katrina and has been making Providence his home. You might have seen him at a local fund raiser or at Gracie’s restaurant where he plays every Thursday night. Mark’s an incredibly talented classically trained jazz guitarist with the business sense to match–not always a common thing among musicians. Besides his Manderson Jazz Trio, he also plays in an electric band called JunkRabbit and an 80’s band called Split Infinity. He even plays bass for the legendary Rhode Island musician, Kim Trusty.

This interview and the links above might give you an introduction, but the only way to really know Mark is to hear his music. Go see him perform live; he’s everywhere.

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When is vegetarianism not just a salad?

Pasta primavera, grilled veggie salad and, God forbid, anything with iceberg lettuce. This is the selection that my vegetarian friends have to choose from nearly every time they eat out. Too often they are the victims of lazy cooks or menu planners who just don’t give them proper consideration. The fact is that vegetarians are often seen by cooks as people who don’t understand food. The stereotype: how could you choose to be a vegetarian when mouth-watering ribeye steaks, finger-licking fried chicken and salty-crunchy bacon is in ample supply? I may be risking my spot in the white coats guild by saying this, but truth be told, vegetarians generally have deeper culinary insight when it comes to their cuisine than the majority of cooks preparing it for them. As a case-in-point my veggie friend Michele, “For once I’d like to try something that I can’t make myself at home.”  

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