Thinking about ice cream and more

Gail Ciampa, The Providence Journal
·4 min read

Good day dear readers. I'm Gail Ciampa, Journal food and dining editor.

June has been a mostly beautiful month, with moderate temperatures, lovely breezes and occasional insane wind gusts. But aren't we happy summer has officially arrived?

I enjoyed the solstice night at Central Falls Landing on the Blackstone River. The occasion was the official opening of the new headquarters of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council in the new space on Broad Street.

You need to visit this picturesque spot near the Cumberland line. Here, you can dine on a deck at Sharks Peruvian Cuisine. You can also put in your canoe or kayak to explore the river. You can also rent boats here.

Sharks Peruvian Cuisine at Central Falls Landing on Broad Street and Madeira Avenue overlooks the Blackstone River. They occupy the first two floors of the renovated mill building. The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council is on the third floor.
Sharks Peruvian Cuisine at Central Falls Landing on Broad Street and Madeira Avenue overlooks the Blackstone River. They occupy the first two floors of the renovated mill building. The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council is on the third floor.

Bob Billington, Blackstone Valley Tourism Council president, welcomed many speakers to the podium who made the project happen, starting with a park ranger. Grants will provide hundreds of Central Falls youth with kayak and canoe lessons. They'll explore the cleaned up river and all the nature.

Louis Yip was there as well, representing the Tai-O Group. They redeveloped the mill building that's been vacant since 2008, and is also now home to Royal Fired Chicken in the expanded space. There's a parking lot and plenty of street parking there at 15 Madeira Ave., which is the landing address.

Folks from DEM, RIDOT and RI Commerce were included, as were the mayors of Central Falls and Pawtucket. It took a big Rhody village to make this happen. It should provide a roadmap for other projects.

Even Santa was there reminding folks about the Polar Express, which leaves from the other end of the Blackstone, in Woonsocket, at Christmas time.

Even Santa was there at Central Falls Landing reminding folks about the Polar Express. It leaves from the other end of the Blackstone, in Woonsocket.
Even Santa was there at Central Falls Landing reminding folks about the Polar Express. It leaves from the other end of the Blackstone, in Woonsocket.

Seeing the diversity of the folks there last night reminded me of my conversation with Providence firefighter Dan Rinaldi earlier this month.

Dan is a great cook, not just a firehouse cook, but a real amateur chef. He was plucked out of New England to appear on "The Great American Recipe", a new PBS cooking competition.

You can read my story here.

More: Providence firefighter will be cooking up a storm on new TV show

Dan and I have been talking since 2002 when he won his first contest, then sponsored by Tabasco. We discussed the Rhode Island food culture.

He said because he travels the U.S. to teach firefighting, he well understands how special the culinary community is here. Some Rhode Islanders don't see the uniqueness because they are in a local bubble, he said.

I thought about that last night. Some of the times I've written about the great diverse food scene in Central Falls, the negative comments emerge. There are those who say they would never go there because it's dangerous. I don't find dining there anything but delightful and inspiring.

For those who've been reluctant to give it a try, dip your toe into Central Falls dining at the Landing. You'll be glad you did.

Now on to ice cream.

Yankee magazine tackled ice cream
Yankee magazine tackled ice cream

I always enjoy seeing Rhode Island food in regional publications like Yankee Magazine. It's good for them and good for those looking to explore New England. They get a lot correct, but I find they leave a lot out. How could they know everything? That is my job. Right?

So it is with Yankee Magazine's best ice cream in New England issue, they missed some top spots.

It's not that I argue with their choices. I too, love Tricycle in Providence, Gray's in Tiverton, Inside Scoop in North Kingstown, Brickleys in Narragansett and Wakefield and the Wright Scoop from Wright's Dairy Farm in North Smithfield, with more locations in Warren and Providence.

But I would surely add four more.

A close-up of Golden Graham ice cream . Tess Sullivan and Kelly Ireland consider it their signature flavor at Tizzy K's.
A close-up of Golden Graham ice cream . Tess Sullivan and Kelly Ireland consider it their signature flavor at Tizzy K's.

How do you leave out the creative, creamy and exceptional ice cream from Tizzy K's which is in a storage container on the Providence pedestrian bridge?

Tess Sullivan and Kelly Ireland make their small batch ice cream with cereal. It's unique and beyond delicious.

How do you ignore The Sweet Spot in Galilee? It's the most perfect black raspberry you'll ever have, and it comes with a view that can't be beat.

Black raspberry chip in a cup with a view at The Sweet Spot is an Ice Cream shop at Point Judith.
Black raspberry chip in a cup with a view at The Sweet Spot is an Ice Cream shop at Point Judith.

How do you miss Sunshine Creamery in East Providence? They have the most interesting flavors, and just added Peanut Butter cookie dough.

There's also Lincoln Creamery and their extensive menu of wonderful ice cream.

I could go on, but I'm running out of time.

I'll catch up with you next week in this same spot, dear readers.

If you enjoy our time here, recommend a friend sign up here to receive my weekly newsletter, Gail's Food Feed. Then you can discuss things over a cone.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Ice cream and Central Falls Landing are the best RI has to offer