Tradition meets locally sourced ingredients at Aguardente, where owner Victor Pereira expresses, “we believe a culture well remembered and creatively expressed can transform.” Using cooking styles originating from Portugal, Guatemala, Mexico, and the Azores, the Fox Point eatery highlights a lesser-known ingredient that grows on corn: huitlacoche. “It is a mushroom that is extracted from corn cobs and is appreciated and valued for its unique smoky and earthy flavor,” Pereira explains. “It pairs perfectly with our sauteed vegetables and is served with fresh homemade tortilla chips, cooked with a lot of love and dedication.”
The menu features both the Plato de Huitlacoche and Empanadas de Huitlacoche, two Mexican dishes “for very demanding palates,” says Pereira. These entrees will be updated in the fall, highlighting farm-fresh, in-season produce. “Aguardente was born out of my longtime dream to share culture, heritage, and travels with the Providence community. What better way than to bring dishes and ingredients that define our history and traditions?” 12 Governor Street, Aguardente.com
Bringing a dash of elegance to the messy ritual of eating corn on the cob, corn ribs are served in more manageable strips and have found their way onto many appetizer menus. At vegan restaurant PiANTA, this corn dish gets a sweet and savory twist. “Our Strawberry Habanero BBQ Corn Ribs started as a fluke!” says owner Michelle Politano. “I had strawberries about to go bad in my home fridge and used them in a spicy barbecue sauce and could not believe how well they paired.” She tried out the sauce with sweet corn ribs, and the rest is history.
The dish exemplifies the vision behind PiANTA, which Politano says is to “constantly surprise our customers with new, innovative, seasonal creations.” She enjoys taking local harvests and devising dishes inspired by warmer regions of the globe, “such as using the fresh tomatoes of our New England summer in a traditional Peruvian Ceviche,” she explains. “I get so much joy creating these new menus every quarter as the winds begin to change.” 408 Atwells Avenue, PiantaVeganRestaurant.com
The late-summer menu at Mill’s Tavern is all about seasonality. “The abundance of summer and fall is amazing,” says executive chef Ed Bolus. “We are fortunate to have many wonderful local purveyors that provide us with some of our favorite ingredients: locally caught bass when the season is running, lobsters, oysters, and beautiful produce like corn, tomatoes, watermelon, and squashes.” The restaurant’s own garden is often the source of herbs used in dishes, too.
Bolus acknowledges that short ribs are a popular cold-weather entree, but the preparation at Mill’s Tavern keeps the long days and warm temps going strong, thanks to a special side: “The simplicity of our Corn Succotash allows the peak-of-summer flavors of fresh local corn, cherry tomatoes, peppers, onions, and Yukon gold potatoes to shine.” Bolus explains that the Black Angus Short Ribs are seasoned, grilled, and braised in barbecue sauce and a summer ale for 13 hours. Pair with a warm-weather libation and toast to the lingering rays of evening sun. 101 North Main Street, MillsTavernRestaurant.com
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