Southern New England Dinner at Nick's on Broadway, March 20, 2012

Chef at Nick's on Broadway prepares wild Narragansett Bay oysters.

Pickled Salt Pond mussels with house mustard aioli + pickled mustard seeds

Chris Brown, captain of the F/V Proud Mary, Pt Judith, shows how juvenile red hake tage refuge inside live sea scallops.

Juvenile red hake inside live sea scallops

Chefs are work in the kitchen at Nick's on Broadway

Server lays out settings at Nick's on Broadway

Prepping the sea scallops

Chef Derek works on dessert

Butter-roasted Point Judith sea scallop + crispy-skin red hake with young potato, celery, lemon + thyme broth

Dulse seaweed + vanilla bean ice cream with cranberry-port wine compote, dulse seaweed-vanilla bean chiffon + fresh mint

Heather Leslie of Brown University talks to guests about managing marine ecosystems

Wild Narragansett Bay oysters with early spring radishes, parsley, citrus fruits + lettuce

On March 20, 2012, 50 guests joined Chef Derek Wagner and Eating with the Ecosystem at Nick's on Broadway on Providence's West Side for a night of creative local seafood fare caught right off our coast in Southern New England waters. Brown University scientist Heather Leslie and Point Judith fisherman Chris Brown shared their insights.

Menu:

Snacks: Pickled Salt Pond mussels with house mustard aioli + pickled mustard seeds, Crystal Brook Farm early spring goat cheese crostini with Aquidneck honey + sea salt, andChoux pastry with Narragansett Creamery ricotta + herbs
First Course: Wild Narragansett Bay oysters with early spring radishes, parsley, citrus fruits + lettuce
Second Course: Butter-roasted Point Judith sea scallop + crispy-skin red hake with young potato, celery, lemon + thyme broth
Third Course: Geer Farm black corn crusted Point Judith skate wing with pea greens, cabbage, chili + basil
Dessert: Dulse seaweed + vanilla bean ice cream with cranberry-port wine compote, dulse seaweed-vanilla bean chiffon + fresh mint

Guest speakers:

Chris Brown has spent over 35 years on the water. Based out of Pt Judith, Chris is the captain of the F/V Proud Mary. Extremely involved in the fishing industry, Chris is the President of the Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Association and Executive Director of the Rhode Island Fluke Conservation Cooperative. Last year, Chris and fellow fisherman Steve Arnold created Wild Rhody, a company that delivers the fish they catch on their own boats straight to restaurants, complete with a bar code that allows chefs and customers to find out where and when each fish was caught, and who caught it, providing accountability and traceability at every step of the way.

Heather Leslie is a scholar of ecology, policy, and management of coastal marine ecosystems at Brown University. Her research focuses on the drivers of ecological and social dynamics in marine systems, and on how to more effectively integrate science into marine policy and management. She is particularly interested in the effects of multiple stressors, particularly those linked with climate change, on coastal ecosystem dynamics, and is investigating the factors that contribute to the success of ecosystem-based management in the US, Mexico, and western Pacific.

Sourcing:

Fresh local seafood was provided by Wild Rhody Seafood, out of Point Judith RI. Wild Rhody was created in 2011 by two lifelong R.I. fishermen, Steve Arnold and Chris Brown, who were looking to create more predictability and stability for themselves and other fishermen and to lead the way in terms of responsible fishing practices. That search led them to create a direct-to-table seafood company catering to restaurants in RI, MA, and NY, that turns a meal into an interactive event by allowing consumers to use a smart phone or web browser to “find their fish” - bringing a sense of freshness to our product that won’t only be tasted, but can also be trusted.

Nick's on Broadway is located at 500 Broadway, Providence, RI 02909.