Joanne Everett and the new crew at The Cheese Plate!

To keep up with the news, follow them on Facebook here.

They’ll be offering both lunch and dinner, (thank you!) will be offering service until a nice late hour on the weekends. Their posted hours are:

Tue – Thu: 12:00 pm-10:00 pm
Fri – Sat: 12:00 pm-11:00 pm
Sun: 12:00 pm-8:00 pm

For Mother’s Day, they’ll offer mimosas (of course) and be open from noon to 10.

(Check them out while strolling around Warren–there’s a bunch of stuff to do on Sunday. For a some ideas, check out Blue Suede’s Mother’s Day Facebook event here. They’ve put together a partial list of where to grab brunch, shop specials, see live music, and other fun things to do with moms.)

Opening night at The Cheese Plate

According to the Globe, we’re a “vibrant little village” with great art, lots of water, and delicious fried seafood (not to mention hot dogs, like the one pictured here from Rod’s Grill; photo by Paul E. Kandarian for The Boston Globe).

We’re featured in their “A Tank Away” series (although you can also visit us by public transportation, bike, or boat, and save the gas):

View Boston to Warren in a larger map

So, expect to see lots of Bostonians poking around Warren over the next few weekends.

Here’s what Sental has to say about last month’s event, and what you can expect tonight…

Art night is Warren/Bristol’s hottest new event! Every last Thursday of the month,Bristol and Warren come together to offer a night filled with unique art, interesting people, and yummy wine and treats. It’s free, and it starts wherever you want it to- there are 5 trolley stops that 2 adorable trolleys make a continuous loop around so you can get on and off whenever you want. Once you’re on the trolley and armed with your Art Night map (available at shops, galleries, and the Coffee Depot), your journey is up to you! There will be a few different featured artists every Art Night, but all the galleries and studios listed will be open as well.

March 29th was the first Art Night ever, and let me tell you, it was awesome! The featured artists were Debbie Conville Miller and Janice Lee Kelly, located just down the hall from each other. Debbie Gonville Miller’s art filled the walls of her cozy studio. A lot of her work had a colorful, beachy feel that could bring anyone back to childhood memories.

The other featured artist, Janice Lee Kelly, has a fun and unique form of art:
balloons! Who doesn’t love balloons? All of her art is made out of all different
size and colors of balloons. Her studio is bright, fun, crazy, and amazing. Balloons
everywhere and lots going on, it’s a child’s dream, but it definitely isn’t childproof!

The featured studios aren’t the only ones buzzing with excitement on art night. We had the pleasure of checking out a few others, too. At Studio 67, artist Betty Harrington has a sort of dark (yet crazy interesting) feel about her work. “One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure” is taken to a whole other level in her studio. She makes wildly creative  masterpieces out of found objects.

Next we stopped by The B.R.A.S.S., a special studio featuring the art work of adults with developmental disabilities. The big open work-space is filled from ceiling to floor with funky paintings, sculptures, mosaics, even pillows and jewelry and much much more!

These are just a few of the many art studios and galleries that will be open for
your pleasure every Art Night. Each studio was unique in some way, each one slightly different than the one before. You won’t be bored trolleying around to see the work of these amazing artists.

The next art night is April 26th and will be featuring artists Eileen Collins/ Anne
Marie Rossi, and John Boland/Deb Dimente. So park at any of the indicated trolley
stops, hop on, and let the essence of art night take ahold!

For more information, visit the Art Night website.

Thanks Sental!

Thursday Night (4/26): It’s Art Night! Grab a trolley (starting at 5pm) or stroll around
town and check out the local art scene. Yes, it’s totally fun for the kids. 30 Cutler Street will be hopping, with Hoot and Howl (bluegrass music) (and cookies!) at Mudstone Studios, featured artists at Cutler, and new work showing at The Brass and IMAGO. The Wooden Midshipman is offering 10% off all art, with every purchase earning you a chance to win a gift card at their birthday party (see: Friday Night).

And in case your taste in art tends toward the textile, there’s a Prairie Underground trunk show at DISH Boutique. They’ll be open til 8pm for all Art Night visitors, and hosting a special raffle–every purchase gets you a shot at winning a piece of your choosing from the trunk show (which runs ’til Sunday). (While you’re there, remember to say Happy Birthday to the DISH girls; it’s their 9th.)

Friday Night (4/27): Our favorite little gift + book shop The Wooden Midshipman is 2 years old, and they’re celebrating in style. Join them at 6pm for some carousing: drinks and snacks by Warren’s new catering biz Preppy Pig BBQ, with fresh folk music from The Honey Brown. Any purchases that night gets you a chance to win a gift card (for $100, we might add), so… need we say more?

(Other fun stuff: Open Mic Night at the Coffee Depot at 7pm; Story time at Luca at 11am)

Saturday (4/28): It’s the annual Earth Day Clean Up! The Warren Conservation Commission and sponsors Dunkin’ Donuts will celebrate 20 years of keeping Warren clean. Join them for hot coffee at 9am at the Pete Sepe Pavilion, do your part, then head back for a hot dog roast at noon. (Whoever said volunteering wasn’t without its perks?)

Speaking of volunteering, Woof! Woof! is hosting their “Shelter Saturday” event from 11am-2pm featuring THE BOXER RESCUE, INC. There’ll be tasty treats for humans and non-humans, and volunteers on hand to answer questions.

Stroll farther along down Main St. for a little sparkle: MUSE’s Diamond Event, running now through Sunday. With their handcrafted, American-made jewelry on sale, and free appraisals, cleaning, and re-styling, MUSE is taking a step farther and giving away a free quarter carat diamond. Yeah, take our word for it: you won’t wanna miss this.

Happy Spring, indeed.

Got more events to add? Do share!

(Ava Anderson’s Non Toxic line is a collection of personal care products without any chemicals or toxins. From cleaning products, to make up, to lotion and much much more, Ava Anderson products are the latest in local personal care. Trust her, you won’t miss those harmful chemicals.)

An Ava Anderson Non Toxic representative will be at Whimsies Art tomorrow night, Wednesday, March 28th, at 7pm.

It’s an open house event complete with free samples, and we’ve been told there’ll be champagne and chocolate covered strawberries along with other yummies to get the party going. And lest we forget, everything in Whimsies is 15% off during the party. See you Wednesday for a fun chemical-free night!

(Unless you count the champagne…)

reporting by Sental Dickran (thank you!)

Springtime is officially upon us! For all you flower lovers, that means bright bursts of color popping up everywhere… including inside Warren’s vivacious little flower shop, The Greenery. Whether its flowers for someone special, or just trying to out-do the neighbors with your garden this summer, The Greenery has whatever you need and then some. We got the inside scoop on owner Bridget Tierney’s favorite flowers and easy to take care of plants for your home.

Q: What are your favorite kind of flowers for this time of year? A: It’s so hard to pick a favorite, but I do get giddy over rannunculus and anemones.

Q: What are easy plants to take care of if you don’t have a lot of space (i.e.: apartments). Tight space is one thing, but what about lighting? Both determine what would be the best environment for specific plants.  The terrarium craze is great for small spaces and most light conditions because they become their own biosphere gardens they are easy to tend to.  I also recommend the tillisandia also called air plants which can be small in size and set in almost any type of containers or just on the wall. 

Q: What is your favorite item that you sell in your shop for springtime? Any item that sells becomes my favorite item! I am always happy when a Fair Trade item finds a home and a chance to tell the world about its cause!

Q: What is one shop in Warren that you would recommend and why? I couldn’t pick just one shop. Every shop has its great and unique qualities and that’s part of what makes it so great to shop in Warren.

Happy Spring!

 

Have an idea for a good Q&A session with a local expert? Let us know on Twitter @DiscoverWarren or drop us a line at info@discoverwarren.com. These local guides will be a regular feature of the blog. Stay tuned for next week’s Q&A with another Warrenite…

This Saturday, March 10th, is the Bristol Warren Education Foundation‘s 4th annual “Bodacious Bee” spelling bee. The Bodacious Bee isn’t just any spelling bee; this spelling bee is for adults, and even better, has a cash bar! This friendly, and funny, competition of teams is going to be catered by Leo’s Ristorante, and have awesome raffles, auctions, prizes, and surprises all night long. You can get your tickets at Gil’s Appliance and Paper Packaging & Panache, DISH and the Gob Shop. Doors open at 6pm at the Roger Williams University Field House.

If drinks and watching your peers misspell words isn’t for you (or if you just want to event hop), The Church Street Coffeehouse will be graced with the musical stylings of folk, rock, and blues artist, Danielle Miraglia. She is quite the crowd pleaser. Fans say that “while her style pays homage to these blues traditions, her classic rock verve, catchy melodies, and eclectic array of song subjects that range from deeply person to socially relevant give it an original twist that is all her own.” Her music has a lot of heart, and a great vibe to it. Check out some song clips on her website for a little taste of what’ll be rocking The Church Street Coffeehouse Saturday night. Doors open at 7:30pm, and get this, it’s only 10 bucks!

Why not enjoy a night out on the town? Have a great weekend everyone!

Grab a lovely bouquet from The Greenery on Water Street (they’ll be open til 7ish for flower pick-ups after work tomorrow) or some fine jewelry from MUSE. If you’re in the market for chocolates or other gifts, The Wooden Midshipman has your back with artisan confections from Nunu chocolatier in Brooklyn.

If you’ve waited until now to make reservations, first off, let us give you a little raised eyebrow and maybe smirk a bit. Seriously? It’s Monday! But not to fear.

Trafford Restaurant on Water Street is offering a scrumptious-looking prix fixe menu tomorrow (including a bottle of wine!); call now and you may just grab a table before they are all booked up. Or, check out the newest additions to Warren’s dining scene: grab a romantic spot at the bar at the casual new hang out The Square Peg, or be one of the first to glimpse the beautifully restored interior (and mouth watering dessert case) over at the new Simply Devine (in the former Nat Porter Inn, at 125 Water Street).

First off, we have a party at Blue Suede on Thursday, Feb. 9th at 6pm, a “Be Fine” Valentine’s Event with raffles, treats, vendors, and tarot card readings! And if you’re in the mood for even more culture, check out the latest show from Warren artist William Schaff and Warren favorite CW Roelle, both at the Knight Campus Art Gallery at CCRI. The opening reception for Comfort & Loss opens at 4:30 with an artist talk at 5:30, but you can catch the show there until February 29th.

Next, two Friday night soirees to kick off the weekend: Bubbles, Baubles, and Books at The Wooden Midshipman at 5pm, followed by Songs in the Key of Love at 7pm, an evening of music by Joyce Katzberg to raise funds for the George Hail Public Library. Grab a gift for your sweetie and a glass of champagne at The Wooden Midshipman (where they’ll also have discount vouchers for a bouquet from The Greenery, redeemable on Feb. 14th), and then up to Main Street to enjoy some good tunes for a good cause. 

On Saturday, Feb. 11th, the place to be is Woof! Woof! for a “Smooch Your Pooch” event, featuring a photo booth, prizes, and treats for both humans and doggies, with proceeds benefiting the Bristol Animal Shelter.

That evening, enjoy folk music by Allysen Callery and Kim Lamothe (with special guest Haunt the House) at the Church Street Coffeehouse, starting at 7:30pm. $10, with refreshments available.

Anyone aware of other events happening around town (or in our immediate vicinity)? Leave tips in the comments below!