Press Room

OCEAN HOUSE TO OFFER EXCITING CULINARY EVENTS

UNDERSCORING THE RESORT’S COMMITMENT TO REGIONAL CUISINE

WATCH HILL, R.I., January 2011 – The Ocean House is kicking off the New Year with a series of food and wine events to whet the appetite of travelers.  From local cheesemakers to farmers and fishmongers, the newly restored Victorian-era seaside resort will call upon the expertise of New England purveyors, encouraging guests to experience the region’s best fare.

The events will be spearheaded by the property’s full-time Food Forager Pamela Stone, who serves as the daily liaison between the resort and local farms and vendors, as well as Executive Chef Eric Haugen and the culinary team.  As the property’s Master Gardner, Stone is also responsible for maintaining the Ocean House’s private gardens in addition to providing a crucial part of the resort’s Culinary Education programming, which includes the continuation of the property’s monthly Farm + Vine events.  These events highlight talented regional chefs in collaboration with a regional farm.

The following is a sampling of events travelers will find at the Ocean House this winter and spring.  A complete list can be found at http://www.oceanhouseri.com/rhode-island-events.php.

Local Winter Cheese Weekend

February 11-13 2011

Special Guests:

Mark Frederico, cheesemaker, Narragansett Creamery – Rhode Island’s only cheese producer

Mark Gillman, cheesemaker, Cato Corner Farm – a small Connecticut family farm that produces a variety of handmade, aged farmhouse cheese

During this February weekend, guests will have the opportunity to experience the art of cheesemaking with some of the resort’s favorite, local cheesemakers.  To kick off the weekend, guests will join Hill, Gillman and the Santos Brothers for a four-course dinner inspired by cheese and prepared by Chef de Cuisine Eric Haugen of Seasons restaurant, the resort’s main dining room on Friday night. On Saturday, various cheeses will be sampled and paired with the perfect wines. In addition, a seminar will detail the intimate process of making cheeses including mozzarella and ricotta and other products that cheese gurus have creatively derived from the food such as yogurt.  The expert cheesemakers will discuss the technical steps including rennet coagulation versus acid, the difference in milks and how temperature, acid and moisture will determine the end result.  Rates for the weekend, including accommodations and all events, start at $725 per person and $900 per couple.  Visitors may also elect to attend Saturday’s seminar for $85 per person or the dinner on Friday as well as Saturday’s events for $185 per person.

Thyme to Plant with the Entire Family

April 30, 2011

Special Guests:

Sal Gilbertie, grower and author - the largest grower of herbs in the United States and author of Small-Plot, High-Yield Gardening

Pat McNiff, chicken and pig farmer

“The Worm Ladies”

Guests will be able to welcome spring and bring the family together during this event at the Ocean House.  Families will learn sustainable practices and how to prepare, build, design and tend their own gardens with a visit to the property’s Community Garden.  A local bee expert will showcase the Garden’s bee hives, providing insight on how bees work to produce honey.  The weekend will continue with a meet-and-greet with local chicken and pig farmer Patt McNiff.  “The Worm Ladies” of Charlestown, R.I. will also discuss the importance of worms in gardening.  Finally, guests will gather for a family-style lunch prepared by the Ocean House’s culinary team and created with ingredients from the spring harvest.  Saturday’s events cost $70 per person, and children between the ages of 8 and 14 are welcome to attend for $25.  Room rates are available upon request.

Farm + Vine Dinners

The Ocean House has a series of enticing Farm + Vine Dinners with regional flair lined up through April.  The February 2 Farm + Vine Dinner will feature Chef Jake Rojas from Tallulah on Thames, bringing unrivaled modern, fresh and local cuisine from Newport, R.I.  Chef Rojas will create hors d'oeuvres and three courses using products from Narragansett Creamery in Providence.  The dinner for Wednesday, March 2 highlights Chef Bill Brodsky from Wequassett Resort and Golf Club, Cape Cod’s premier dining experience.  As the featured chef, he will create a special menu using ingredients from Schartner Farms in nearby Exeter, R.I.  On Friday, April 22, the property will showcase Chef Geoffrey Zakarian’s classic French cooking techniques from the elegant Lamb's Club in New York City.   Chef Zakarian, who is also judge of the Food Network’s “Chopped,” will prepare a special dinner using ingredients from Wishing Stone Farm in Little Compton, R.I.

All Farm + Vine dinners are $75 per person (plus tax and gratuity), including hors d'oeuvres, courses and wine pairings. For more information or to make a reservation at the Ocean House, call 401-584-7000 or visit www.oceanhouseri.com.

About The Ocean House

The Ocean House, one of New England’s last grand hotels, re-opened its doors in June 2010 after a $140 million rebuild and restoration.  The 136-year-old property, originally built just after the Civil War, is perched high on the bluffs in Watch Hill, Rhode Island.  Guests enjoy sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, Montauk and Block Island from the resort’s 49 guestrooms and 23 private residences.  Farm-to-table casual and fine dining, the 12,000-square-foot OH! Spa and more than 10,000 square feet of event space make the Ocean House ideal for mid-week business retreats, close-to-home family vacations, weekend luxury escapes and destination weddings.  Developed by Bluff Ave., LLC and decorated by Niemitz Design Group, the stately property is a member of Preferred Boutique™, the elite collection of intimate hotels and resorts launched in 2005 by Preferred Hotel Group.  For more information, please visit www.oceanhouseri.com or call 401-584-7000.

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