Whola lotta chicken.

Mention AS220 to any given Brown student and you’re likely to meet one of two responses: vague confusion or fanatical enthusiasm. Such is the nature of a non-profit community arts center that wears as many hats as this one does; with dozens of studios, performance exhibition spaces, a youth program, and more all calling it home, it isn’t all that easy to grasp. Its mission, though, is simple: to provide “a local forum and home for the arts… to all artists who need a place to exhibit, perform, or create their original artwork.”

It only makes sense that an organization in support of creativity and community would have a restaurant. AS220 Foo(d) is a fantastic introduction to this huge and manifold center: it’s casual but special, humble but creative, hipster but in the good way. You place your order at the counter, take an oversized playing card back to your table, and fetch your food when it’s ready. The kitchen is in plain view, diner-style, but instead of pancakes and hash browns, they’re whipping up pulled pork pasta and pan-fried chickpeas. [Read more →]

I can't believe it's not dairy!

This week at Amuse-Bouche, we’re shaking things up a little. A recent jaunt up Hope Street returned not one but two great finds in the grab-lunch-and-chill-out category. Three Sisters and its neighbor Wildflour are like Tia and Tamara or Mary Kate and Ashley (only a lot less annoying than either set of twins): They share the best things in common, probably have overlapping crowds, and seem the same on the surface, but deep down they’re like yin and yang. Three Sisters, a way-casual café, is known for its home-churned ice cream; Wildflour is vegan. Three Sisters is aggressively no-frills; Wildflour is bougie. Both sell themselves with that beautiful combination of freshly made foodstuffs, coffee and smoothies, free WiFi, and plenty of space for camping out. Only one problem: HOW TO CHOOSE?! Here’s the lowdown on both to help you decide. [Read more →]

Just when you thought the Spring Weekend lineup couldn’t get any more awesome, BCA has confirmed that DINO SPUMONI and THE BEETS are scheduled to perform at Spring Weekend 2012.

Dino Spumoni, America’s favorite swanky 67-year-old crooner, will bring his fair share of jazz and swag to the stage when he opens for CHILDISH GAMBINO on Friday night along with WHAT CHEER? BRIGADE and SEPALCURE. Spumoni topped the charts in the ’50s and ’60s and was just about the biggest badass of his time: he had several run-ins with the police, punched out photographers and frequently referred to himself in the third person.

The Beets will set the mood and pump up the crowd with their rockin’ ballad “Killer Tofu” before TWIN SHADOW, CAM’RON, and THE GLITCH MOB all perform on Saturday night. BCA representatives said they felt The Beets would be a great addition to the Spring Weekend lineup given the clear and present nexus between Brown’s status as a nationally recognized vegan-friendly campus and the group’s vegan, organic and natural appeal; our Ratty correspondent Gail reported hearing unanimous cheers coming from the Roots and Shoots line when students learned of The Beets’ upcoming campus visit. [Read more →]

This past week PETA released it’s Top 10 Most Vegan Friendly Colleges list and guess who made it onto the top 5? Ra Ra Brunonia at number 4 in the Small U.S. Schools category! According to PETA, the vegan population on campus has a lot to be happy about. They give shout outs to the jamaican jerk tempeh and the vegan nuggets, a personal fave. I know passionate chicken finger friday loyals may be hesitant, but these sesame covered nugs are worth a try – even PETA thinks so! They also mention our unveiling of a “range of new vegan baked goods, including vegan  pumpkin cheesecake and brownies.” Calling all carnivores – don’t be afraid to dig in to the vegan treats Brown Dining has to offer! And to all the vegans out there, the best news about PETA’s list may (hopefully) be that it’ll encourage BuDS to keep adding more tasty vegan options to the menu!

The list was created by reviewing PETA’s independent assessments on the quality and quantity of vegan cuisine available on each campus, combined with student votes. So who came in first? UC Santa Cruz topped the large schools list and Northwestern randomly got the top spot for small schools. Brown was preceded by Brandeis at #2 and Georgetown snagged the #3 spot. Our artsy neighbors at RISD received an honorable mention, with particularly good reviews on their food truck. [Read more →]