Our History
After years in the music business, art and marketing I spent time in brokerage and government. I also served on many civic and non-profit Boards including Blackstone Valley Community Health Care and the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. These experiences morphed into my first hospitality & arts venue, the Blackstone in Pawtucket R.I.
Over twenty years, the Blackstone branched out to locations in Cumberland, Galilee and Providence. We also developed the nationally recognized, environmentally low impact the Blue Heron on the Blackstone River built out with 100% renewable resources.
I first discovered true Neapolitan pizza at the Ferrari factory restaurant in Maranello years ago and was floored. I subsequentially trekked to Naples and was hooked.
We are now pleased to partner at Shark Peruvian Cuisine, the seasonal PizzaKota, the realization of 30 years of pizza making. “Passion” is often an overused cliché but in this case applicable resulting in Italian “Pizzaiolo” certification.
Culinary
The learning experience began at the preeminent Blackstone Caterers (dishwasher at 12 to Operations Manager at 21) under the tutelage of owner Stanley Balon. All of us lucky enough to work for Stanley learned valuable lessons we would carry all our lives. The Blackstone was named in respect and appreciation for those years.
For over 20 years, the Blackstone offered full lunch, dinner, catering and function menus. In addition, The Blackstone Beach Club (former Dutch Inn hotel & function/event center at the Block Island Ferry Landing) provided a full menu restaurant, al fresco and banquets.
I have also consulted to restaurants and caterers.
PizzaKota
PizzaKota is a tribute to Kota, my good friend & pal Shepherd-Huskey who passed in 2018. We were blessed to adopt him when he was abandoned at 7 weeks old in the Blackstone Cumberland location. Over the years he developed a reputation as the “Shepherd of Rock” & the true “Prince of Providence” where he exhibited his unique gentile.
temperament to those less fortunate that we encountered.
He also hosted the “Gathering of Puppies” Saturday afternoons at the Blackstone in Hope Village (the current Met location) which we built out. He was the best boy.