Starting July 7 through August 25, ten talented home cooks will grace our screens and compete in Rhode Island PBS’s search for “the Great American Recipe.” Amongst those chosen to share their signature dishes with the world is Rhode Island’s very own Dan Rinaldi. We caught up with the Providence firefighter by day and meal maker by night ahead of the premiere to learn a little more about his Italian cooking roots, his time on the show and his favorite Rhode Island eats.
I’m from Providence; I grew up in the city and now I live just one street over the city line in Cranston. So, I’m pretty much still in Providence. I grew up in a three decker right across the street from my grandmother’s three-decker. It was nice because my aunt was on the first floor, my uncle was around the corner and my other uncle lived three houses down in another three-decker. We grew up in three-decker-ville.