Brick Alley Pub sale, rainy weekends and Jim Gillis – Dan Lederer has thoughts to share

A collection of thoughts this week, or spare change, if you will:

Who’ll stop the rain?

We’re all placing a lot of hope in the arrival of May. That’s when we’re betting this weekend rain nonsense will stop and the sun will become a more permanent fixture around here. It’s got to happen, right? I don’t think we’ll make it through another month of more rainy gloom. We need some sunny days to give everything a little boost. The sun will bring more people out of hibernation to enjoy the spoils of Newport life. More foot traffic, more diners. More al fresco enjoyment. We may be hardy New England folk, but we’re summer people at heart. Stop the rain and let us do what we do best!

Your local restaurants are ready for May. They are ready for the usual May celebrations – Mother’s Day, graduations, weddings, showers, etc. – but they are also ready for a boost from nice weather. Sunset watching, warm evenings outside, fresh ocean breeze in the air. If the sun cooperates, the people will come. But if doesn’t, don’t let it keep you away. A bowl of hot chowder, a fresh lobster roll and a frothy local draft beer tastes just as great on a rainy day too.

Brick Alley Pub

You know that you’ve had a positive effect on your community when the announcement of selling your business makes the statewide news. Congratulations and thank you to Ralph and Pat Plumb and the Plumb family for all the joy they have given the thousands of customers that have come through the Brick Alley Pub doors over the last 43 years. They created a spot that was uniquely Newport. A destination spot for locals and visitors alike. There’s been a lot of happy memories created within that famed yellow-facade building, and we raise our glass to all those who made it happen.

I’ve seen a lot of comments about the new owners, the Heritage Restaurant Group which is part of Audrain Hospitality. Most are concerned with how they are “buying up the whole city” and how the Brick will change now. But before we rush to conclusions, let’s see what happens. We know that the Plumbs would not sell their business to just anyone. They are invested in seeing their legacy continue, so we have to assume that Ralph and Pat took steps to keep their creation in tact. There’s no greater evidence to that than seeing Matt Plumb will be staying on along with General Manager Kim Dwyer and the rest of the staff. It looks like things will proceed as usual. Before we start reminiscing about how things used to be, let's see how things go. Maybe this is a win for everyone.

And while the Heritage Restaurant Group does have a lot of properties (La Forge Casino Restaurant, Wally’s Wieners, Cluck House and A Mano Pizza to name a few), they seem to know what they are doing. Take a look at what they’ve done with the Newport Craft Brewing space. As long as they are investing in making our community better and they are taking good care of our local employees, I’m happy to support them.

Aquidneck Growers Market

This Saturday is the last chance to find the Aquidneck Growers Market at their winter spot at the Stoneacre Garden in Newport. Then next Saturday, you will find them at their summer home in the Embrace Home Loans parking lot. And before long, the Wednesday market on Memorial will open too. Keep supporting your local growers and artisans. And cheers to Stoneacre for opening their space and hosting the market throughout the winter.

No Knocking

Here’s a tip for anyone visiting a restaurant (or any business for that matter). If the place opens at a specific time and you get there early, don’t knock on the door to see if you can get in. Opening time is sacred to anyone working in hospitality. Those last minutes before the doors open are the last moments you get to yourself. Just because you’re early, doesn’t mean you get in, even if you just want to sit at the bar. If it’s before opening time, you are in the staff’s personal space. Be kind, and wait for the doors to open.

Unfrosted

I’m looking forward to the Pop Tart origin story movie “Unfrosted” written and directed by Jerry Seinfeld which airs on Netflix starting May 3. The cast is a who’s who of comedy and the trailer seems silly, funny and promising. Between this and the Cheetos movie “Flamin' Hot,” I’m hoping food origin stories are the next major trend in cinema.

Book sale, concerts and more: What to do in Newport County this weekend.

Spare Change

It’s been just over one year since we lost Newport Daily News legend Jim Gillis. His insight is always missed. If he was still with us, he’d have a story about the early days of the Brick Alley Pub to share, and he’d have some thoughts on the Middletown road diet plan too. And he’d probably finish with a Dickey Betts story too. Jim was something special to our community, and we will raise our glass to his lasting memory.

Dan Lederer is a Middletown resident with 30 years experience in the food service industry throughout New England. He continues to work locally behind the scenes within the industry and remains a devoted fan of all things restaurant and hospitality-related. His column appears on newportri.com and in The Daily News. Cheers!

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Give Brick Alley Pub new owners a chance, other thoughts from Lederer