Claim < Fame HOW RHODE ISLAND-STYLE CALAMARI STOLE THE SPOTLIGHT AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION .
At last year ’ s virtual Democratic National Convention , many states took the opportunity to promote a local landmark , person or cause for their thirty seconds of video fame , but Rhode Island went all in on its official state appetizer , Rhode Island-style calamari . The short video netted a viral social media phenomenon . State party chairman Joseph M . McNamara spotlighted the squid rings served with hot peppers from Iggy ’ s Boardwalk on Oakland Beach in Warwick . Maybe the appeal was in the way Iggy ’ s executive chef John Bordieri presented the heaping dish with the finesse of a ninja , dressed in a black chef ’ s coat and matching Iggy ’ s mask and hat . Our take : The calamari is just that good . McNamara dubbed Rhode Island the “ calamari comeback state ,” and we ’ re still here for it ( with an extra side of hot peppers ).
Representative Joseph M . McNamara gives us an inside look at Rhode Island ’ s official state appetizer .
What made you want to get Rhode Island-style calamari declared as Rhode Island ’ s official state appetizer ? I realized that our state ’ s fishing industry had witnessed a decline in cod landings due to overfishing and climate change . They adapted their fleet to fish for one of the most sustainable species in the ocean : squid . Rhode Island is perfectly situated in the middle of the Atlantic squid migration . which runs from North Carolina to Nova Scotia . This species is extremely sustainable . Squid reproduce every ninety days . Rhode Island ’ s squid fleet became one of the leading squid landings in the United States . When the average person thinks about their Friday night dinner , few Rhode Islanders were thinking about squid as an option . So the question became , how do we market this sustainable seafood catch in a creative way that will enhance the value of this resource ? The answer came from our great Italian and seafood chefs in a dish now internationally known as Rhode Island-style calamari , which is calamari lightly fried with banana peppers , sweet cherry tomatoes , parsley and preferably with a touch of extra virgin olive oil .
How were you able to get Rhode Island calamari to steal the show at the 2020 Democratic National Convention ? The idea started in 2016 at the Democratic National Convention rehearsal in Philadelphia . The day before the convention , there
Iggy ’ s Boardwalk executive chef John Bordieri holds a platter of classic Rhode Island-style calamari . INSET : State party chairman Joseph M . McNamara , left , with chef Bordieri , in the DNC video .
Find out how you can ship Iggy ’ s calamari anywhere in the United States on page 106 .
is a run-through of the show . That show rehearsal includes the traditional state roll call of votes . The roll call started with the states in alphabetical order , and by the time they got to Maine , people were mentioning food items from their states . Maine mentioned its lobsters , Massachusetts mentioned its chowder and Maryland mentioned its crabs . By the time the roll call got to Rhode Island , I said , “ Rhode Island , the only state with an official state appetizer , casts the following votes ...” Immediately , everyone applauded and Lester Holt from “ NBC Nightly News ” said , “ That ’ s fantastic .” Four years later , on a Zoom call with our Democratic party team , I was told that the DNC wanted a thirtysecond story relating to individuals that had been uplifted during this difficult pandemic . I thought , we only have thirty seconds to sell the state and I don ’ t care | | CONTINUED ON PAGE 106
36 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l APRIL 2021