Bookstore and Bar ; Elle G has clothing and accessories fit for every style ; furniture from Blanc and Bleu can turn a house into a home .
F inding gifts for different members of your family requires creative thinking and maybe even a little assistance from the pros . A second opinion is always helpful , and shops like Riffraff , Elle G and Blanc and Bleu are good places to start .
NORTH Riffraff Bookstore and Bar For the Book Lovers HISTORY : You ’ ve walked into bookstores that sell socks , stuffed animals and other attention-grabbing knickknacks . At Riffraff Bookstore and Bar , you can pair your shopping experience with a cocktail , draft beer or a Jameson on the rocks .
Riffraff co-owners Tom Roberge and Emma Ramadan were both working in publishing in New York City when they met — she was translating French literature to English , he worked at Albertine Books , a French and English language bookstore — and the connection they shared inspired more than a friendship .
Wanting to leave the city and open a bookstore together , they realized Providence was an ideal location ; Roberge ’ s family once lived in Newport and Ramadan attended Brown University . They wanted the opposite of a cafe as well as a place for people to connect with friends and strangers in one setting ; merging books with a bar seemed like the right solution . Upon opening Riffraff in December of 2017 , they created
82 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l DECEMBER 2021