Chef/Restaurant: Chef Andy Teixeira, Brix and Taproot at Newport Vineyards
Executive Chef Andy Teixeira and his team pride themselves on making every single component for Brix and Taproot at Newport Vineyards from scratch. And instead of ordering his ingredients from food service distributors, he texts local farmers.
“My whole team knows every farmer who comes in—and we volunteer with them when they need extra hands,” Teixeira said. “We only purchase product from those farmers or foragers we’ve gotten to know personally.”
Being recognized as a Local Hero in Rhode Island’s food industry is an honor for the whole Brix team, Teixeira said. “My team has put in a lot of hard work for the last three and a half years. I didn’t win this award—we won this award,” he said, adding that he runs a no-ego kitchen. The fourth-generation chef added, “The whole team did this and it’s amazing validation that what we’re doing matters to the community and is making a difference.”
