John Rollins cooks up a feast for La Salle Academy

Rhode Island political cognoscenti know John Rollins as the man who in 1986 won one of the biggest political upsets in Providence history. That was the year that he knocked over urban boss Lloyd Griffin for city council in a ward that covered the heart of  South Providence. Rollins, a football standout at La Salle Academy and the University of Rhode Island, was, along with his wife Julia Rollins,  a longtime civil rights activist in Rhode Island’s African-American community. But Rollins has traded his political hat and football helmet for a chef’s toque.

Now Rollins is donning his chef’s apparel in a post-election event to raise scholarship money for his Alma mater, La Salle Academy.

Since Rollins left the City Council he has become a very accomplished chef. On Thursday, Nov. 8,  his culinary skills will be on display for La Salle at a sumptuous repast from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Sidebar Bistro and Restaurant at 127 Dorrance Street in downtown Providence.

Rollins is cooking up a multi-course dinner featuring some of his specialties, including maple scallops wrapped in bacon, crab meat balls, Jambalaya, Veal Marsala and sweet desserts. This promises to be one the best $100 meals around and all for a good cause. For tickets and information, call Tim Welsh at La Salle at 401-351-7750 or email at twelsh@lasalle-academy.org