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Food & Dining

In Rhode Island

The Rhode Island restaurant scene is bustling, and we're here to help you find the hottest new spots, the coolest hidden gems, and the best places to satisfy your cravings for great food and drinks.

Everyone's gotta eat! Grab a seat and load up your plate: We've got regularly updated guides, behind-the-scenes features, Q&As with up-and-coming chefs and restaurant owners, and all the news that foodies can use.

Love to cook? There's an entire section of great recipes from experts to explore.
And we're serving up the best food news in Rhode Island as well. Sign up for our weekly newsletter and we'll deliver it directly to your inbox.

RI FOOD & DINING

From mafia hideouts to secrets only restaurant owners on Federal Hill know

“These walls all have ears. They have all listened over the years,” one owner said. “If only they could speak of the secrets they hold.”

Everyone’s got to eat. When it comes to food and dining, Rhode Island has stories to tell

Paying $10 or more for a beer? Here’s why it’s approaching the cost of wine and cocktails.

Podcast: Experts dish on the best date night destinations in Providence

Podcast: Alexa Gagosz on Food & Dining in Rhode Island

The Guides

The best food trucks in R.I. serve up just about everything

From donut trifles, tacos, and vegan clam cakes to curry Jamaican pies, Vietnamese dumplings, and hot chicken, these food trucks serve up options for any foodie.

Daytrip to Boston? Here's a running list of the best patios for dining outdoors

Patio season gives fresh meaning to "dining out."

Check out these new restaurants and cafés in Providence

In spite of the pandemic, ambitious entrepreneurs still opened new joints across Rhode Island’s capital city.

8 must-attend food and wine festivals in Rhode Island this summer

From dining inside one of the Newport mansions to chowing down classic New England seafood, here’s a roundup of the major festivals for foodies taking place in summer 2022.

A picky eater’s guide to surviving in Providence

Do you hate when your food touches other food on your plate? Do you think all condiments are suspect? We’ve got you covered.

How to eat through southern R.I. in a single weekend

The seaside offers a bounty of coastal dishes. Here are some great places to try.

We asked you to tell us your favorite underrated restaurants in the Providence area. Here’s what you picked.

There are lots of great dishes being served at restaurants you might not have heard about.

How to eat through Blackstone Valley in a weekend

There’s so much here, you could spend a whole weekend (or two) eating your way through.

Classic diners are Rhode Island’s little-known legacy

From the heart of Providence’s industrial port or the West Side, to Pawtucket, East Greenwich, North Kingstown and Newport, you could tour the Ocean State by exploring its diners.

Where politics is on the menu in Rhode Island

The Senate’s longest-serving member and the House’s youngest legislator offer their recommendations for good places to eat and talk politics.

The best Portuguese food in R.I.? It’s a tough call.

If you trace your heritage to Portuguese immigrants, these places feel like a way of getting back in touch with your roots. Here’s where to get great Portuguese food in R.I.

Here’s where to get some great doughnuts in Rhode Island

Bakeries in the state have plenty of sweet (or savory) treats to offer.

Drinks

Swanky cocktail bars and speakeasies in Rhode Island

Mocktails aren’t just for the ‘always-sober.’ Check out these R.I. restaurants offering zero-proof cocktails

Even a rookie bartender can master this reboot

Rhode Island has lots of great wineries. Here's how you can visit them

Behind the scenes

Old-school diners dish up more than just homestyle food

You can walk in alone, but there’s something about diners that won’t let you be lonely.

Ocean House’s Chef Will Rietzel aims to ‘compose a symphony’ on your dinner plate

The famed chef talks about his journey from dishwasher to James Beard semifinalist, his thought process in the kitchen, and more.

The Red Door is the new bar Providence needed, with creative cocktails, live music, and late-night food

The Red Door also brings in talented jazz musicians on Monday nights and features all sorts of live acts throughout the weekends, from punk rock bands to vocalists and DJs.

Skeff’s Pub offers a friendly face and a gastropub-style experience

The neighborhood pub recently moved its digs from Cumberland to East Providence. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what the have to offer now.

Blu Violet brings complex Haitian flavors to Providence

Chef Joël Eugène is combining classic ingredients from Haiti with familiar dishes in his new restaurant at the top of the Aloft hotel. The result: A fusion like you’ve never seen before

Gordon Hamersley, meet Gordon Ramsay

The chef of Boston classic Hamersley’s Bistro ate dinner at Ramsay’s Kitchen. Here’s how it went.

Cooking

Recipes: Curried chicken with rice and more dishes inspired by India

Simple techniques to make an Indian-inspired meal.

Recipes: Take your cookout to the next level with spicy burgers from around the world

Fire up the grill and try chapli kebab, smoky chili-garlic pork burgers, or spiced lamb burgers with feta and tahini sauce.

Recipe: Butterfly a pork loin to speed up the grilling time and serve with a delicious chimichurri

This recipe is for Grilled Pork Loin with Chimichurri from the food section of The Boston Globe.

Recipe: Fresh, peppery watercress shines in this early summer pesto

This recipe is for Watercress Pesto from the food section of The Boston Globe.

Recipe: The popular Cantonese pak cham gai, ‘white-cut chicken,’ is steamed and served with soy-ginger sauce

Recipe for Pak Cham Gai (Cantonese White-Cut Chicken) from the Food section of The Boston Globe.

Recipe: Garnish creamy, smooth yogurt panna cotta with bright, macerated strawberries

Recipe for Yogurt Panna Cotta with Strawberries from the Food section of The Boston Globe.

Recipe: Stretch shrimp with budget-friendly white beans in this flavorful skillet dinner

Recipe for Shrimp and White Bean Skillet Dinner from the Food section of The Boston Globe.

Recipes: Transform your garden vegetables into refreshing summer soups

For surprisingly refreshing dishes, try Milk Street’s take on a sweet and creamy carrot soup balanced with cilantro, a chilled beet soup, or a dairy-free zucchini soup.
MORE RECIPES FROM THE GLOBE

Meet the Rhode Island Team

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Rhode Island Food & Dining Headlines

RI FOOD & DINING

From mafia hideouts to secrets only restaurant owners on Federal Hill know

“These walls all have ears. They have all listened over the years,” one owner said. “If only they could speak of the secrets they hold.”

RI NEWS

Mako sharks are off the menu after NOAA fishing ban

Long prized by commercial fisheries and foodies for its taste, and by sport fishermen for its strength and leaping ability, the shortfin mako has faced a steep decline. The unprecedented decision to ban fishing for mako sharks could give the species a chance to recover.

FOOD & DINING NEWSLETTER

We have the code to get into a secret bar in Providence

High Dive, a Los Angeles-inspired bar, is located in an industrial building on the West End of Providence. Punch in this code to get inside.

Once a ‘MasterChef’ contestant, now a world record holder for biggest chicken nugget

Local viral TikTokers Nick DiGiovanni and Lynn Davis cooked up a plan to earn another Guinness World Record.

INNOVATORS Q&A

Former commercial fisherman starts sea kelp farm as a do-no-harm response to pandemic

Azure Cygler owns Rhody Wild Sea Gardens, a sugar kelp farm in Narragansett Bay

BUSINESS

Without massive capital behind them, smaller R.I. food businesses are feeling the pressure from all sides

The turbulent supply chain has sent many commercial kitchens into chaos, where chefs are having to rethink their menus and even reach out to diners for help.

RI FOOD & DINING

Is the real calamari state Rhode Island ... or California?

A proud Rhode Islander was surprised to hear that Monterey, California, also calls itself the calamari capital. Turns out both coasts have good reason to be proud.

PODCAST

‘You can’t increase prices by 80 percent’: R.I. hospitality and tourism industries still face challenges

On the Rhode Island Report podcast, the leaders of the R.I. Hospitality Association and Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau discuss how inflation, worker shortages, and funding issues are affecting the tourism and hospitality industries.