Once regarded as inferior to its larger New England sibling Boston, Providence has asserted itself as something of a gastronomic hub and was named in a 2012 "Travel + Leisure" poll as the No. 1 gastronomic city in the country. Home of Johnson and Wales culinary school – which offers a three-hour cooking school to visitors – and a Culinary Arts museum, Providence has more degreed chefs per capita than any other U.S. city, boasts the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Downtown
- Providence's Downtown area is easy to cover on foot and represents the focal point of the city, including the theater district, main shopping area and waterfront. As a result, expect stylish, elegant restaurants spread across a wide range of cuisines, from French and Italian to steakhouses. The Westminster Street area has retro cafes and intimate tapas, while the Providence Place Mall has some family-oriented restaurants with interactive dining, with the chance to gather around a fondue set or giant Mongolian grill among the options.
Federal Hill
- Fodor’s recommends a trip to the Little Italy neighborhood around Federal Hill, named as one of the five best Little Italy's in the country by Food Network. Most top restaurants and cafes are strung along Atwells Avenue, whose landmark authentic Italian eateries have stolen the show on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," "Man v Food Nation," and even the "Today" show. The avenue's espresso machines and wood-fire ovens go on early morning, and by lunchtime the atmosphere is heady with the aroma of homemade tomato sauce, grilled pizza and soppressata, an Italian dry salami.
Recommended
- Not surprising for a city that hosts a culinary school, Providence has won its fair share of plaudits dining-wise, and the plethora of established restaurants suggests the city is largely resistant to fickle food fads. According to "New York" magazine, the New Rivers bistro put Providence on the map in the 1990s for its homemade charcuterie, while the Olneyville NY System dates back to 1946 and built its legend on the hot wiener challenge each year. Chef Guy Fieri picked the wieners as his "Best Thing I Ever Ate." Otherwise, this being Rhode Island, visitors will find no shortage of signature New England shellfish and fish, and can settle down at wet oyster bars or tackle full bowls of chowder at several venues.
Food Trucks
- Although gourmet food trucks have come into their own since 2010, one of Providence's best known culinary landmarks dates back to the 19th century. The Haven Brothers Diner, infamous for its Triple Murder Burger, traces its roots back to a food cart in 1888, later replaced by a 1949 diner cart that was not only featured on an episode of “Family Guy” but is also visible every day at Dorrance and Fulton streets. Across the city, almost 30 imaginative trucks churn out cuisine ranging from Vietnamese and seafood to vegan ice cream and 100 different flavors of cupcakes, cake pops and ice cream.
