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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, The R.I. Food Club and we'll deliver it directly to your inbox.

At Providence restaurant Dolores, James Beard-nominated Chef Maria Meza knows what she’s doing

Best Chef: Northeast nominees are Maria Meza from Dolores in Providence; Conor Dennehy from Cambridge’s Talulla; David Standridge from The Shipwright’s Daughter in Mystic, Conn.; Jake Stevens from Leeward in Portland, Maine; and Cara Tobin from Honey Road in Burlington, Vt.

Where to eat to celebrate your college graduate in Rhode Island

Can Rhode Island’s restaurants survive the Washington Bridge’s problems?

Here are the New England finalists for the 2024 James Beard awards

‘Our primary focus is original music’: Myrtle, a cocktail bar in Rhode Island, gives new artists a stage

The Guides

Seeking comfort food? Here are some delicious dumplings to try.

The beauty of dumplings is that they come in all sorts of variations, and from all over the world. And you can find some great ones in Rhode Island.

History is on the menu at these Rhode Island taverns

During the Colonial era, taverns were a place for weary travelers to sleep, and a spot for locals to share news and debate. Hundreds of years later, some of them are still serving up great food and drink.

Your very Rhode Island guide to the 2024 James Beard restaurant and chef award semifinalists

Rhode Island’s restaurant scene punches well above its weight. The rest of America has finally caught up.

16 Rhode Island restaurant and bar openings to watch for in 2024

This year, some big names and long-anticipated plans will finally come to fruition.

Where to eat dinner in Westerly, R.I., this winter

Though this summer destination is now fully within winter’s embrace, the dining scene is warm and unhurried, with many eateries offering fireside dining and heartier, stick-to-your-ribs dishes.

The savory flavors of Laos in R.I.: Three restaurants serving traditional Lao cuisine

“In a way, we try to teach our customers about Lao food so they know more about Lao culture,” says Britny Savankham, who works with her father at Thai Lan Xang in Johnston.

It’s soup season. Here are 9 superior bowls to try in Rhode Island.

Matzo ball, okra stew, wonton, pozole, and other classics to explore.

A guide to East Providence: Because what else can you do?

With westbound traffic still limited on the Washington Bridge and continued gridlock on city streets, here are some things to do while you’re stuck on the east side of the Seekonk River.

A new coffee/martini bar; Providence’s Omni Hotel has something new, and more food notes

The early bird gets the ... biscuit! Irregardless Biscuit, a new addition to Providence, sells out of its popular dish quickly so get there fast.

PODCAST: Food and restaurant trends to expect in 2024

On the Rhode Island Report podcast, a food and innovation expert talks about the rise of kimchi, TikTok in restaurants, and what’s next for the plant-based craze.

Why does Providence have so many 18-plus nightclubs?

With thousands of students returning to the city this fall, establishments are once again getting ready for a boon in business, one that often comes from Rhode Island’s younger crowds.

Some of the best things I ate in 2023

Truffle ravioli, molé sauce, raw scallops, and much more.

Drinks

Keurig is taking the cup out of the K-Cup

R.I. bartenders have big plans and drinkable resolutions for 2024

Can ‘Boston’s best espresso martini’ really come from a bottle?

An innovative new bourbon from Bully Boy Distillers

Behind the scenes

Small businesses are being decimated by the Washington Bridge debacle, and help really isn’t on the way

The troubles of retailers like Christmas Tree Shops and Bed Bath & Beyond can be a boon for Ocean State Job Lot, a closeout operation. And they're involved with tons of other businesses.

The Kitchen at The Shack brings a taste of French Polynesia to South County

When Momo Camara first moved to the US, he found comfort in cooking. Now the chef is merging international flavor with Rhode Island roots.

Mr. Lemon enters its 50th year, but without ‘Mama Lemon’

Meanwhile, two fans created a list of every flavor Mr. Lemon has offered in the past three years, including its famously quirky flavor names.

She’s the pastry chef making Foglia’s delicious vegan desserts. She’s also self taught, and still in high school.

After Lil Rhody Clam Cake Crawl No. 9, the “Clamarati” -- friends who embark on a daylong journey to sample and rank the best clam cakes -- may have reached local celebrity status.

Here’s what’s moving into the former Oberlin restaurant space in Providence

Get ready for a new Mexican kitchen in downtown.

Hold the pitchforks: PVDFest 2024 to return to downtown location

After the city made a series of divisive changes to its annual arts and cultural festival, the mayor’s office said it’s considering allowing open containers and block parties this year.

Cooking

Recipe: Rustic chocolate mousse, popular for decades, is still on Parisian menus

Looking to switch up your festive sips? Here's some advice from the pros.

Recipe: This riff on classic Italian American piccata is made with chicken cutlets, lemons, anchovies, and capers

Recipe for Chicken Piccata

Recipe: Spoon green olive tapenade over warm goat cheese for a divine appetizer

Recipe for Warm Goat Cheese with Green Olive Tapenade

Recipe: A meatier take on lobster bisque for New Year's Eve

Recipe for Lamb Kebabs with Parsley Sauce

Recipe: Brighten the table with a colorful vegetable ribbon salad tossed with lemony dressing

Recipe for Vegetable Ribbon Salad

Recipe: You don’t knead this fluffy focaccia with tomatoes and mozzarella, but give it a long, slow rise

This recipe is for Slow-Rise No-Knead Focaccia with Tomatoes and Mozzarella from the food section of The Boston Globe.

Recipe: In the middle of a dreary winter, this sunny, sliced orange salad will brighten the table

Recipe for Sliced Orange Salad

Recipe: Panmarino, Italian rosemary bread, is a Renaissance recipe for modern times

This recipe is for Panmarino (Italian Rosemary Bread) from the food section of The Boston Globe.

Meet the Rhode Island Team

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Rhode Island Food & Dining Headlines

FOOD & DINING

At Providence restaurant Dolores, James Beard-nominated Chef Maria Meza knows what she’s doing

“Everything is homemade. Everything comes from the original,” says Meza, recently named a James Beard Foundation finalist for Best Chef: Northeast.

FOOD & DINING

Where to eat to celebrate your college graduate in Rhode Island

It’s nearly graduation season, and open tables will soon be hard to snag. Here are a few places in Providence to consider.

FOOD

‘The Hotline hype is real’: Why a tough-to-score pizza is all the rage in R.I.

Despite its name, the only way to get a Hotline Pizza is to slide into their Instagram direct messages once a week when ordering opens. Only some will make the cut.

PODCAST

Can Rhode Island’s restaurants survive the Washington Bridge’s problems?

On the Rhode Island Report podcast, Providence business owner Kate Roberts said she does not “see a super clear path forward on how to make up those dollars” lost due to the bridge’s closure.

THINGS TO DO

‘Our primary focus is original music’: Myrtle, a cocktail bar in Rhode Island, gives new artists a stage

The live music lounge that opened in September in East Providence is a community hub that attracts regulars and out-of-towners every night.

KARA BASKIN

Here are the New England finalists for the 2024 James Beard awards

Closest to Boston, Comfort Kitchen and Talulla earn nods, but every New England state has a nominee for Best Chef: Northeast or Outstanding Restaurateur. See who’s made the short list here.

RI FOOD CLUB

‘Uyghur food is art’: In Providence, Jahunger is this unlikely chef’s taste of home

Subat Dilmurat, the owner of Jahunger, was named a semifinalist for the 2024 James Beard Restaurant and Chef awards earlier this year.

INNOVATOR Q&A

‘Overall cost of doing business is outrageous’: R.I. hospitality leader talks Washington Bridge fiasco, shoddy tourism budget, and more

Heather Singleton is the interim CEO of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association, which advocates for restaurants and the lodging industry around the Ocean State.