Rhode Island has it all in the summer: sun, beaches, and, of course, delicious food.
We may be small, but our culinary scene is powerful. We’ve got you covered if you want classic summer dishes like lobster rolls, fried clams and of course squid. On the other hand, if you’re craving Japanese, Persian, Portuguese or dozens of other cultural flavors – yes, we’ve got that too.
If something a little more adventurous hits your fancy on a Rhode Island night, you won’t want to miss one of these fantastic dinners.
And of course, never sleep in the classic, legendary Rhode Island restaurants that helped put RI on the culinary map!
Can’t Miss Rhode Island Food Adventures for 2022
RI Best: 22 can’t miss food and drink adventures for summer 2022: In Rhode Island, great food adventures start with passion. But add some local ingredients and what a dish you have! Of course, those many ocean views don’t hurt either. Over the past two years, many new people have moved to Rhode Island. No doubt they are learning about the great culture of food and drink. But if not, let this guide be your starting point.
This list is also meant to help if you have a company coming to visit. Either explore with them or pass them on and send them off to enjoy the flavors of Rhode Island.
The Best Rooftop Bars and Restaurants in Rhode Island: Dining or drinking on a rooftop in Rhode Island is still the most exclusive experience. Ten years ago, this was almost unheard of. Even now there are only a few options, but they are all something special. Delicious summer food and drinks in these 10 establishments
14 unmissable clam shacks to satisfy your seafood cravings around Rhode Island: Casual summer food is great at clam shacks. Here you can taste lobster rolls, fried clams, clam tarts and all kinds of scallops and fish dishes.
Many in Rhode Island also serve Italian-flavored dishes such as linguini and clams, as well as the state-run squid appetizer.
Where to Satisfy That Squid Craving: If you’re all about squid, here you can get some great versions of the official RI state snack. All 10 businesses with 12 outlets are open for takeaway, and most of them are available for indoor or al fresco dining with advance booking.
15 Fantastic Recipes: How to cook food with the real taste of Rodi: Sometimes dining out is just not possible. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the rich taste of Rhode Island. The Providence Journal has partnered with some of the state’s top chefs to bring you our Little Bits series.
The videos will give you detailed instructions on how to cook Rhode Island’s most famous dishes.
- How to turn clams into delicious pies
- Crab Cakes by Legal Sea Foods
- How to clean an oyster
- fried scallops
- How to make the best Mediterranean swordfish burger
We even break it down to the basics and provide instructions for the perfect scrambled eggs!
Check out these 15 cooking videos created by The Journal with local chefs and our partner Small Bites, Providence Warwick Convention & Visitor Bureau.
Restaurants you must visit in RI this summer
5 New Rhode Island Restaurants You Must Visit: One of the fun things about Rhode Island is that there is always a new restaurant opening. There were just a bunch of new places to eat and drink and you can read all about them.
In 2021, 41 new restaurants, breweries and wineries appeared in Rhode Island: yes, there were losses, and this is sad. But there were many more victories. In 2021, dozens of chefs, bakers, brewers and small business owners have opened new restaurants and other food and beverage businesses. Each of them is worthy of attention!
RI Food Fix: 10 Gourmet Markets to Go to: Good! You are right, this is not a list of restaurants, but each of these markets is worth a visit. Whether you’re looking for hard-to-find European delicacies, looking for a new All-American favorite, or trying to find a taste of the homeland, options abound.
6 Best Places for Chicken Wings in Rhode Island: Do we believe the state has the best place for chicken wings? No.
There are many of them, and they are designed to satisfy a wide variety of tastes.
Are you looking for traditional wings drenched in spicy sauce that will make you grab a drink, a dip, a veggie stick or a napkin? How do you want them to be prepared? Do you want to fry wings? On wood? Carbonic? Or smoked low and slowly? This list of six chicken wing restaurants covers all of those basics.
Rhode Island is a melting pot of cultures and cuisines (we’re not talking fondue here).
Need a great lunch restaurant in Rhode Island? Try one of these bento boxes: This Japanese specialty is on several Rhode Island lunch menus. How lucky we are that they are offered as dinner.
They moved to RI from Iran. Now they’ve opened the only Persian restaurant in RI: some of the best dining experiences involve not only gourmet food, but relocation. That’s what you’ll find at the cozy new Persian restaurant Shish Kabob in Pawtucket, opened by Iranian-born Ali Joneidi.
Do you want to go to Portugal without leaving the Republic of Ingushetia? You must try the latest tapas restaurant PVD: what do you get when you combine a businessman, a chef and an artist? You get Fox Point’s newest restaurant, a tapas bar called Aguardente for those looking for a new cultural experience.
Call them classics, institutions or traditional restaurants, but RI defines their tastes.
More Than Just Breakfast: 4 Historic Rhode Island Eateries You Must Try: Eateries draw people in with their nostalgia and comfort food. But they also bring artistic delight to the unique design of the streamlined interiors. Their historical and architectural significance makes them worthy of preservation on the official list of federal government property throughout the United States.
A 348-year chronology of our state’s favorite restaurants, bars and catering establishments, food and drink in Rhode Island has a rich history. In many ways, the businesses that have sprung up over the past 348 years are the history of Rhode Island.
This timeline pays tribute to them.
These are the 14 restaurants that Rhode Islanders miss the most: which restaurant do you miss?
Magazine readers obviously can’t just name one. They crave not only flavors, but also happy moments when they eat everything from good parma to lobsters and tacos. Missing were iconic restaurants loved by neighbors, ethnic eateries and family-run businesses large and small.
This article is provided to everyone free of charge as a public service. Please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Providence Journal subscription.