This spot serves the quintessential Rhode Island treat known as the hot wiener (also known as a “New York system” for its Coney Island origins). Order one “all the way” and you’ll get a pork and veal hot dog enveloped in a steamed bun and slathered with meat sauce, mustard, and onions, plus a sprinkle of celery salt. Pair your wieners with a coffee milk for the ultimate savory-sweet combo. Operated by the Stevens family for 75 years, Olneyville New York System has received a James Beard America’s Classics Award and many local accolades. Often busy after the bars close, the restaurant is open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 a.m. every other day of the week.

If you could turn a block party into a restaurant, you’d end up with Troop. Inspired by hip-hop culture, skateboarding, and street food from around the world, this colorful, graffitied restaurant is run by a group of partners, including chef Jason Timothy and Revival Brewing owner Sean Larkin (whose beers are on tap). The food menu features several vegan options, such as spicy-sweet wok-charred cauliflower and a fried tofu banh mi. For carnivores, there’s an oversized cheeseburger and fall-off-the-bone jerk chicken. Drinks include the tequila-based BLM Cocktail, with $4 from each sale benefiting a local nonprofit dedicated to diversity and inclusion.

Los Andes serves Peruvian and Bolivian cuisine in a lively setting filled with plants and the thrum of live acoustic guitar. Perpetually packed, it’s co-owned by brothers Omar Curi and executive chef Cesin Curi. Crowd favorites include the ceviche clasico, lomo saltado, and lobster paella. Bartenders craft well-made pisco sours and caipirinhas to wash it all down.

Come for the drinks, stay for the terrific food pop-ups. The owners of this distillery — Providence’s first since Prohibition — in the booming Valley neighborhood make gin, vodka, and bourbon on-site. They currently serve their spirits fashioned into cocktails on a spacious, open-air patio outside the distillery. On weekends, pair them with food from rotating pop-ups such as Bintimani West African Kitchen and the Afro-Indigenous Vegan.

Run by Alan Costantino since the 1970s, this Italian food emporium is an ideal place to kick off a jaunt through famed Federal Hill, Providence’s historically Italian enclave. Like a smaller, mom-and-pop version of Eataly, Venda is filled to the brim with gastronomic delights, including hunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano and aged Asiago, fresh and frozen pasta (try the popular lobster ravioli), and pantry staples. If the weather’s nice, order an Aperol spritz and margherita pizza from the restaurant arm of the business, Costantino’s, to enjoy by the fountain on Venda’s outdoor patio in DePasquale Square.

Fried dough is at its finest at Knead Doughnuts, where bakers transform butter, sugar, and flour into glorious old-fashioned, brioche-style, and cake doughnuts. Since opening in 2016, the business has been steadily growing by delivering its artisan sweets to many coffee shops around the state. Pair an airy vanilla-glazed brioche or a dense chocolate chip old-fashioned with a Bolt Coffee nitro cold brew (Bolt co-owners Todd Mackey and Brian Gibb are part-owners of Knead). While the Elmgrove Avenue outpost has a neighborhood coffee shop feel, stop by the West End’s Cromwell Street location on the weekend to get a peek at the production space.

Tricycle Ice Cream transforms childhood treats like Push-Up pops, dipped cones, and Choco Tacos into gourmet desserts. Co-owners David Cass and Gio Salvador started their business as a three-wheeled vending cart selling gourmet ice cream sandwiches in flavors like Callebaut chocolate ice cream on salty pretzel cookies and Thai tea ice cream on toasted coconut cookies. After a few years, they expanded their sweet vision into a storefront in 2019, giving Salvador a chance to mastermind even more creative combinations.

A New England interpretation of a German biergarten in a sleek, plant-filled space, Bayberry offers 14 tap lines that continuously rotate between top-quality craft producers including Rhode Island microbrewery Tilted Barn, Connecticut’s Fox Farm Brewery, and Virginia’s Triple Crossing Brewing. Owners Tom and Natalie Dennen also offer a selection of about 50 canned beers, plus an eclectic food menu with options like barbecue pork belly, burgers, and mapo tofu.

After getting laid off during the pandemic, Julia Broome took a leap of faith in early 2021 by opening her first restaurant. Providence doesn’t have too much Southern cuisine, but Broome has been garnering rave reviews for her dense biscuits, delicate fried catfish, and deeply flavorful collard greens with smoked turkey. Be sure to check out the “dranks” menu, which includes options like the Black Girl Magic with peach vodka and lemonade, and the Pass the...Henny! *Busta Rhymes Voice, with sweet tea and orange liqueur.

South Providence’s popular Dominican chimi trucks were on the road long before food trucks had their own TV shows. The trucks specialize in chimi (short for chimichurri): Dominican beef, pork, or chicken burgers slathered with sauce and served on crusty Caribbean pan de agua. Johnny’s Chimi Place, opened by Ramon Morales in 1993, serves a version that stands out among competing sandos.

Head to this co-op wine bar for small-batch, conscientiously crafted wines by the bottle and glass. You’ll find spontaneously fermented assyrtiko from Santorini, La Garagista’s Grace & Favour sparkling wine made in Vermont with the hybrid La Crescent grape, and other fun options. Fortnight also offers an adventurous craft beer selection, as well as chef Nikhil Naiker’s food waste-conscious snacks menu (think cabbage and potato pakoras).

A pioneer in the local farm-to-table movement since 1990, this romantic bistro located in a historic warehouse has stood the test of time. Current chef-owner Beau Vestal learned the ropes from its first proprietor, chef Bruce Tillinghast, before taking over the restaurant with his wife, Elizabeth, in 2012. The house-made charcuterie, Vermont cheddar-topped burger, and lemon tart are longtime favorites, and the intimate setting offers a cozy backdrop for date night.

Imagine a classic seafood shack by the beach, update it, and bring it to the city. That’s essentially what chefs Jason Hegedus and Nicholas Gillespie did a few years ago when they opened Dune Brothers, currently operating as a long-term pop-up out of an adorable red shack on wheels. Their takeout menu is built around traceable local seafood and includes indulgent options like buttery New England clam chowder with deep-fried clam cakes, two types of fish sandwiches, and both lobster and crab rolls. There’s outdoor seating, or you can take your briny bounty to go.

Hot Club is a no-frills bar and a Rhode Island institution. Overlooking the Providence River from the boiler room of a former steam engine factory (hence the name), the bar has been offering good times to locals from all walks of life since the early 1980s. Outdoor movies on the sprawling deck, karaoke, and trivia nights cement it as an excellent hangout spot. It even made a cameo in There’s Something About Mary.

Perhaps no Rhode Island restaurant is as beloved as Al Forno, opened by chef Johanne Killeen and her late husband chef George Germon in 1980. From the menu to the decor, it’s a study in rustic Italian elegance. You can’t go wrong with the grilled pizza, which the couple is widely credited with inventing (it helped earn them a James Beard Award in 1993), though the bubbly baked pasta with tomato, cream, and five cheeses is also worth an order. For something sweet try the made-to-order fruit tarts. Since the pandemic, takeout and reservations for parties under six people have become available.

Michelle Cheng, who grew up in China before moving to Rhode Island at age 13, got her start in beverages by selling ethically sourced high-quality teas from China, Taiwan, and Japan through her wholesale business, Leafy Green. In 2019, she expanded her business into Ceremony, a modern tea house where you can book a tea ceremony to taste through the oolongs and senchas on offer, or pop by to pick up a hand-whisked strawberry matcha latte to go. The cafe recently added alcohol, including natural wine, sake, and makgeolli.

Fancy without being fussy, chef Champe Speidel’s new American bistro stands out among the area’s many chef-driven restaurants. Speidel, who owns and operates the space with his wife, Lisa, focuses on shareable dishes made with locally sourced ingredients, including standout pastas such as chestnut agnolotti and seafood dishes like pan-seared local scallops with apple. The drinks are also top-notch; ask sommelier Steffen Rasch to recommend the perfect pour, or try one of bar manager Kevin O’Connor’s exemplary zero-proof creations.

Little Sister owner Milena Pagán first won over Rhode Islanders’ stomachs with her artisan bagel shop Rebelle. Her second venture, Little Sister, is primarily a daytime cafe, offering flavor-packed lunch options and expertly made baked goods. The menu is inspired by the flavors of Latin America and Puerto Rico, where she grew up. Favorites include chicken empanadas, Cubano sandwiches, and dulce de leche cake. Decorated with tropical flair and plenty of plants, the inviting cafe offers the perfect place to escape, especially during long New England winters.

Bartender Jesse Hedberg has put together many of the state’s top-rated cocktail programs over the last decade. Naturally his latest project, the retro-styled Pizza Marvin — operated with co-owner and chef Robert Andreozzi — serves drinks that you won’t find anywhere else in town. You can enjoy his takeout-friendly bottled pizza Negroni with one of Andreozzi’s charred New Haven-inspired pizzas and sides such as a salad of coppa and cantaloupe. For a taste of true luxury, pair an order of raw littlenecks, which are abundant in local waters, with a bottle of premier cru Champagne.

Often seen cooking on local morning TV on The Rhode Show, chef Nick Rabar exudes so much love for Rhode Island cuisine that you’d never guess he actually grew up in New York. After spending years working in kitchens in Providence, Rabar opened his own restaurant, Avenue N, with his wife Tracy in East Providence about a decade ago. Like the original, this new Providence outpost brings fine dining flair to a generally approachable, something-for-everyone menu. Go casual with a steak and mushroom pizza or high-end with delicately fried local Walrus and Carpenter oysters dabbed with horseradish-mustard sauce. Also look for Rabar’s version of stuffies.

When he first arrived in the Ocean State, chef Jake Rojas ran a highly regarded farm-to-table restaurant in Newport with his wife, Kelly Ann. More recently, the Texas native has been using his cooking skills at his always-busy taquerias. Rojas’s quick-service mix-and-match menu invites you to choose from an assortment of fillings (chipotle-braised potatoes, al pastor, carne asada, lengua), toppings, and formats (tacos, burritos, tortas, bowls). No matter what you pick, it comes out of the kitchen fast and flavorful. Pair anything with a house mezcal margarita, and in warmer months eat on the restaurant’s string light-lined outdoor patio.

Youssef Akhtarini learned to bake as a teenager growing up in Aleppo, Syria. After fleeing the war-torn city and moving to Providence, Akhtarini opened Aleppo Sweets in 2019 with help from his wife, Reem. At this bakery-cafe you’ll find nearly a dozen different varieties of light and crunchy Syrian-style baklava, from a version with whole pistachios wrapped in purses of phyllo dough to one that is rolled ladyfinger-style with crushed nuts. Don’t overlook the savory side of the menu, which includes meze like smoky baba ghanoush and za’atar-dusted labneh, chicken and lamb kebabs, and red lentil soup. The cafe employs several other Syrian refugees who have made new homes in Providence.

Just a few steps over the Providence line, in a strip mall in Pawtucket, you’ll find some of Rhode Island’s best Indian food. Run by chef Sanjiv and his wife Vandana Dhar, who also own three other restaurants in the state, Rasoi offers expertly made classics like samosas, tandoori chicken, lamb vindaloo, and naan right out of tandoor. There are plenty of vegetarian options, including the restaurant’s must-order “cauliflower 65” appetizer, aka Gobi 65, a South Indian bar snack of fried florets with a spicy sauce.

Long before Rhode Island’s flourishing brewing scene, there was Narragansett Beer. For about a hundred years, starting in 1890, the brand’s iconic lager was made in the Providence area until nonlocal corporate ownership moved operations. It was a big deal when, after decades in exile and about 15 years of planning, current owner Mark Hellendrug returned the beer to its birthplace in 2021 with a shiny new brewery. The brand’s first female head brewer, Lee Lord, now makes a wide range of styles, including fruited sours and juicy IPAs.

“Modern” is in the name, but this diner serves up pure nostalgia. Take a seat at the counter or a booth, soak up the old-timey atmosphere, and order up some custard French toast, a Western omelet, or one of the more than 20 specials offered each day. Rhode Islanders love diners because they are said to have invented them; the restaurant genre can be traced back to Walter Scott, who sold sandwiches out of a horse-drawn covered wagon outside of the Providence Journal offices in the 1870s. Modern Diner is equally noteworthy: the Sterling Streamliner-style building, first manufactured in the ’30s, was the first diner listed on the National Register of Historic Places.