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The hard part about dining in Providence is choosing among its many superb restaurants. If you're in the mood for Italian, take a stroll through Federal Hill on Atwells Avenue; Downtown is home to excellent fine-dining establishments; and the East Side has great neighborhood and upscale-casual restaurants, as well as an assortment of spots with a hip ambience and an international menu.
The scents and flavors of Italy surround you at Costantino's as you peruse the amazing selection of homemade pastas and imported foods. The convivial banter between customers and employees adds to the atmosphere. While here, grab lunch, dinner, an espresso, or gelato at Venda Bar & Ristorante on the opposite side of DePasquale Square. Patio dining in the summertime is a true taste of la dolce vita.
For two decades Derek Wagner has earned a seat at the table among Rhode Island's top chefs by helming this amped-up diner on Providence's West Side (the namesake "Nick" was the owner of the original diner at the site). Breakfast features classic comfort food like pancakes and egg dishes composed with all-local ingredients, like eggs from Baffoni Farms and potatoes from Schartner Farms, and pasture-fed Blackbird Farm Black Angus beef shows up in the Bolognese sauce and slow-cooked BBQ, while all of the plated fish entrees at dinner were swimming in local waters a short time before. Grab a seat at the counter to watch the culinary magic happen.
Locals come to this third-generation, family-owned restaurant in the heart of Federal Hill for the chicken or eggplant Parmesan, veal with peppers, and braciola like (your Italian) grandma used to make. The prices are reasonable; the atmosphere, warm and casual.
On the city's increasingly gentrified West Side (which fringes Federal Hill), this convivial bar and restaurant occupies a single-story redbrick storefront with a handful of sidewalk tables. A mix of students, artists, and neighborhood locals find their way here nightly for fair-priced, deftly prepared bistro chow and imaginative salads.
Rhode Island isn't top-of-mind when you think of great barbecue joints—this ain't Texas, Memphis, or the Carolinas, to be sure—but it's hard to find fault with Durk's succulent brisket, moist pulled pork, and smoky ribs. Savory sides like skillet cornbread and mac & cheese provide the right flavor balance on the plate, and drinks draw heavily from the collected "whiskey wall" behind the bar—you can't go wrong with the barrel-aged Old Fashioned on draft.
A giant fork hangs outside this neighborhood brasserie in Wayland Square, and the chefs do things big here—from the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink chopped salad to supersize sangrias. The menu is eclectic, but you'll find plenty of Italian- and French-inspired bistro items, including French onion soup, steak frites, rigatoni Bolognese, and mussels prepared six ways and served with hand-cut frites.
This place generates well-deserved buzz for its branzino (sea bass) with scallops in a creamy scallion sauce and for its pasta with a rich Bolognese—both of which are legendary. It's best to split an appetizer, as portions are huge, though you may wish to keep the delicious involtini di melanzane (eggplant rolled with prosciutto and ricotta and baked in tangy marinara sauce) all to yourself. The silky-white pasta e fagioli under the menu's antipasti section is a meal in itself. The excellent wine list is usually augmented by special selections available by the bottle or glass, and the well-trained waitstaff can help you make the perfect pairing. Ask for a table by the large windows, as the stylish back dining room can get noisy.
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