14 Best Ethnic Food

Providence is known for its range of ethnic restaurants.

TripAdvisor ranked Los Andes - a haven for Peruvian fare - as the top ethnic food restaurant in Providence! 

Other ethnic restaurants of note included Ebisu - which offers frsh sushi and Japanese Shabu Shabu; Abyssinia - one of the only places around that has Ethiopian cuisine. Yum!

13 Summer Cocktails

Alas, summer is long-gone but that doesn't mean you drink experience has to cool down!

Providence restaurants stepped up their cocktail game this summer with 15 seasonal creations from restaurants like Cook and Brown Public House, The Dorrance, Local 121, and The Eddy!  

Photo: "Found My Thrill" at The Dorrance Photo credit: Vito Lantz

12 Health Code Violations

Not all of Providence's food stories were particularly appetizing this year.

GoLocalProv investigated local health code violations from area restaurants and identified 25 restaurants with the most health code violations in Providence.

The top five worst offenders had 30 or more violations including: clean containers being stored on top of trash cans, calamari thawing in stagnant water, meat being stored in uncovered containers, and the presence of rodent/insect droppings. 

11 Last Chance for Rosé

GoLocalProv's Steffen Rasch relayed the bad news: Rosé wines were about to fade out with the beautiful 2014 summer weather.

The most versatile of wines becomes scarce in the colder months and Rasch advised that stocking up on delicious vints from Vinha Da Defesa Rosé and Cotes Du Ventoux was the best plan of action. 

10 5th Best Pizza City

Providence was named the "5th Best City in the US for Pizza" by Huffington Post.

The honor of housing cheesy deliciousness was attributed to Providence's grilled and wood-fired pizzas from restaurants like Providence Coal-Fired Pizza, Al Forno and Bob & Timmy's Grilled Pizza. 

9 Hidden Gem Bars

The 5 Hidden Gem Bars in Providence were uncovered by Ann & Michael Martini.

From the speakeasy Justine's with a lingerie shop front, to fun places on Federal Hill like Little Marlene's and vegetarian hot spot The Grange Providence has you covered with fresh trendy spots to grab a drink... or two. 

8 Best Donuts in RI

If you have a sweet tooth and live in Rhode Island you are in luck! 

The best places to get your doughnut fix were identified in a state that harbors a staggering more than 200 doughnut shops. That is one doughnut shop for every 5000 residents in Rhode Island!

7 RI's Best Pizza Joints

Pizza was once again the focus as the best pizzerias serving binge-worthy pies were identified.

The family-run restaurant Catanzaro's of Cranston made the cut with their pan-style pizzas topped with perfectly caramelized cheesy edges. 

6 Providence: Foodie City

Huffinton Post gave some more love to Providence's food scene in 2014 naming it one of the 11 Greatest Foodie Cities in America. 

Portuguese sweet bread from Silver Star Bakery received honorable mention as did Rhode Island's enumerated Dunkin' Donuts locations (32 in Providence alone). 

Milwaukee, New Haven, San Diego, New Orleans, and Portland also earned the honor of great foodie cities.

5 Upscale Pizza

The pizza culture in Rhode Island started in 20th Century when Italian immigrants moved here from Ellis Island, giving us amazing places to find refined, upscale pizza pies! 

From Rhode Island's humble beginnings of home-grown tomatoes and farm made cheeses, to artisanal, gourmet pies from Arturo Joe's and d.Carlo Trattoria - pizza in Rhode Island has come a long way.

4 $3 Bar on Federal Hill

2014 saw the rise and fall of $3 Bar on Federal Hill.

What began as a hot new financially conscious bar on Federal Hill in early June ended in the business' closure in August.

$3 Bar's owner Gianfranco Marrocco insisted that the complaints from fellow restaurateurs about his bar were due to racism and the concern that the bar was attracting "the wrong clientele" to an otherwise pristine part of town. 

3 Must-Try Restaurants

New restaurants in Rhode Island like brewmaster Sean Larkin's Brewtopia in Cranston and local chef Jake Rojas' Tallulah's Tacos were featured as some of the must-try restaurants in the area. 

In a state that is well-known as a culinary destination there is never a shortage of great new restaurants and flavors to try!

2 Best Clam Shacks

Rhode Island loves its clams and shows big love for its clam shacks!

2014 saw Rocky Point Clam Shack in Warwick make a culinary comeback. And, GoLocal had to reccommend CEO Josh Fenton's favorite clam shack: Flo's of Portsmouth - which offers great views of Easton Beach in the summertime. 

1 Hidden Restaurant Gems

The number one food story this year was an uncoverign of the 5 Hidden Restaurant Gems in Providence.

The new restaurant that popped up in the basement of Providence's old Gas building this year - G Pub - was paid an honorable mention as a great place to do casual dining. And the flavorful, asian-inspired cuisine at newcomer Noodles 102 in Providence was praised for its chicken lettuce wraps and delectable Udon noodles!

The August closing of Providence's southern restaurant Succotash was also unveiled in this story.