Federal Hill: Crime and Cuisine Food Tour
Enjoy a food tour with a felonious twist. Come take a taste of Providence's Italian neighborhood while also learning about its historical characters who didn't always ...
Thin or thick stone-ground flint-corn meal pancakes, made with hot water or milk and cooked on a griddle. Eaten at breakfast with maple syrup, or as a side to chowder. Rhode Island's official heritage dish.
Johnnycakes pre-date Rhode Island statehood, with origins in Narragansett tribal nokehick (parched cornmeal). Designated the state's official cornmeal cake in 1968. Kenyon's Grist Mill in West Kingston has stone-ground the canonical Rhode Island flint cornmeal since 1696. East Bay style is thin and crispy; West Bay style is thick and cake-like.
3 editor picks for Rhode Island Johnnycakes in Providence, ranked by editorial score. All Providence signature dishes · Rhode Island Johnnycakes across every city.
Also in: Burlington.
Nicks on Broadway ★ 4.7
west-side · 500 Broadway, Providence, RI 02909
Derek Wagner's Nicks on Broadway in Providence is a 2026 USA Today Restaurant of the Year. Seasonal locally driven cooking; Wagner a 2025 Beard finalist.
Hemenway's ★ 4.3
downtown · 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903
Hemenway's on the Providence River reopened March 5, 2025 after a refresh of the bar, raw bar and lobster tanks. Anchor downtown seafood since 1985.
Cassarino's ★ 4.1
federal-hill · 177 Atwells Avenue, Providence, RI 02903
Cassarino's, on Atwells since 1988, is the candlelit Federal Hill room locals book midweek. Northern Italian classics, marble bar, polished service.
Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide
Rhode Island Johnnycakes makes more sense with someone from Providence explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Book food experiences in Providence
Providence: Federal Hill Dinner Stroll with Italian Dinner
Savor the flavors of Providence’s Little Italy on a guided dinner stroll. Enjoy a 4-course Italian meal with antipasto, house-made pastas, and desserts.
Providence Food and History Walking Tour: Global Flavors
Explore Providence's Fox Point neighborhood on a guided walking tour. Learn about its immigrant history and enjoy tastings at some of the best immigrant-owned restaurants.