TOUR DE FORK | NEW ENGLAND FOOD TOURS
Alane Spinney, senior barista at Ellie’s, points to the nearby College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University as a driver of Providence’s thriving and eclectic food scene. “Young culinarians from around the world—India, Canada, Barbados—incorporate their foodways into ours,” she says. “They’re adapting their recipes to what’s seasonally available here.” Which means that this small city is home to a world of flavor.
“THE SMALLEST STATE HAS A BIG FOOD GAME”
“Rhode Island’s Capital is riding a renaissance with city construction up 20% in the last 5 years, a building boom being a burst of all things sweet and tasty, even in areas once considered unsavory. But make no mistake, Rhode Island knows its food. This walking tour supports the locally operated eateries the community and allows foodies to taste fresh local foods.”
best of rhode island | 2018 editors’ choice award
“Newport’s rich culinary scene makes visitors wish for more meals in a day. Want to know where the locals go? Where history and food intertwine? What the cleverest chefs are up to, and which regional specialties are the most sublime? On these three-hour-plus walks, your guide is your foodie best friend, with all the inside intel. Nothing brings people together like food (and optional alcoholic beverages), and by the end of this seven-stop tasting odyssey, you’ll be laughing and clinking glasses and plotting return visits to hidden-gem restaurants.”
“history meets lunch on the rhode island food tour”
“Attention history buffs and foodies: you no longer have to enjoy your passions separately. Since May, Paula Silva of Rhode Island Red Food Tours combined these two passions into a three-hour walking tour in Newport. Rhode Island Red Food Tours covers a diverse selection of restaurants, from cafes to pubs, to casual and formal dining on the tour.”
“Here, there and everywhere”
“You’ve walked the historic streets of Providence and visited the Roger Williams Park Zoo. You’ve toured the mansions and ogled the yachts in Newport. What else can you do in the Ocean State? On one of the Rhode Island Red Food Tours, you can stroll off the beaten path into interesting neighborhoods, explore the evolving local culinary landscape, and learn about the architectural and cultural elements of Rhode Island’s history — all the while tasting some truly yummy food from local eateries.”
“A Newport Neighborhood Tasting”
“When planning your next trip to Newport and you’re looking for something different to do other than the mansions, cliff walk and the waterfront districts, I’d recommend including this delicious destination into your itinerary!”
“Food Tours; The Hottest Thing To Do This Summer”
“Silva has created a fun, off-the-beaten-path glimpse into Newport life. The emphasis of this tour was eating.Within the eating umbrella, our theme was “where the locals go.” We avoided the overcrowded, overhyped tourist streets of Thames and Bellevue and explored the neighborhood side of Newport. As the original capital city of Rhode Island, and — of course — a port city, Newport is rich in history, complete with America’s Oldest Tavern (where we ate a fabulous NY Cheesecake eggroll and learned about the resident ghosts), and Silva did a great job of pointing out historical buildings and landmarks I would have otherwise missed.After the tour I didn’t want to eat again for 24 hours, but I was happy to know the secret spots to return to this summer.”
“A SHORE THING SUMMER BABYMOON”
“With just four days in Newport, we were determined to make the most of our limited time with equal parts sightseeing and relaxing in the seaside city just south of Providence, RI. So we cruised into town midday on Saturday and immediately joined the Rhode Island Red Food Tour, even before dropping off our bags at the hotel. The tour is a brand new offering this summer and introduced us to some of the lesser-known culinary spots in the immediate area (no tourist traps or cheesy theme restaurants).”
This is our 2nd year in a row for this coveted honor from our very own local Rhode Island Monthly Magazine. Our “Best of Rhode Island” Award is for Statewide Local Tour, voted on by their readers.
The TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Awards are given to the top 10% attractions worldwide based on reviews and ratings from travelers everywhere. We are proud and grateful to have received this award in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
“The city that moved rivers to emerge as a cultural capital”
“You can’t talk about Providence without paying respects to its rich culinary history.”
“Rhode Island Red Food Tours offer a great way to enjoy the city’s diverse dining options. They’ll take you off the beaten path to six eateries, where you’ll sample creative local dishes, learn about the chefs’ backgrounds and philosophies and uncover the rich history and culture of the city’s food scene.”
How to spend 48 hours in Rhode Island
The perfect weekend itinerary for folks who have just 48 hours to spend in the nation’s smallest state.
Sunday afternoon
Sleep in a bit for your last day and pack up before ending the trip with a super grand finale: Rhode Island Red Food Tours. On this three-hour tour, you’ll eat from a variety of local restaurants while learning about Providence history along the way with an expert guide.
A few highlights from our tour included: Vegetarian cuisine at Plant City, the squash blossom taco at Cielito, and specialty hot pretzels at Malted Barley. No matter where your tour goes, you can expect to be nice and full before heading out of town.
The best food tour in every state: Rhode Island: Downcity Providence Food Tour, Rhode Island Red Food Tours
This three hour long tour takes you through downtown, showing off Providence’s hearty, farm-to-table food. You’ll visit Dune Brothers Seafood Shack for clam cakes and chowder; feast on pastries at Parisian bakery Ellie’s and try beautiful, modern plates at upmarket Gracie’s. You won’t go thirsty – there’s a stop at The Malted Barley tap house too.
Brendan Takes On Rhode Island
“After a light breakfast the next morning, we assembled ourselves for a crash course in the Providence foodie scene with the folks from Rhode Island Food Tours. We visited six local hot spots to try dishes like clam chowder at the delightful pop-up food garden overseen by Dune Brothers, and a plant-based, vegan food hall and marketplace called Plant City where I had the most delicious gluten-free pizza crust ever from the in-house pizza bar, Double Zero. “
New England: Rhode Island
“The Rhode Island Red Food Tour give a good tour of the downtown area, with samples clam chowder (Rhode Island Style) vegan pizza and local beer and pretzels.”
Autumn in Rhode Island
Newport and Providence are dreamy fall destinations for the Halloween- and history-obsessed
Fall offers superb weather for RHODE ISLAND RED FOOD TOURS’ three(-ish)-hour food crawl through downtown Providence. Your group (private tours also available) will stop at six award-winning restaurants to sample popular dishes and meet the owners. During the almost two-mile walk, your tour guide will also share tidbits of local history, architecture, art, and culture.
nter a rainy day—or even
What
others have too say
We’re always excited by our community recognition awards and the many bloggers, writers and journalists that come on our tours and write stories for their publications. We’re so grateful for their support and positive reviews here.
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