Eating In

About a month ago Travel + Leisure readers ranked Providence as the best city in the country for restaurants, beating out such competition as Boston, NYC and even Los Angeles. Great news, no doubt, but for those living outside of the city, accessing those restaurants can be inconvenient.

But the days of braving the traffic to find great-tasting meals are gone. Local award-winning food and travel writer Linda Beaulieu (food reviewer for our sister publications Providence Monthly and SO Rhode Island) offers an at-home alternative that packs a flavorful, entertaining punch: The Providence and Rhode Island Cookbook.

With over 200 recipes, the cookbook highlights the melting pot that is Rhode Island’s diverse ethnic background. From Native American seafood recipes to ancestral French and Portuguese dishes passed down generations, it celebrates the food that has made this little state such a special place for so many people’s stomachs.

And to be clear, this is the second edition of the cookbook, the first published in 2005. “This edition,” says Beaulieu, “has been completely updated, now featuring beautiful color photography along with its recipes.”

ON THE RISE
What began as a backyard home-brewing collaboration between friends has now become a fully functional brewing facility known as Bucket Brewery. This Pawtucket-based brewing company recently scored its first two restaurant clients, one of which is Barrington’s Billy’s Restaurant. What better way to kick off the new year than with a new local beer?

STIMULATE YOUR PALATE
Eating well for cheap isn’t always easy, but Le Central’s weekly Stimulus Dinner package proves that it’s definitely possible. For the prix-fix price of $20.13 (recently raised from $20.12 due to the change of year), this three-course meal comes with two wine pairings and the option of paying more to increase the amount of wine served. Le Central announces each week’s food and wine selections via Facebook and their email list, so stay tuned to stay cheap.