RI’s best Italian restaurants: Federal Hill to South County our favorites
From Federal Hill to South County, the best Italian restaurants across Rhode Island.
Journal Staff
Rhode Island has a thing for let’s say unusual foods.
We like Awful Awful drinks and coffee in our milk. We routinely confuse people on social media with our love of pizza strips that don’t even have cheese. We promoted giant stuffed clams in airports and calamari at the Democratic National Convention.
Quirky and distinctive food is part of the Rhode Island culture. Here are 16 of the speciality foods that Rhode Island is famous for.
Awful Awful
Awful big and awful good, this drink, which combines flavored syrups with ice milk instead of the ice cream one would find in a classic milkshake, was originally a New Jersey thing. But, today Newport Creamery has the rights to it, and it’s officially a Rhode Island thing.
History of Awful Awfuls: The Awful Awful is a classic Rhode Island treat. Here’s how it got its name.
Coffee Milk
For those who didn’t grow up drinking coffee milk from cartons in elementary school, coffee milk is exactly what it sounds like: milk mixed with a sweet coffee syrup. The drink was invented in Rhode Island, sometime in the 1930s.
Del’s Lemonade
Never drink it with a straw! Del’s Lemonade is a frozen lemonade with roots in European fruit ices. Perfectly refreshing on a summer beach day, lemon is the classic flavor but the brand offers many others.
History of Del’s: Del’s Lemonade turns 75 this year. How will they be celebrating, and what’s ahead?
Doughboys
Awfully close to the fried dough you might find at any old state fair, but better because of their smaller, more manageable pillow shape. Cover these in sugar and cinnamon for maximum happiness.
Experience a doughboy: Amy Russo tries some RI foods
Stuffies
Served in the shell, stuffies are baked stuffed clams with lots of breading and butter. This Rhode Island food is so iconic that a seven-foot version was placed in airports around the country to attract visitors to the Ocean State.
All about stuffies: Where to get them, recipes, and controversies
Clam Cakes
A deep-fried fritter made with chopped clams, clam juice and a flour base. They have a similar consistency to a hush puppy after they’re fried and are more cakey than say a crab cake.
More: Everything you wanted to know about clam cakes. Book takes a deep dive into a RI favorite
RI-style Calamari
Take a basic calamari appetizer (batter and fried squid) and toss it in butter, garlic and hot peppers, and you get Rhode Island-style calamari. The dish is the official state appetizer.
Calamari: If not just the sea, where did R.I. calamari come from?
RI Clam Chowder
A lighter take on clam chowder than the New England or Manhattan versions, Rhode Island clam chowder skips the cream and the tomatoes giving it a clear broth.
How to make it: Clear clam chowder from Roger’s kitchen
Lobster Roll
Sure, Maine gets a lot of credit for their lobster rolls, but Rhode Island’s are every bit as good. As a state, we’re not picky about if they’re warm or cold. We just like them with an ocean view.
Try a lobster roll: 7 reader-favorite lobster roll spots to try in Rhode Island
New York System Wiener
We know, it says New York in the name, but we promise this is a Rhode Island thing. The weiners – which are a mix of beef, pork and veal – come in a natural casing that makes a 20-foot rope that the restaurants has to cut to size by hand. Once in the bun, it’s covered in a spicy sauce that includes onions and ground meat.
More: Hot wiener wedding fulfills a Rhode Island bride’s dream
Grinder
If you’re really from Rhode Island, you’ll pronounce it “grindah” and forget about the r. This Rhode Island favorite is a sandwich made with Italian cold cuts, pickles and other vegetables put on a grinder roll. You can mix up the cold cuts, but they have to stay in the salumi family.
All about the grinder: Rhode Islanders are in the minority that say grinder. Here’s the story behind the sandwich
Dynamite
A Woonsocket classic, the dynamite sandwich is a type of sloppy joe-like sandwich served in a torpedo roll with a spicy sauce often made in batches large enough to feed a crowd.
Recipe: ROSIE THIBEAULT’S FRENCH-CANADIAN DYNAMITE
Pizza Strips
Also called a party pizza, red strips or a bakery pizza, a pizza strip is a rectangular strip of pizza, served on a crust that would be best described as focaccia, topped with tomato sauce and often a dusting of grated Romano cheese. It’s served at room temperature.
More: Explaining the Rhode Island pizza strip: What is it and why does it exist?
Johnnycakes
Similar to a pancake, the main difference is Johnnycakes are made with stone-ground cornmeal. A staple at May Breakfasts across the state, they’re very easy to make.
Recipe: You don’t have to wait for May Breakfast. Make your own jonnycakes
Pepper biscuits
An Italian treat, a pepper biscuit is a simple biscuit flavored with fennel and pepper rolled out into a log before being twisted into a round. The crunchy snack pairs well with a glass of wine.
Recipe: Make pepper biscuits for a snack
Zeppole
A treat traditionally served on St. Joseph’s Day, zeppole resembles a flattened cream puff, filled with cream and topped with more cream and a cherry. Traditional ones are filled with pastry cream. Others are made with ricotta cheese, chocolate cream or whipped cream and fruit.
Where to get a zeppole: Try these 10 Rhode Island bakeries
