Rhode Island
What food is Rhode Island famous for? You have to try these 16 classics
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
(WJAR) — Thirty-two years ago was the commissioning of a Navy submarine named after the Ocean State.
Maria Stephanos was on board the USS Rhode Island on July 9, 1994.
Rhode Island was the Navy’s 15th Trident class ballistic submarine.
It was commissioned in Newport and was the first to be christened in its namesake state.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — They come from all walks of life, including many professionals in the community, taking time out of their busy days to welcome students to school with enthusiasm and handshakes.
“We learn a lot of new handshakes, too,” Kobi Dennis said. “High-fives. Pounds with an explosion. We get a little bit of everything.”
It’s the Handshake Initiative, the brainchild of now Central Falls Police Chief Anthony Roberson.
Everybody can use some encouragement, and students in Rhode Island get that the minute they head toward the school building.
Initially, the students and parents didn’t know what to think.
“I was confused because I thought it was going to be a normal day,” said one student.
“Their parents were getting out of their cars trying to see what’s going on,” Reservoir Avenue School Principal Cynthia Torres said.
But now, they crave it.
“It makes me feel motivated,” another student said.
Dennis adds in an etiquette component.
“Teaching the kids how to shake hands, look one another in the eyes with a firm grip — girl or guy — firm grip and say ‘hello’ and introduce yourself, that’s part of the initiative as well,” Dennis said.
Providence school superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez said it sends a strong message.
“We hear you, we see you, and we’re here for you,” Montañez said.
Torres strategically uses them on standardized test days.
“They say, ‘I’m going to do really good today,’” she said.
“It makes me feel encouraged to do better in school,” a student said.
They’ve connected with thousands of students across Rhode Island.
“It’s about shaking hands and building relationships, but it’s also about letting young people know that there are professionals in the community cheering for them every single day,” Dennis said.
Do you know of a nonprofit organization or volunteers doing great work in your community? Fill out a short nomination form for “Community Treasures.”
A man was critically hurt in a stabbing in Providence on Tuesday, NBC affiliate WJAR-TV reports.
Police were first called to Smith Street around 7 p.m. for the reported stabbing. They found the victim on Chalkstone Avenue.
He was taken to the hospital where he remains in critical condition.
The case remains under investigation and no arrests were announced.
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