Eat Shop Rhode Island: The Indispensible Guide to Stylishly Unique, Locally Owned Eating and Shopping Establishments

This is a very insightful book that goes beyond the usual Providence 'Bling' restaurants and uncovers some great local flavor. Oak, for example, is probably my favorite restaurant--not only in Providence, but maybe in the whole world--and the author clearly recognizes its quality. Chef John Cully's inventiveness and hospitality also comes through loud and clear. Bravo!

This book is a revelation. We moved to RI because we suspected there was a vibrant, fun civilization humming away under veneer of Cardi's and I-95....this book confirms our suspicions! The shops and restaurants in it are delightful, fun-- and the writing, which is amusing, does give you a distinct impression of things. We have tried four new restaurants and they were all top-notch; I can't afford to visit too many of the shops, because the 2 guide-approved ones I've tried triggered shopaholism. Great book.

What I love about this book--and I do love it--is that it's like having an incredibly cool friend. A cool friend who's done a huge amount of legwork to find a ton of restaurants and stores that pass her coolness test and then taken beautiful pictures of them and written about them in a really organized and useful way. It's not trying to be Michelin or Frommers or some stuffy authoritative guide. Like any cool person it's got it's own point of view, which is honest and interesting and full of new ideas. In five minutes with this book I found as many interesting new places as I've found in the last few years living in Rhode Island, and so far there hasn't been a dud among them.