Waves of immigrants have come to the city in the last two centuries, bringing their recipes and culinary traditions with them. As a result, Providence has a wide variety of ethnic restaurants from which to choose. The city is perhaps most famous for its Italian food, with the Federal Hill section of Providence named "One of the Five Best Little Italys in the U.S." by Food Network Chef Mario Batali. Located on the shores of Narragansett Bay, local restaurants also make good use of the abundance of fresh seafood, offering fabulous, creative dishes. A strong Dominican population has also migrated to Providence, infusing the flavors of Latin America throughout.
Providence is the home of Johnson & Wales University, the world's largest culinary educator. Johnson & Wales alumni include some of the most well-respected chefs and restaurateurs in the world, such as Emeril Lagasse '77, Tyler Florence '94 and Sam Talbot '02. Many J&W alumni stay in the city when they graduate, which is why Providence has more degreed chefs per capita than any other city in the U.S. It also accounts for the sophistication of Providence's restaurant scene.
The world's premiere museum for the preservation and study of the culinary arts, the Culinary Museum at Johnson & Wales University, draws thousands of visitors annually. The museum contains more than a half million culinary artifacts, including an exhibit on food in the White House and more than 4,000 menus from around the world. It also provides a glimpse of the superstar chefs of tomorrow by exhibiting stunning sculptures made from sugar, bread or chocolate by current students.
