On the rare occasion that Champe Speidel, chef and co-owner of Persimmon restaurant in Providence, R.I., gets a long enough break to enjoy a night out, he likes to graze his way through the city.

“There are enough restaurants now where you don’t have to commit to this three-hour meal, you can just stop there and have a bite or two,” he said. “The talent level has gone up dramatically. If you’re going to get a cocktail and an appetizer, there’s 15 different restaurants who can do that well. [You can] create a sort of ‘moveable feast’ … in a two-square-mile radius or less.”

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