You want a city with great restaurants, savvy consumers, a
commitment to locally-sourced products, and a close-knit community of creative
chefs? Providence has that by the
forkfuls. That's why it only made sense for Brown grad and hardcore foodie Seth
Resler to launch Taste Trekkers, billed as the nation's first food tourism
conference, right here in the Creative Capital.
The event kicked off on Friday, Sept. 20 with a cocktail
reception at The Dorrance, which has been recognized nationally for its
innovative bar program. Guests were then
spirited off to restaurants throughout the area for "Mystery Dinners," not
knowing the restaurant, the menu, or even their dinner companions, beforehand.
Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and local Rockstar Chef (he
even has the tattoos to back it up) Matt Jennings officially opened up the
conference on Saturday morning. As Mayor
of the #1 Food City in the United States (according to the readers of Travel + Leisure), Taveras acknowledged
the city's renowned culinary culture.
Chef Jennings, owner of Farmstead and a James Beard nominee, urged
attendees to invest in their respective food communities.

The conference wrapped up on Sunday with culinary tours and a Food Truck Brunch that celebrated the ever-growing local community of restaurants on wheels. To find out more about Providence's red-hot food scene, check this out.