Meet Me in Rhode Island

Meet Me in Rhode Island The Ocean State’s chefs are creating community at its destination-worthy restaurants.

- By Stacey Leasca

Aside from its excellent restaurants, the best way to experience Rhode Island is from the water. Several local companies offer yacht charters and private boat rentals in the summer.

“YOU’RE GOING UP to Oberlin today? It’s so good,” Perry Raso says over his shoulder as he hoists an oyster cage out of waist-deep water. Raso and I are in Potter Pond near Matunuck, Rhode Island, gathering our breakfast one bivalve at a time from his oyster beds. Even though I’d come to write about the Matunuck Oyster Bar, Raso’s beloved oyster bar and restaurant (see p. 65) located just a short boat ride away from the oyster beds, he keeps steering the conversation to where else he likes to eat in Rhode Island. But that’s the thing about us locals: We simply love to brag about one another.

Raso and I go way back. We attended the same elementary, middle, and high school. We both studied at the University of Rhode Island. As our college fight song goes, “We’re Rhode Island born, and we’re Rhode Island bred. And when we die, we'll be Rhode Island dead.” With just over 1 million residents, the Ocean State’s fierce local pride could be attributed to the fact that the state is so small, forcing those who live here to get along. Or because we’ve bonded over constantly being the butt of jokes, thanks to our starring role in Family Guy.

Personally, I think it might be because we have something that states 10 times our size don’t: one of the most supportive food communities in the nation—and flavors that go much further than quahogs.