Foodies rank Providence 3rd-best nationally

PROVIDENCE – One thing people can’t criticize about Providence is its food choices.

The city took the No. 3 spot in the nation on the “America’s Best Cities for Foodies” list in Travel + Leisure’s September 2011 issue, ranking behind only New Orleans and San Francisco.

“For Rhode Island foodies, farm-to-table is just the beginning. Some great restaurants in Providence – such as Chez Pascal on Hope Street, or Nick’s on Broadway, in the West End – offer ‘boat-to-table’ seafood that comes direct from local fishermen. AFC voters also love the homey vibe of this New England city: they ranked it third for its hole-in-the-wall cafés, burgers, and pizza (which some locals like grilled),” it said.

Providence edged out New York City, No. 4; Chicago, No. 5; and Portland, Ore., No. 6.

Boston, by comparison, ranked on the bottom half of the 35-city list, at No. 23.

“These brainy foodies like comfort foods done thoughtfully – from the updated tavern fare at Citizen Public House, behind Fenway, to the dozen or so food trucks that line Rose Kennedy Greenway. One of the top trucks is Clover Food Lab, which focuses on local and vegetarian offerings, and uses its recycled cooking oil for fuel. Otherwise, Boston didn’t score that well for being green, unless you count the great mass transit,” it said about Beantown.

Earlier this year, in February, Providence was rated as a “surprise” foodie city on Sperling’s Best Places.