Our local restaurants are the envy of foodies nationwide. Tourism officials have been fielding calls on a daily basis from meeting planners and journalists who are coming to visit our state to scout out upcoming events. One of the initial requests from these out-of-towners is to dine out locally. Our reputation for culinary creativity is such that high on the list of attractions is the state’s restaurant scene. more

Colosseum nightclub co-owner Anthony Santurri knew mayhem such as the stabbings at nearby Richmond Street hotspot Level II in April – in Providence’s nascent Knowledge District – posed as potentially lethal a threat to the nightlife industry as it did for patrons. more

Could Weybosett Street be the next Broadway? more

My interest in the Italian food-and-wine cultural exchange that was held in Providence early in October was piqued when an interview guest brought it up on my radio show. more

Rachael Wright had culinary training, a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and a dream of putting her education to work. After a couple of years waiting tables and trying to launch her career, Wright finally went where the jobs are: quick-service food. more

The Westerly-based Ocean House hotel and Oh! Spa earned slots on Forbes Travel Guide’s 2013 Star Awards, Forbes announced Tuesday. more

Roughly 130 Fulbright Scholar Program participants from across 60 countries will call the city of Providence home for the weekend in a move to create interaction and dialogue with local residents. more

One year after sounding alarms that it was teetering on the brink of insolvency, WaterFire Providence reports that it has surmounted past issues and is looking to resurrect plans to consolidate operations in a single location. more

While the number of Rhode Islanders who visited Twin River declined 9.1 percent from 2010 to 2012 to 161,726, those who came from Massachusetts increased 8.8 percent to 385,348, helping the Lincoln gaming facility gain less than one-half percent in visitors to 582,662 in the time period. more

This year you have read in this column about many contributors to the state’s successful restaurant community, from chefs and restaurateurs to winemakers and farmers. All can be considered stars of the industry. more