PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Providence, the tiny capital of the country’s smallest state, has a mighty appetite.
The city has a population of under 180,000. But since Al Forno, a local institution since 1980, put Providence on the foodie map with its first-of-its-kind grilled pizzas and upscale Italian eats, the city has embraced its culinary streak and swelled with restaurants—and continues to, at a rapid pace.