Rhode Island Food

Rhode Island is a large per capita consumer of coffee. According to a Providence Journal article, the state features the highest number of coffee/donut shops per capita in the country, with over 100 Dunkin' Donuts locations in the state alone.[32] The Official State Drink of Rhode Island is coffee milk,[33] a beverage created by mixing milk with coffee syrup. This unique syrup was invented in the state and is bottled and sold in most Rhode Island supermarkets. Interestingly, although coffee milk contains some caffeine, it is sold in school cafeterias throughout the state. Iced coffee is very popular in the summer. Frozen lemonade, a mixture of ice-slush, lemons and sugar is also immensely popular in the summer, especially Del's Frozen Lemonade, a company based in Cranston.

Several foods and dishes are unique to Rhode Island, and cannot be found outside of the state. "Wieners," which are sometimes called "gaggers" or "weenies" are smaller than a standard hot dog but are covered in a meat sauce, chopped onions, mustard, and celery salt. If you want all of these on your weiners, you don't have to ask for them separately. Just ask for one (or more) "all the way." The most common way the word is spelled on menus is "weiner." Many restaurants advertise "New York System" weiners. However, this item cannot be found in New York. Legend has it that the term was coined by Greek immigrants who wanted to increase sales of the weiners they sold. The Original New York System on Smith Street in Providence, just down the street from City Liquors, was reportedly the first in the state (look for the initials "ONYS" set in tile as you go in. The "system" is the combination of the hot dog and meat sauce. Submarine sandwiches are referred to as "grinders" in Rhode Island, with a popular version being the Italian grinder, which is made with Italian cold cuts (usually ham, prosciutto, capicola, salami, and Provolone cheese). Chouriço (a spicy Portuguese sausage) and peppers, eaten with hearty bread, is also popular among the state's large Portuguese community. Another popular item is pizza strips, sold in most supermarkets - basically, they are rectangular strips of pizza without the cheese. Spinach pies, similar to a calzone but filled with seasoned spinach instead of meat, sauce and cheese, are sold in many Italian bakeries and local supermarkets. Variations can include black olives or pepperoni with the spinach, or omission of spinach entirely in favor of broccoli.

The Ocean State's tradition of seafood is one of the most celebrated in the country. Shellfish is extremely popular, with clams being used in multiple ways. The quahog (whose shell is Rhode Island's state shell) is a large clam which is mixed with stuffing and spicy minced sausage and then baked in the shell to form a "Stuffie." Steamed clams are also a very popular dish. Fried squid, or "calamari," are fried squid rings and are most popular in Italian restaurants.

Rhode Island, like the rest of New England, has a long tradition of clam chowder. While the white "New England" variety is popular and the red "Manhattan" variety is not uncommon, Rhode Island makes a clear chowder, affectionately known as "Rhode Island Clam Chowder."

Perhaps the most peculiar culinary tradition in Rhode Island is the "clam cake." The clam cake is a deep fried ball of buttery dough with chopped bits of clam inside. They are sold in most seafood restaurants around the state, and usually come by the half-dozen or dozen. The quintessential summer meal in Rhode Island is "clam cakes and chowder." - or as Rhode Island natives may pronounce it, "Clam Cakes and Chowda"

It is also said that Clams Casino originated in Rhode Island after being "invented" by Julius Keller, the maitre d' in the original Casino next to the seaside Towers in Narragansett.[original research?] Clams Casino resemble the beloved stuffed quahog but are generally made with the smaller littleneck or cherrystone clam and are unique in their use of bacon as a topping.

In Rhode Island, milkshakes are known as "cabinets."[34]

Wein-O-Rama is a popular Cranston restaurant which serves weiners.