DAZZLING STARS OF RI DINING
GIFT HORSE BRINGS THE SEA TO THE CITY
Gift Horse in Providence and Sly Fox Den Too in Charlestown made USA TODAY’s list of best restaurants in the country.
The USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year 2024 list, released today, features 47 restaurants ranging from finedining establishments to counter-service seafood shacks. Gift Horse was chosen because of its modern take on local seafood, and Sly Fox Den Too was selected because of its quality food and deep connection to place.
With a U-shaped bar as the key architectural feature, it’s clear Gift Horse is meant to be a social environment. Guests can look upon the raw bar, into the busy kitchen and at the bartenders making their drinks. Chef/owner Benjamin Sukle’s new restaurant has a clean, modern look that pairs perfectly with chef Sky Haneul Kim’s inventive menu.
“We are pumped to receive this recognition from USA TODAY!” said Sukle.
At Sly Fox Den Too, the unpretentious menu showcases Indigenous foods rooted in the forests and waterways of the Northeast, a testament to the tribes still present in the region.
“It creates a statement, that we’re still here,” said James Beard Award-winning chef/owner Sherry Pocknett. “We still live in our ways. We still eat traditional foods. We still hunt and fish.”
USA TODAY Network food journalists from across the country pooled their expertise to create the list, which includes the places they know, love and recommend.
For more about Gift Horse and Sly Fox Den Too, as well as the full list of USA TODAY’s Restaurants of the Year and an explanation of how they were chosen,
Gift Horse is a new restaurant in downtown Providence. This week, it made national news along with 46 other restaurants as it was included in the 2024 USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list. ● “We are pumped to receive this recognition from USA TODAY!” said chef/owner Benjamin Sukle. “It’s a testament to the exceptional teamwork and dedication of our crews here. These folks put in the work and are more than deserving. I’m honored to work alongside this team, and it means so much to get this well-deserved attention.” ● Those accolades no doubt include his business partner and general manager, Bethany Caliaro.
What makes Gift Horse stand out?
With a horseshoe-shaped bar as the key architectural feature, it’s clear Gift Horse is meant to be a social environment allowing guests to relate to each other. That’s not all though. They can also look upon the raw bar’s oysters, littleneck clams and mussels. They can see straight into the busy kitchen. Or they can be mesmerized by the bartenders making their drinks.
Just as location is key to real estate, local food is king to the best restaurants and their chefs. Taking the time to establish relationships with fishermen yields the best seafood dishes.
At Gift Horse, the focus is on the local catch. You can taste the sea in dishes ranging from seafood towers to crudo plates. The lineup of oysters on the half shell reads like a map of Rhode Island’s coast and waterways: Watch Hill, Sakonnet River and West Passage in Narragansett Bay.
What to order at Gift Horse?
Sukle’s new restaurant has a clean, modern look that pairs perfectly with chef Sky Haneul Kim’s menu. Raw bar meets fusion meets the unexpected. Sauces include a kimchi mignonette and a fermented green chili hot sauce.
Not to be missed is the smoked fish dip with puffed seaweed chips. Though there are dishes like a crispy whole fish or a lamb burger for meat lovers, ordering a variety of small plates is very satisfying.
Caviar and doughboys pays homage to the state’s deep-fried savory treat and the popularity of roe among young diners.
Forget lobster; the warmed butter and smoked scallop rolls are spiced up with jalapeño.
Desserts are inspired by Sukle’s baking passion and include takes on cake in a cup.
The wine list from sommelier Caliaro is called a “wine book,” and with good reason, considering the breadth of the choices. It includes a general key for educating novice drinkers and for ease of ordering for those who know what they like.
Be sure to try one of the refreshing cocktails, which change to keep pairings just right. Beverage director Rachel Stone keeps a Gift Horse Martini on the menu, but you don’t want to miss those themed to the sea, like the Shucker Punch Too and the Reef Keeper.
Did you know?
Gift Horse is the sister restaurant to Oberlin, which opened in 2016. Oberlin recently moved into a larger dining space adjacent to the Gift Horse. The two share kitchens and a pass-through. You can start your night with the raw bar and cocktails at Gift Horse and then move to Oberlin for one of their housemade pasta dishes or the whole fish of the day special. What a bonus, two winning restaurants at one site. Come spring, there will be more than 50 patio seats outside at Oberlin.
Details: 272 Westminster St., Providence, (401) 383-3813, gifthorsepvd.com