Jahunger is a Uyghur restaurant with white walls contrasting its brightly-colored fare: affordable plates of handmade ding ding noodles with diced rainbow peppers, and stir-fried string beans seasoned with mildly spicy dry chilis. Chef-owner Subat Dilmurat, was named a James Beard semifinalist for the Best Chef: Northeast award earlier this year.

Enter Pizza Marvin, which might be home to the best pizza in New England outside of New Haven. It’s still pretty new (having opened in 2020), but owners Robert Andreozzi and Jesse Hedberg are already giving Sally’s, Pepe’s and Modern a run for their money. The menu is simple and straightforward, but the pizza delivers. Save room for the single-greatest pepperoni pie you’ll ever try.

As its name hints, the recently reopened Small Format does a lot — but not too much — in one of the smaller cafe spaces on this street. The staff is welcoming and the menu inclusive, with solid vegan and gluten-free options, from the Little Baddie — vegan sausage, black bean hummus, tomato, jalapeño and greens on a bagel, to the Rainbow Fish Bowl — jasmine rice, smoked salmon, picked veggies, avocado and herbed crema.

The first things I think about when I think about this great pub are familiarity, good people, a good time, a safe place to rest this old chunk of coal while I have a drink. And if you see me there, I hope you’ll pull up a chair — use two hands — and join me for a round. — Brian Amaral

With a storefront so unassuming you might miss it, Amy’s Place is the quintessential neighborhood breakfast spot. The interior of the teeny cafe is bright and sunny with just five tables, plus counter stools around the edge with great people-watching views from big windows. The vision is great food “made from scratch, but simple,” fresh smoothies and local ingredients including coffee sourced from Pawtucket’s Downeast Coffee Roasters.

The East End in Providence has a lot of the elements you’d want in a neighborhood bar that specializes in whiskey: Moody lighting, leather chairs, dark wood, and sets of deep blue velvet curtains tied off by golden ropes. Outside of alcohol, The East End’s menu has broad appeal: massive cheese boards with house-made bread, pickles, and jams; delicious burgers and other hand-helds; and small-bites like shishito peppers, bone marrow toast, calamari, poutine, and disco fries.

Perched at the base of the hill is Coffee Exchange, a four-decade old staple of the street. The bistro tables scattered around the tan and brown painted building, which was initially constructed in 1889, are usually filled with long-time locals and store owners chatting about the latest developments and political gossip.

The portions are plenty generous, but not over the top. The dining room of 1950s-style formica tables isn’t large and is often packed, and makes for good people watching. The ample menu is worth your focus: if you’re ready to order when they weave their way through the tables to yours, you’ll soon have your breakfast. But don’t forget to look up, or you’ll miss the posted specials chalked on the little blackboards.

For a more classic New York-style slice, stop by Fellini Pizzeria near the bottom of Wickenden, where the slices are huge but you can somehow still scarf down two (or three!) because of the perfectly-thin crust. While there are 20 pizzas on the menu, you’ll often find an unlisted variety on offer as chefs mix up new combinations of the 40 toppings available. Crowd favorites include the steak and scallion, and the barbecue chicken, but I’m partial to the white pizza.