Things haven’t changed a whole lot in Federal Hill over the past century, which is what makes Providence’s traditionally Italian enclave so fascinating to visit. Family establishments devoted to producing hand-made ravioli and baking crisp loaves of bread in brick ovens have been in continuous operation for decades.
Unlocking the secrets of Federal Hill is Cynthia Salvado, whose Savoring Federal Hill walking tours provide a tasty, insider’s journey through the neighborhood where some 54,000 Italian immigrants settled during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
"Rhode Island has the largest per capita Italian population of any state—they didn’t come through Boston or New York, they came directly through the port of Providence," Salvado says. "Most are from the west coast of Italy, from Naples down through Sicily, so the food reflects those regions."
It is food that Salvado, a pastry chef and former instructor at Johnson & Wales University’s College of Culinary Arts, focuses on during her tours, which accommodate up to 18 people and typically take two to three hours to complete.
"We eat all along the way, at every stop we make, while also learning about the history and going behind the scenes," she says. "My tour is a great team-building experience. It’s a kind of eating and cooking class on foot."
The tours start by the three-tiered fountain at DePasquale Plaza, a European-style courtyard brimming with flower boxes and lined with restaurants with outdoor seating, before progressing on to such stops as the Scialo Brothers Bakery, opened by the current owner’s father in 1916. Participants can try their hand at baking bread in the century-old brick ovens and then sample some of the bakery’s Italian cookies, pastries and other treats.
Another tour highlight is Venda Ravioli, a gourmet food market and restaurant, where groups can head to the kitchen to watch ravioli being expertly crafted by five Italian women using their own family recipes. At night, small groups can buy out Venda for private dinners.
At Zooma Trattoria, there is the chance to sample the restaurant’s specialty: pan-fried calamari.
"It’s not frozen and deep-fried like you find at many places, but fresh and sauteed with white balsamic vinegar and cherry tomatoes," Salvado says. "Plus the restaurant has a really fabulous room for private dining."
Often the final stop on the tours is Gasbarro’s Wines, a wine shop that was established in 1898 and offers over 1,800 wines to choose from, half of them from Italy. Fourth-generation owner Mark Gasbarro shares his expertise in wine and food pairing and conducts a wine tasting. Gasbarro’s is also a venue for customized wine tasting events and wine seminars.
