Deciding Rhode Island's most iconic dish can be a daunting task.
In 2020, the Democratic National Convention caught some flack from outspoken Rhode Islanders for showcasing calamari as the state's best dish instead of the quintessentially Rhode Island stuffed clam or stuffie.
However, through a survey by Talker Research, Food and Wine Magazine said that they've found Rhode Island's most iconic foods without much fuss, along with the most recognizable foods for each state of the U.S. And it wasn't calamari for Rhode Island.
"More than 5,000 online respondents participated in the survey, and Talker Research confirms that responses were split evenly by state to help produce unbiased results," Food and Wine said.
Here's what Food and Wine and Talker said about Rhode Island's most notable plates.
What are Rhode Island's most iconic foods?
Rhode Island's most iconic foods are seafood, clam cakes, and chowder, according to the Talker Research survey.
While it might be a bit of a cop-out to just say "seafood" as one of Rhode Island's most famous foods, it's not inaccurate.
Many of the Ocean State's most delicious selections do fall under the broad purview of seafood: the stuffie, Rhode Island-style calamari, Rhode Island Littlenecks or quahogs, and oysters (fresh and fried).
On top of that, Rhode Island's Italian community adds to that list with various seafood pastas like linguine with clam sauce, shrimp scampi, and Pasta Nautika (for those who remember it).
Regarding the survey's pick of clam cakes and chowder, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more nostalgic bite or spoonful than either of those, aside from a fork piled high with clam and breading from a stuffie.
As for where you can get the best clam cakes in Rhode Island, the Providence Journal asked readers to vote on which clam shack is the best in the state, and Roy Boy's Clam Shack at 6710 Post Road in North Kingstown beat out Champlin’s Seafood Deck in the final round back in 2025.