Vacation Info Rhode Island, Please!

Can anyone share where/if we can get kosher food, decent hotel, great attractions in Rhode Island.

Any info is appreciated!

I found a hotel on Priceline, Renaissance hotel for $59 a night instead of $220! This looks like a beautiful hotel. I hope it is!

Newport:
there isn't anything in newport (aside from stuff you can find in a regular stop & shop grocery store with hechsherim! which isn't so bad if you eat normal lenders bagels and stuff, without pas yisroel and cholov yisroel concerns)

I know that sometimes, especially high tourist season, the kosher caterer from providence might send meals to certain hotels/guests in newport - you can send him an email asking if that's something he does (it might be expensive if it's just for you guys, but if he has a set delivery already it might be okay)

http://divineprovidencecatering.com/ and Chef Daren's email is on there.

otherwise you might want to bring your own stuff from NY.

Divine Providence is under the Vaad of RI. The Rav HaMachshir of the RI vaad is Rabbi Goldberg from the Vaad of Flatbush

providence has a "kosher butcher/deli" but we actually can't eat anything fresh/not packaged, as his store is open on shabbos. he does have packaged stuff from Meal Mart, etc. and some frozen items, so if you wanted to come to providence first and pick up hot dogs or whatever (He DOES carry (via weekly delivery) packaged chicken/etc. and groceries like yogurt, milk, cheese, frozen pizza, green's and beigel's bakery items, etc. but things are often out of stock. Anything packaged with a hechsher is okay All frozen items are stored in the basement so you have to go in and ask "do you have...?") its actually probably just easier to bring that stuff from NY in a cooler!

I believe Touro Synagogue has a minyan in the summer, otherwise the closest minyanim are in Providence (VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING) I can get details if izzo needs - heres Touro's take on frum visitors:
http://www.tourosynagogue.org/index.php/cong-jeshuat-israel/observant-visiting

Providence has a yeshiva and shuls with daily minyanim.

Providence has a mikva it's located behind the JCC by appointment (401) 621-9119�
There's a cleaner mikva in Sharon, MA (about 25 min north of providence) also by appointment 781-784-7444�
(Another is in Brighton (Boston/Brookline) if you got that far up north...)

There is a kosher bed and breakfast in Newport but I do not know about the kashrus status, I believe it is under Rabbi Eskovitz the rabbi of Touro Synagogue. Sharon, MA has a B&B I believe it is under the KVH (I think Tova's Catering)

Stop & Shop is the local grocery chain and there is one in Newport and Providence with a small selection of jewish-brand products. Note: the bakery may say kosher under the KVH - Members of the yeshiva community in Providence will not eat at restaurants under the KVH (aka "Rabbinical Council of Massachusetts") - even though like stop & shop bakery in cities like Monsey is under KVH and frum people will pruchase items there, there is an actual mashgiach present at that store... but the stores here are not acceptable. (the KVH is undergoing a lot of changes and some items/restaurants in boston are acceptable as of the last few weeks. check with your rav)

Boston is about an hour (plus traffic) north of Providence and has a few kosher places. Members of the yeshiva community in Providence will not eat at restaurants under the KVH but we will eat the ones under Rabbi Hamaoui. Those restaurants are Taam China (chinese, a second location in Newton, MA Taam China II http://www.taamchina.com/ ), Cafe Eilat (pizza) and Jerusalem Pita (schwarma I think) - contact info for all are here: http://www.kashrut.com/travel/Boston/

I believe Kupels bagels in Boston is now acceptable to eat at (even under KVH supervision)

Hope this helps.

The providence community is very warm and welcoming and love having guests, especially in the summer when tourists show up Smile

you can find hosts on shabbat.com or check out the community listserv http://tinyurl.com/jprov ....