Al Forno

Al Forno Review

When it opened in 1980, Al Forno, which means "from the oven" in Italian, put Providence on the national dining map, and it continues to garner ebullient praise from critics and patrons. The oven produces a number of stellar dishes, among them thin-crust pizzas, roasted duck with prune-stuffed gnocchi, spicy roasted clams, and bacon-wrapped wild boar loin. Also consider the extraordinary pastas, such as house-made cavatelli with prosciutto and butternut squash. For dessert, look to the pear-and-walnut tart.