At what point do you take a look at your new friend (the one you met in class just a couple of weeks ago) and say: “Want to grab a meal?” 

At what point do you both move past the occasional lunch at Andrews or dinner at the Ivy Room to something deeper? Even beyond that once-occuring, late-night run to Jo’s after finishing a p-set? 

Is this a romantic connection? Perhaps purely platonic? Questions like these can only be answered through trial and error. It takes practice to casually meander to the right restaurants—ordering, eating, and sharing with the enticing possibility of concluding the night with a kiss on the cheek or a half-wave goodbye—knowing that the friendship may never make it past a meal off college hill.

It might be a friendship. It might be something more. Whatever the nature of your relationship, I've got a restaurant for you. Both on College Hill and below, Providence has varying cuisines to explore. Hopefully, you’re not a picky eater at the ripe age of adulthood, and if you are, it's sexy to try new foods. 

Tallulah’s Taqueria 

Tallulah’s is not too far from the heart of campus—further than the scattered options of Thayer, but enough distance for a warm-up walk-with-conversation. You can begin to delve (briefly) into personal topics, but you won’t have enough time to run out of things to say before arriving at the restaurant.

With both indoor and outdoor seating, the lighting at Tallulah’s makes for a picturesque dinner that could be in a suburban backyard. The menu offers a wide variety of options, and the tacos are shareable. The meat, seafood, and vegetable selections encompass diverse taste palates, and the prices are reasonable. During the initial dinner, it’s important to understand how far you’re willing to go to test the friendship. So, if the bill can’t be split, that split-second moment of deciding who will pay for the meal and who will maybe, most likely, Venmo the other half won’t be too heart-wrenching. 

Tizzy K’s Cereal Ice Cream 

Meandering down the river, you’ll spot a cute little repurposed shipping container labeled Tizzy K’s. Placed right across from Plant City, there are several benches to the right to sit and talk. But, if the conversation runs dry, you’ll have the opportunity to grab your ice cream to-go and be back on campus within ten minutes. 

More importantly, the ice cream flavors themselves will generate great conversation. Imagine the allure of sweet, buttery cream heavily entangled with tantalizing flavors of cinnamon toast crunch and fruity pebbles. With reasonably large portions, if the chemistry is still there, the benches provide a wonderfully intimate, yet friendly atmosphere for prolonged conversations. Later, perhaps during a walk along the bridge, the sight of PVDonuts and Trader Joe’s on the way home will allow for another trip to be planned naturally. 

Same time next week?

And yet, the exciting recommendations are here! The following spots are for chemistry that could be deniable, but also too tempting to not explore. Some factors to consider: atmosphere, shareability of the food, the bill…Should the price of the meal be reasonable enough to split or be covered by one party? Hopefully, my recommendations will be enough to keep the fire kindled. 

Champa Thai + Lao

This is a trusted restaurant. Take my word when I say more than one of my friends has this restaurant marked as a must-go first date atmosphere on Beli, a food rating app. It’s not only known for its intimate seating and setting but also the very agreeable and shareable portion sizes. Just a five minute walk from the south side of campus, it’s marked by the frenzy of students coming in, transforming into regulars. Wouldn’t this be a memorable spot to come back to?

There are so many options on the menu: mango curry, seafood tom-yum, drunken noodles, basil fried rice, and plenty more. The mango sticky rice, presented with a lime-like tint of green, is a show-stopper. The cushions themselves push you closer, the red-cracked seats caving in at any sudden movement. 

When the food comes out, steaming hot to the touch, no conversation is needed to enjoy each other’s company. The change in expression at the exceptional spices and intricate flavors speaks volumes itself; the company is simply another pairing of this restaurant. 

Pizza Marvin’s Soft-Serve

Oh, this soft serve is a must-have. The unique flavors rotate every month, so if you happen to catch feelings for more than one person, trust that the ice cream will bring excitement every time. Given to you in an adorable cup, the flavors range from concord grape x grape nut to corn x peach. Upon entering the restaurant on the corner of Wickenden, you’re taken back in time to an old but tasteful diner. In the corner of the menu on the wall, the soft serve of the month is offered. 

While you’re both rating the potentiality and likeability of the sweet, savory, and tart flavors, it’s exciting to learn and push past the known boundaries of conversation. Feelings can’t help but come in rushes with each bite. Before you know it, the ice cream is gone. 

Quick, make a move. 

Whatever the occasion, whoever the person, whether or not romance is present, there’s a spot for every occasion. Some restaurants are made for when you begin holding hands (Den-Den), your first kiss (Brickway on Wickenden), making it official (Mokban), and maybe even dating for months and months (Palo). Things will all be okay. Come back to this article. Let the recommendations come to you. Give love freely, and find words of wisdom through cuisine.