I don't know those areas at all but I travel extensively and use yelp.com... over the past few years it has never let me down. I use it mainly for restaurants, hotels and spa services (therapeutic massages) but it is useful for finding and evaluating just about anything.

For restaurants, when I want to find great local stuff I apply two filters: highest rated and lowest cost (one- $ sign) and find very local/mom & pop places.

Have fun and welcome to New England area.

If you like art, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford is well worth a look.  It's a stately "medium-sized museum" that has plenty of good European and American paintings.  

In Providence, the Federal Hill neighborhood has a good variety of places to eat (as well as a very popular AMP tucked away on a side street).  The Rhode Island School of Design Museum also has an excellent collection of art to see.

Hey Serah!

Check out the Federal Hill area of Providence for amazing Italian restaurants (www.providencefederalhill.com).

One place that isn't listed on that site that I love for relatively inexpensive grilled/flatbread pizza is Bob and Timmy's at 32 Spruce Street.

Hope this helps!

S-

Lots of little hidden great restaurants.
A few excellent ethnic restaurants... off the top of my head, if you like Portuguese or Italian, Some exellent ones. Shout out if you have a car. Many of our touring gals into our town stay near the airport, so if don't have a ride, not sure what is very good up there. Perhaps someone else here can advise you on places north of Hartford. Most of our good restaurants are in Hartford itself.. a few in neighboring towns, like West Hartford. I live near both, so maybe I'm biased.
Somebody hear mentioned one of our great art museums. Great place for an hour or two if you are into that.
Our two large Connecticut casinos is a 45 minute drive from downtown Hartford.  55 if you are going to be up by the airport. Masters of Illusion are at one of them on Jan 21 and 22 if you have that much time inbetween appointments. Lots of kewl shops down there too. I just got back from Mohegan Sun after a fun weekend there with another hobbyist and two providers. It was an hysterically awesome time. Drinks, Dinner, a Reba McIntyre concert, more drinks, etc, etc. lol. You get the point ... our casinos are huge in this state and an awesome to par-tay!

Good luck when you get here. I jotted your dates down and will look to see if we can't meet when you are here. If not, I'll look for your name for another time this year should you land up again in The Nutmeg State

Ok, I can't get one of these more then acouple times a year because they probably are WAY too many calories -maybe if you shared one with a friend.....BUT there is an old burger joint in Warwick called Ozzies, Build Your Own Burger, on the Post Road, that makes the best burger with excellent meat.....

and I do like my MEAT - pun intended.

Oh yes and there is the Roger Williams Park ZOO, too. A good place to take a walk and get some fresh air.

Providence - Union Station Brewery; , Bravo Brasserie, Venda Ravioli,Trinity Brewhouse, ProvidenceKdos Jewelry (north providence), the Mall, the Performing Arts Center & Trinity Reporitory Company. Comedy Connection Rhode Island.......

Have Fun!

-- Modified on 1/16/2012 11:05:18 AM

If you're coming to New England then it looks like I'm taking a road trip!!

Do ME Eat Me!!!