Providence Italian Restaurant Named One Of America's Best

PROVIDENCE, RI — Tucked away on South Water Street sits one of the country's best Italian restaurants. The Daily Mail named Al Forno restaurant in its ranking of the country's top 50 Italian restaurants, naming it number 30.

Al Forno was opened in 1980 by George Germon and Johanne Killeen, husband and wife chefs who were awarded the Insegna del Ristorante Italiano from the Italian government, an honor rarely bestowed in the United States. The pair is credited with coming up with the concept of the grilled pizza.

"They aim the culinary spotlight on Rhode Island's defining vegetables — corn, squash, beans, and tomatoes — prepared simply, with the authentic Italian panache one would expect of multiple James Beard honorees," the Daily Mail said of the restaurant's chefs. "Sadly, George passed away in 2015, but his flagship invention, grilled pizza, is still influencing chefs around the world, and Al Forno still serves the definitive version."

Al Forno's full menu is available on their website. The restaurant, located at 577 South Water Street, is open evenings, Tuesday through Saturday.

The No. 1 Italian restaurant in America in Del Posto in New York, the website said. Read the full list at The Daily Meal.