This East Side bakery — where bagels are displayed on long wooden pegs behind the counter — began as a pop-up but moved to a brick-and-mortar storefront this summer, filling a bagel-sized hole in Providence’s food offerings. Bagels flavors range from pumpernickel to beet, and cream cheese offerings include kimchi and strawberry. Rebelle uses King Arthur flour and both hand rolls and cold ferments its bagels. Pro tip: Bagels often sell out before closing time, so get there early.

Good barbecue and the Brown University thoroughfare Thayer Street didn’t seem like the perfect match. But then Steve Durkee, owner of the Downcity cocktail bar the Eddy, teamed up with menu consultant Jake Rojas, chef and owner of Tallulah’s Taqueria, and Durk's Bar-B-Q was born. Order on paper and then get a plate of smoky brisket (served either sliced or chopped, fatty, or lean), pulled pork, or pork ribs. Meat sells by the half pound. On the side: mac and cheese, cornbread, coleslaw, or a “Dirty Durk,” a sausage and pulled pork sandwich. Wash it all down with one of the many American whiskeys on offer.

Den Den Fried Chicken opened right off of Thayer Street this spring to a lot of buzz. The buzz came in part because its sister restaurant is Den Den Café Asian, a beloved spot on Benefit Street, but also because Korean fried chicken — prepared with wings and drumsticks double-fried to achieve a very thin, crackly crust — can be addictively good. Den Den’s signature dish comes in two flavors — dark (soy-garlic) and red (spicy). Other menu options include ramen, Korean barbecue, katsu, spicy rice cakes, and sweet-and-sour dumplings. A plus: It’s open every day, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Smack next to Oberlin, the golden child of Providence’s current restaurant circuit, Kleos opened this summer to serve rustic yet stylish Greek food. Run by Lauren Lynch and Tom Bovis, the folks behind Rosalina, a three-year-old Italian restaurant also downtown, Kleos takes on both the burden and privilege of being one of the city’s only Greek restaurants — fitting, as Bovis is from Greece. The high-ceilinged space is filled with earth tones and the food is prepared with ample olive oil, lemon, and feta. The menu is classic, with mezze platters, gyros, moussaka, and Greek lasagna.

The East End, a new gastropub on bustling Wickenden Street, is the perfect place for whiskey lovers near Brown University. In addition to its 300 bottles of whiskeys, the East End offers frequent talks and organized whiskey tastings, like “The Finer Things,” in which participants sample rare tipples from East End’s collection, plus snacks, for $50. The bar inside has a speakeasy vibe, while outside there’s a lush seasonal patio. Both provide a solid venue to enjoy the charcuterie platter, cured in-house.

Right down the street from North, North Bakery, and Bucktown restaurants, this new American beer hall with high ceilings and shared tables is in good company over on the West Side. Owners Tom and Natalie Dennen were inspired by the communal feeling of Munich biergartens, and bring to that New England ingredients and brews. Order at the bar and pick up the food at the call of a buzzer, then sample the robust beer list along with a sourdough pretzel and mustard butter — or a Gastros hot dog in a pretzel bun — while sitting in the swinging chairs in the corner.

This small pasta spot on the West End is run by partners Adam Baffoni and Bethany Caliaro, both graduates of Johnson and Wales, the culinary school that has brought many talents to the city. Pastaio’s menu is contained and ever-changing, made up of small plates and entrees. Baffoni grew up on his family’s farm in Rhode Island, and brings that local earth-driven ethos to the table. Pastas — tagliatelle with chicken sausage, gnocchi alla romana, chicken liver agnolotti — are the stars. Other hits have included cured fluke and corn risotto topped with a soft-poached egg.