CHOP Serves Great Food and Something More in Providence, R.I.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – CHOP looks like a restaurant. The welcoming aromas confirm it. But the people in the kitchen aren't just cooking – they're training for future careers.

Inside the Providence Public Library building, but with its own entrance, CHOP, an acronym for Culinary Hub of Providence, operates as a workforce-development restaurant. It's run by Genesis Center, a nonprofit supporting immigrants, refugees and low-income families. CHOP is part of the organization’s culinary training program, which has operated for over three decades. At the restaurant/cafe, students receive hands-on training that deepens their culinary skills and prepares them for jobs in the hospitality industry.

But the mission only works if the food delivers. I was there for breakfast, and the patatas bravas did not disappoint. My crispy potatoes topped with a spiced tomato sauce were paired with a sunny-side-up egg, avocado-lime crema and cotija cheese. It was hot and as delicious as it sounds. Depending on the day, CHOP serves breakfast through dinner, plus midday snacks and drinks. You'll find cafe staples alongside dishes incorporating global flavors.

The space itself is charming. Mismatched tables and chairs, exposed brick, and stacked books that nod to the library setting create an industrial but welcoming aesthetic, complementing the meaningful work happening in the kitchen.

CHOP shows that the best culinary workforce development program looks like a restaurant you’d choose regardless of the cause. If you’re in Rhode Island, put it on your radar: culinaryhubpvd.com.