Best of Rhode Island 2008 Editors' Picks

Goodbye Renaissance, hello white leather. Hotel Providence's new owners have rolled out a new restaurant where the old L'Epicureo once served but with a whole different vibe. Modern chandeliers shimmer purple and pink and cabernet red covers the walls at Aspire, which hosts graduation parties but caters to lounge lizards who dig the contemporary menu (tuna with Thai basil) and deep liquor list. If you've outworn your welcome in the dining room (not likely), you can always kick back in the bar area, which offers cocktails, widescreen TVs and more goodies from the menu if you're still deliberating on whether to spend the night upstairs.