New Rivers was founded in the spring of 1990 by Bruce and his late wife Pat Tillinghast in the original 1793 warehouse built for iron merchants Congdon and Carpenter. Named after the river rerouting project that jumpstarted Providence’s renaissance, New Rivers has been and continues to be a forerunner in locally sourced and thoughtfully prepared food as well as its much lauded friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive service. Bruce, a Rhody native, studied graphic design at RISD, worked as a waiter captain in Tahoe, and taught art in the Providence public schools before enrolling with Pat, at Madeleine Kamman’s famed Newton, MA culinary program. It was there that Bruce and Pat learned the essentials to opening and running a successful restaurant, honed their cooking skills, and developed their palettes.
