Gravitating to the same spots for lunch or dinner over and over. We've all been there - in a restaurant rut - at one point or another. You thought things were going so well and then, suddenly, your life seems like a real snooze fest. Yawnsville if you will. But there is hope. (Always!) So, turn off that foodie autopilot you've been cruising on and tune in (or scroll down) to these local eateries from around the Ocean State that these savvy contributors to the blog have gushed about. Are you already in the know about them? Or are you missing out? Find out here and now:

1. "We like to have dinner at Quito's, a tiny little place, known for its delicious seafood, and sometimes we'll sit and have a cocktail at Thames Waterside and watch the sailboats, always topping it all off with ice cream from Gray's. There are lots of cute shops to pop in to or meander about while eating your ice cream." (Jenny Dionne DiMuccci, talking about Bristol)

2. "I like River Falls in Woonsocket. It's a hidden gem - Restaurant by day, city side bar at night. The best part is sitting by the water for some drinks and seafood." (Shanna Molina, on one of her Rhody favs)

3. "They have the best Pad Thai. I order it with shrimp...I love this place! Small, intimate, and family owned. Lovely people. Great food. BYOB." (Mary Colburn, talking about Thai Orchid in Cranston)

4. "All the ingredients are locally sourced and the food is amazing...Insider Tip: Order the Celestial Cosm and the Citrus Pesto Calamari and make sure to get some bread to mop up the extra pesto sauce." (Amy Levesque Fields, talking about The Celestial Cafe in Exeter)

5. "The best gyro outside of Greece. The second best part is they are BYOB. Order yourself an appetizer sampler to start and you will not be sorry. I usually order the gyro/falafel combo because...why not? It's delicious." (Giana Rosa Giarrusso, on Markos in Narragansett)

*For more like this, be on the lookout for My RI Life posts here on PattyJ.com, a series we kicked off in April 2015 to introduce you to fascinating local peeps and their favorite places & things in Rhode Island and beyond.