CBS's David Begnaud came to Providence in search of a story. Here's what he found

PROVIDENCE – Here's the gimmick: CBS Mornings, a new show, dispatches its lead national correspondent, David Begnaud, with a plane ticket and 48 hours to find a story.

And his first ticket, on Sept. 19, was to none other than Providence.

With the clock ticking, this is what Begnaud, and his camera crew found, in their whirlwind trip through the city.

Where did David Begnaud dine when he visited Providence?

In the segment, Begnaud, who described himself as a picky eater, had three meals that he seemed to like well enough.

His first stop was to the iconic Olneyville New York System Wiener, where he ordered three all the way and was clearly a little skeptical. His review, after taking a bite, was "there's a lot of flavors in there."

Following the path of other high-profile people who have had the chance to eat in Providence, he went to Federal Hill for some Italian food. He browsed Venda Ravioli, where he enjoyed some meatballs.

More: 'Best Italian food I think I've ever had': Jeopardy host Mayim Bialik visits Federal Hill

He was also lucky enough to get one meal that wasn't from a local restaurant, but home-cooked by a chef many people had recommended to him on X: Omi Hopper, a social media sensation @cookingconomi. Hopper, who was on the second season of Next Level Chef, whipped him up some tostones and ceviche.

What touristy thing did David Begnaud do when he visited Providence?

To start off his adventure in the Creative Capital, Begnaud's team steered him to one of the city's quirkier attractions: the gondolas.

"Who knew you could take a gondola ride in Providence?" he quipped.

The serenading, he added, was beautiful

Who was the focus of David Begnaud's story when he visited Providence?

It's not all sightseeing and eating. Begnaud's mission was to find a story, and a chance encounter led him to one.

When helping a woman who was having a hard time walking to her car, Begnaud met 25-year-old Mitchel Thomspon, a certified watchmaker who works on high-end watches at Providence Diamond.

And there was Begnaud's story.

"I don't think I've ever met a watchmaker before," he said to the camera immediately after the introduction.

As it turns out, they used to be more common. Begnaud reported there used to be about 30,000 watchmakers in the United States, and now there are just 2,000. The segment doesn't mention Providence's history as a jewelry capital, but with Begnaud brimming with curiosity about watches, the two instead come to a story about it means to connect.

"Things have a way of finding their place," Thompson said. "It never hurts to ask 'Hi, what's your name?' because you never know where it leads."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Where CBS's David Begnaud went when he came to Providence