The restaurant industry in Rhode Island continues to excel. During mid-February, more national and international accolades came our state’s way with the AAA Four and Five Diamond awards. AAA awards its honors to restaurants in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. According to AAA, there are nearly 32,000 “inspected and approved” restaurants that are considered. Sixty-seven of them, or 0.2 percent, earn Five Diamond status. The local Five Diamond honoree, COAST at the Ocean House in the Watch Hill village of Westerly, is one of only three new award recipients this year, joining Atera in New York City and Oriole in Chicago.
This story is one of many that shows the continued viability and resiliency of the local restaurant community. There are other indicators that could be interpreted as signaling an upswing on several of the restaurant rows throughout the state.
The Newport Winter Festival, which just wrapped up on Feb. 24, hosted record crowds at its food and drink events, notably the signature Chili Cook-Off and Mac and Cheese Smackdown. With attendees tasting 10 creations by restaurants, caterers and the Newport Fire Department, this year’s first prize went to caterer Chili Masters from Framingham, Mass., for Best Chili, the second-place runner-up was the Newport Harbor Hotel’s restaurant Saltwater, and in third place, the host venue, Gurney’s Newport Resort & Marina.
[caption id="attachment_258487" align="aligncenter" width="696"]
SAY CHEESE: Eric LeBlanc, a culinary operations leader at the new Tavern in the Square in Garden City in Cranston, celebrates his restaurant’s second-place finish in the Newport Winter Festival’s Mac and Cheese Smackdown held on Feb. 23.
/ COURTESY NEWPORT WINTER FESTIVAL/BRITTANY ROSENBERG[/caption]
The current popularity of comfort food was reflected in the large field of competitors for the Mac and Cheese Smackdown. Fifteen entries packed the ballroom at Gurney’s, including the defending champ, Scratch Kitchen & Catering in Newport. Challengers consisted of eight Newport restaurants, plus others from both sides of the bay, as well as national purveyor Blount Fine Foods out of Fall River. First place went to MainSail at the Newport Marriott, Cranston’s Tavern in the Square came in second place, and Localz Kitchen & Cocktails in Portsmouth tied for third place with Antonio’s Pizza in Newport.
The crowds at the Winter Festival, and hopefully the related uptick in business they bring, are providing a much-needed shot in the arm on restaurant row in Newport, which still needs a helping hand as restaurants continue to recover from a weeklong natural gas outage in January that forced many to temporarily close.
One needs a scorecard to keep up with the changes on the East Greenwich Main Street restaurant row. No fewer than three eateries are just opening their doors or completing pre-opening renovations.
At 241 Main, the former Fat Belly’s space is now an eponymous sports bar owned by award-winning mixologist Jason Kindness and partners who are the proprietors of Kai Bar across the street. The menu at 241 Main is described as “upscale pub food.”
A few doors up, a sign heralds a West Bay version of the Revival brewpub taking over where the brief tenure of Rocco’s RB ended abruptly. The Revival team is fresh from its successes in Warren and its Brutopia concept in Cranston.
Continuing north on Main, the Grille on Main is undergoing a facelift. Its new name will be Tavern on Main and a spring opening is planned.
Bruce Newbury’s Dining Out radio talk show is heard Saturdays at 11 a.m. on 1540 AM WADK, through various mobile applications and via smart speaker. Email Bruce at Bruce@brucenewbury.com.
