South County eateries upbeat about summer

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Restaurateurs in South County report business is good so far this summer, appearing to fly in the face of media reports of a growing unease about the economy.

The South County Tourism Council did its part, distributing 75,000 brochures both in the state and nationwide earlier this year, following up on a local television campaign last year. According to council president Myrna George, those steps are paying dividends.

Last August, the “Today” show favorably compared South County with the Hamptons. And armed with a survey from last summer that showed families were coming from as far as 500 miles, George says the region could use another full-service hotel.

And the travelers have hearty appetites. The Nordic Lodge in Charlestown, with its all-you-can-eat lobster buffet, fields numerous inquiries for hotel rooms in the area. Manager Nancy Log says, “Those people looking for rooms are probably our guests!”

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She says business this month has been good, at about the same level as a year ago, with the majority of diners driving from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Lodge also attracts bus tours from as far away as Pennsylvania and Maryland.

At the famed George’s of Galilee seafood restaurant, General Manager Dave Jannelle has concerns about the economy and the price of gas. But he is also concerned about the effect that TV meteorologists can have on his business.

People “will be more cautious this year about the number of times they jump in the car and head for South County unless they are guaranteed to have a good time,” Jannelle said.

But he expects the summer to go well. “In shaky times, instead of Mount Washington or Washington, D.C., people will spend their few vacation days making day trips.”

He knows this because he sees the license plates in his parking lot. But he is not content to let outside factors dictate the success of his venture.

Over time, the menu at George’s has evolved from typical clam shack to sophisticated seafood.

“We are using local purveyors more and more often. Our oysters are from [nearby] Potter’s Pond, aqua-farmed, harvested and delivered by the same person. We hired an accomplished sushi chef last year, and our full sushi bar attracts a younger clientele,” he said.

Bryan Stovall, general manager of the Lighthouse Inn, credits the weather with the year-over-year improvement in the inn’s business. The hotel and its new restaurant, Elliot’s, operated by the proprietors of local mainstay Turtle Soup is directly across from the Block Island ferry landing. It draws guests from New York and Connecticut, with an increasing number of Rhode Islanders checking in.

The tables are filled at Liliana’s at the Holiday Inn in South Kingstown. The Italian restaurant opened its doors in January and is already a “must-dine” for locals. The Proccacianti Group hired restaurateur Dino Passaretta to refurbish the hotel’s restaurant after acquiring it last year. “I’ve been told to expect big things this summer,” Passaretta. “We’re already filled with a one-and-a-half hour wait on Friday and Saturday nights.”

Passaretta thinks people just want to get away, and though he doesn’t think the record gas prices will affect beach traffic this summer, he believes folks will take car trips closer to home.

Liliana’s local customers apparently share his viewpoint and sum up the way many of us feel who might be planning to be backyard tourists this season, telling him, “Don’t forget us!”

Dining Out with Bruce Newbury can be heard on Talk Radio 920 WHJJ-AM Fridays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at noon.

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