Rhode Island’s 10 Best Foodie Neighborhoods
It's a beautiful day in these neighborhoods, where food and drink are the major draws.
Clockwise from top left: Ben Chauvin of Slice and Company prepares pizza. Baked goods at Silver Spoon Bakery. The lunch crowd at Jigger’s Diner. Huck’s patio awaits summer. High-end consignment clothing at the French Bulldog. Huck’s Filling Station is the newest restaurant in town. Photography by Wolf Matthewson. Huck’s Filling Station (exterior) photograph courtesy of restaurant.
Main Street East Greenwich
Population: 2,646 (The Hill Neighborhood); 13,146 (East Greenwich) ◆ Food and Drink establishments: 35
I n 1677, after King Philip’s War, the Rhode Island General Assembly granted 5,000 acres on the banks of Greenwich Cove to forty-eight men, creating the town of East Greenwich. The town became a leading shipbuilding center and was once known as Scalloptown for its robust shellfishing trade. Main Street retains much of its Revolutionary-era charm and bustle and offers plenty of spots to relax and refuel, from white tablecloth Italian dining at the legendary La Masseria to vintage diner eats at Jigger’s. If you prefer your dinner with a side of performance, the hibachi chefs at Kon Asian Bistro are happy to comply, but if a slice and a soda are more your style, Frank and John from Italy and Filippou’s Twisted Pizza are both long-standing, family-run pizza institutions, while Slice and Company is a trendy newcomer. Sweet tooths can get an elegant sugar fix with Silver Spoon Bakery’s macarons, cupcakes and cake pops, or head to Clementine’s Homemade Ice Cream for scoops or cones for people of pooches (closes for the winter). When more virtue is required, Raw Bob’s Organic Juicery offers a plant-based menu including organic juices and smoothies. New to the street, Huck’s Filling Station, in a former gas station, opens early for weekend brunch and stays open late for dinner in the bar, where a highly curated cocktail menu matches the seasonally driven comestibles.
The Scoop:
Where to park: Aside from some on-street parking, the area boasts several free municipal parking lots, including one just a block off Main Street between King and Division Streets.
Shop: The White Elephant for cozy house decor, or jump a block off the main drag to the French Bulldog on Duke Street for high-end women’s clothes on consignment.
Cup of Coffee: The Nook Coffee House brews organic fair-trade coffee and tea and serves a seasonally rotating variety of kombucha on tap. This friendly-to-everyone enclave also serves doughnuts from Providence-based Knead and bagels and pastries from Providence Bagel.
Hidden gem: Back to Basics Natural Foods sells organic produce, baby care and supplements and features several local purveyors, including Pat’s Pastured meat and eggs, Lily’s Ladle bone broths and Barrett’s Garden vegan cheese. The store also offers free samples of ultra-premium extra virgin olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars on tap.
Grab a drink: Sample seventy-plus whiskeys at the Revival Craft Kitchen and Bar or stop by the Tavern on Main for a build your own bloody Mary and mimosa bar starting at 9 a.m. on weekends. —Jamie Samons
