Tradizione ed Innovazione.......tradition and innovation

Potenza Ristorante was established in 1985 in the quaint town of East Greenwich Rhode Island under the name of Walters. As a young chef I made a commitment to authentic representation of Italian Regional cooking and hospitality.

I began searching for fresh sustainable and local ingredients when the terms were not as fashionable as today, and believed then as I do today that "Quality has no compromise" essentially the old adage still rules that " Good food is not cheap and cheap food is not good". Back then, fresh of energy and pride I wanted to share the flavors and the respect for ingredients that was instilled in me since I was a child in Abruzzo Italy.

From my nonno Michele Seconi teaching me to clean fava beans in June to my beloved mother's image of standing next to her tiny kitchen making screppelle for the Easter Timballo. The opportunity to be able to combine them with the philosophy of Italian gastronomy has been the most pleasurable aspect of the restaurant's life.

Potenza ristorante has shared that message and continues to provide delectable and authentic experiences of my mother land to our friends who join us regularly in search of lost memory tastes or a discovery of new ones.

Our dining rooms have a comfortable indoor capacity of 60, with additional seating of 50 in private second floor, and al fresco terrace of 100. Our valet is complementary. Our large and curved granite bar is both elegant and comfortable, and the smiles of your hosts make the visit here a special one.

Our location has historic value as it was the home of the first pasta company in New England..called appropriately " The New England Macaroni Company". established in 1927. The company made headlines in 1931 Depression era for lowering the price of pasta to 5 cents a pound from 8 cents of competition. Since 1995 our focus has been the nutrition aspect of the restaurants. We became knowledgeable on Celiac, Diabetes, allergens-free and dairy free cooking.

Our menus are balanced and healthy with an incredible array of vegetables, legumes, grains and un-refined flours. We are affiliated with many National and International Chefs and Hospitality Associations such as the James Beard Foundation, The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, Iacp, Eurotoques, Associazione Professionale Cuochi Italiani, Ciao Italia, Research Chefs of America, American Culinary Federation and many more who contribute through exchanges of experiences and knowledge in our everyday pursuit of cooking a little better than we did yesterday. We often succeed.

Walter Potenza

Wine selections Regional Italian / International

Local sustainable / natural / organic / Celiac / allergen-free

All major credit cards and Euro