Ready to Savor East Greenwich? Restaurant Week Starts Friday

East Greenwich is a haven for food lovers with oodles of restaurants offering everything from local oysters to Asian-fusion.

Now, it’s time to “Savor East Greenwich.”

Starting Friday, the town’s food scene is on full display for East Greenwich’s fourth-annual Restaurant Week.

From Sept. 18 to 27, more than 30 local restaurants will be offering special deals and dishes to coincide with the popular showcase of the town’s dining options. East Greenwich’s bustling restaurant economy has steadily been growing for more than a decade and the town now sits squarely on the map of Rhode Island’s best towns for eating out.

Yet there are countless Rhode Islanders who haven’t been down Main Street or popped down to the cove in some time. And there are locals who haven’t yet tried some of the newer places that have opened up over the past year. So restaurant owners and the folks at the East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce hope people from across Rhode Island come to town with empty stomachs.

The entire town is looking forward to our 4th Annual Restaurant Week. Last year’s edition of EG Restaurant Week was our biggest yet in terms of public awareness and interest, restaurant participation, and diners at our restaurants,” said Stephen M. Lombardi, executive director of the local chamber. “We feel that East Greenwich is a dining destination and is a big part of what makes our town so special. Our restaurants and all of our merchants look forward to welcoming visitors from all over the region.”

East Greenwich has its share of chain restaurants, but they’re actually outnumbered by family and locally-owned establishments. A bonus to promoting the town’s popular spots with the restaurant week is how the money spent ends up sticking around.

““For locally owned restaurants, 69 cents of every dollar stays in the local economy, versus 30 cents for a national chain. We encourage people to shop, buy and dine local because it is great for the local economy,” Lombardi said.

The big kickoff is on Thursday night at the East Greenwich Yacht Club where nearly a dozen participating restaurants will be offering food samples. In the lovely setting of Greenwich Cove, there will be live entertainment and a cash bar. Tickets are $25 and some proceeds will benefit the East Greenwich Animal Protection League and Supporting Our Servicemen Rhode Island.

Tickets can be purchased at the East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce website, by calling 401-884-0020 or in person at 580 Main St. East Greenwich.

Some of the participating restaurants include:

• B.Pinelli’s
• Besos
• Bistro 9
• Chianti’s
• Crosby’s Café
• Dante’s Kitchen
• DiMare Restaurant
• Eleven Forty Nine
• End Zone Pub & Grille
• Finn’s Harborside
• Fitzy’s Pub
• Frank & John
• Fresco
• Greenwich Bay Gourmet
• Greenwich Bay Oyster Bar
• Jiggers
• Kon
• La Masseria
• Main Street Coffee
• Meritage
• Norman’s Pub
• Papa Franco
• Providence Coal Fired Pizza
• Raise the Bar Nutrition
• Raku Sakura
• RASA
• Red Stripe,
• Richard’s Pub
• Ritrovo
• Siena Silver Spoon Bakery
• T’s Restaurant
• The Grille on Main
• The Trap
• Tio Mateos
• Twisted Pizza