If the statistic that most Rhode Islanders have never visited Block Island is true, logic follows that many have yet to experience the rugged charms of Galilee. The working fishing village on Point Judith is home to the ferry, the state’s largest fishing fleet, and some of the freshest seafood around served up at Jimmy’s Port Side. Owner Jim Petrella is the third generation at the helm, which turns 70 next year. “My wife and I run the kitchen and everything is made to order by us, from our stocks to sauces,” says Petrella of the gem which started as a summer chowder house in 1956. While the counter-service eatery is famous for clam cakes and chowder, the menu boasts elevated options like pasta with clam sauce, clams casino featuring RI cherrystones, and lobster rolls available both hot (sauteed in butter and sherry) and cold, and a creamy rich bisque that’s loaded with lobster. Open seasonally through early-November. 321 Great Island Road, Narragansett. JimmysPortSide.com –Elyse Major
Since opening her boutique Windie’s last December, Emma Sills has been lining shelves and filling tables with a design-forward mix of home goods, stationery, and shelf-stable provisions. Head to the back corner, and that’s where you’ll discover the display-top freezer filled with From Mom homemade empanadas. “These are the very same empanadas you’ve come to know and love at Chef Renee Touponce’s Oyster Club and The Port of Call, in Mystic, Connecticut, and are inspired by recipes from her own mother.” These are also the empanadas named to the New York Times’ list of “26 Best Dishes We Ate Across the US in 2024.” Touponce is a 2024 James Beard Award Finalist for Outstanding Chef, and a 2023 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef Northeast. Says Sills, “These empanadas are delicious, easy to serve, and filled with the kind of comfort that instantly reminds us of the people we love.” 80 High Street, Westerly. WindiesWesterly.com –Elyse Major
East Bay residents Vince and Janet Smith and their sons, Hunter, Zachary, and Jake Guerin, have opened Standards restaurant at the site of the former Chopmist Charlie’s. “Standards” is a double entendre – the menu features “standard” classics such as grilled pizza, wings, handhelds, as well as meat, veggie, and seafood mains. But it’s also a reference to the family’s effort to boost the quality of the dining experience. Jake, a Johnson & Wales culinary grad with stints at Newport’s Midtown Oyster Bar, at NYC’s iconic Scarpetta, and on luxury yachts, has crafted a menu free from seed oils, additives, and synthetic ingredients. There are vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan options, and the restaurant minimizes the use of plastic throughout. “It was always my hope to make more accessible to diners all I’ve learned about quality cuisine from all over the world,” Jake says. “The community has been super supportive about it!” 40 Narragansett Avenue, Jamestown.
StandardsJamestown.com –Ann Martini
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