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Tuesday-Friday 4-6 PM
¤ Specialty Dining Experiences ¤
In addition to our regular menu' offerings we encourage our guests to consider our Specialty Culinary Experiences. Offered for two or more guests with 48 hours notice. These menus are a collection of well researched and historically accurate recipes, executed by Master Chef Walter Potenza and staff.
Topics
• The Sephardic Italian-Jewish Experience
• Historical Renaissance Dinner Experience
• Chef Series Tasting menu' Experience
• Abruzzo Region Cooking Experience
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Qualita' in tutto cio' che tocchiamo!
dal 1985
Potenza Ristorante was established in 1985 in the lovely town of East Greenwich Rhode Island under the name of Walters. As a young chef i made a commitment to authentically represent the 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' Elda who's image of standing next to her tiny kitchen making screppelle for the Easter Timballo will be forever embedded in my mind. The opportunity to be able to combine those memories with the philosophy of Italian Gastronomy has been the most pleasurable aspect of the my restaurant's life.
Potenza Ristorante has shared those messages 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 and the complete wellness of our patrons. We deeply research the philosophy of Celiac, Diabete, allergens-free and dairy free cooking.
Our menus are balanced and healthy with an incredible array of vegetables, legumes, grains and un-refined alternative flour, (Ingredients list below)
We offer a variety of menu to choose from as well as our 48 hours specials. titled "Chef's Series Dinners". In these gourmet experiences you will discover authentic Regional Italian cooking, Sephardic Italian - Jewish Cooking, Historical theme dinners and of course the cooking of my native Abruzzo.
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 entities, 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
Ingredients in our operations
Committed to boosting Rhode Island Food & Health Safety
● We understand how important great-tasting food is to you and your family, and before we bring any products into our establishments we carefully evaluate them in order to
We feature minimally processed foods that are made naturally-without artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or hydrogenated fats. Organic fruits and vegetables grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides or commercial fertilizers. (Selection varies according to availability)
Brands and Companies – Available upon request.
Conventional fruits and vegetables from reputable produce company, (Selection varies according to availability)
● We feature a variety of natural meats, including beef, lamb, duck, pheasant, turkey, pork and poultry, from ranchers and farmers who raise their animals without antibiotics, added hormones, growth promoting drugs, or feed containing animal by-products or GMO.
● We feature the widest assortment of ocean fresh and fresh frozen seafood-processed without artificial colors and flavors, or added fillers, preservatives and phosphates.
We are committed to supporting sustainable aquaculture farms including co-ops and local fishing communities around the region.
● We feature – Hand made breads with all natural ingredients that represent centuries of taste and tradition.
Our bread is composed of natural and organic flour, water, salt, and yeast. Craftsman elevate these ingredient to art-form.
● We feature imported and domestic cheeses and selected charcuterie meats, without fillers and artificial casings, low in sodium and stabilizers.
● We feature extra virgin olive oils from several producing countries. We offer tasting and complete guidelines, on blending or single cultivar. .
● We feature a selection of gluten-free ingredients. Our menus can be customized to accommodate allergic intolerance.
We use olive oil only in the raw stage, drizzle on food to preserve its freshness and integrity
We fry in 100% vegetable oil.
Many oils and shortenings used in restaurants, are hydrogenated to extend shelf life and stability during high temperature frying and other cooking.
But hydrogenation also creates those evil Trans fats that raise LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Our establishments have an “open door policy” for our customers to inspect our kitchens for hygiene and production performances.
Undesirable Ingredients - not found in our establishments
Artificial Colors Astaxanthin/ FD&C colors/ “Nature Identical” colors/ Tartrazine
Artificial Flavorings Disodium guanylate/ A flavor enhancer derived from fungal sources
Disodium inositate/ A flavor enhancer derived from mineral meat, fish, vegetable, or others
Monosodium Glutamate/ MSG/ A highly processed concentrated form of “free” glutamate Used to enhance the
flavor of food. MSG may cause adverse affects, such as headaches and nausea, in people sensitive to MSG.
Vanillin/ A synthetic flavor commonly made from waste of the wood pulp industry
Artificial preservatives
BHA and BHT/ Synthetic preservatives that are banned by the European Union as known carcinogens
Calcium and sodium propionate/ Synthetic mold inhibitors
Calcium sorbate/ A synthetic anti-fungal agent
ADTA/ A synthetic chelating and stabilizing agent used for color retention.
Currently being studied by FDA for toxicity this known irritant can cause allergies and asthma.
Potassium Bromate/ A synthetic dough conditioner that is allowed in food below 50 ppm (parts per million).
A known mutagen that can burn and cause skin irritations when handled
Propyl Gallate/ A synthetic antioxidant can cause stomach and skin irritations.
Sodium Steroyl-2-lactylate/ A synthetic dough conditioner derived form cows or hog, vegetables or minerals.
Natural alternatives are widely available.
Stannous Chloride/ A synthetic antioxidant and powerful redicing agent. Currently being studied by FDA for toxicity and mutenogenic affects.
TBHQ/ Tertiary Butyl Hydroquinone (TBHQ) a synthetic petroleum-based antioxidant used in stabilizing
vegetable oils, fats and food to extend their shelf life.
Serious health impact can result from ingestion and exposure to vapors.
Thickeners-Gelling agents-Stabilizers
Hydroxypropyl guar gum/ A synthetic chemically modified version of guar gum, a natural substance
Fats-oils and fats substitutes/ Any vegetable oils treated with bromates in order to facilitate emulsification.
Bromates are highly toxic and may cause kidney failure and central nervous system dysfunction.
Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils
Hydrogenation occur when liquid fats are made into semisolids fats by the addition of hydrogen atoms.
This process raises trans-fat level that, when ingested, raise LDL (bad) levels of cholesterol.
High LDL levels are linked to the development of diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Oxystearin/ A synthetic modified fatty acid composed of partially oxidized stearic glycerides and other fatty acids.
Simplesse/ Trademarked name for a synthetic fat substitute made from egg and milk protein.
Sucrose Polyester / Oletra/ Synthetic non-nutritive fat replacement.
Bleached flour / Any flour treated with harsh chemical oxidizers to increase gluten levels.
Natural processes available. Bromated flour/ Any flour with added bromate, a synthetic dough conditioner, allowable below 50 ppm.
Allowed artificial sweeteners/Saccharin (Sweet & Low) Stevia/ Sucralose (Splenda) Natural & Organic sugar available.
