New Restaurant, Guitar Store Opening On Main Street

It's hard to believe we were lamenting the dearth of breakfast places on Main Street not that long ago. Since then, the Village Cafe opened and Jigger's reopened – both to strong business, joining Scramblers and Norman's, as well as several coffee shops. Now Dante's Kitchen is opening, in the former Audra's Cafe spot at 315 Main St. 

Lisa Altieri is the owner of Dante's, which will offer American cusine with “dash of Southern flair." The restaurant will serve breakfast and lunch and plans to offer "an eclectic menu peppered with Southern favorites, such as sage fried chicken and waffles, homemade buttermilk biscuits and shrimp po’ boys," according to a press release.

Altieri decided to open a restaurant after 12 years experience owning and operating the family-run clothing business Gian, Inc., as well as lots of travel during her six years with CMAC Transportation. Over the years, she collected her favorite Urban Spoon menus from all around the United States. But when it came time to open her own place, she wanted it to be here.

“East Greenwich is a special place,” said Lisa, who lives in Potowomut. “I’ve lived here all my life and it’s been a dream of mine to be part of something like this in a town I love so much.”

Altieri said she plans to open in July. 

King Guitar has been in business for eight years, selling higher-end guitars online. But owner Brad King decided to open a retail shop to satisfy certain guitar manufacturers who want customers to be able to actually see their guitars before buying one.

King has a warehouse in California and one in the mill complex at the bottom of Division Street. He chose to open in East Greenwich – at 176 Main St. – because he lives here and because Rhode Island's guitar retail scene is not as competitive as California's.

The shop is not a superstore.

"We are the anti-Guitar Center. They are the Wal-Mart and we’re the mom-and-pop that’s online with a strong following," said King. "We do a lot of real high-end lines that you’d know if you were a guitar player" – he mentions two, Tom Anderson and ESP – "what touring players play with."

That said, the store does carry some lower-priced options, he said. It won't, however, offer lessons or to "a bunch of student-type stuff."

The store opens this month and will keep "musician's hours," i.e. afternoon, early evening. The phone number there is 884-4139; the website is kingguitar.com