Nana’s of Westerly, a Hidden Gem
Westerly, Rhode Island is known for its rich culture, shops, and restaurants, and it is especially noted for Ocean House in Watch Hill, a high-quality hotel with amenities such as cooking classes, a spa, and access to the beach just footsteps away. On the other spectrum, there is downtown Westerly, a more low-key part of town, packed with an eclectic mix of restaurants and shops. One particular standout is Nana’s Restaurant.
The farm-to-table restaurant opened in the spring of 2022 in a secluded area of downtown, on High Street, making it especially exciting to stumble upon this hidden gem. Much like the buildings in downtown, the restaurant is an old brick building that gives the place a rustic feel. When you step inside you are greeted with a very cool, warm, and welcoming atmosphere. Nana’s has e a modern style, with whitewashed walls and light wood furniture, but also adds nature into its décor, with plants sprinkled about the restaurant. The place feels overall comfortable and homey and the cuisine offers a distinct flair.
In fact, the cuisine is quite different from other restaurants in the area, especially the dominantly Italian dining that makes Westerly renowned. Nana’s offers a greater focus on clean eating and “farm-to-table” dining, and many of its food dishes arrive in small portions, which makes sense because the foods tend to be very rich in taste.
My personal favorite is their risotto balls. The dish comes with three risotto balls and is served with a red sauce and seasoned with various spices. All of the bread and pizza Nana’s serves is made with sourdough bread as well, and the same sourdough starter is used for all of the restaurant’s dishes, including homemade donuts. According to the menu, the multi-uses of sourdough bread is centered around the need for sustainability, as sourdough starters can be used and fed to last years, which makes the process of making food with sourdough easier, as it uses fewer resources than regular bread requires.
Not only does Nana’s have great food, but they offer amazing coffee beverages, made with quality ingredients. The restaurant also serves creative drinks, such as The Martian, an espresso drink with tonic and seasonal fruit syrup. This is a drink that you would not see served at any old café–it is also very good. Coffee can be ordered for dine-in or to go, although I recommend getting coffee drinks when dining in as they are served in cute terracotta cups, adding to their aesthetic vibe.
Overall this is a restaurant that has a variety of dishes, which makes it rather easy for your entire dinner party to find something to enjoy. The only downside is that some might find Nana’s to be a bit expensive. Nonetheless, Nana’s is the type of restaurant that one might go to once every few weeks, or for a special occasion. It is no surprise that they have such high costs because they have high-quality food and the chefs really make all of their dishes to perfection.
Regardless of price, Nana’s is still a small business of Westerly and should be supported even if you only go once. I guarantee once you go, you’ll want to go back.
Check out their different menus, find something you want to try!