The Dish
DINING REVIEW
T
Viola Cucina Finally , a break from takeout at a new Barrington eatery that celebrates flavorful Italian cuisine .
HERE IS NO SHORTAGE of Italian restaurants in Rhode Island , but Viola Cucina is still something of an anomaly . For one thing , it ’ s located in Barrington , which has over 6,000 homes , ample water views and so few sit-down restaurants that it ’ s become downright strange . A lot of this comes down to Barrington ’ s history as a dry town and its limited liquor licenses .
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT : Swordfish romano ; gnocchi alla sorrentina ; executive chef Jon Hager ( standing left ) with server Charlie Ferri , bar manager Ali Poissant , and owner Don Poissant ; bucatini al ’ amatriciana ; arancia rossa martini ; veal Parmigiana .
But it ’ s also worth noting that the town ’ s largest five-year demographic is kids between the ages of ten and fourteen . Maybe they ’ re responsible for the takeout culture which
has given rise to more food in paper bags than on plates . But these kids clearly have parents , and they must be getting pretty tired of driving into Providence or down to Warren and Bristol .
So it makes sense that Barrington native Don Poissant ’ s Viola would grab the small restaurant space on County Road that once held Grande Forno and Mangia Trattoria and Pizza . His partner , Dino Passaretta , also owns Vanda Cucina in Warwick , named after Passaretta ’ s mother , and Viola is a tribute to Poissant ’ s Irish mother .
So how did an Irish woman inspire an Italian restaurant ? Like in many immigrant families , it was Poissant ’ s Italian grandmother who taught Viola to cook for her son .
No doubt Poissant and Passaretta know there are Barrington adults wandering aimlessly in search of a good meal — and they could have successfully dialed in a decent interpretation of Italian cuisine . But Viola is much like its older sister : an unassuming space with a distinctly feminine energy . It presents as understated but the food is seriously strong-willed and surprising , even for the state ’ s most accessible cuisine .
There are Italian restaurants around town that focus on fully modernizing a
92 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY I FEBRUARY 2025