Divine Dining with an Abundance of Local Flavor
Keith Vanetti and Corinne Kelly spent a year searching for the right place to open a restaurant of their own after more than two decades each in the industry. The couple seriously considered possibilities from Western Massachusetts to Cape Cod until Eva Sommaripa of Eva’s Garden, a certified organic farm in South Dartmouth beloved by top New England chefs, suggested they explore Warren. The two poked around the East Bay town, stumbling upon a cozy eatery on Market Street.
“We peeked in the windows at Hunky Dory and were, like, ‘Oh, this place looks cute. We should come back here for dinner,” remembers Kelly. A serendipitous Google search soon revealed the restaurant had just closed, as though fate was paving their path and steering the couple exactly where they belonged.
With close to 1,200 farms in Rhode Island encompassing nearly 68,000 acres (approximately 11% of land in the state) and ample sources for fresh seafood, the couple agreed Warren would align idyllically with their mission to compose a menu dominated by fresh, seasonally driven, locally sourced dishes. Vanetti spent the better part of the past 25 years cooking in Boston, most recently at Vee Vee in Jamaica Plain, but his experience and influences reach beyond New England’s borders. Kelly, who went to school for film, is a screenwriter and lived in L.A. but says she’s worked in restaurants on and off most of her life.
With years of long talks about what their someday restaurant would be like, they jumped in with both feet—and sledgehammers—the moment they were handed the keys to 40 Market Street. They preserved the best parts of the architectural integrity of space dating back to the late 1800s intact, including the original tin ceiling and detailed molding. A custom-crafted nine-seat bar made from reclaimed wood anchors the space, which—combined with the warm tones, glowing sconces and long upholstered banquettes—radiates an art nouveau vibe.
“We wanted it to feel like you walk in here at night and ask, ‘How long has this place been here?’”
As happens in small towns, curious onlookers poked around a bit and buzz about the new digs swelled. All the while, Vanetti and Kelly would take short renovation respites at Archive Book + Snackery just a few steps up the street, and soon got to know fellow local restaurateurs and food artisans, like David Strenio and Priscila Moritz at Prica Farina Fresh Pasta Co., Keegan Dunson from The Revival Craft Kitchen and Bar, Joel and Amy Cary from The Square Peg, Steve Silva from Love Shack Grill and Sam Glynn from Chomp. “Every-one’s been very nice and welcoming,” says Kelly.
Saint Martha, named for the patron saint of cooks and waiters, opened with little fanfare in October. Before long, Kelly, who manages the front of house, and Vanetti were tending to diners and building an enviable reputation.
“Warren has been a really supportive community from the day we opened our doors,” she says. “We have regulars already, people who come once or twice a week, or people who we are getting to know. It’s a really big deal for a restaurant our size to have the support of the community, to have regulars, and then they’re so enthusiastic. They bring other people, which is a really nice feeling.”
Though the space is vintage-inspired, Vanetti’s menu is anything but. Leaning into the benefits of a smaller restaurant—39 seats if you include the bar and a back patio that will open in the warmer months—the chef changes his offerings regularly, often dictated by what’s available.
“We use Blackbird Farm for beef, Wild Harmony for pork, Hopkins Southdowns for lamb, Andrade’s Catch for fish, and for veggies we’re primarily using Long Lane Farm and Moonrose Farm,” Kelly says. What Vanetti can’t find directly from farms is often purveyed via Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s Market Mobile, and he seeks out unique suppliers like Maine Grains, offering stone-milled, organic and heritage grains sourced from the Northeast. Vanetti’s menu also shines a light on underutilized cuts, like beef cheeks and pork shoulder, wowing diners while challenging their palates with familiar proteins enjoyed in different ways. “Rhode Island has been really good for its farms, especially the proteins. It’s so awesome to use Rhode Island stuff,” says the chef. “In Boston, it’s not the same.”
Vanetti, thoughtful and soft-spoken, says he’s eagerly anticipating composing springtime dishes and summertime fare. “It’s exciting especially with Long Lane [Farm] and Moonrose so close. I do a lot with Long Lane; everything I’ve gotten from them is excellent. I got some of their broccolini late in the season and it was delicious.”
Influenced by travels in Italy and previous work stints, the chef says diners can expect a from-scratch pasta dish to always be on the menu. A Roman specialty he’s looking forward to serving in season is fried squash blossoms, and this spring, dishes with the spoils of the season: ramps, fiddleheads, peas and snap peas, zucchini, and later summertime produce, including tomatoes, some of which will be used for his 36-hour tomato sauce.
Kelly handpicked the purposeful crafted wine list, populated with low-intervention, sustainable and organic wines from small producers. The bar’s thoughtful beer list and the cocktail menu replete with local spirits rounds out the beverage offerings.
With Saint Martha’s warm embrace by gastronomes across the region, growing relationships with area farmers and commitment to locally sourced ingredients, it’s clear that Vanetti and Kelly are exactly where destiny has led them.
Saint Martha
40 Market Street, Warren
401.561.0222; StMarthaRI.com
Andrea E. McHugh is a freelance writer who has written for the Hartford Courant, Baltimore Magazine, Daily Candy, Design Sponge, Providence Monthly and more. She resides in Newport.
