Ran into someone I used to work with at Nordstrom Providence Place yesterday at the just-opened-a-week-ago Union & Main on Main Street in East Greenwich (the former home of Red Stripe) yesterday. Keep in mind this person’s always been on their game as far as what’s NEW and exciting in Rhode Island.

Tbh, I didn’t even realize the restaurant had opened their doors yet, until someone on IG dm’ed in the morning and highly encouraged me to go.

I do LOVE that you can call in advance and put your name in for a table. It’s not a reservation in the traditional sense per se, but if it means no hour long wait for a table (so done with that), then huzzah!

And the completely reimagined space — think sleek and minimalist without being at all cold aesthetic — was buzzing after 1pm on Sunday afternoon.

Let me just say here and now that everyone and their friend group is going to be uploading from Union & Main in the coming weeks, mark my words.

The hubs? He was immediately impressed that there were three (3) big screen tv’s tuned to sports over the main bar in the front dining room. We also discovered later that there’s actually a 2nd bar and a bunch of booths in the very back room. (I don’t remember the interior being that large when Red Stripe was there?)

Now, we don’t eat meat (there was a bbq place looking at my IG Stories a while back…spoiler alert, they ultimately teamed up with another IG’er who is carnivore, so it all worked out in the end), but will occasionally indulge in a bit of seafood. That being said, I thought their crab cake benedict was quite good! And they whipped up an off-the-menu egg white omelet (how very Seinfeld of him) for the hubs.

For those who adore a champs and orange juice or a fun sip at brunchtime, happy to report that U&M has a fantastic drink menu with so many delish and delightful sounding cocktails. I ended up ordering their flight of mimosas which is a neat twist on the classic fizzy with four different 5oz versions (an 🍊 juice, a pink grapefruit, a blood orange, and a cranberry one).

I also hear that they’re going to be serving breakfast during the week and I would totally go back with a friend for coffee and brekkie food.

And several ppl. over on IG looped me in after the fact that this eatery is a spinoff of Back 40 in North Kingstown and thus, owned by RI native (and IG SUPERstar) Olivia Culpo and fam.

Find Union & Main at 455 Main Street in EG.

As always, if you motor over for a nosh after reading this, PLEASE do let them know you were inspired by Patty J and PattyJ.com.