La Masseria

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

The Masseria Idea

In the Puglia region of southern Italy, a masseria is the beating heart of a large working farm — the place where produce is preserved, tools are stored, and the rhythms of the land dictate the table. That spirit is the foundation of La Masseria in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, where restaurateur Peppe Iuele and his partners have translated an ancient agricultural tradition into a warm, full-service Italian restaurant on Main Street.

The People Behind It

The three co-owners share deep roots in Italy and in each other's lives. Peppe Iuele, formerly co-owner of La Locanda, grew up on the isle of Capri. "I want them to feel comfortable, as if they are enjoying a delicious meal at a good friend's house," he says of his guests. His childhood friend Enzo Ruggiero brings the wine expertise — a passion shaped by stomping grapes with his grandfather as a boy, and later by traveling southern Italy in search of lesser-known bottles like the Falanghina from Campania. That dedication to the cellar earned La Masseria a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, a recognition that speaks directly to the depth and curation of the list Enzo has assembled.

Executive chef and co-owner Pino Coladonato spent 14 years at Sette Mezzo before joining the partnership. He grew up on a farm in Puglia, cooking with whatever the land offered — beans, legumes, whatever was in season. Fava beans, chickpeas, and lentils remain core elements of his cooking today. "I remember the masseria food; it was simple, fresh and flavorful — it's whatever the land or sea has to offer at that time. That's what I want to offer people here."

The Room

Interior designer Libby Langdon shaped the dining space around the textures and materials of the Italian countryside. Burnished walls, oversized iron sconces fashioned from antique wrought iron gates, displays of antique farm tools, authentic Italian photographs, and arched stone wine bins set the atmosphere. An eight-foot chandelier built from three antique wagon wheels anchors the rear of the room. The result is rustic and relaxed without being casual — old-world charm with genuine warmth.

What's on the Table

The Italian menu moves from antipasti through pasta to meat and fish, with the kitchen making a point of handcrafting what it can. Daily handmade meatballs arrive in tomato sauce and basil (Polpette di Manzo della Masseria). The pasta list is extensive: homemade ricotta ravioli in a light Capri-style tomato sauce, orecchiette with broccoli rabe and Italian sausage, Schiaffoni della Domenica — large tube pasta with short ribs, baby meatballs, and sausage — and homemade fettuccine with fresh lobster meat. For the table, grilled baby octopus with fava bean purée speaks directly to Pino's Pugliese upbringing. A lunch prix fixe and a separate dessert menu round out the offer, and gluten-free pasta is available on request.

La Masseria Rhode Island is part of a wider family of restaurants sharing the same philosophy — that the best Italian cooking is rooted in place, season, and the company at the table.