Everything Wonderful for Your Home and Appetite at the Main Street Ristorante and Gift Shoppe

Friday, September 25, 2015
Continuing on my quest to bring you autumn.....John and I set out Wednesday on the first day of Autumn to visit a most unique and wonderful shop.  Not only was this shop full of everything warm and wonderful for your home, it also had wonderful things for satisfying your tummy too.  I am so excited to introduce you to the Main Street Ristorante and Gift Shoppe.
Nestled in the Kuyahoora Valley on scenic Route 28, Main Street Ristorante and Gift Shoppe is owned and operated by Kim and Ryan Defaria.  Kim attended Johnson & Wales in Providence, RI.  She met Ryan while working in the same restaurant in a coastal New England town and later married.  They moved to Newport, NY where Kim grew up with a dream of opening their own restaurant with casual dining in a country setting.  Kim, also a talented crafter, decorated the restaurant and did it so well that customers would inquire about purchasing the primitive country accessories.  So Kim began selling her crafts in a small section of the shop.  Kim says she always loved the warm and inviting decor.  That small section grew and grew and eventually, with Ryan's help, the primitive country store was created.  With each passing year, they added to their offerings.  Olde Century Colors Paint, hand-crafted furniture made in the USA, lighting, textiles and linens, barn stars, signs, candles and so much more fills every nook and cranny.  The gift shop changes with the seasons and the restaurant is their pallet to reveal their decorating ideas.  Sitting in the restaurant you are sitting in the midst of the same beautiful merchandise that is for sale in the shop, in fact, everything that decorates the restaurant is for sale (as long as it has a tag).
There is also a Red Barn out back that holds vintage items to reclaim and much more. 
 Red Barn Primitives is open Memorial Day through Columbus Day Weekend.
Here's a peak at what's waiting when you step inside the shop....

 Don't forget to click on any photo to view it larger....

Kim says they aren't sure where the years have gone but they feel very blessed to have each other and all of their loyal patrons.  They are celebrating their 20th year in business this December.  As a visitor, it's easy to see how they have reached this milestone.  Kim and Ryan are as warm and welcoming as the business they have created. And as wonderful as the shop is, the restaurant is so fabulous, it's really worthy of its own blog post.  But since I've already got your attention......let's talk about it now.  There's only one thing Kim does better than decorate and that is COOK!   Man oh man, can she cook!!  I had pretty high expectations of a Johnson & Wales graduate, but Kim blew my expectations out of the water.  First let me apologize for forgetting to take photos of the restaurant.  I was on sensory overload after photographing the shop and once our lunch arrived, well, by then I totally forgot I came with a camera.  I ordered one of the day's specials - a seafood salad wrap for $8.95.  It came with fries or a side salad and I chose the salad with the homemade house Honey Mustard dressing.  My seafood salad wrap was fresh, light and seasoned perfectly, not swimming in the usual mayo that you'd expect.  Even the wrap was soft and tender and fresh.  The honey mustard dressing was so delicious, I could have eaten it with a spoon.  I told Ryan, who was our server, that they should be bottling it.  John ordered the steak sandwich......which came out nothing like he expected.  Normally a steak sandwich is shaved steak on a roll.....not this.  It was an 8 oz. Ribeye Steak topped with beer battered onion rings on a roll, cooked perfectly and melted in your mouth.  I could barely finish 1/2 of my wrap, so John cleaned my plate (and his) and normally we wouldn't have considered dessert, but after this meal and knowing desserts are made by Kim, we couldn't resist.  So we ordered the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake, today's special for $3.95.  That is NOT a typo and this was not a small sliver of cheesecake.  It was a 3" high x 3" wide slice of heaven.....without a doubt the best cheesecake I've ever eaten....ever!  We planned on splitting it and it's a good thing!  I did manage to stop eating long enough for some cell phone shots....


Half eaten Vanilla Bean Cheesecake - it started out pretty!
I was so excited about the dessert, I almost forgot to take a photo.  I'm just happy this place is not in in my hometown or anywhere close because I'd be there every week.  Obviously I'm not the only one to feel this way because on a quiet Wednesday out in the middle of the country in the tiny village of Newport, the place was hopping with several tables of customers.  Even if you are not a collector of country primitive decor....you have to visit just to enjoy a mouth-watering meal. Kim says her Dad picks all the berries and makes their pies in-house with Kim's mom's help, of course.  Rich and Marleen Asaro, Kim's parents, have been invaluable in helping to make this business a reality.

Mark your calendar and plan to visit on Saturday, October 10, 2015 when they are having their 1st Annual Backyard/Tent Sale, 10:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. - Rain or Shine (hoping for shine).  If you can't make it then, you can visit any Wednesday-Saturday from 11:30am-8:00pm.  Call before visiting 315-845-8835.   They are located at 7431 Main Street (Route 28). December 5th is their Primitive Christmas Open House from 11:30-4:00 with complimentary refreshments and door prizes.  Links to their Facebook page and website will be provided below.   For those who are not familiar with Newport, NY (like me), it is located just a short drive from Little Falls, NY - about 90 minutes from Clifton Park and surrounding locales.  It's an easy drive on the thruway to Little Falls and then a short drive from there.  The scenery is truly beautiful farm land for as far as the eye can see.....plan a ride soon.  You won't be disappointed.   If you're hesitant to make the long trip just for this, I suggest making it a day and taking a boat cruise down the Erie Canal on the 'Lil Diamond.  You can read all about this scenic, narrated cruise through the locks on the Erie Canal Cruises out of Herkimer.  To read more about them and see photos of what you'll see along your cruise, check out my post at: http://www.lifeasiseeitphotography.net/2014/04/erie-canal-cruise_7.html
I can't think of a better way to spend a beautiful autumn day......a cruise down the river, a delicious lunch at the Main Street Ristorante and a little leisurely shopping to round out the day!  
Thanks for reading and if you know someone who would love the Main Street Ristorante & Gift Shoppe, share this post with them using the links below.  Happy Autumn!

4 comments

  1. Wonderful article. I am curious how you even heard of this lovely place?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Actually Kim had been following my Facebook page for some time and when she saw I was writing about shops with fall decor, she messaged me inviting me to check out her shop. Normally I don't do requests....just in case I am not a genuine fan...as I will only write honest stories about places and people I love enough to share. But as it turned out, one of the shops I'd blogged about mentioned I should check them out, so I decided it seemed worth the ride...and boy it was!

      Delete
  2. Gail, once again your writing style captivates the reader. The power of technology certainly has empowered small businesses. The cost of print advertising can be overwhelming. Thank you for your service to all of the businesses you have kindly recommended. You have enlightened many readers. Sincerely, Nancy Keenholts

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks you so much Nancy! And you've hit on the precise reason I blog....to give a nod (and some free publicity) to some amazing businesses that I feel are worthy of some recognition and attention. I have found so many neat places and met so many wonderful people since I've started blogging....it's been a win/win endeavor that I truly enjoy and many days gives me purpose. Thank you for reading and taking time to leave a comment....not to mention for providing one of those amazing shops I love to write about!

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Life As I See It Header

Never Miss A Post - Follow by Email

Sign up here to get the latest blog post delivered to your inbox.
Never miss a post again!