The following listings have been distilled from recent full-length reviews; the date appearing at the end of each entry indicates the month and year of review. Hours, credit-card and liquor information are not included, so be sure to call ahead. And bear in mind that some menus change seasonally.

BASIL'S, 22 Kingstown Road, Narragansett (789-3743). Food fads can come and go, but Basil's has remained unwavering in its focus on continental cuisine, with a decided list toward Paris. Crete-born chef-proprietor Vasilios Kourakis, who has known what he liked since opening this restaurant with wife Kathleen in 1984, taught himself how to prepare and has retained a menu that's a savory homage to the classics. You can begin with escargots Bourguignonne ($8) and end with baked Alaska ($6 per portion, with a minimum of two; order it that morning). In between, there is beef stroganoff ($18), wiener schnitzel ($19), steak Diane ($24), and the restaurant's specialty, duck a l'orange ($19). There's a six-page wine list, though just three reds and three whites are available by the glass, and an intimate 30-seat dining room. The Atlantic salmon ($20) was cooked to perfection and accompanied by a sliced red bliss potato, crisp green beans and coins of fresh carrots. Desserts are mandatory after this kind of indulgence, and the "Coup Basil" ($7) provided just the right touch of excess -- vanilla ice cream, topped with strawberry sauce, bananas, apricot and coconut flakes alongside a Pirouette stick. Luscious. (12/99)

GARDEN GRILLE, 727 East Avenue, Pawtucket (726-2826). Natural foods have become big business since the '80s (or at least medium-big), and this grille has had a loyal following among local vegans and vegetarians since opening in 1996. Asian dumplings with Hunan dipping sauce ($5.95), which came from a market, had bits of chive and mushroom in the dumplings and a nice kick to the sauce. Wood-grilled sweet potato fries ($3.95), crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, are another good starter. The honey maple-smoked and marinated tofu ($10.95), disappointed, however, since the inside was somewhat tough and unmarinated, and a side of brown rice was woefully underdone. Much better was the grilled portobello wrap ($6.95), which nicely melded the flavors of arugula, roasted red pepper, and the mushroom, bound together with brown rice in a spinach tortilla. Pizza bella with soy mozzarella ($7.95), thin crust and heaped with veggies, was delicious. Service during our visit was patient and helpful, but the juice bar didn't measure up. The pear-ginger combo, sadly, came from a jar (the menu notes that not all the juices are fresh-squeezed). Garden Grille offers appealing choices for vegetarians, but it would be nice if more care was taken with the juice and in-house preparations were substituted for the veggie burgers and Asian dumplings. (1/00)

THE LITTLE INN, 103 Putnam Pike (Route 44), Johnston (231-0570). Far from the chichi boites and bistros of Providence, The Little Inn is an unpretentious gem that offers thoroughly enjoyable dining. Endorsed by no less a luminary than Frank Sinatra, the inn features attentive service, plenty of wine by the glass, and an appealing selection of entrees. The dining room is large, with Tiffany-style lampshades and antiquey tchotchkes on wall shelves. Wood-grilled veal tenderloin ($14.95) was tender and delicious. Four jumbo shrimp, instead of the advertised pan-seared sea scallops, turned up with the bucatini ($15.95), fat, hollow spaghetti-like strands, but the dish was still delicious in a lemony sauce with tomatoes and fresh fennel. Farm-raised salmon ($13.95) was a large fillet, grilled with restraint in a delicate champagne and butter sauce. Paparadelle ($13.95), served with a slightly spicy tomato sauce with capers, artichoke hearts, crumbled sweet sausage and pieces of breaded chicken breast, is a concoction worthy of becoming a signature dish. For dessert, lemon mousse with fresh raspberries provided a nice tart-on-tart complement. (1/00)

NAPA VALLEY GRILLE, 111 Providence Place, Providence (270-6272). Offering casually upscale dining at the Providence Place Mall, Napa Valley Grille features cuisine inspired by northern California's wine country. Operated by a California restaurant group, the grille is one of five Napa Valley outposts in the US and, to a fair degree, places like this are more about marketing than food. But there's a copious selection of wine and some pretty tasty fare, including plump chardonnay steamed littlenecks and, at lunch, wild rice meatloaf, made with beef, veal and pork. Napa Valley is pricy at night, with most dinner entrees starting at $18.95 and running toward the mid-$20s, including roasted rack of pork with sweet potato gratin, garlicky greens, and apricot-pear-onion compote. Lunch, by contrast, is more affordable with a variety of sandwiches, pastas and main courses grouped between $7.95 and $12.95. The restaurant is divided into two sections: a very long carpeted dining room, and a more casual lounge area with a nice downtown view, tall industrial-style ceilings and a mix of booths, marble counters and tables with high chairs. For dessert, brioche bread pudding with caramelized bananas, maple walnut ice cream and Foster sauce ($6.50) was a delicious treat that impressed with design and execution, rather than size. (1/00)