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.

MR. TACO'S QUE PASA!, 49 Providence St., West Warwick (828-7573). Started by transplanted Californians, Mr. Taco's offers more than a dozen Mexican specialties and lots of the usual suspects. It's a good bargain if your food mood doesn't run too spicy. The seven soups and chillis include a delicious black bean soup ($1.50/$2.50), a puree served with a packet of sour cream. The combination plate, (two main dishes for $7.50, three for $8.75) is a good cross-section of a la carte items, such as the chicken enchilada, meaty and dense with Monterey jack. The potato chimichanga, though, could use more bell pepper to bolster the taste. Although satisfying, the barbecue buffet (adults, $7.95; under 12, $3.95; under 4, free), offered Mondays through Wednesdays from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., calls for more spice. The best choices include a succulent herb-marinated chicken and slabs of beef brisket in a flavorful barbecue sauce. The Whiskey River chicken "wings of fire" are too tame, however. Also available are bottled Mexican beers, an array of margaritas, and a carafe of Inglenook, the house wine. Desserts include a sweet version of chimichangas, a flour tortilla rolled and fried with spiced apples and cheese ($1.89; $2.39 with ice cream). While prices have remained low enough to keep this a family restaurant, the recipes may have been Americanized too much to please the Taco Bell crowd. (6/00)

RISTORANTE PIZZICO, 762 Hope St., Providence, (421-4114). Pizzico, which means "a dash of," employs far more than just a sprinkling of Italian influence to accompany its winning menu. One of the two long and casually elegant rooms contains small, framed photos of Italian scenes, which help to create a relaxed feel with a touch of big-city panache. To engage the appetite, meals start with a small bowl of flavored olive oil, a basket of chewy focaccia squares and crusty slices of an Italian country white. Appetizers include the excellent roasted portobello mushroom served over thin slices of Parma ham and topped with roasted peppers ($8.95). The light and delicious insalate Pugliese, ($8.75) features a generous amount of house-made mozzarella with Puglia artichokes, fire-roasted peppers, basil and artichoke olive oil. Pizzico's dinner menu of eight pastas and 10 entrees (an abbreviated lunch menu runs from $7.95 to $12.95) includes angel hair with garlic, basil, chopped fresh tomatoes and olive oil ($11.95). The roasted rack of wild boar ($21.50), served in a red wine reduction with cranberries and apple puree, has a pleasantly mild flavor, putting a nice spin on the classic pairing of pork chops and apple sauce. The perfectly cooked filet of sole ($15.95) melds into moist bites with a mellow, slightly crunchy horseradish-pistachio crust. The restaurant's extensive wine selection includes the delectable Ruffino sangiovese ($6.50 per glass) and our waiter was the epitome of good service. (6/00)

SALVATION CAFE, 140 Broadway, Newport, (847-2620). The visual funkiness of the Salvation Café gives the impression of sincerity. The metal sculptures, local artwork and hair dryer hood above one booth makes the anti-chic fashion statement, "We wouldn't lie to you, man." There's no way this kitchen would use cheap supermarket soy sauce instead of aged tamari. The wine list is short but appropriately diverse, 10 each of whites and reds, apparently selected by a fractious United Nations panel. The heavily Asian-influenced appetizers include five plump vegetable dumplings ($5) served in a bamboo steamer, with a green smear of fiery wasabi and gentle ginger soy sauce on the side. Also available are the ubiquitous fried calamari ($6.95), and the original grilled peach salad, accompanied by gorgonzola and walnuts ($5.50). Entrées include vegan or shrimp pad Thai ($8/$10) or the firm, nicely grilled halibut special ($14) spiced with a chipotle chili, orange and basil butter. On the side were purple potatoes and a Japanese salad box filled with baby greens, seaweed and julienned cucumber. The perfectly cooked harissa-rubbed rack of lamb ($18), comes with pureed mango, cinnamon-scented rice and delicious fried spinach that melts in the mouth. The three desserts (all $4.50) include the marscapone cheese-filled bread pudding, baked to a crisp texture on top and served atop little pools of caramel and raspberry sauces. Don't share this if you have a rocky marriage. (6/00)