Friday night in Pawtucket. Nomar Garciaparra is up at bat. The drama plays itself out on all eight (yes, eight) TV screens at the boisterous and hospitable East Avenue Cafe. But except for a quick cheer as Nomar gets a hit, there is even more drama in the fabulous food that arrives in mega-amounts to the booths lining the cafe's walls.

Above the booths, hanging on walls, from the ceiling and on the posts between the tables is an eclectic collection of beer trays (Amstel, Killian's); beer mirrors (Heineken, Bass); black-and-white photos of sports heroes; a stuffed deer head and a stuffed hockey jersey; a sled, hockey skates, and croquet mallets. And, still in the sports-bar theme, for half-time displays and cheering sections, are a trombone, a bugle and an English horn.

The white lace curtains at the windows and the divider between bar and dining room signal the Irish heritage of the owners (Brian and Mickey Doherty) and frame the family feel of East Avenue. A toddler wanders up to say hello, and a 10-year-old threads the path back to a table after filling up a plate at the free chips-and-dip spread in the bar. The waitresses know the regulars. It's obviously a neighborhood favorite.

And the caliber of the straightforward food, the astounding portions, and amazing prices are the proof of the pudding, so to speak (actually, the cafe's only dessert is mud pie). The appetizers run the gamut of bar items, from the predictable -- fries, French or Cajun; wings, Buffalo or boneless; potato skins, plain, or Mexican -- to the not so predictable -- gator, cornbread, and mud bugs. My Yankee husband had to ask me about the latter, which are boiled crawfish. He succumbed to curiosity over the large stuffies we saw going by our table ($1.29) and to East Avenue's incarnation of fried calamari ($6.29), which is also offered as an entree ($10.99). The clear broth chowder (cup, $1.99) pulled me in.

The soup of the day is actually free until 6 p.m., but I would have walked across hot coals and paid $11.99 for this chowder. Not only were there more clams than potatoes in a nice, mild broth, the clams were super-fresh and super-tasty. Bill pronounced the stuffie the best he'd ever had. And the platter of calamari all but filled us before our entrees even arrived. It was one of those can't-stop-eating scenes, because the squid rings were so crispy-dry and tender. "Why can't other places learn to bread and fry them this way?" we asked ourselves.

I asked the same question about my fish and chips ($7.99). I'm such a stickler that I often resort to picking off the too-thick or too-oily outer layer to get at the fish. Bill's been advising me for years to stop ordering F&C. But I live in hope, and at East Avenue Cafe, my dream came true. The thick cod fillet was prepared in a way that's most common in the South. It's dipped in a flour and spices mixture, then evaporated milk, then flour again, so that it's dry but not soaking in coating before it's quick-fried. It was terrific.

The distaff side of this dining duo, meanwhile, was grappling with the reality of the gargantuan fare in front of him. The East Avenue mixed grill ($13.99) includes a half rack of baby-back ribs, a barbequed breast of chicken and three steak tips, cooked rare as requested. Though the barbecue aspect of the ribs and chicken was the sauce, not a smoker, they were moist and flavorful, as were the steak tips. Bill had enough leftovers to provide another supper for himself, as well as a friend.

Other dishes on the menu draw from seafood selections, such as mussels and scallops zuppa or seafood Mardi Gras; pastas, such as chicken and broccoli pesto, or beef piscatelli; and grilled items, such as sirloin and London broil. There is also an impressive line-up of 21 sandwiches, which doesn't even include the five burger variations and eight roll-ups, all of which have a choice of fries, "cowboy beans," rice pilaf, pasta salad, coleslaw or potato chips. Prices range from a grilled cheese and tomato at $3.99 to a chicken cutlet at $6.99.

The Dohertys have hired nine cooks, with Don Stevens as kitchen manager and menu planner. Between them, they have outdone the nightly specials menus offered at many spots, with a Carolina pig roast on Thursdays and Saturdays ($8.99); roast beef, turkey or pork dinners on Sunday ($6.99); and two-for-one dinners (plus two kids under 12) for $12.99 on Tuesdays. The trick at East Avenue is to go early enough to slide right in (and waddle out). We left by 7 p.m. last week, but Stevens estimated there were 60 people in the tiny bar by 9 p.m., at least half of them waiting for a table. Did I mention this place is popular?

Issue Date: May 3 - 9, 2002