The first thing I noticed as I entered Warwick's Atwood Grill was a gathering of a dozen people, then a family of five adults and three kids, and then a group of six friends. My detective sense kicked in and I deduced: good food for good prices. And I was proved right.

Pasta entrees start at $7.99 (for huge portions) and move all the way up to $14.99 for frutta di mare or seafood alfredo. In between are a broad array of chicken, veal, pork, seafood, and beef dishes that make ample use of the "grill" in Atwood's name. Bill ordered grilled chicken for $1.99 extra on his pasta Vincenzo ($8.99) and was very impressed with the grilled and sliced breast meat atop his penne. He was even more thrilled with the sauce, a marinara with fresh basil and Mascarpone cheese that generously coated the pasta pieces.

I was drawn in by a special that evening of oven-roasted scallops and scrod, prepared with red onions, fresh tomatoes, and topped with mozzarella ($12.95). I very much appreciated the cheese not overwhelming the seafood, though I wondered whether the tomatoes were fresh, local ones -- they seemed like winter tomatoes. Nonetheless, the dish was delicious and served with a baked potato and cinnamony squash.

Both of us received salads with our entrees, and the salad was presented family-style, in a large bowl from which we could serve ourselves. Since we'd both ordered balsamic vinaigrette, it was already tossed onto the salad, but if the dressings had been different, they would have been held on the side. A nice, homey touch.

Proceeding in reverse order of our meal, we shared a bowl of chicken escarole soup ($2.99), whose broth was sweet with carrots, textured with angel hair pasta, and chockful of chicken. We also split the shrimp and artichoke Mama ($7.99). This was nicely presented, with shrimp that had been sauteed in a butter and wine sauce served on pesto-painted toast points, with marinated artichokes on the side. Its tartness really got our appetites going.

Meanwhile, the family of eight nearby was ordering from all over the menu, Buffalo wings for the adults, hamburgers for the kids, eggplant Parmesan for Mom, veal Marsala for Dad. The non-speaking toddler was communicating to everyone around him in various ways: tossing the plastic sugar-pack holder to the floor at least six times, blowing bubbles through a straw, and then, turning his attention to those of us who were by now watching for his next antic, he began to laugh out loud at us and pound the table. Thoroughly entertaining.

The great thing was that these human sounds didn't have to compete with loud music or even CNN announcers, though there were two TVs turned toward the bar area. For a building with corrugated steel ceilings and exposed heating pipes, Atwood Grill seemed like a quiet, intimate place.

This may have been because the restaurant wasn't packed on a weekday night, but it may also have to do with the arrangement of seating. There are lots of booths with diner-like black and tan vinyl upholstery and the same on the banquettes lining the partial divider between the bar and the two dining rooms. We were in the smaller of the two, but in the larger one, the tables had butcher paper over cloth and a view to the open kitchen.

This Atwood Grill, just north of the airport, is the sister restaurant to the Atwood Grill on Atwood Ave. (click!) in Johnston. It's obvious that the proprietors aim to please because the staff is well-trained, attentive, and helpful to one another, as well as to their customers (how many times did the waitress pick up the sugar holder tossed by the toddler?).

They also have a claim on their customers' hearts (in more ways than one) with their special dessert: fried cheesecake with ice cream ($3.99). The cheesecake is wrapped, burrito-like in a tortilla shell, deep-fried and piled with vanilla ice cream. Bill was so enthralled that he forgot to take a sip of his eagerly anticipated coffee before finishing the last spoonful.

One more thing about the family feel at Atwood Grill. On the plain white boards of the walls are scores of black and white images of old Rhode Island: school classes lined up in old-fashioned clothes; long-gone houses; and photos of families, as sweetheart couples, in large family gatherings, or just a mother and child. Most were gathered by employees at Warwick City Hall, at the restaurant's request, and they found representations of local people and buildings from the neighborhood near the airport. Instant nostalgia, but still effective -- just like many things at Atwood Grill. Take your family.

Issue Date: September 20 - 26, 2002