In a spot that has seen three different restaurants in as many years, Caylily's Bistro looks like a keeper in our hometown. Owners Cathy and Jamie Dwyer named the restaurant after their two daughters, Caylin and Lily, and they are combining his culinary background (Johnson & Wales grad, stints at Newport's Ocean Cliff and Providence's Gatehouse), with her front-of-the-house warmth.

Cathy has also given the decor a sunny, Tuscan feel, with the high tin ceiling painted brick red and the walls a golden yellow. The color scheme is picked up in the fabric of the comfy banquette and its many overstuffed pillows; in a more subdued way, in the natural wood and vinyl-upholstered chairs; and even in the two-tone roses on the tables. The banquette runs the length of the large windows on Main Street, with two topiary ficus trees (extending the Italian motif) and several large peace lilies.

Chef Dwyer has kept the menu compact, with a couple of evening specials, the better to ensure quality. And the night we were there, the quality was superb. Now, I'll grant you that the pan-fried calamari ($7) were different than the usual heavy battered ones, but I loved them. Squid rings dredged in cornmeal, served with lemon, parsley and chopped jalapeno peppers. Bill was more taken with the arugula salad ($7), which had sliced pears, glazed pecans, dollops of goat cheese, and a nice tarragon vinaigrette.

Other appetizers drawing on Rhode Island's ocean bounty are seafood cakes (crab, scallops, and cod) and steamed mussels. Lunch items include a grilled shrimp pizza, littlenecks with chorizo, grilled fresh fish atop baby greens, and a lobster and avocado salad in a puff pastry shell (also available for the Sunday brunch).

Following that same wave through the dinner menu, I considered the seafood risotto (with lobster, littlenecks, and mussels), the stuffed flounder, and the seared cod. I landed on the grilled shrimp ($15), which turned out to be a terrific choice. My seven jumbo shrimp were grilled to perfection and served de-tailed, to my great delight, with a delicious variation on cocktail sauce, a tomatoey arrabiatta sauce, slightly fiery. A mound of basil risotto and three large slices of grilled-just-right zucchini accompanied the shrimp.

My carnivorous partner, meanwhile, was marveling over the generous portion of veal sausage in his tagliatelle dish ($15). He also liked finding oyster mushrooms and asparagus in the creamy sauce atop his noodles. The sausage itself was earthy, herby, and tasty indeed. This entree was a special for the evening, but other regular entrees on the menu are pork tenderloin, Cornish hen, sirloin, and fresh gnocchi in a roasted garlic cream sauce.

Bill and I shared a glass of Geyser Park cabernet sauvignon ($6), the layers of its flavor bringing back memories of our first wine tastings in California. Since that wine was suggested (and described) on a tabletop placard, we trusted the second recommendation, a St. Francis chardonnay ($6), which Bill enjoyed with his pasta.

Desserts at Caylily are mostly house-made, though a couple are baked by a local vendor. Should we have the creme brulee or the mango sherbet? The Key lime pie or the biscotti? Bill opted for the chocolate mousse cake ($5), and I for the warm apple tart with cinnamon ice cream ($5). Dark chocolate cake with dark chocolate frosting had a lighter mousse filling and more than satisfied his cocoa craving. My apple tart had a thin pastry shell and thin-sliced Granny Smith apples. It was quite good, though I would have preferred a bit more spice.

We came back to Caylily's for Sunday brunch, when the menu runs from fruit and yogurt to steak and eggs. Asking for eggs Benedict with no Canadian bacon, I was rewarded with spinach and tomatoes instead. The Hollandaise chanted lemon, butter, lemon, butter in a soothing song. Bill's Monte Cristo was so thick -- the bread for this batter-dipped sandwich was brioche -- that he saved half for another meal. Stuffed with ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese, and topped with a Mornay sauce, this cholesterol nightmare was nonetheless a breakfast dream. Both dishes were served with roasted red bliss potatoes and a garnish of fresh fruit.

We appreciated the service at Caylily's being crisp and attentive, since previous incarnations in this space often fell down on this point. It's so crucial for a new restaurant to understand the importance of well-trained staff that pays as much attention to new customers as to old friends and regulars. That's the best way for all of their customers to become repeat visitors -- especially in this prime location. Welcome to the neighborhood, Caylily's.