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.

QUATTRO, 2095 Kingstown Road, Kingston, 789-5300. In a location that used to bring apathy or infamy to its former occupants, Quattro seems to have found a niche somewhere between nouvelle (grilled pizza) and no-nonsense (potato skins and chicken wings). Partners Steve Marra and William Pinelli opened their fourth successful restaurant (thus the name "Quattro") at the beginning of the summer, taking a bit of the best from each of their other establishments -- Pinelli's Deli in Warwick and the Post Office Cafe and the Grille on Main Street in East Greenwich. Quattro offers eight sandwiches (five of them grilled), six pizzas, and a spread of seafood and pasta dishes. As we glanced at the menu's moderate prices (pasta dishes, $8.95 to $11.95; 12-ounce grilled sirloin, $14.95) and then exclaimed over the huge portions we were served ("we like to give you enough to eat for two or three days from," Marra told us), we began to understand the crowded parking lot. Marra and Pinelli seem to have struck a good bargain with the university community in Kingston: attract families as well as students, and the bar scene won't become a problem; offer portions and prices suited to both. It's the only place we've seen where a shopping bag is standard for taking home leftovers.

PROVIDENCE BOOKSTORE CAFE, 500 Angell Street, Providence, 521-5536. The Providence Bookstore Cafe, a flight of stairs below street level, attracts an artsy crowd -- and it is also a great supporter of the arts, displaying local artwork on its walls, most of it for sale. Most weekends also offer live music. As for the PBC's interior, it is simple and timeless, and its low-key lighting makes for a cozy and romantic atmosphere. For my dining partner's main course, the "Pollo Bela" ($14.95) offered two good-sized chicken breasts sautéed with olive oil, garlic, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, pepperoncini, and white wine. A word of warning, though -- don't order this unless you enjoy smoke coming out of your ears, because the dish is a blend of hot and spicy flavors. My selection, a nightly special, was pan-seared chicken ($15.95). Pieces of chicken lined the edge of the plate above a bed of spinach mixed with broccoli, red peppers, onions, and zucchini. And there was so much food on my plate, our waitress practically flexed her biceps after delivering it to our table. For dessert, my partner discovered that "Bananas Mondale" was a luscious treat of vanilla ice cream and sliced bananas in a crispy fried tortilla shell sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with a rich banana sauce. My mud pie ($3.95), a blend of coffee ice cream and chocolate fudge, was so good, I actually dreamed about it later that night.

XO CAFE, 125 North Main Street, Providence, 273-9090. Forget what went on the plates -- enjoying that was a given at this level of restaurant. What most impressed us about XO Café was its atmosphere. Combine the wait staff's dress code of blue jeans with white shirts and ties with a decor that mixes fun with refinement, and you've got a place where you can dine graciously without feeling as though your parents are watching. Appetizers here are mostly Oriental, with even the calamari ($7) fried in a rice flour batter (although it is served with smoked jalapeño mayonnaise). The "Portabello Mushroom Fries" ($6) came as a tall stack of a half-dozen lightly battered tempura-fried slices accompanied by a dipping soy sauce flavored with anise. The presentation also included balsamic vinegar atop olive oil puddles, for some variety of flavor. For an entree, try the angel hair with lobster ($17) -- capellini topped with a blend of white wine sauce, butter, olive oil, fresh sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. The lobster was also in generous presence, with the meat of three claws and half a tail's worth. To top it off, the creme brulé tray ($7) consists of three variations of the baked custard -- chocolate, white chocolate, and anise -- suspended in a triangular wrought-iron contraption. Drizzled sauces of lime, raspberry, and mango decorated our plate. At a place like XO, where thought goes into details, the pleasant little touches add up.