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.

AMICUS, 345 South Water Street, Providence, 521-7722. What we first noticed about Amicus was its stylishly eclectic interior -- modern, wrought-iron railings, a concrete balustrade complete with urns and griffins, and a luxurious and expansive wood bar. The ceiling here is black; the walls, two shades of coral. And this chic color combo caught our eye as we chowed down on our special appetizer, smoked mussels with squid ink fettuccini ($8). The black pasta was as striking against the orange-bellied shellfish and their creamy coral sauce as the surrounding decor. Settling down to the main business at hand, my mate decided on the farfalle with chicken ($15), while I picked the grilled swordfish with shrimp salsa ($18). With the craze over salsa these days, it takes a really creative touch to come up with something different, but, somehow, the chefs at Amicus pulled it off, with a "salsa" of rock shrimp, green peppers, and scallions for the grilled swordfish. This dining experience made us feel pampered, and that's the way it should be. (1/98)

CITY SIDE CAFE, 53 Pine Street, Providence, 272-6660. The night we visited City Side, the place was packed with a Friday-night, after-work crowd, especially in the bar area. So my boyfriend, Andre, and I decided to join in the fun from our table, with a round of drinks. For an appetizer, I let Andre talk me into potato skins ($5.75). Heaped with a blend of melted Swiss and Cheddar cheese and topped with crumbled bacon, the deep-fried skins were amazingly crispy. For my main course, I selected the grilled chicken salad ($6.75), while Andre went for the chicken parmesan ($10.50). The strips of boneless chicken in my salad had been marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing for a mildly tangy flavor, and they were served over an incredible assortment of garden vegetables. On the other side of the table, Andre's dinner was so enormous, it looked as though an entire box of penne, cooked perfectly to an al dente firmness, had been dumped on his plate. What else could Andre have possibly wanted after this? Dessert, of course. We chose the two specials for $3.95 each -- a slice of carrot cake topped with a light, whipped-cream frosting and the strawberry cheesecake, a crust-lover's dream with a graham-cracker layer on both top and bottom. A perfect end to this perfect culinary picture.(1/98)

NONNA CHERUBINA, 2317 West Shore Road, Warwick, 738-5221. Nona Cherubina is Italian for "little angelic grandmother," which is quite the ambitious role model for the so-named Warwick restaurant. Yet this image captures its ambiance as well as its offerings, which can be thought of as northern Italian comfort food. Apparently gone is the day when the main reason for presenting that region's cuisine on this side of the Atlantic was to yank the national culinary flag from the hands of southern Italian restaurant proprietors. Nona Cherubina reveals what we suspected all along: at home and curtains drawn, northerners like a good tomato sauce as much as any Neapolitan. I chose the Pollo Garibaldi ($12.95) for my main course, while my companion had the Sogliola Ricca ($16.95). Although the split and pounded chicken on my plate was a little dry, the side dish of timballo, a lasagne-like portion of baked pasta, had a delicious red sauce on top and a dreamy béchamel sauce layered within. The Sogliola Ricca, a filet of sole lightly battered and sautéed in olive oil, was topped with what was described on the menu as a "creamy sauce of olives, garlic, and parsley." Who says Sicilians have more fun? (1/98)

WOODY'S, 21 Pier Market Place, Narragansett, 789-9500. When a small breakfast cafe in Westerly began serving dinner almost three years ago, it was the buzz of foodies in South County. Well, the buzz about Woody's (named after a fictional dog) has started up again, because owners Ted and Kim Monahan have reopened, this time in Narragansett. Although the first of their appetizers (called tapas) nods toward the Southwest (squash-and-red-pepper quesadillas with a chipotle crème fraîche) and a Provençal broth provides the base for two seafood dishes, most of the Monahan's specials are Italian, or, more specifically, Tuscan, as in a spicy white-bean sauce and the Tuscan bread salad. For an entrée, my choice had thick slices of grilled pizza as its first layer, sundried tomato couscous as the second, and a mound of roasted vegetables decoratively placed on top. My mate had the Mediterranean ravioli with white-bean sauce ($16.01). Delicious. We're glad the Monahans are back.(1/98)