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.

ATOMIC GRILL, 99 Chestnut St., Providence (621-8888). Atomic Grill does a great job of combining the exotic with the tried-and-true. Cream of mushroom soup, that cultural icon in a red-and-white Campbell's can? Why not add gorgonzola to whack taste buds upside the head, and throw in roasted red peppers for good measure? Pork chops? Hmm . . . why not do a Mexican motif, including black bean gravy? For starters on our recent visit, I sampled their chili ($2.75/$3.50) and loved its tang, mellow heat and the odd offering of carrot chunks in lieu of beans. My companion and I also shared the tempura mushroom sampler ($5.95), batter-fried portobello pieces, plus shiitake and crimini with a tamari dipping sauce spiked with sake. Delicious. All in all, Oriental tastes are frequent opportunities at Atomic Grill. A signature dish is the tuna steak with a thorough "Far East" treatment, from the bok choy salad to the fiery wasabi. For her entrée, my partner picked a special of the day, grilled Atlantic salmon ($14.50), and wasn't disappointed. Fresh and moist, the fish was wrapped in grilled zucchini and placed over slow-roasted potatoes. We finished up with a piece of "to die for" Key lime pie, a return to a more conventional offering. But whether you're looking for traditional fare or something fresh and exciting, the Atomic Grill delivers with flare. (11/98)

CHEZ PASCAL, 960 Hope St., Providence (421-4422). Fans of Pascal Lefray's cooking may now enjoy it in a location more suited to its elegance than the converted diner in Bonnet Shores where Chez Pascal often had lines out the door. Pascal and wife Lynn have reopened in the space previously occupied by La France and Applause, expanding from dinner into lunches, Sunday brunch, a takeout and a catering menu. Such ambition is justified given the dearth of French restaurants in Rhode Island and Chef Pascal's expert hand in the kitchen. We began our recent meal there with a Mediterranean fish soup ($5.50) and a watercress and endive salad ($4.95). Both were excellent, with the soup's rich purée of fish stock and vegetables forming a wonderful meld of flavors. For dinner, my dining partner chose the chicken breast in Dijon sauce ($14.50), and I couldn't resist the capellini with scallops in lobster sauce ($18.95). The roast chicken was fork-tender, with a delicate mustard sauce. The tiny Bay scallops in a lobster cream sauce with a hint of tarragon proved to be delightful as well -- a tango of tastes with no one flavor showing up the others. Desserts are a specialty at Chez Pascal, so it's difficult to choose just one. But we eventually settled on an almond-pear tart with vanilla ice cream ($4.50). The pastry was flaky, the almond cream a nice compliment to the pears, and the fruit itself firm and sweet -- the perfect close to a sublime meal at a classy new location. (11/98)

PAST & PRESENTS, 2753 Main Rd., Tiverton (624-2890). Past & Presents is an entertaining idea that, fortunately, got out of hand. In 1994, it started out in another location as a Victorian gift shop and, as part of a natural progression, added a tea room two years ago. Last month, it turned a spacious portion of the gift shop into a dining room, and the merriment continues. The place doesn't take itself seriously at all. Excessive décor and wordplays in the menu (such as the appetizer "Silence of the Clams" stew, $9.95) establish a kind of campiness for blue-hairs with a sense of the absurd. For dinner, my regular dining partner ordered "Mr. Bill's Grilled Baby Buggy Bumper Caps" ($6.95). (The proprietors are Bill and Judy Galloway.) These consisted of a portobello mushroom cap grilled in olive oil and topped with pesto, sundried tomatoes, and goat cheese. A tasty choice. I had something titled "Destination: Orient Express." The two fat pork chops , marinated in a plum sauce, were delicious, and the concoction they lay atop wasn't bad either, just a bit bland. For afternoon tea, the restaurant offers a three-tier assortment of finger sandwiches, desserts, scones and so forth for $12 a person, as well as a la carte sandwich and salad choices. Overall, Past & Present is a lot of fun. What it may lack in culinary finesse it certainly makes up for in sense of humor. (11/98)