The first time I had lunch in the basement of the Sons of Italy lodge in East Providence was almost 10 years ago. I’d begun a new job in the East Bay, and a workmate thought I should be introduced to this local treasure. I could smell fresh garlic in olive oil before we even opened the door. Down we descended into a jam-packed room, with high-backed wooden booths and dark wood paneling, a veritable den of Italian home cooking.

When the Spirito brothers took over the place about three-and-a-half years ago, they whitewashed the wood paneling, took out some of the booths, and spread white tablecloths around to lighten up the space. With its low ceilings, latticed room dividers, and oversized Tudoresque chairs, it still has the feel of an uncle’s rec room, but in a welcoming, homey way. And the aroma of fresh garlic is still the first thing that hits you.

So you’re more than ready to jump into the appetizers, whether the giant antipasto, homemade stuffies, clams zuppa, or snail salad. We gravitated toward the "farmer’s special" ($6.95), composed of cannellini beans with red onion and tons of cappicola, served with three tomato/Parmesan bruschetta. Cappicola was one of the first Italian cold cuts I learned about from my Sicilian/Puerto Rican husband, because its smoky flavor had made it one of his all-time favorites.

He couldn’t resist ordering the fried smelts with hot peppers ($6.95), another throwback to his childhood. I found them too fishy for my taste, though a bite of hot pepper combined with smelt took some of that away. Bill, however, was in his glory, polishing off the large portion of smelts for his omega-3 quotient for a month.

At Spirito’s, dinner entrees, such as veal, chicken, and seafood dishes, are served with soup or salad, pasta or potato, and vegetables. Pasta entrees come with either soup or salad, and a choice of penne, linguine, bowties, or capellini. Our nearby diners were regulars who drive down from Lincoln, and they recommended "everything on the menu," particularly the veal spitzatta (simmered in a marinara sauce with peas or mushrooms) and veal marsala.

And though the chicken is served in five variations — francese, marsala, parmigiana, saltimbocca, and rosemary — I was attracted by the special that night, an old Italian chestnut, chicken cacciatore ($12.95). Speaking of chestnuts, the mood music in the restaurant consisted of favorites by Louis Prima, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra.

The cacciatore was listed on the blackboard as "bone-in," the only real way to have it, since the whole chicken is cut up, browned in olive oil, and then simmered with veggies, spices, and wine. Cacciatore means "hunter-style," though why someone would be hunting chickens in Italy is beyond me. I can only assume rabbit cacciatore was more common traditionally, and that "bone-in" was the only way to go around a campfire.

Spirito’s version had plenty of onions, green peppers, and tomatoes, with a heft that could warm you to the toes, certainly a plus in the recent chill. I ordered it with pasta, and the marinara sauce was super-yummy. The chicken escarole soup was also delicious, and the salad quite generous, with a nice house balsamic vinaigrette. But I’m putting all restaurants on notice: don’t ruin salads with those tinny-tasting canned olives when so many better ones are readily available.

OK, down from the soapbox, on to Bill’s entrée: the squid sauce over linguine, with a meatball on the side. Bill swooned over the very large meatball in its marinara — our waitress told us the meatballs are a favorite of hers — and he also enjoyed the squid sauce, though he did murmur that it was a bit thin to stick to the pasta. (I found it too fishy for my tastes, but, again, that’s just me.)

The desserts that night included imported spumoni and Gregg’s chocolate cake. We chose the spumoni ($3.95), and it was a good-sized wedge surrounded by swirls of cherry and chocolate syrup, topped with whipped cream.

Spirito’s has a full bar next to the dining room, and a large function room upstairs (this is, after all, a Sons of Italy lodge). Bill had a glass of an Australian Shiraz with dinner, and I had a ginger ale-pineapple juice combo, with free refills from the waitress. Spirito’s really hops on weekends, and there are no reservations for parties of fewer than six people, so it’s best to get there early. But the meet-and-greet neighborhood feel of the place is best experienced when it’s busy. So stick around as it fills up, and soon you’ll be treated like a native.