EAST AVENUE CAFE,

Friday night in Pawtucket. Nomar Garciaparra is up at bat. The drama plays itself out on all eight TV screens at the boisterous and hospitable East Avenue Cafe. But except for a quick cheer as Nomar gets a hit, there is even more drama in the fabulous food that arrives in mega-amounts to the booths lining the cafe's walls. The caliber of the straightforward food, the astounding portions, and amazing prices are the proof of the pudding, so to speak (actually, the cafe's only dessert is mud pie). The appetizers run the gamut of bar items, from the predictable -- fries, French or Cajun; wings, Buffalo or boneless; potato skins, plain, or Mexican -- to the not so predictable -- gator, cornbread, and mud bugs. The soup of the day is until 6 p.m. Highlights include fish and chips, baby-back ribs, aseafood selections, such as mussels and scallops zuppa or seafood Mardi Gras; pastas, such as chicken and broccoli pesto, or beef piscatelli; and grilled items, such as sirloin and London broil. There is also an impressive line-up of 21 sandwiches, which doesn't even include the five burger variations and eight roll-ups, all of which have a choice of fries, "cowboy beans," rice pilaf, pasta salad, coleslaw or potato chips. Prices range from a grilled cheese and tomato at $3.99 to a chicken cutlet at $6.99.

Full review.