PROVIDENCE BOOKSTORE CAFE

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 sauteed 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.

Full review.