Top-notch taste treats
By Providence Phoenix Staff

Best excuse to set fire to a garden
Maybe it all started out in some Cro-Magnon cave, or maybe they stole it from the Neanderthals. Whatever. At some point somebody discovered that you could hold more than a hunk of dead mastodon over the fire and char the hell out of it to improve its taste. Okay, the Neanderthals tried it too long with rocks and that's why they're not still around. But eventually the news got to Lebanon, the birthplace of Joseph Karan, the proprietor/chef with his wife/hostess Aline, of OPA!, the Middle Eastern bistro and café. His baba ghanoush would make a hardened Beirut bazaar-bargainer weep. For the traditional mashed eggplant dip, he takes the time to grill the vegetable black, imparting a deep smokiness that makes the hell-bent burst into tears.
244 Atwells Avenue, Providence, 401.351.8282

Best place to attain that 'Buon Gusto' feeling
Owner Ezio Gentile and his staff provide "pleasures of the palette" seven days a week at the SUNFLOWER CAFÉ, a cozy hideaway (about a dozen houses from Oaklawn Avenue) specializing in various regions of Italian homecooking in a quaint and charming atmosphere. Following the tradition of clay pot cooking from resident culinary superhero chef Walter Potenza, the Sunflower redefines comfort food with dishes such as gnocchi alla caprese, baked to perfection with eggplant, fresh mozzarella, and basil in one of the best red sauces you'll find in Rhode Island. There are plenty of ocean classics (the Risotto Della Chef, Italy's version of paella, if you will, is worth the trip alone), steak, and chop specials. The lunch menu is also worth noting, with exceptional grilled panini with salad included for under $10, including chicken and veal parm, prosciutto with roasted red peppers, and a vegetarian version, to name a few. Or set the tone for the perfect post-lunch power nap with the baked lasagna Bolognese or the spaghetti alla carbonara, a luscious combo of pancetta, onions, and eggs in cream sauce. Buon appetito!
162 Mayfield Avenue, Cranston | 401.463.6444

Best haven among the chains
It's been a harrowing day at the malls, and you're yearning for something quieter and more out-of-the-ordinary than the usual chain restaurant. Smack in the middle of dozens of chains sits PANGEA DELI & BISTRO (formerly Fat Cat Deli). As its name suggests, the cooks here go for "world cuisine," meaning a bit of everything from pizza to coconut shrimp, Greek salad to meat loaf. And they do it with a light touch. The "white and green" pizza is delicious, mozzarella and ricotta with spinach and broccoli. The meat loaf is hugely popular, as are the free-range chicken and pork entrees (free-range beef upon request). Even the brownie sundae, with house-made fudge sauce, now has Breyer's vanilla. It's a veritable panoply at Pangea!
1000 Bald Hill Road, Warwick | 401.821.7770

Best statewide strip joint
But there's something different about a pizza strip from DEPETRILLO'S PIZZA AND BAKERY (or "tomato pie," as sometimes referred to by visiting New Yawkers). Maybe it's the rich red sauce (the thick, white wax paper is indefensible) or the crunchy texture of the favored corner pieces, but a strip from these nondescript, small confides is light years better than anything you'll ever find on the counter of a convenience store. Grab a bag of three for under $2 and load up on the napkins. They should also be commended for the white strip, with a dash of olive oil and herbs, plus their spinach pies, stromboli, and calzones (check the day-old section and score) along with traditional, generously cheesy pizzas (also available in strips). Tailgating just wouldn't be the same without a party tray of strips, usually 16 pieces cut in thirds and boxed up, the perfect companion to a 30-rack of cheap brew and pot brownies.
105 Pleasant View Avenue, Smithfield | 401.231.4600 1727 Warwick Avenue, Warwick | 401.732.3331
919 Main Street, West Warwick | 401.823.4500
797 Tiogue Avenue, Coventry | 401.828.4300

Best portside view
No, it's not one of the bustling Galilee restaurants, overlooking the arrivals and departures of the Block Island Ferry. It's the other side of that channel, in Jerusalem, at a bustling (and seasonal) restaurant called JIM'S DOCK, which actually sits right on a dock, with all kinds of boats tied up to it. From the side porch or the front deck of Jim's, you can watch the ferry emerge from the heavy fog or count the fishing boats coming in. One or the other of them stops almost daily at Jim's, offering the best of its catch, be it cod, flounder, swordfish, or scallops (sometimes listed as "Karen Elizabeth scallops" on the menu, after that boat). Jim's is a family operation, inside and out. Many staff are part of owner Dave DeCubellis's family; many customers bring their entire families, three or four generations worth (Jim's has been here more than 30 years).
109 Succotash Road, East Matunuck | 401.783.2050

Best way to brush up on Greek myths
It may not be what you had in mind to do during a luxurious dinner, but if you eat facing the mural in the dining room at ZOOMA, you might ponder its images and scurry to Google. Actually, you can ask one of the extremely helpful staff and they'll hand you a flyer that explains that it's a reproduction of the bottom third of a 1534 fresco titled "The Fall of the Giants" by Giulio Romano, from the Palazzo del Te in Mantua, that depicts Jupiter and Hercules's defeat of the monster-like Giants. Executive chef Giacomo Iannelli Vino favored this fresco and who can argue with someone who turns out such delicious items as wood-grilled peppers with fresh mint, tagliatelle with porcinis and garlic, and a veal braciola that plants on smile on anyone with a smidge of Italian heritage? Go for the food and the service and maybe sit with your back to the Giants.
245 Atwells Avenue, Providence | 401.383.2002

Best chance to chill out a bar fight mood
You're feelin' ornery. You haven't pried the cap off a brew with your teeth in hours, and you're hankerin' to pull on a flannel shirt, quit your job, and become a cowpoke. Well, step into the TEXAS ROADHOUSE. They have a hard-hided mascot, just like you, Andy Armadillo, and they've even brightened his scowl into a beaming grin over time. A complementary bucket of peanuts is on every table, and the waitstaff keeps smiling even if you go wild and get some on the floor. Teeth still tinglin'? Their steaks and ribs come in "Texas Size Combos" and the sides are made from scratch. Jus' like Mama's. If all else fails, every half-hour or so, the waitstaff drops what they're doing and joins in a line dance. That should do it.
99 Garfield Avenue, Cranston | 401.994.1900

Best variation on the official state appetizer
We've come a long way from Captain Nemo. Beginning in 1954, when that giant calamari wrapped around the Nautilus in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, anti-squid sentiments persisted for years as eyes widened in horror staring down at tentacled seafood. But then Rhode Island came to the aid of a traumatized nation, training recent generations to admire the maligned mollusk and sending many across the country to spread the word. Trouble is, the simplest version - tossed with pepper rings or pepperoncini - got locked into tradition. To the rescue came the BLUEFIN GRILLE calamari, the signature appetizer batter-fried, with frisée and a soy-wasabi vinaigrette, for some bitter-hot-salty activity to wake up your taste buds. As for later dreams of giant squid, diners are still on their own.
Charles and Orms streets, Providence | 401.272.5852

Best reason to eat with your fingers
If there was ever a time to get down and dirty with your food, it would be summer at the SAKONNET FISH CO., when they have delectable seasonal steamers. These soft-shell clams are most often associated with Boston's North Shore or Maine's coast, but this past year, Sakonnet featured Rhode Island steamers, born and bred, and they were sweeter and fatter than any others. Owner Michael Galvin picks his seafood very carefully and tries to get as many of his ingredients as possible from Newport County, including wines. He serves local cod, New Bedford scallops, and a customer favorite: seafood "lasagna," with shrimp, scallops, and lobster in a cream sauce. Other popular items are lobster cakes, a raw tuna parfait, and the crab margarita with fruit salsa. Eating local seafood while looking over Blue Bell Pond to the Mt. Hope Bridge - what could be better?
657 Park Avenue, Portsmouth | 401.683.1180 | www.sakonnetfish.com

Best edit on nostalgia
Every period has a Golden Age. The dissatisfied '00s have several, but conveying special oomph is the birth-of-rock 'n' roll era, the '50s. So the BLUE PLATE DINER sells nostalgia, albeit revisionist, as much as food. Outside, it's sleek metal, glistening tiles, and glowing blue neon. Inside it's that same general impression, but through the prism of a backward look. There's stainless steel and a black-and-blue color scheme, but also wisecracks emblazoned above, such as "V. Thou Shalt Not Worship Golden Arches" and "VIII. Thou Shalt Not Hang Out and Order Nothing but Coffee." The diner is less a trip back in a time machine than a rewrite of the period's history for today's twenty- and thirtysomethings (Buffalo hot wings instead of liver and onions). But they do have an "Oven-Roasted 'Mile-High' Turkey Dinner," which sure as hell beats ye olde Swanson TV dinners.
665 West Main Road, Middletown | 401.848.9500

Best and easiest choice in ages
Hmmm, lemme see, don't tell me. Banquet table groaning with bounty? Or starvation? Uh - feast! FEAST OR FAMINE has come up with the best subliminally effective name since Oklahoma! Subtle subtext: eat hearty - you do not live in Bangladesh. To be fair, chef/proprietor David Sepulveda's menu explanation is: "When it comes to all aspects of food, whether cooking or eating, I think it should be done right, or not done at all. Hence our name." (A bank called Richer or Poorer might be even more successful.) By the way, the food here is quite good, if you can get over the guilt trip. Try their take on the current trend in eggplant rotellini: chèvre-filled, two-tone sauce topping thin eggplant slices not prepped in advance as at most places but fried up to order.
495 Main Street, Warren | 401.289.0422

Best of both worlds Step into PEARL RESTAURANT & LOUNGE and you will instantly forget its miserably desolate surroundings on Charles Street (over near the Wendy's, if that helps). Pearl has quickly become the preferred spot for those looking for a wonderful dining experience - from ambience to service to consistency, Pearl has it all - followed by an evening of martini-sipping and people-watching all under one roof. Barely a year young, Pearl's reputation for innovative dishes has spread throughout New England and has become a must-do when visiting the Biggest Little. Start with the scallop and bacon chowder and a platter of fresh Blue Point oysters, then face some tough decisions between entrees like the Ahi tuna with vegetable risotto and mango puree, a pistachio-encrusted chicken pesto dish, or a perfectly prepared lobster ravioli in a chardonnay and cream reduction with spinach and mozzarella. And don't let the pretty-boy vibe dissuade you from one of their prime beef selections, such as the 14-ounce sirloin or 22-ounce cowboy cut with choice of five sauces (we love the onion and bacon ragout in au jus). But Pearl is also about the nightlife, recently acknowledged alongside heavyweights Tabu in Vegas and the Abbey in West Hollywood for Best Lounge at the 2005 Club World Awards.
393 Charles Street, Providence | 401.331-3000 | www.pearlrestaurant.net

Best place to hear 'I can't believe I'm eating at the old Fiddler's Green!' Long live the mullets who once stumbled around Fiddler's Green at the top of Warwick Neck, but locals now flock to Rocky Point Pub, home of ROCKY POINT PIZZA, a newish favorite on West Shore Road. Flanked by local legends George's Pizza and Michael's Deli, the Rocky Point kitchen has quickly made a name for itself with damn good burgers and chicken sandwiches, plus some creative "premium pizza" options such as chicken pesto, "The Lisbon" with chourico, onions, and peppers, and "The Old West" with BBQ chicken, bacon, and red onions. Grab a large with two toppings for less than 10 bucks, or choose from 18 giant calzone variations, as well as grinders and a full page of appetizers (whatever you do, try the cottage-cut buffalo fries) while relaxing at a window booth or dropping Jaeger bombs at the bar. And if that isn't enough, the Pub inexplicably boasts Belly's Star in the jukebox - nice.
1705 West Shore Road, Warwick | 401.738.0500

Best liquid dessert
That's the famed concoction found at one of Federal Hill's finest, CASSARINO'S. Pull up a chair at the bar and have one of the feisty red-headed bartenders Melissa or Derek shake up this potent coffee milk martini of sorts (call the Autocrat people - we could be on to something). Regardless of the season, the Liquid Dessert ($7.50) is the perfect cap on a consistently perfect meal courtesy of chef (and JWU alum) Steve Renzi and staff (along with a knowledgeable waitstaff lead by house manager Steve Anderson); whether it's the meat-and-potatoes deluxe Bistecca Sicilian with roasted potatoes and kalamatas, or the sumptuous roasted duck with raspberry demi-glace atop a goat cheese and asparagus-infused risotto, you gotta top it off with the Liquid Dessert. The balsamic calamari is reason enough to drop in on Rich Cassarino and Co. and see what's cooking.
177 Atwells Avenue, Providence | 401.751.3333

Best consciousness-raising about a garnish
Forget the slice of orange, the frilly kale leaf, the sprig of parsley. Chef/owner James Cavanaugh of PRONTO wants to truly spark his diners' appetites with such accoutrements as house-pickled Bermuda onions and house-marinated mushrooms. Whether they accompany a seafood crepe, an arugula salad, or even find their way inside a delicious vegetable cannelloni, these treats are a harbinger of good things to come, with a Mediterranean/Italian twist: classic or vegan paellas, Moroccan shrimp brochette, veal chops with goat cheese polenta, grilled tenderloin sprinkled with Gorgonzola. Another dish with great garnishes is the roasted half-chicken, served in early summer (the menu changes seasonally) with a lemony sundried tomato and pine nut mixture, broiled plum tomatoes, mashed potatoes, and roasted asparagus spears. The house-made desserts sprout their own garnishes: not just sliced strawberries, but a strawberry coulis with the dreamy chocolate mousse in a dark-chocolate shell.
464 Thames Street, Newport | 401.847.5251.

Best post-trial breakfast
A morning arraignment can stir up a ravenous appetite. So you find yourself in the Apponaug clink for the evening, and Warwick's finest hand delivers your ass to the Kent County Courthouse, but no worries - grease the appropriate palms and you'll still have enough left over for a hearty platter of breakfast grub across the street at PAT'S PLACE. Like seemingly every other breakfast spot in this state, Pat's is continually bustling on weekends when the doors close at noon (and open only until 2 pm daily). But the veteran waitresses expeditiously sling hash, so there's usually an open booth. The Texas French toast special arrives with eggs, home fries, and bacon for under $6, and the baked beans with eggs, toast, home fries, and sausage, along with free refills on the iced coffee, is a hearty hangover cure.
35 Quaker Lane, Warwick | 401.826.2897

Best celebration of the staff of life
The Israelites had manna, and right away started the kvetching. "His piece is bigger than mine." "Awww, the schmaltz is all gone." Enough, already. Artisinal breads notwithstanding, arguably the apotheosis of flour and water (yeah - and sugar and cream, etc.) is a great bread pudding. A good bread pudding, not so much. It's easy to pander and cheat, perhaps by adding chunks of dark chocolate, but a version with integrity is hard to find. Bits of apricot stud GOLD'S bread pudding like raisins in a common cobbler, with slivers of toasted almond on top like jewels in a crown. Eccentrically, it comes not in a bowl but rather on a plate, in two tender wedges. On top the amaretto sauce is such a perfect complement that it was likely voted there by the other ingredients. Superb. 21B Valley Road, Middletown | 401.849.3377

Best name-dropping décor
For a huge dose of camp and a smattering of nostalgia, don't be shy about leaning over other diners to look at the photos (many autographed) hung on the walls at CONVERSATIONS. The photos came from Rose Ferrino's ownership of the restaurant, formerly known as the Golden Lantern and formerly located next door to the Warwick Musical Theater, aka "the Tent." Thus the photo collection, plus a baby grand that Liberace gave Rose and a roomful of straight-out-of-The Jetsons round vinyl-upholstered chairs on gold rollers, in shades of pink and turquoise. The menu is heavily Italian, with mussels zuppa, snail salad, broccoli rabe, tortellini with prosciutto, and artichoke hearts and a very tasty marinara sauce. But the menu of stars is more memorable: from Steve and Eydie to Eddy Arnold, Wayne Newton to Andy Williams, Debbie Reynolds to Burt Reynolds, Bill Cosby to Don Rickles.
1050 Main Street, East Greenwich | 401.884.5868

Best texture dance in a dish
If you know someone who loves capellini but is afraid to order it, send him or her to CAFÉ DE VIE for Raul Ibarra's inventive "baked capellini." The pasta, in a delicious balsamic reduction, is flashed in a hot oven, so that the top strands are crispy, while the ones on the bottom of the heap remain quite moist. This was one of Ibarra's specials, with both scallops and shrimp tossed with the pasta. But this small deli/bistro is also great for a morning coffee stop (with complimentary biscotti) or for soup, salad, or sandwiches at lunch - from the rare Angus wrap to the grilled Cuban to the PB&J with grape jam. Ibarra's Latino heritage kicks in with a fantastic flan, as dense as a cheesecake, draped with the requisite caramelized sugar. Other homemade goodies are pies, muffins, quiches, and crepes.
3 Richmond Square, Providence | 401.454.1373 | www.cafedevie.com

Best thing to make a grown man weep
At least that's the rumor about the chicken pot pie from the PASTA PATCH deli/ takeout spot when a particular gent was told that all 65 of the pot pies made that day had already been sold. He would have had to settle for chicken parmigiana, mozzarella, cacciatore, or lemon - or maybe just chicken soup with veggies and pasta. If he scanned the 16-plus entrées, he might have discovered that the eggplant parmigiana could arouse the same fervor. Or one of the half-dozen pizzas, seven sauces, six fresh pastas, six soups, or two salads. A veritable feast can be purchased and heated at home. Most of the entrées are packaged in foil pans and sold fresh, though some with cream sauces are frozen when they're assembled. One portion of chicken pot pie will feed two or three people, unless you have the cravings of the aforementioned customer.
183 Old Forge Road, Warwick | 401.884.1234 [phone orders accepted]

Best-kept South County secret
Pat and Phil Durigan have been serving up some of South County's freshest and finest seafood for more than 20 years at the legendary TWIN WILLOWS in Narragansett, easily located on Route 1. The giant bar area boasts 18 beers on tap, including Widmer's, which goes great with the hefty number of land and sea platters, two full pages of grinders, burgers, and wraps, and a blackboard of daily specials posted on the dining room wall. The outdoor deck is the perfect late-summer spot to enjoy a pound of steamers and a bowl of "South County-style" chowder with clam cakes. The $15 steak platters are also mouthwatering, and the surf 'n' turf with fried clams is a steal at $16.99. Yum.
865 Boston Neck Rd, Narragansett | 401.789.8153

Best reason to take it slow First there's the making of the levain (leavening) - from flour, water, crushed grapes, and the natural yeasts in the air - which takes up to 24 hours. Then there's the mixing (of organic flours), the kneading, and the rising. Then there's the baking, in a 20,000-brick masonry oven fired by red oak, ash, and maple that had burned for eight hours before it was the right temperature. Then there's the hope and faith that it will come out in time to make it to the five farmers' markets and six retail outlets that carry MAXIE'S BREAD in its two-dozen imaginative incarnations, alphabetically from asiago-and-garlic-puree to whole wheat with raisins and walnuts. Different breads arrive on different days at the markets, with newcomers such as jalapeno/cheddar, whole wheat pugliese (an Italian loaf), and Portuguese sweetbread soon jostling for shelf space. Don't miss the walnut-gorgonzola!
9 Cedar Swamp Road, Unit 3, Smithfield | 401.233.2233 | www.maxiesbread.com

Best publicized secret ingredient
Psst. Wanna buy a secret sauce? Look like you'll tip generously and the Kokopelli sauce on the Rock House chicken, billed "Top Secret," is yours. It's over the pecan-encrusted chicken breast at SEDONA, next to the Red Rock Bar & Grill. Tangy, with an indefinable, off-center sweetness you can't identify no matter how much you pester your taste buds. Where do we start the bidding? Coca-Cola has their secret formula locked in a vault in Atlanta. Colonel Sanders evidently took his to the grave, judging from the subsequent product. Those possessing the knowledge of food industry secret ingredients are customarily accorded great status in corporate boardrooms and at bar mitzvahs. So do we hear the frenzied bidding starting? Okay, okay: melon liqueur. Don't say we never gave you anything.
6105 Post Road, North Kingstown | 401.884.1800

Best advice you can get
Sure, you can get all skeptical scientist about it and stick to experimenting. But the best way to learn about good restaurants, and the standout dishes there, is to rely on recommendations from people you trust. Thus was discovered, and passed on to Phoenix readers in a restaurant review, the elixir-like red clam sauce at SOPHIA'S TUSCAN GRILLE - the red, not the white. (Although for all we know the white has its partisans and is served on special banquet occasions by Poseidon.) First a foodie mailman touted it. Then in the restaurant itself, a stranger stepped up and volunteered the same advice. On linguine, a half-dozen in-shell little neck clams join a generous amount of clam chunks, along with lots of pancetta and a tomato broth light enough to taste through. Poseidon, eat your heart out.
1729 Warwick Avenue, Warwick | 401.732.6656

Best late-night EZ-on/EZ-off breakfast
STACY'S RESTAURANT could also be heralded as the best alternative to Bickford's when out carousing or clubbing downtown. Take the Allens Avenue exit and bear right at the sex shop - Stacy's is easy to miss, but spot their sandwich board at the light and you know they're open. (And the 95 North onramp is directly across the street for those of us fully aware that Johnny Law has a piqued interest when he spots a carload of hungry pub crawlers cruising at 3 am.) Stacy's reopens after 10 pm and frequently stays open until 4 am on weekends. The tiny parking lot coincides with the shoebox interior, but a platter of bacon and eggs here is consistently better than most when it comes to night owl noshing.
489 Allens Avenue, Providence | 401.941.9474

Best comidas a los gringos
There's mamacita-style and then there's aficionado-style. Afición implies passion when food is involved, as opposed to calmer, though authoritative, motherly involvement in the kitchen. Matt and Dana Wronski opened TIO MATEO'S MEXICAN GRILLE, a casual rather than chichi restaurant, with the attitude of wanting to share a cuisine they love. They will not stand there and make you clean your plate, although you probably will on your own. They are food mavens, opening Greenwich Bay Gourmet four summers ago, and they are both chefs, tired of slaving in the upscale San Francisco restaurant scene. Tio Mateo's and its offerings are simple. Cal-Mex burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos, and such, including entrée salads. The refried beans are correctly pintos. The shrimp are marinated in lime juice and cilantro, sliced in half to better pick up flavor. Feliz apetito.
537 Main Street, East Greenwich | 401.886.1973

Best sports bar after taking a beating from your bookie
So you got pummeled on that three-game teaser Sunday afternoon. No problem - let it ride, roll some change, and enjoy the Monday night festivities at TOMASELLI'S BAR AND GRILL. From 9-11:30 pm, they offer dollar apps, including mozzarella sticks on steroids, fries, three choices of wings, and garlic bread, to name a few. All of which go great with the six-pack buckets of Bud for only $9. Owner Joe Tomaselli recently expanded his business with a smaller pizza parlor in Cranston, but his original West Warwick location is still the place to be on Monday nights for the male soap opera that is the National Football League. The Steak Supreme sub and $5 calzone baskets are legendary, as are the dozen burger options (the Jack burger and Island Blue are personal favorites), and we're going on the record here proclaiming the state's best chicken nachos ($8.99) are in West Wark.
293 Providence Street, West Warwick | 401.822.7788

Best Italian grinder pizza
Business is booming at ALBANESE'S DELIZIOSO DELI, a far more prolific location than their previous Pontiac Avenue address of a few years back. Rhode Islanders are loyal to their deli and pizza shops, and Albanese's offers the best of both, plus a giant case of prepared Italian-influenced dishes sold by the pound (tortellini salad, ravioli, snail salad, and sausage and peppers, to name a few) offer difficult decisions when stopping in for a quick lunch. The Italian tuna is fantastic and specialty dishes like chicken marsala and veal and mushrooms are available as subs; a huge selection of spinach pies, calzones, and pizza are available to heat and go (or dine in), including a delicious turkey, bacon, and cheese roll for under $3. We also salute the specialty pizzas - the BBQ chicken, the Meatman, and the vegetarian pizzas are all worth the drive. Oh, and don't forget the Hot Weiner Pizza (thankfully not served up on the arm of a hairy Greek guy) or the Italian Pizza, which will duly satisfy that sub-or-pizza dilemma, with fresh tomato, capicola (or "gobbagool," as we Italians say), pepperoni, salami, provolone, onions, and hot peppers layered on a deliciously crunchy crust.
1288 Oaklawn Avenue, Cranston | 401.463.5545

Best add-on to pasta You can have your fresh-grated parmesan, your red pepper flakes, even your grilled shrimp or chicken. The generous portion of bleu cheese you can order as an add-on to a simple fettucine Alfredo at DYLAN'S is akin to gilding the lily (or buttering the cheese), but it's worth it. Never mind that Dylan's has made its reputation on steaks, the popular "turf and turf" (Teriyaki chicken breast and Black Angus steak, with seven possibilities for sauce, from Bernaise to blackjack), and tenderloin tips atop pasta. They also know how to set out a fine salad bar (with slice-your-own bread), fill a huge basket of "Aunt Kim's Nachos" (dripping with cheese and accompanied by salsa, guacamole and sour cream), and cap the meal with a homemade dessert (though you have to call ahead and request it!).
2 Canal Street, Westerly | 401.596.4075

Best place for a fireside chat
Next to a 200-year-old chimney that has hearths on three sides, you can warm hands and hearts while taking in the open-beam ceiling and the hardwood floors of a house originally built by Revolutionary War veteran and Rhode Island Supreme Court justice Henry Remington. REMINGTON HOUSE INN is on a stretch of Post Road once known as "Judges' Row," and though its food pays homage to New England favorites, it's also very up-to-date. Touching on the Portuguese influence in Rhode Island kitchens, the clams Remington includes chouriço with the tomatoes and onions; claiming the Italian-American theme, it wraps the shrimp Remington in prosciutto and serves it with roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella. Old-fashioned beef Stroganoff and baked scrod are fine showpieces for the kitchen, as is the aurora sauce on pasta, containing sausage, chicken, and smoked tomatoes. And don't miss the bread pudding!
3376 Post Road, Warwick | 401.736.8388

Best right-brain / left-brain exercise
Very clever, those people that opened up the REVIVAL HOUSE CINEMA AND CAFÉ. They knew we wouldn't pay them any attention if they got all preachy at us talking about the need for affective/cognitive integration. So as a public service they established a place that allows us to eat and get the emotional comfort of food while we think about the movie we're watching. You may chow down or just nosh. There are panini hearty (pastrami and Swiss) or light (olive tapenade and mozzarella). Sure, you can watch It's a Wonderful Life on network TV come Christmas and the documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room on cable, but you don't have Kombucha Wonderdrink, Old Lyme Pecan Carmel Popcorn, and Scharffen-Berger chocolates in your pantry, do you?
42 High Street, Westerly, 401.315.2770 | www.revivalhouse.net

Best reason to burst into 'The Banana Boat Song'
What's not to like? You have your banana, that sweet apotheosis of high-fructose botany that has kept monkeys gibbering in delight for ages. You have your brown sugar and butter, which your mommy and your cardiologist might frown at, but what the hell. You even have your booze, and not just some wussy martini components but real yo-ho-ho dark rum. Nevertheless, as with the less adept in a Hogwarts potions class, just throwing the ingredients together and wishing is not enough. Chef Greg Murphy at NOODLE NATION makes a definitive Bananas Foster that would bring a sob to Harry Belafonte. Murphy adds banana liqueur to the Myers's rum, as in the original New Orleans recipe, and spoons well-crystallized chunks onto vanilla ice cream. Heavenly.
271 Newport Avenue, Pawtucket | 401.729.9600

Best lobster popover
The DEWOLF TAVERN on Thames Street Landing should be considered the quintessential "dining experience." Chef Sai Viswanath (a CIA grad) and general manager Melicia Phillips are the husband-and-wife team behind this truly special spot overlooking the Bristol waterfront. A renovated stone warehouse gleams with an almost overwhelming ambience and the menu delivers intriguing twists on classic New England favorites with a touch of contemporary India, presenting intricate tastes along with an amazing knack for all things shellfish. But the lobster popover appetizer, a five-star, gourmet Hot Pocket of sorts, is a crisp and airy shell slit to reveal generous chucks of lobster tail swimming in a savory bisque. Other intriguing apps include Tandoor roasted spicy quail legs with bacon and bleu cheese, tuna carpaccio, and steamed mussels in coconut milk. Unique, wide-eyed entrees include duck confit wrapped in Lotus leaf with tamarind fig sauce, to a filet mignon in red wine sauce with chestnut gnocchi and Maytag bleu cheese. Reservations recommended.
259 Thames Street, Bristol | 401.254.2005 | www.dewolftavern.com

Best enjoyable morning second chance
Some annual Rhode Island May breakfasts are, sad to say, for the birds. Tired home fries, watery scrambled eggs languishing in steam table trays for hours. You don't have to be Tevya to go Oy! at the tradition. But one event where such an avian reference is expected - you won't offend - is the BIRDS AND BREAKFAST SUNDAY in May each year at the Norman Bird Sanctuary. As you walk off that pile of potatoes, expert birders will help you differentiate a peregrine from a piping plover. Wear hiking shoes and appropriate clothing. Four hourly seatings begin at 7:30; guided bird walks, which are included, are from 6:30-11 am. The cost is $15 in advance and $20 at the door, $5 for children 4-12. Advanced reservations are recommended.
583 Third Beach Road, Middletown | 401.846.2577 | www.normanbirdsanctuary.org

Best meatball in a heel
TWIN OAKS will forever be the official restaurant of Rhode Island - period. Hidden from view off Reservoir Avenue (a small sign on a telephone pole is the only hint), the Oaks is equally renowned for its constantly bustling atmosphere and fleet-footed (and highly devoted) waitstaff. While some stand by the notion that the Italian dishes are a bit "eh" compared to Da Hill, it doesn't matter because 20 years from now your kids will be begging for their weekly visit to Twin Oaks for a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. They have plenty of red-gravy plates for lunch and dinner, and the next time you're craving that lunchtime meatball grinder, stop by and grab the Meatball In a Heel with fries for under $8. The enormous homemade meatballs are stuffed into a crusty half-loaf of Italian bread - hence the heel effect. And now that the lounge area isn't smoldering with cigars, grab a corner booth and enjoy all the Oaks has to offer without the infamous two-hour wait. (Do we really need to remind you that Twin Oaks doesn't accept reservations?)
100 Sabra Street, Cranston | 401.781.9693

Best dinner and a show
Not to worry, the newest neighbor in the Downcity theatre district remains one of the most romantic culinary venues in Rhode Island. Former Federal Hill tenant GRACIE'S now boasts the big windows and chic New York City bistro appeal, but it's just as cozy and inviting since leaving its almost cramped quarters. JWU grad Chris Carno oversees a stellar staff, and here's a toast to our favorite server, a southern gentleman by the name of James Dean. The food is pure art, noting the picturesque presentation of the seared sea scallop. Artesian cheese tasting also remains a perennial first-course favorite, and the autumn menu has Carno & Co. dishing out intriguing entrées such as poached Tasmanian King salmon with lobster cream, duck breast with crispy pear and Foie Gras wontons in a sage reduction, oven-roasted quail with apple and fig stuffing, and a giant grilled veal chop with sweet potato gnocchi, sautéed Swiss chard, and foraged mushrooms. The notably pricey dinner menu is worth every penny.
194 Washington Street, Providence, 401.272.7811 | www.graciesprov.com | Reservations at www.opentable.com

Best breakfast deal for dawn-greeters
You can snort all you want over the time you found a shelf of Beluga mis-priced as Sevruga. But far more meaningful as a bargain is the early bird special at PHIL'S. It's 99 cents. That's for two eggs, home fries, and toast, so long as you get there between the breakfast and lunch place's 6:30 am opening and 8 am. No typo: $0.99. That's less than coffee. The arrangement is simple: they let you chow down for near zip and you're more likely to return at a civilized hour and partake of something more profitable, such as the $5.25 Phil's 2s (two eggs, bacon strips, and sausage links, plus home fries, toast, and a pancake). Eat hearty.
323 Main Street, Wakefield | 401.783.4073
5000 South County Trail, Charlestown | 401.364.3609
909 Boston Neck Road, Narragansett | 401.789.1351
120 Knowlesway Extension, Narragansett | 401.792.9902

Best replacement for an olive
Ever since Sex & the City got actual male persons who were not actors to stand around with pink drinks in their beefy mitts, the consequences of draining the word cosmopolitan of all dignified meaning has gotten out of hand. These days, everybody and his grandmother is hawking specialty cocktails. (Have you tried our new Geritol martini, with just a splash of Manischewitz ?) There is hope. The caffeine component of the Susie's Espresso Martini at THE OAK is veering back toward the martini's manly origins - Absolut vodka, Kahlua, Frangelico, and a shot of espresso. But if it's made too heavy on the coffee liqueur, it gets too sweet and girly, so state how you want it to lean. Or . . . Double espresso with a shot of Strega, please, and a gin chaser, barkeep.
959 Hope Street, Providence | 401.273.7275 | www.restaurantoak.com

Best chili boat
We wouldn't call it Tex-Mex, and it's far from the authentic and sometimes daring dishes at Chilangos, our favorite taqueria, but the menu at MR. TACO'S QUE PASA! can hold its own with most Mexican-influenced restaurants in the state. In other words, if you won't go near a chimichanga but occasionally wolf down Meximelts at 3 am, Mr. Taco will bring you one step closer to realizing the full potential of Mexican eats - in West Warwick, of all places. The homemade chili is a recommended appetizer, served atop a thick slab of cornbread with cheese and onions. Or climb on the Chili Boat (regular or veggie, $3.99), with a mountain of chili ladled on tortilla chips, with cheese, onions, and any of the signature hot sauces (the spicy Chile Verde with rice is fantastic). It's also a great lunchtime spot - never too busy, plenty of a la carte items, and the economic option of indulging in the $2.50 margarita and sangria specials.
49 Providence Street, West Warwick | 401.828.7573

Best variation on a simple yummy theme
Every ethnic culinary tradition worth its weight in cholesterol has some sort of fried dough specialty. But all are not born equal. At ONLY THE FINEST COOKIES & WANDI (how's that for a store name worth remembering?), the ethereal delights called wandi will be wafted toward the ceiling in the draft if you open the door too eagerly. Yes, light. Ann Louise Ronci was making them and more than two dozen kinds of Italian cookies for her family for a decade before opening up shop to meet the requests of others. These puffy little bow ties dusted with powdered sugar start out as dough flavored with vanilla and sugar before being hand-rolled paper-thin and fried. A half-pound bag is $6.50. While you're there, try her crème de menthe pistachio chocolate-dipped cookies. Unique.
1486 Park Avenue, Cranston | 401.942.4208

Best idea for the pie-making challenged
"Can she make a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?" is the familiar question from an old folk song. And whether it's the "she" or the "he" who is expected to bake that pie for certain holidays, it's better to banish that blue cloud hanging over rolling pin and recipes and check out the SAKONNET RIVER PIE COMPANY instead. CIA grad Paul Bergeron makes artisanal pies, tarts, and berry pockets daily, following the seasonal, locally-grown fruits. Early fall might yield berries and peaches, but the proverbial cherry needs the summer heat. Autumn yields pies - with lattice or full tops - such as apple or pumpkin-praline and tarts containing pears, grapes, plums, and cranberries. Chocolate-mint or lemon tarts are baked year-round. To top it off, Sakonnet Pie makes its own ice cream! Call three days ahead (9 am to 5 pm) for made-to-order
pies, to be picked up Wed through Sun from 1 to 3 pm. 3964 Main Road, Tiverton, 401.635.0022, www.sakonnetriverpie.com.