QUATTRO,

In a location that used to bring apathy or infamy to its former occupants, Quattro seems to have found a niche somewhere between nouvelle (grilled pizza) and no-nonsense (potato skins and chicken wings). Partners Steve Marra and William Pinelli opened their fourth successful restaurant (thus the name "Quattro") at the beginning of the summer, taking a bit of the best from each of their other establishments -- Pinelli's Deli in Warwick and the Post Office Cafe and the Grille on Main Street in East Greenwich. Quattro offers eight sandwiches (five of them grilled), six pizzas, and a spread of seafood and pasta dishes. As we glanced at the menu's moderate prices (pasta dishes, $8.95 to $11.95; 12-ounce grilled sirloin, $14.95) and then exclaimed over the huge portions we were served ("we like to give you enough to eat for two or three days from," Marra told us), we began to understand the crowded parking lot. Marra and Pinelli seem to have struck a good bargain with the university community in Kingston: attract families as well as students, and the bar scene won't become a problem; offer portions and prices suited to both. It's the only place we've seen where a shopping bag is standard for taking home leftovers.

Full review.