Restaurants in East Providence

Cattails City Grill impresses patrons with a menu of fine fare that's served without the nose-in-the-air pretension generally accompanying all things cattail. Begin your belly's beguine with one of Cattails' signature pizzas, such as the margherita ($10), the mushroom and salami ($10.50), or the arugula and prosciutto ($11); or opt for a seafood starter such as the garlic shrimp ($10) or Narragansett Bay littlenecks with chorizo, onions, and garlic in a pomodoro sauce ($10). Noodle-craving neurologists can strike a happy nerve with pasta dishes such as lobster ravioli in a pink vodka sauce ($22.50), and baked shrimp and shells ($21) punched up with tomato cream sauce, spinach, and roasted red peppers. Cattails' carnivore-catering entrees steal away potential attendees of chicken, pig, and cow family reunions with dishes such as sautéed gorgonzola chicken "under a brick" ($18), served over potatoes and spinach and topped with tomatoes and a creamy cheese sauce; pork chops and littleneck clams ($23) with olives and roasted potatoes in a spicy garlic and wine sauce; or the veal tenderloin ($19.50), also served over potatoes and spinach and topped with prosciutto and vinaigrette. Fish options include salmon ($21) and pan-seared tilapia ($16.50). Cap off your Cattails culinary caper with the restaurant's acclaimed Portuguese sweet bread pudding, recently found to be the solar system's true center, relegating the sun to nothing more than a minor answer on an obscure episode of Jeopardy.

Siam Square packs its eclectic menu with stir-fried and sautéed dishes drawn from various regions of Thailand. Super spicy tom-yum soup flavors a chicken or shrimp broth with thai herbs for a hot, welcome break from Campbell’s congressman-shaped chicken-noodle soup ($3.25). Crushed peanuts rub elbows with tofu, eggs, and meats at the pad thai's rice-noodle pad ($7.50/lunch, $8.95/dinner), and hot basil fried rice fills barren stomachs with ground chicken, peppers, and other fresh veggies ($7.50/lunch, $8.95/dinner). Vegetarian options abound at Siam Square, as sweet-and-sour veggies such as zucchini, carrots, and baby corn seamlessly synthesize with tofu ($9.50).

The friendly sustenance dispersers at Two Jerks, a neighborhood pub and live-music venue, serve up American pub fare and drinks well into the night in an environment full of entertainment-inducing elements including a dance floor, large TV screens, and video bowling. An assortment of chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, jalapeño poppers, and onion rings gather together on the Munchie Platter ($9.95), and the half-pound burger is enough to feed a hungry party of one ($5.95). A bottle of domestic beer ($3) washes down a wild flame-grilled pizza ($10), breaking its spirit and turning it into an amicable companion for humans. Premium beers ($4.50), mixed drinks ($3), and shots ($3) encourage patrons to sing along during live acoustic karaoke on Monday evenings and the open mic jam sessions on Tuesdays. Rock and blues bands create a soundtrack for two-stepping minglers and bar-top video gamers on weekend nights and crickets and summertime breezes entertain partiers in the outdoor beer garden.

The menu at Not Your Average Joe’s combines creative cuisine with consistent culinary favorites to ensure a dining experience that’s both surprising and familiar, like deja vu. Palate-pleasing items like the forno-baked chicken quesadilla drizzled with pineapple-jalapeno salsa ($8.99) or the crab cakes flanked with baby greens ($9.99) offer hearty and aesthetically intriguing sustenance. Sink famished canines into the cider-mustard pork tenderloin, flanked by asparagus and an unstoppable mash of sweet potatoes and roasted apples ($16.99), or activate your sharing gland with a cranberry-teriyaki butternut squash pizza, adorned with jewels of ricotta and spinach ($9.99 for 10-inch, $13.99 for large). Not Your Average Joe’s inventively comforting fare and refreshingly relaxed atmosphere encourage amiable chats and collaborative blueprints for a cheese-powered motorcycle.

DiParma's sponge-painted walls are rife with staggered picture frames, floral bouquets, and wicker baskets. Earth-tone bricks recall warm Italian soil and the inventive cuisine that sprung from it. Beside a bar of tile and faux marble, tables clatter with plates of pastas, pesto pizzas, and veal or seafood sautéed in delicate wine sauces, all polished over the course of three decades in business. With the pizza oven pouring forth the aromas of basil, roasted peppers, and bacon, guests peruse a list of more than 50 wines or ask servers to pick out all the grapes for them.

FroyoWorld fills its self-serve stations with a monthly rotating lineup of 12 yogurt and sorbet flavors, including varieties such as dairy free, no sugar added, and nonfat. A selection of up to 140 toppings include candies, fresh fruit, and drizzles of chocolate and caramel. Between spoonfuls, customers can make use of the free WiFi to check emails and look up holistic brain-freeze cures.