We were in Providence and decided to make our way over to Atwells.

We actually ended up at an outside table at Constantino’s Venda Bar & Ristorante on DePasquale Square, in the heart of Federal Hill — and we had THE best time!

Now it might seem counterintuitive to head to the city on a scorching hot day, but I can honestly say that we were cool as cukes underneath the not one but two umbrellas (an orange “Aperol Spritz” one and another larger cream colored version just above that) shading our table.

Also, the famous fountain is back up and running once again. All levels, in fact, including the base which you may recall at one point was filled with plants. Absolutely lovely and so refreshing to see.

Speaking of tunes, the classic Sinatra songs that were playing provided a completely enjoyable soundtrack to our time there. I mean, the Sinatra ouvre really isn’t part of any of my regular playlists, so it was a nice change of pace.

PS ~ If you’re a Sinatra fan, you’ll want to check out the WSJ article about his address book circa the 1970’s that someone recently emailed me the link to. It’s really something.

And our food? In a word, scrumptious. We devoured a Margherita pizza as well as some other small plates. (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I could — and will whenever the opportunity arises — eat pizza 5 or 6 nights a week.) I even ordered a cappucino because I drink pipping hot coffee all year long, even during the warmer months.

I remember either walking or driving by during summers past, on the nights when they had live music and dancing, and thinking that I was really missing out on something quite special.

So, whether you’ve had to put that Italy trip on the back burner for now or you just need somewhere amazing to al fresco wine and dine, think about going back to DePasquale Square and Venda this summer.

*Reservations are recommended. Give them a ring at 401-528-1100 to make yours.