The Clams Casino, featuring diced red pepper, a cracker crumb topping and bacon bits, was pleasantly spicy.

The Chicken Parmigiana entrée at Conversations in East Greenwich offers just the right balance of chicken, cheese and sauce.

THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL / Gretchen Ertl

I was looking for a place to lunch and catch up with some friends, and Conversations seemed like just the place to fit the bill.

Rose Farina, for years the owner of the now-defunct Golden Lantern in Warwick, opened Conversations 18 years ago to host friends who loved to talk over the old times. Back at the Golden Lantern, she served many celebrities in the heyday of the old Warwick Musical Theatre and had a grand time doing it, hosting Liberace among many others. She extended her run in the hospitality business until three years ago, when she sold Conversations to Kenneth and Barbara Guercia. Ken Guercia was a longtime manager at Richard’s Pub in East Greenwich.

They’ve kept her legacy intact, changing very little in the restaurant.

From the low chairs with high sides to sink right into, to the twinkle lights gracing the walls, Conversations is dimly lit and feels private enough for all the conversation folks can muster between bites of traditional Italian and seafood dishes. Over lunch, my friends C and D debated everything from politics to movies with me while our server, Brandon, kept the food coming.

In an interview after our visit, Ken Guercia recalled the day and noted that he’d had staffing problems that resulted in bartender Brandon serving a rush of tables. But we found him efficient, pleasant and very much at the ready with our every request.

Likewise, we found the food from the kitchen of veteran chef Kevin O’Brien (Farina’s nephew) satisfying and comforting. Our choices of clams casino, scallops, chicken and eggplant Parmigiana were good ones, with plenty of homemade flavor.

Furthermore, our meals came with our choice of soup or salad, a disappearing treat at restaurants. Each meat or fish dish also included our choice of fries or pasta. The luncheon prices of $7.95 for eggplant, $8.95 for chicken and $9.95 for scallops were real deals. Though we tried an appetizer for purposes of review, it was not necessary for our appetites.