The sirloin tip dinner is among the entrees on the expanded menu at Murphy’s Deli & Bar, now on Fountain Street in downtown Providence.

The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo

Murphy’s Lunch opened its doors in 1929, long before the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 and just in time to greet the Great Depression. Talk about great timing.

But the fact that it survived the tough times of the Depression and weathered not only all the ups and downs of the intervening years, but several changes of owners and even a new location, is testimony to Joseph Murphy’s long-held creed of serving good food in plate-filling proportions at reasonable prices.

Over the years, as it began serving more than lunch and added bar service, its name was changed to Murphy’s Deli & Bar. It attracted not only lunchtime customers from nearby businesses but a big crowd at nights on their way to events at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

But with its lease running out a couple of years ago, owner Ruth Ferrazzano, who had worked at Murphy’s in various capacities since 1979 when she came to work for the late Greg Karambelis before buying it in 1996, decided a move to a place closer to the Dunk and the Convention Center would attract more customers. So it moved last June from its 78-year location at 55 Union St. to a spiffier, airier site in the 1915 Palmer Building at the corner of Fountain and Mathewson streets, where it’s also just a beeline down Mathewson to the Providence Performing Arts Center. With the move, however, longtime fans may wonder if things are as good as they were.

Good news. To its long tradition of overstuffed sandwiches and burgers, Murphy’s has added a boatload of new appetizer and entrée items — still generously proportioned and reasonably priced — that make it a dining destination even if you’re not going to a show.

We were so bowled over by our appetizers and entrees one recent Saturday night that although we had to forgo dessert because we’d be late to a show at PPAC, we returned to Murphy’s afterward to catch what we’d missed. Ferrazzano, who bills herself as a Swedish woman with an Italian last name who runs an Irish pub with a Jewish-style deli, said in a later phone call that with the new kitchen she has been able to add new sandwiches (while keeping all the old favorites … try the sautéed chicken livers) and new appetizers and entrees, plus breakfasts Saturdays and Sundays. One of the reasons for the breakfasts was a plea from the Providence-Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, of which she is a member, and also to make use of the excess corned beef. “We average 400 pounds of corned beef a week,” she said, adding that there are eggs Benedict, Swedish eggs Benedict (“with lox”), vanilla French toast and bangers and mash. “We cut our own fish for the fish and chips, make our own corn bread, three chowders, our own pulled pork and blue lump crab cakes.” Nevertheless, she hasn’t forgotten Murphy’s delicatessen roots. “We still have every sandwich we had 29 years ago when I started … except for the beef tongue.”

It’s a family affair. Daughter Julie Ferrazzano-Mazza is the head chef. My meatloaf was from Ruth’s own recipe, and her husband, Louis, is responsible for the soups. A lot of the recipes, she added, came from the days of Greg Karambelis, who owned Murphy’s from 1974 to 1986.

The new Murphy’s seems even more enormous than it really is, thanks to its L-shape design and ceilings that soar nearly two stories. Walls are painted a pale green (of course), with a tartan green carpet and wooden Venetian blinds. There are a few booths, but mostly it’s a scattering of butcher block-top tables, including several that are tall. There are big-screen TVs and, true to Murphy’s tradition of attracting sports fans, as we were leaving (the first time) a waitress was setting up a group of men at a table below one of the TV sets so they could catch a game.

Of course we started off with Irish beers on draft — a 12-ounce Smithwick’s for me; a 12-ounce Murphy’s Irish Amber for my dining companion, who, although not much of a beer drinker, not only finished the whole thing but wound up singing its praises. Even before the beers arrived, there was a bowl of pickles on the table, carrying out another Murphy’s tradition (although the portion was smaller than I remembered from Union Street).

In addition to the usual appetizer items — Buffalo wings, shrimp cocktail, mozzarella sticks, potato skins — a few eye-catchers begged to be tried — Irishman’s Meat & Potatoes (French fries topped with cheese, bacon, scallions, sour cream), Reuben Skins, Wild Pork Wings and Buffalo chicken fritters.

The Reuben skins ($8.95) were two halved potatoes that had been stuffed with a generous portion of lean shaved corned beef and topped with creamy melted Swiss cheese. On the side, our accommodating waitress, Kristen, brought a squirt bottle of Thousand Island dressing, which was just the thing to tart up the skins with a sweet tang. The skins were quite wonderful, a meal in itself, the flavor of the potatoes not overwhelmed by its toppings.

Even more intriguing was the thought of the Wild Pork Wings ($8.50), which may prove that indeed pigs really can fly. True enough, the pork ribs arrived looking more like chicken drumsticks than anything related to a pig. They’d been frenched, the meat cut away from one end so you could pick it up without the sticky-fingered mess usually associated with ribs. They made an impressive presentation, four arranged crosswise in a big bowl, sitting on slices of corn bread and drenched in zippy honey barbecue sauce. There were dollops of the sauce ringing the rim of the bowl, just in case you wanted more. Best of all, the ribs were moist and extremely meaty, more so than any ribs I can remember. Maybe they are from pigs with wings after all.

After all that, anything else that followed could be a letdown. Not so. We dipped our spoons into a cup of Mrs. Murphy’s Chili ($4.25) as a side to my dining companion’s entrée, just so we could sample it. We kept dipping and dipping until it was all gone. It was a hearty, not spicy, chili with Black Angus beef and kidney beans topped by melted Cheddar cheese and diced red onion. On the side was a basket of more nacho chips than one could possibly eat and firm enough to dip into the chili. A bowl would do nicely for lunch.

We didn’t stop there. As a side to the side of chili, we sampled a plate of beer-battered onion rings ($4.75). It was a good portion that was crispy, flavorful and not too greasy.

After all that, I began wondering whether there was enough room for the entrees. But we persevered. My meatloaf dinner ($9.95) was two large slices of comfort food, moist and smothered in a rich brown gravy. It came with two slices of garlic toast, perfect for dunking in the gravy. On the side were a big portion of wonderful mashed red-skin potatoes and steamed (but not mushy) vegetables — broccoli, carrots and mushrooms.

The beef in my dining companion’s sirloin tip dinner ($12.95) was cooked perfectly to just a touch below medium. Also served with the steamed vegetables, they were tender and rich with the flavor of the meat, and accompanied by wonderfully crispy-on-the-outside sweet potato fries. The dish can also be ordered with the mashed red-skin potatoes.

We had to leave for the theater, but we enjoyed our meal so much that we returned afterward for dessert … and just in time. The place was filling up fast with people who’d had the same idea.

Both desserts were served in the kind of dishes that you’d bake a small fish in. My strawberry shortcake ($4.50) was a good-sized piece of warm, spongy shortcake topped with lots of thawed strawberries and whipped cream and flanked by scoops of vanilla ice cream. My companion’s brownie sundae ($4.50) was a big, warm, fudgy brownie topped with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and drizzles of chocolate sauce. Both were simple and tasted simply grand. We were glad we came back for dessert and are sure to come back again for another meal.BILL OF FARE

Dinner for two at Murphy’s Deli & Bar might look something like this:

Smithwick’s…$4.00

Murphy’s Irish Amber…$4.00

Wild pork wings…$8.50

Cup of Mrs. Murphy’s chili…$4.25

Meatloaf dinner…$9.95

Sirloin tip dinner…$12.95

Strawberry shortcake…$4.50

Total food and drink…$48.15

Tax…$3.85

Tip…$9.50

Total bill…$61.50

Murphy’s Deli & Bar, 100 Fountain St., Providence. (401) 621-8467. Casual. Handicapped accessible. Child seats. Reservations. AE, MC, V, DIS, DC. Parking on-street or in nearby lots. Hours and days Sun. to Thurs. 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; to 2 a.m. Fri. and Sat., meals served until one hour before closing; Sat. breakfast 8 a.m. to noon; Sun. breakfast 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Appetizers $5.95 to $9.75. Entrees $8.25 to $19.95. Wines are $4.50 to $7 by the glass; beers are $3.25 to $5.

mjanuson@projo.com