In researching restaurants that have disappeared from Rhode Island over the past 40-plus years, I have noticed that many of them were in and around the airport.

Bertucci’s is the exception.

The popular Italian/brick oven pizza restaurant at 1946 Post Road in Warwick replaced Ned Grace’s Monterey back in the late ’70s and has been packing them in ever since.

We used to bring our grandson there from the time he was 5 years old. We went for the food. He went to draw pictures on the wall-to-ceiling blackboard.

We revisited Bertucci’s without our grandson Saturday night. He was busy being a doctor in Boston.

The blackboard was gone, but crayons were still a staple for keeping the young ones busy at the table.

The good news is that Bertucci’s sauce is still as excellent as we remembered it. And the brick oven pizza is still served piping hot with crispy crust.

Warm rolls with a blended olive oil are immediately brought to the table while we peruse the menu, trying to decide on variety of appetizers, pizza, salads and entrees.

We ordered, and highly recommend, the Sampler – four perfectly coked and seasoned chicken wings, two fried mozzarella, and four exceptional meatballs, all with Bertucci’s patented sauce and a few hot peppers ($12.99).

We chose a small Ultimate pizza, which was covered with Italian sausage, meatballs, ham, chicken, mozzarella and that famous sauce.

The experience brought back many memories, and we wondered why we hadn’t been back in such a long time.

We added Bertucci’s back to our Ten Best list and can’t wait to try more of their menu items.

The sampler, however, will always be on our list.

For reservations or take-out, call 732-4343.