Great food, water view
BY MICHAEL JANUSONIS

Journal Arts Writer
• See the menu.

NEWPORT -- Summer. Narragansett Bay. Seafood. We're always on the lookout for places to dine that have a water view this time of year.

So when we heard about Vincent's on the Pier, which promised a view of Newport Harbor from every table, we were on our way.

Happily, there was truth in advertising. The hostess who answered the phone said we'd need reservations if we wanted a window table. But even tables far back in the expansive dining room -- actually split into two rooms separated by a waist-high divider on which elaborate model ships sail -- have a fine view out the almost-floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Howard's Wharf.

To the left, an armada of enormous yachts rested. In the right distance, the lights of the Pell-Newport Bridge twinkled at sunset. In front of us, every type of watercraft, from stately sailboats to the Bay Queen, was on parade.

In a corner, opposite the massive floor-to-ceiling marble-enclosed fireplace that adds a dramatic touch to the room, a pianist played a baby grand. Although he wasn't shy about making his presence known, because he wasn't playing hum-along ditties, it was the kind of background music that was unobtrusive.

You couldn't have asked for a more entrancing view. But, of course, the big question is, "Does the food match the view?"

Happily again, the answer is yes. There's nothing on the menu that's very groundbreaking or earthshaking -- stuffed Gulf shrimp, filet of sole stuffed with lobster meat and fresh herbs, pan-seared scallops, baked stuffed lobster, chicken Marsala, osso buco, filet mignon, Delmonico steak and that inevitable something-for-everyone entree, surf and turf. But it's well prepared, with top-quality ingredients that are served with careful attention to details and presented with panache.

Summer martinis

Manager Jens Thillemann, reached by phone several days after our visit, said the place, which for years was the venerable Pier Restaurant, was purchased in January 2001 by Vincent Santonato. He gave it a complete makeover and added a menu that now has a Mediterranean influence.

We bypassed the wine list, which Thillemann says offers "a good Italian selection," in favor of summertime martinis. The martini list was so extensive -- "Seventy-two," said our helpful waiter, T.J. -- that we wound up asking his advice shortly after diving in to discover that it's loaded with cute names.

Would it be the Wet and Wild Tini? Or the Buddy Boy, the Flamingo, the Gumdrop, the Lady Godiva, the Dirty Dean Martini? Maybe the My Cousin Vinny. That seemed appropriate for a place named Vincent's on the Pier.

T.J. recommended the South Beach Martini ($8) -- Bacardi, Malibu coconut rum, blue curacao and a splash of pineapple -- and the Berry Nice Martini ($8) -- Stoli strawberry, Stoli raspberry, a splash of Chambrod and a cherry for garnish. The latter sounded berry sweet. It looked berry mellow. But whoa! was it ever berry strong.

At least I thought so. My dining companion, who was drinking it, thought it just right.

My South Beach Martini, which was a deep rich green (I'd expected blue) -- so green that I didn't discover the cherry at the bottom until the last sip! -- also packed a punch. But its sweetness made up for it, hinting at tropical breezes.

The best bisque

A taste of the sea was the first order of business, with a very good New England clam chowder ($4.50 a cup; $5.95 a bowl) that was thick and sweetly creamy, loaded with clams, diced potatoes, celery and herbs. I thought it excellent, until I tasted by companion's lobster bisque ($5.50 a cup; $6.50 a bowl), which was the best I'd ever tasted. It had an amazingly rich taste of the lobster in its wonderful creaminess.

We toyed with the idea of the seafood pizza ($12) as an appetizer -- "shrimp and scallop lightly dusted with mozzarella" -- because we make seafood pizza, too. But T.J. steered us toward two other items that had caught our attention.

Lots of places have crab cakes, but Vincent's are Maryland-Style Scallop, Shrimp & Crab Cakes ($9.95 for two). Lightly fried to a golden turn, they were chock full of seafood with very little filler.

Consequently, they crumbled apart easily. But that didn't matter because they were not at all heavy and had such a good blend of shellfish flavors. As they broke apart, we could see the slices of shrimp in them. Dabs of roasted red pepper coulis on the edges of the plate added just enough of a tangy boost.

The Thai-Inspired Crispy Shrimp ($12.50) was four jumbo lightly fried shrimp in a chili glaze sitting under a storm of frizzy rice sticks. They looked like spaghetti that had been zapped into electrified strands.

The red-hot chili glaze (billed as "spicy and sweet") was not for the faint of heart. Yet my friend, who always reaches for the jar of salsa labeled "mild," thought the fiery concoction had a "solid bite, but it wasn't overpowering." My mouth felt hot afterward, though it didn't require a call to the fire brigade, even as I reached for more rice sticks.

Pleasantly spicy

After braving the Thai shrimp, there was no stopping me. I wondered aloud to T.J. whether the marinara sauce on the Seafood Diablo ($22.50) would be as spicy as the menu promised. Usually, I told him, restaurants around here advertise "spicy" when they really mean "tame enough for a New England granny."

T.J. assured me there would be a little fire, though not as hot as the shrimp.

He was right. The big bowl was filled with a mound of perfectly al dente angel-hair pasta, topped by plump sweet scallops, three tender jumbo shrimp and several mussels, one of which had already exited its shell, apparently in an attempt to savor more of the thick and spicy marinara sauce. Yes, it really was spicy, but pleasantly so . . . certainly not as hot as the chili-infused Thai shrimp appetizer.

My companion mused over the Surf and Turf ($28.50), and T.J. gave it a thumbs up. He sang the praises of the five-ounce filet mignon with cabernet sauce, which was accompanied by three baked stuffed shrimp.

But my lobster-loving companion, I could see, was lured by the song of the lobster, even though the Special Baked Stuffed Lobster that evening ($36) was only a 1 1/4-pounder. This is a person who doesn't blink when ordering a 3-pounder. But T.J. said that besides the lobster's own meat, there was extra lobster meat in the stuffing, plus scallops and shrimp. It was the same price as the baked stuffed lobster that's always on the menu, that one with a cracker-and-herb stuffing along with a larger portion of extra lobster meat.

The lobster looked bigger than its billing, and the big front claws had a sheen as though they'd been polished for the occasion. The claw meat was sweet and very tender. The stuffing, topped by a thin golden layer of baked Ritz cracker crumbs, was delicious and exceptionally moist. My lobster-loving companion -- who usually prefers the crustaceans steamed -- found this to be a happy surprise in a baked lobster.

It was accompanied by green beans and three good-sized red bliss potatoes, temptingly crisp on the outside, with a soft butteriness on the inside. Sampling a bite of one, I almost ordered them as a side dish, despite the pasta already on my plate.

Yummy apple pie

Most desserts, we were told, are not housemade. But T.J. strongly promoted the Chocolate Lava Cake Divine ($8), which proved a very good choice for my chocolate-loving companion. Served warm on a bed of drizzled chocolate sauce, it looked impregnable. But it was surprisingly light, yet with a rich fudgy taste. Inside, a scoop of melting chocolate oozed more chocolate flavor.

Caramel Apple Pie ($8) was one of the housemade desserts, however, so I had to try it. (The fact that I love apple pie and caramel sauce helped tip the decision.) A small but rich slab of pie, it was crammed with tender apples and topped with sweet caramel sauce. On the plate, dollops of whipped cream and drizzles of raspberry sauce added to the mouth-watering pleasure.

In midweek we parked nearly at Vincent's door, but there's more parking in a lot a short distance away. Good thing. On a busy summer weekend parking must be dear. Not only is the restaurant in full swing, but Vincent's has a big outdoor patio, open from noon to 9 p.m. every day, that has its own bar and grill serving lighter fare. There are crab cakes, hot dogs, hamburgers and, said Thillemann, "always we have our lobsters and seafood" plus a raw bar selection.

On Friday nights there's music with a DJ under the big tent that covers much of the patio. Saturday nights there's a live band. Sunday afternoons there's a guitarist.

Good music. Delicious seafood. A spectacular waterfront view. It doesn't get much better than this on a summer evening in Newport.

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Details, details

Vincent's on the Pier, 10 Howard's Wharf, Newport (401) 847-3645. Dressy casual. Reservations accepted, recommended if you want a window table. Wheelchair accessible. Highchairs. Open for dinner 5 to 9 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.; to 10 p.m. Fri.-Sun. Lunch from noon daily on the patio. V, MC, AE, DIS. Free parking.

Appetizers cost $6.50 to $12.50. Pizzas are $8.50 to $12. Entrees are $19.50 to $36. The wine list is $6.50 to $7.75 by the glass; $25 to $145 for a bottle.

***

If you like Hemenway's in Providence, the Lobster Pot in Bristol or the Atlantic Beach Club in Middletown, you'll like Vincent's on the Pier.

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BILL OF FARE

Dinner for two at Vincent's on the Pier might look something like this:

Berry Nice martini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.00

South Beach martini . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . $8.00

Clam chowder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4.50

Lobster bisque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5.50

Crab cakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95

Thai shrimp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . $12.50

Baked stuffed lobster . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . $36.00

Seafood Diablo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22.50

Lava cake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . $8.00

Apple pie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . $8.00

Tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . $9.84

Tip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . $24.21

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . $157.00

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Vincent's on the Pier