When a restaurant as good and as popular as Westerly's Three Fish begins to slide into inconsistency, loyal customers sigh and fret. Too often, the inevitable next phase -- new ownership -- may evince even more concern.

Take heart, food fans, and give the Up River Cafe "at Three Fish" a chance to prove its stuff. Co-owners Daniel and Jennifer King, who learned the restaurant business in San Francisco, are eager to make their mark in Rhode Island. To that end, they hired back Bryan Waugh, who left Three Fish's kitchen two years ago for the Clarke Cooke House in Newport. Waugh is glad to be back in South County, re-imagining some of his favorite seafood dishes.

Our party of four took our time deciding on entrées, though we were quick to jump on the appetizers. We often test a kitchen's take on calamari, and this visit was no exception. The squid rings ($7.50) were lightly battered and expertly fried -- almost tempura-like -- and they were served with a chipotle marinara, which Bill and I especially liked.

From the three salads and three other starters, we chose potato gaufrettes ($8), which received mixed reviews among our dining quartet. We women seemed very sensitive to the salt on these crispy large potato chips, despite various accoutrements of lemon-dill creme fraiche, smoked salmon, and capers. Indeed, in sampling a bite of Bill's gaufrette, the salt quotient was considerably less, and the other guy at the table, Gary, commented that they were an upscale latke with lox. But everyone agreed that the salt had been sprinkled on very unevenly, and this occurred later in a vegetable accompaniment --the winter squash -- as well.

For our main dishes, we chose herb-crusted salmon ($18), risotto with wild mushrooms and asparagus ($15), and two specials: lamb chops ($22) and red snapper ($19). The regular menu also includes Stonington scallops, roast chicken, pork chops, a New York strip steak, and two variations of burgers ($7.50 and $9). The latter are served with French fries and can be ordered with eight add-ons. The Kings's spirit of fun in putting burgers on their bistro menu reappears in the dessert listings, with Chickie's root beer float and old-fashioned ice cream sundaes.

Onto our dinners first. My risotto was cooked just right, with plenty of Parmesan throughout, though it could have had more veggies, since it was my entire dish. Bill was wild for his broiled red snapper with Israeli couscous, large pearls of pasta- like consistency. Gary was quite pleased with the salmon he had chosen, partially to taste the accompaniment of "lobster fries," fried potatoes with a few lobster chunks thrown in.

The trickiest dish to execute turned out to be the lamb, which our friend Marie ordered medium rare, but which was too pink for her. When the waitress offered to cook the lamb a bit more, Marie was skeptical that it could be done with enough finesse to not overcook it. But when Daniel King himself came to the table and suggested taking the plate back to the kitchen, Marie relented, and she was quite pleased with the final result.

Hard put to nail down desserts -- made at the Up River Cafe by Angela Whitaker -- we eventually settled on crème brûlée, double-chocolate silk pie, and apple crisp. Bill swooned over his pie, appreciating the different layers of chocolate. Marie was quite impressed with the creme brulée, though I was less so with the apple crisp. Apple crisp makers need to remember the title ingredient.

In keeping with their focus on an American bistro, the Kings have carefully assembled a wine list that is heavily Californian, with a nod to France, Italy, and the nearby Stonington Vineyards. Indeed, Stonington is just across the Pawcatuck River, flowing right under the windows of the cafe (hence the name). Up River's large windows, with natural woodwork against brick walls, its gentle lighting -- reflected back from the water below -- and the arrangement of three intimate dining areas (one with a fireplace) all make for romantic, Old World ambiance.

So Three Fish is back, shedding one skin and taking on a new one, with a bit of Three Fish's soul (Waugh) in the food, its warm and stylish decor still intact, and the Kings's bringing a fresh slant to the menu. Welcome back!

Issue Date: January 11 - 17, 2002