If you knew nothing else about 1200 Ocean Grill in Narragansett, there are a couple of indications that it's worth a visit. First, it's packed in the summers -- no biggie as sunburned and hungry throngs swarm off the beaches, but an accomplishment when you consider that the formidable Spain is practically next door. The second hint is more subtle: 1200 charges more than usual for their Thursday twofer specials.

Dinner-for-two nights used to be an East Bay promotional technique, but are now common throughout the state. Restaurants figure to break even or maybe lose a little on two entrées and a bottle of wine, hoping that couples will spring for an appetizer and desserts. The diners, if they're won over, might come back some time for the regular prices. Winning us over is the harder part, though. Twofers too often involve abbreviated lunchtime portions, and you can bet that the wine thrown in for a $19.95 dinner for two should have been thrown out.

At 1200 Ocean Grill on Thursday nights this time of year, the special for two is $29.95, which allows for generous portions and a table-grade, but more than drinkable wine.

The three-and-a-half-year-old place goes for sleek, screeching to a halt just short of high-tech. You wouldn't call the restaurant cozy, but that's not what it's going for. There are architect-added garage doors for a breeze in the summer. A high ceiling with matte aluminum shades on dangling lights. Matching metal shell chairs and bistro papered tables. No smoking. There's always the work of a local artist on the back wall. Right now it's Nancy Chapman's diptych paintings of views from her Jamestown jogs.

Thick, crusty Italian bread comes with a flavorful olive oil, accompanied by some briny kalamatas. Appetizer choices are minimal. Besides soups, salads, and a special, there are only four on the Italian- oriented menu. Johnnie had the good idea to order a side of sautéed broccoli rabe ($4.95) -- which was young enough to not be overly bitter -- to go with the table's fried calamari ($6.95). The latter wasn't a large portion, but the rings and tentacles were tender and greaseless, since the squid was only lightly floured. The accompanying marinara sauce was simple and tasty, boding well for the eight pasta choices that accompany the eight entrées on the regular menu.

But we were up for the twofers, and the only regular menu choice among them was the sole Francese. A couple of orders at $13.95, plus an $18 bottle of Talus Chardonnay or Merlot, would bring the $30 meal to $50 à la carte, after a couple of mesclun salads were added. Two of us ordered the sole, two filets on each plate, next to wild-rice pilaf and string beans. The fish was fresh, and the table unanimously pronounced the eggy coating light and just right. The green beans on all our plates were quite crunchy, which pleased me, but induced at least one mutter across the table.

To my left the chicken piccata came in two slabs, thick enough to remain moist under a sauce generous with capers and not afraid of its namesake, lemony piquancy. I could have had baked scrod marinara with rigatoni, but my teeth were tingling, so I chose the tenderloin tips. The beef was fork tender -- not from long cooking but from quality, since the thick enough pieces were rare, as requested. The port demi-glace was intense, as it should be, and a boon to my mashed potatoes.

Here at the 1200, they don't make their own desserts until the weekend, when you might be offered crème brûlée or pineapple upside-down cake. So all we were offered were sorbets and tiramisu. (Desserts are always $4.95.) I had the latter, a simple square presented atop a drizzle of chocolate syrup and a sprinkling of powdered sugar. It was quite good, and I was surprised to learn that it was a commercial, frozen variety. Admitting this was proprietor Steven Siravo, who heads the kitchen with sous chefs Wyatt MaGuire and Michael MacGeorge. Apart from learning to cook at his mother's knee, he's self-taught, although he did spend years in the front of the house at 16 restaurants in three states, he says.

These were the concerns Siravo listed -- simple, quality ingredients, and simple and careful preparations -- sounding like every first-rate Italian chef I've ever heard express this shortlist in similar words. And if you come on the right night, he might have added, I'll practically give it away.

Bill Rodriguez can be reached at billrod@reporters.net.

Issue Date: February 15 - 21, 2002