Old Harbor

A fantastic crowd-pleaser,
much to some diners' chagrin

by Dawn Keable

566 South Main Street, Providence
751-3000
Open Sun.-Thurs., 4:30 p.m.-1 a.m.
Fri. and Sat., 4 p.m.-2 a.m.
Major credit cards
No handicapped access

There's a really cool new restaurant on South Water Street. I should keep this a secret, especially since I really enjoy not waiting for a table on a Friday night, but it's going to get out sooner or later. Actually it probably is already out, seeing as I went there with three of my closest buddies: Andrea, Michael, and Andre, none of whom can keep a secret to save their life.

The Old Harbor Bar &Grille is one flight of stairs below street level, where the Cactus Grille used to be. (See how you could have missed it?) The entire space is very open and airy, with the bar and dining areas naturally flowing together. Overall, the restaurant is decorated in muted colors of gold and mint that seem perfect for summertime. Also, did I mention they have parking?!

We were seated in a roomy booth, in high-backed seats that extended above our heads. It was great for privacy -- and for shielding other diners from the intensity of the flash from Michael's disposable camera.

After a few shaky minutes of selecting drink alternatives (Old Harbor doesn't serve iced tea or frozen drinks), Andrea settled for an iced coffee ($1.50), Michael and Andre picked rum & cokes ($3.75), and I fittingly chose a Seabreeze ($4). For appetizers, we decided after a short huddle to try the honey-chili barbecued jerk shrimp with grilled mustard seed pineapple relish ($8) and white beans and roasted tomatoes on garlic bruschetta ($4).

The shrimp was our favorite: it had just the right amount of zip, and the accompanying pineapple relish was refreshingly cool. The bruschetta itself, with a hint of garlic, was tasty, but we unanimously agreed that the beans served atop the bread needed more seasoning. More salt and sugar, said resident bean expert Andrea.

The majority of the menu featured seafood items, but there were a few selections (several pizzas included) for landlubbers such as Michael, who chose the 8 oz Black Angus burger with Jack cheese ($7). (He's normally much more adventurous, but was suffering from American hamburger withdrawal after a week in Canada.) The big, juicy burger, served with bistro fries and just the right amount of cheese, was the best he ever had.

Andrea also went the sandwich route and selected the salmon burger ($9). Prepared with a mix of ground salmon, bread crumbs, and spices, it also got the yummy bistro fries. (I know how good they were thanks to Michael, who graciously let Andre and me scavenger his leftover potato wedges.) Andrea, a woman of simple pleasures, was particularly impressed with the flavor added by the grain mustard.

Andre and I both chose complete seafood meals. He picked the grilled tuna ($12), a meaty steak marinated in ginger and soy sauce that had a deliciously sweet taste and was so tender, you could have cut it with a fork. Served with slices of grilled zucchini, carrots, and summer squash, along with garlic mashed potatoes, the dish quickly made its way onto Andre's mental list of top 10 dining experiences. He'll be talking about this one for weeks.

I selected baked scrod ($9). Topped with bread crumbs, lemon, and garlic, the fish was light and flaky -- the perfect choice for a warm summer's evening and not so filling that I couldn't fit in dessert.

Wanting to top everything off with something fruity, Andrea ordered a piece of blueberry pie ($4), a blueberry explosion surrounded by a cookie-like crust. She couldn't stop raving about the non-runniness of the filling -- with the dessert's perfect forkability, there was no danger of her splattering juice on her new dress. But even though her dessert was delicious, Andrea kept eyeing the white chocolate cheesecake ($5) Michael and Andre had ordered. The cake, surrounded by dollops of raspberry sauce for their dipping pleasure, was the perfect temperature and consistency. Naturally, Andre's head became even more swelled for again instinctively choosing the best item.

But I think I fared pretty well with my slice of tiramisu ($4). Served with puffs of cream, the confection was incredibly light with just the right hint of coffee flavor. I really wanted seconds. Looks like I'll just have to come back here again. Hmmm, now to find someone who will save me a place in line.