The Boathouse

Dropping anchor at Providence's hottest new restaurant

by Dawn Keable

1 American Express Way
Providence
272-1040
Open Sun - Thurs
from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Fri and Sat til midnight
Major credit cards
Sidewalk-level access

For the last 10 years and always on December 23, I have gotten together with a group of my oldest friends (some of them actually could describe how I looked without my front teeth) for our annual Christmas gathering. We used to eat at Michael's house. But after a while, the charm of the home-cooked meal was eclipsed by its clean-up time, so we graduated to a night on the town.

This year, our reservations are at the Boathouse, the newest addition to Waterplace Park. And here's where my boyfriend Andre and I got a little sneaky -- we headed off for a little culinary preview prior to the big night.

It's okay to let the peacoated midshipman park your car. At first glance, Andre mistook him for an enlisted man, but the valet was merely honoring the nautical motif here. Indeed, in the casual Captain's Quarters where we sat, the rest of the sailing crew was waiting.

Upstairs is a more upscale dining room (the Admiral's Loft), which I suspect has a better view of the city. But there is a lot to see in the Captain`s Quarters just the same. Black-and-white photos tastefully adorn the walls, and above our heads hung two oars. The centerpiece on our table was a faux fish bowl, which we initially mistook for a water pitcher. (Don't worry -- we caught ourselves before we actually poured from it.)

Overall, the place was decorated for the holiday season with beautiful poinsettias lining the ledge between the dining and cozy bar area.

To quell our hunger while we waited, a plate of complimentary sweet potato fries and clam cakes arrived at our table. The fries were hot and crispy and the clam cakes were also delicious -- not greasy and with pieces of clams inside big enough to actually see!

We stuck with the seafood theme for our appetizer as well -- fried calamari ($7.50). Lightly breaded, the squid was cooked to a perfect firmness, and the peppers in the accompanying hot pepper sauce were not overly hot, providing good contrast to the calamari.

Not shy about pampering himself, Andre ordered the baked stuffed shrimp ($16.95) for his main course. The four large shrimp were stuffed with a mix of crab, scallops, and shrimp and were accompanied by a flavorful medley of steamed zucchini, summer squash, sun-dried tomatoes, and perfectly cooked brown rice.

I was happily munching on my grilled chicken sandwich ($8.50) on the other side of the table. The tender chicken cutlet, layered with lettuce, tomato, and a sweet honey mustard, was sandwiched between fresh focaccia bread. And I got more of those yummy sweet potato fries!

But that's not all -- my last special treat was fried grape leaves stuffed with a wonderful hamburger/rice mixture. (Apparently this was Andre's favorite part of my meal as well -- somehow he'd managed to swindle two of the three.)

For dessert, we both went the sundae route. Andre picked the "Banana Boat Split" ($4.95), a monstrosity with three scoops of ice cream (chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry) topped with sliced bananas, hot fudge, caramel sauce, chopped walnuts, whipped cream, and raspberries.

My "Brownie Raft Sundae" ($4.95) was equally enormous and decadent: a giant brownie covered with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, caramel, chopped nuts, whipped cream, and a strawberry on top. Hmmm, maybe the Boathouse should investigate opening an ice cream takeout window.

With our last few bites, it was official. I was sure that my friends would be very happy here -- and, believe me, they're a tough crowd to please. Good food, good friends. We had all the ingredients we needed for a memorable holiday celebration.

Andrews. Party of 12. Your table is ready.