15 Point Road

Every detail matters

by Bill Rodriguez

15 Point Road, Portsmouth, 683-3138
Wed-Thurs, 5-9 p.m., Fri & Sat, 5-10 p.m., Sun, 4-9 p.m
Major credit cards
Sidewalk access

There's a bright and pleasant feeling to 15 Point Road from the moment you step inside. On our recent visit, we were greeted by an appetizing aroma of fresh basil from freshly picked leaves in the entry vestibule, a small space that concentrated the fragrance. That's the kind of unobvious touch that says a lot: the place is run with imagination and attention to the diner's experience. And I'll trade that kind of attitude for a bunch of fawning waiters anytime.

They don't accept reservations at 15 Point Road, so get there early if you want a window seat. Although there are silk flowers on the tables, the view couldn't be more natural. You get a vista of the Sakonnet River through the wall of picture windows, with rowers and sailboats, if you're lucky, and always the requisite gulls wheeling about.

Turn back to the interior and the setting is no less serene. White walls, muted shades of violet fabric on the banquettes and chair seats. The serenity also gets some help from the relative quiet of the place -- the acoustic tile above and carpeting below should be a building-code requirement for any restaurant seating more than two.

15 Point Road treats the interiors of its patrons as attentively, we were to be reminded. Seafood is the specialty, declared by only one of the seven appetizers containing meat. But I passed on the steamed littlenecks and the spicy shrimp to try the Portuguese soup ($2.75), planning on diving into the ocean offerings later in the meal.

I expected the spicy chorizo sausage to dominate, but, instead, bits of it only accented. The bulk of the kale soup was taken up by tender pieces of pork, more plentiful than the potatoes, in a sweet, flavorful broth. It was better than I'd had at some Portuguese restaurants.

The New England clam chowder ($2.95) that my mate, Johnnie, chose wasn't too shabby either -- creamy and rich. And both soups came with those tasty rectangular New England common crackers. Also on the lighter side, the House salads that come with the entrées are mainly spinach, with some mesclun thrown in for the occasional beet greens or red leaf accent. Try the raspberry vinaigrette for a nice balance of sweet and tart.

For her main course, Johnnie had been looking forward to their lobster potpie, an experience she had relived in nostalgia many times since her first experience of it. But the dish had been replaced among the signature specials by the "Mount Hope Lobster Casserole" ($18.50), a bread-crumb topping instead of the crust. So Johnnie ended up choosing a pasta dish, "Scallops Block Island" ($14.95), and was quite satisfied.

The plump ocean scallops were melt-in-your-mouth tender, sautéed in a thin tomato-and-white wine sauce and served over perfectly al dente ziti. 15 Point Road is the kind of place where a parsley garnish would look trite and out of place. Their version on this dish? A sprig of fresh oregano from an adjoining herb garden.

I went for the "Sole Sarafino" ($13.75). The filets were dusted in flour and lightly sautéed, topped with small shrimp plus tart tomatoes, scallions, and mushrooms. A black pansy blossom decorated the center, while fresh string beans and carrots that were surprisingly tender for their size came on the side.

The desserts aren't made on the premises, so the "fresh apples" in the apple crisp ($3.50) are sliced in the kitchen. The "Torta Tiramisú" ($3.95) sounded appetizing to me, although don't expect the fluffy traditional confection. This one is dense, as should be expected from a tart, but rather uneventful. Settle for a liqueur-topped vanilla ice cream instead. Or perhaps your sweet memories of the meal itself will be enough.