Maybe it’s the time of year, or maybe it’s just an occupational drawback of being a restaurant reviewer, but expectations can play a big part in evaluating a meal. If a place is eagerly anticipated and it exceeds those expectations, all the better. But if it doesn’t match them, the overlay of disappointment can color my impressions.

So it was with La Bodega. Though there had been no South County buzz about it, one pleased customer wrote to recommend it to us, and we thought we should see it for ourselves. In an impressive space that has housed several other restaurants, La Bodega has kept the Mediterranean décor that remains suited to its own Spanish- and Italian-themed menu. The walls have a white stucco look, with dark wood beams framing them at diagonal angles — a half-timbered effect — and the lamps are Tiffany-like, with multi-colored fruit and plant designs twining through them.

On our white linen-covered table was an interesting bottle of olive oil that mirrored the lamps’ design with a bunch of tiny glass grapes hanging inside it. Two stoppers on the bottle made us investigate and discover that balsamic vinegar was in one section, making the "grape" portion dark, and olive oil was in the other. As you can see, we are easily entertained.

However, we were quite indecisive about our menu choices, and our waitress was very patient. From several seafood appetizers (including scallops "stuffed" with crabmeat, clams casino, and calamari), we picked camarones al ajillo ($8.95), shrimp sautéed in fresh garlic, as well as a bowl of garlic soup ($3.25). Bill wondered if we were overdoing the garlic, but we were both eating it, so who cares?

The garlic soup was mild and slightly sweet, as garlic tends to be when simmered. The soup had large croutons floating in it, but I missed the traditional texture of Spanish garlic soup with finely grated dark-toasted bread in it. The shrimp were tasty, and there were more than two dozen of them, but I missed the zing of lemon and/or hot pepper that’s often in this preparation.

For my main dish, I selected the mariscada La Bodega ($16.95), seafood in either a white or red sauce. I went for the white and was surprised at the large portion that appeared: a half-dozen each mussels and clams, a few shrimp, perhaps a dozen scallops, and half a lobster. It came with my requested rice, which was saffron-colored with peas on top. The broth for the mariscada was too salty for me, although Bill liked it. Nor did the seafood taste as fresh as I like it (as it should, right here in the Ocean State).

Bill followed through on the garlic theme with his chicken dish: pechuga de pollo ajillo ($12.95). Two boneless chicken breasts were smothered in a hefty garlic sauce and served with mashed potatoes — well, actually, garlic mashed potatoes — and carrots and broccoli. This plate was also very generous, and the chicken and potatoes were nicely done.

The wine list at La Bodega is extensive, featuring reds and whites from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Argentina, California, and the state of Washington. Twenty wines are available by the glass. There is a bar adjacent to the main dining room, and a tabletop billboard listed more than 20 different martinis.

The flan and crème brûlée are house-made. Other desserts include cheesecake and a lemon mousse torte. Bill opted for the latter and I got the flan, but we concurred that the flan was enough to share, and he only took a couple of bites of the torte. Could this be because I’ve trained him to like custards? More likely, it was the smoky flavor of the carmelized sugar surrounding the flan. Either way, it was delicious.

So, there were a couple of winners among the dishes that we tried. La Bodega also has four veal, two sirloin, and two filet mignon entrees on its menu, in addition to pork chops, four other chicken variations, and a section of seven pastas. It’s possible that heavy meat-eaters or those with a pasta preference will find a good home here. We just thought we’d try to stick to the Spanish dishes, since the restaurant bills itself as "formerly of the Spanish Tavern." But those items just weren’t as good as what we’ve had elsewhere.

Nonetheless, our meal was reasonably priced and reasonably good. It just didn’t meet my expectations. I’m sure there’s many a family member who says the same thing (though not to the cook), as they push back from holiday meals this season.