Although Rhode Island has more than 400 miles of coastline, it doesn’t have very many places where you can eat and gaze at the ocean. And many of those with a view are somewhat pricey. So let me suggest two terrific options, both involving the delicious foods from West Bay Gourmet: a buffet spread every Wednesday (11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.) through August 25 at The Towers in Narragansett or a picnic supper on Narragansett Town Beach.

The buffet lunches started in June, but my first visit was last week. (There are additional weekday lunches at the Towers, from Thursday, July 15, through Tuesday, July 20, because of the Tall Ships. The price is $15 for adults, $5 for children.) For those who haven’t been to the third floor of The Towers, let me sketch a picture. Hardwood floors stretch across the long rectangular section of this room that connects one granite tower to the other. The Towers themselves are the only remaining structure of a huge casino, after a 1900 fire swept through all the wooden buildings in Narragansett. Exposed beams give a view of the tiny windows up in the steeply canted roof. Down below are wall-to-wall windows that let in a refreshing ocean breeze, even on the hottest days. Long tables spread with white butcher paper and small clusters of shells enhance the seaside mood.

The buffet is laid out in the circular space inside the first tower; in the other end, there is live music (guitarist extraordinaire Dennis Costa on the day I was there). The buffet offers many options. You might want to begin with the chowder and stuffies, either traditional or spicy. The stuffy was a bit more clam-filled than the chowder, but both were very yummy. The light creaminess of the soup nicely complemented the heat in the "spicy" bread and clam stuffing.

Next, visitors are faced with tough decisions: a hot entrée such as penne with sun-dried tomatoes; three different salads, two of them low-carb; or five different sandwiches. West Bay varies the hot entrée (they’ve also served up eggplant Parmesan), and sometimes the sandwiches and salads switch around. The salads during my visit were fresh mesclun greens tossed with vinaigrette; black beans and corn with salsa, cilantro, and roasted red pepper; and coleslaw with apples and dill. I loved the last two, though the dressing on the green salad needed more pizzazz.

The sandwiches are drawn from West Bay’s baker’s dozen of traditional and specialty varieties, such as a summer veggie wrap and "Lori’s famous chicken salad." Turkey, roast beef, and ham-and-cheese were the other choices that day. The chicken salad wrap had large chunks of fresh chicken breast with celery and plenty of mayo.

Cold drinks and coffee, plus a selection of cookies, brownies (fudgy with walnuts on top) and lemon/coconut squares round out this fabulous lunch — a bargain at $11, and worth even more for the view. That’s an almost 360-degree view of Narragansett Town Beach, out to the Beavertail Lighthouse on Jamestown, over to Newport, down the coast to Point Judith. On a clear day, as they say, you can see forever.

But what about a sunset supper on the beach itself? You can pick up sandwiches, salads, and many things in between at West Bay. Of course, you might be tempted to sit down to lunch in their petite but sunny porch, with its French-blue woodwork, cheery blue and yellow plaid tablecloths, and a strip of sunflower wallpaper at table height. Bill and I indulged, he with a special of the day: roast beef melt on croissant, with provolone, tarragon mayo, and tomato ($5.95). He couldn’t stop raving about the flavorful, tender roast beef and the generous side salad that he picked to accompany his sandwich — the black bean and corn combo.

My choice was the "portobello club" ($6.25). They had run out of this sandwich’s usual focaccia, but a baguette worked fine, with the eponymous mushroom nicely grilled, roasted red peppers, sliced tomato, a tapenade mayo, and a veritable salad of greens spilling out the top. My side salad was marinated string beans with tiny gold and red pear tomatoes. Too much to finish, though that didn’t stop me from grabbing the last big chocolate chip cookie.

I had, after all, primed the ole sweet tooth by perusing West Bay’s shelves, with its fascinating array of imported and domestic food items, ranging from Irish chocolates and cranberry-ginger fruit bread mix to jams, chutneys, and salsas. The glass jar of biscotti, the croissants, and the five Thermoses of coffee recommend this spot for breakfast.

But back to the beach picnic. The chicken Cobb salad, with avocado, grilled chicken, blue cheese, and bacon over greens ($5.95) comes highly recommended. I’d trust the crab cake sandwich after tasting the stuffies. Seasonally, there’s a lobster salad wrap ($9.95), a grilled eggplant panini ($5.95) and fresh tomatoes with fresh mozzarella balls over greens ($5.95). And much, much more. Narragansett Town Beach stops charging for parking at 5 p.m., so glide into the North Pavilion lot and claim one of the picnic tables. As the sun sinks in the west, it throws shades of pink and purple up into the eastern clouds above the breakers and back down onto the wet sand. What could be more magical? Maybe West Bay’s food.