Though we’ve lived in this state long enough to consider ourselves Rhode Islanders and South Countyites, there’s one quintessential Ocean State experience we haven’t really had: being "at the beach." That would mean renting one of the cottages along the southern shore for a week or a month, hearing the pounding surf as you drift to sleep, and feeling fine sand between your toes from dawn till dusk.

The next best thing is discovering Jim’s Dock, a modest seafood eatery nestled among the gray-shingled cottages of Jerusalem — just across the water from the busy fishing port and ferry hub of Galilee. Jim’s Dock really is a dock, with all manner of marine craft tied up to its various side-docks. From the porch at the restaurant, you can see the Block Island Ferry glide by, even in heavy fog, but there is none of the bustle and noise of Galilee — just the squeals of kids catching crabs and the mewing of gulls landing near the dune grass just outside the porch windows.

Our first visit to Jim’s was on Mother’s Day, when they opened up for a special brunch, with complementary mimosas. Never mind that the pancakes and eggs came on plastic plates, with plastic forks, and that we ate at a bare wooden table whose scars would never be completely covered by a new coat of stain. It was obvious from the get-go that this place was beloved by locals and by its friendly staff, many of them family to owner Dave DeCubellis, who has operated Jim’s Dock for almost 32 years.

Seafood comes right off the nearby boats (one special on the night we were there was titled "Karen Elizabeth scallops," named after the boat). The staff are as attentive in bringing a whole pitcher of water or passing on an unclogged salt shaker as they are to lowering and raising the plastic "curtains" on the porch sides, if the night breezes become too cool or the mosquitoes begin to swarm.

We began with two stuffies ($3.95) and a generous cup of Rhode Island clear chowder ($3.95), plus cod cakes ($6.95), another special that night. The latter had plenty of fresh cod (not dominated by mashed potatoes), plus chopped green and red peppers. The stuffies didn’t have many chunks of quahog, but the stuffing itself was tasty from clam juice and a bit of hot spice. The chowder was swimming with clams, filling each spoonful. It was all quite delicious.

Nearby, the owner of an upscale South County restaurant was treating his staff to supper (how’s that for a recommendation?), and they were oohing and aahing over the steamers and the crab cakes. Bill considered the grilled tuna steak salad and the scallops Nantucket, but we both wanted to see what they’d do with "crunchy flounder" ($13.95), and grilled swordfish ($26.95). The flounder filets were rolled in crushed cornflakes and spices, and though their delicate sweetness was a bit overwhelmed, the frying was expertly done, with very little oil lingering on the coating. The flounder came with a choice of fries, baked potato, or rice pilaf, plus some very nice coleslaw.

Bill asked for his swordfish to be "brushed with" Cajun spices, and it was absolutely the best. Moist and flavorful, a large steak that even our waitress admired for its size: "They came big this time, didn’t they?"

I had dreamed of strawberry shortcake on the drive to Jim’s — and they had it! — along with their own Key lime pie and fruit pies from Schartner Farms. The shortcake had plenty of berries, enough juice to soak into the biscuits, real whipped cream and not too much sugar on the berries. The biscuits were a bit too dense and dry for us, but we’re spoiled by my Southern family’s biscuits.

Though you don’t need much more than the boats and the water to look at, there are intriguing nautical souvenirs everywhere you turn at Jim’s: canoe and oars overhead, a weather-beaten sign announcing a fishing derby, lobster floats, mounted sports fish, and in the booth where we sat, long-ago names scratched into the wood. The whole place recalls an earlier time and definitely gives us landlubbers a real taste of being "at the beach."

Johnette Rodriguez can be reached at johnette.rodriguez@cox.net.