For fans of fine dining at Harbour View

By Jerry Cronin

Restaurant critic

The Harbour View area of Suffolk continues to increase in local culinary stature with the addition of River Stone Chophouse, the latest addition to the pantheon of restaurants associated with chef Sam McGann. From the moment you pass over the small brook running beneath the entrance to the foyer you know that you are in for an evening where details have been attended to and the food will be wonderful.

The design and decor of River Stone is largely influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School of Design. Lots of wood, stone, geometric shapes and the playful use of the interior spaces make this restaurant aesthetically pleasant to the eye.

To kick off our evening we enjoyed a bowl of the Maine lobster stew ($12). This was a creamy stew tinged by the pink of lobster and tomato. In addition to small sweet bits of lobster, there were tomatoes, potatoes and corn with chopped chives over the top. The late addition of finely diced celery provided a pleasant texture and crunch.

The River Stone House Salad with Champagne vinaigrette ($7) was a salad of mixed greens, with small halved tomatoes and slices of cucumber. The vinaigrette was excellent. It had a tangy taste of coarse mustard that played well against the arugula that was the prominent green. One of my fellow diners declared the tomato the best she had experienced this season. It was at the peak of ripeness.

To accompany our meal the waiter brought out butter and wonderful rolls with a lovely interior texture and the hint of a sour dough taste.

The 22-ounce, bone-in Delmonico steak ($40) was our first entree selection. We ordered it with wild mushroom butter sauce for an additional $3. The preparation was flawless - cooked to medium and filled with flavor from the dry aging done on premises. While the wild mushroom butter had excellent flavor, it was a bit of a disappointment as I was expecting mushrooms in the sauce.

On the recommendation of our waiter we tried the grilled salmon filet with house smoked tomatoes ($25). In this dish, an ample, 1-1/2-inch-thick portion of Norwegian salmon was cooked to perfection and topped with lightly smoked tomatoes. It was moist and flaky and had an enjoyably delicate flavor.

As with many high-end chop-houses, the sides are ordered separately. River Stone offered a great variety ranging from skillet roasted mushrooms to house cut fries. We could not resist the macaroni and three cheeses ($9). It consisted of rotini pasta blended with cheeses, placed in a cast iron skillet and broiled with a layer of very fine bread crumbs. It was a good rendition of this classic, home-style dish.

Our second side was creamed sweet corn with smoked bacon ($8). This was an ample serving of creamed corn with a slight sweetness from roasting and a hint of bacon flavor. It was broiled in a cast-iron skillet with a dusting of Parmesan that added a slight crust and good flavor. It was served with a topping of diced fresh tomatoes. All of the flavors worked wonderfully.

Our dessert course began with peanut butter mousse ($7). My dining companions particularly enjoyed this almost modernist take on a Reese's Cup. Fluffy peanut butter mousse was placed on a circle of flourless chocolate cake and then encased in a thin layer of chocolate. The effect was tasty, light and airy.

We also enjoyed the New York style ricotta cheesecake with summer fruit ($6). Rich and moist, this was an individual circular cheesecake over a round graham cracker crust. Raspberries, blackberries and blueberries were placed around the plate, along with sauces created from different fruits.

Service was impeccable. Our waiter and his assistant were attentive with excellent timing. River Stone is definitely for fans of fine dining, but is also designed to hold appeal for businesses. The pricing and the menu are geared toward the higher end of the scale.

Fans of the other associated restaurants, Blue Point in Duck, N.C., and the Vintage Tavern in Suffolk, or of fine dining in general would be well served by a visit to the River Stone Chophouse.

Jerry Cronin, flavor@pilotonline.com