Cantilevered over the Essex River with panoramic views of the marshes and flowing tide is the new Periwinkles Restaurant.

As the sun sets and candles on the table begin to illuminate the dining room, this cozy restaurant is a peaceful place to enjoy a good meal.

After two visits to Periwinkles for dinner, it was clear that seafood is their specialty.

We started off with the lightly fried and very tasty calamari appetizer, served piping hot with a tartar dipping sauce.

We also loved the coconut beer batter shrimp, again the plump and succulent shrimp was lightly fried so it did not feel heavy or greasy.

The shrimp is also served as an entree.

Among the seafood entrees, we were very pleased with the swordfish, a good sized portion, perfectly grilled and blackened with a nice cajun spice.

The baked sea scallops with lemon and light bread crumbs was also well prepared-without drowning the tender fish in butter.

The boiled lobster was also good. For those who do not like seafood, they also serve sirloin steak; grilled chicken marinated in soy sauce; marinated and broiled lamb tips and fried chicken fingers.

An inexpensive children's menu includes chicken fingers; fried clams; hot dog; burger; spaghetti and grilled cheese.

Save room for dessert here, especially the strawberry rhubarb pie, served warm with ice cream, the rich tiramisu torte, or the very decadent chocolate thunder cake laced with liquor.

Joy Of Eating -- North Shore Sunday

The traditional takes on a new twist at Periwinkles
by M.A. Olotour

Dining out in the summertime is so much more of an occasion.

We're basking in the elements, not battling them, so even the journey is pleasant.

We may dawdle along the way-do a little shopping, sightseeing, spend time at the beach.

Periwinkles in Essex is a great destination restaurant.

It's on the picturesque Essex River, in the midst of the many Essex antique shops, and is itself a historic site flanked by shipyards famous for centuries of wooden shipbuilding.

The trip from almost any direction is scenic.

The Essex Shipbuilding Museum is next door and down the road you can take a leisurely Essex River Cruise.

Or you can just come and eat-the food is a trip in itself. Fresh and well-prepared, the menu is a mix of many traditional favorites, particularly seafood, done in interesting and innovative ways.

Just different enough to make great conversation all the way home.

We had lunch in the light and airy non-smoking dining room with lots of windows overlooking river and marsh.

The walls are backdrops for local artist Sally Carson's upbeat watercolors, the paneled ceiling is festooned with ship's lanterns, and the white linen tablecloths are dotted with jewel-tone water goblets.

One flight down is an outdoor deck on the river with geranium and lobelia-filled window boxes.

Tomatoes ripen on the sun-warmed railing.

I ordered a Periwinkles-style frozen margarita ($4.50)-a large alcoholic version of Italian slush best savored with a spoon.

A basket of warm, crusty French bread arrived.

My friend took the edge off her appetite with the prize-winning Clam Chowder ($2.99), thick with real cream and a touch of celery, while I tried to find an appetizer and an entree which were not the equivalent of two main courses.

As delightful as the menu is, it offers little in the way of one-person appetizers, forcing me to choose one or the other.

In the end I opted for a Luncheon Special.

The choices would tickle any seafood lover's fancy: fresh Crabmeat Pie ($7.99), Grilled Salmon ($7.99), a Seafood Casserole of fresh haddock, salmon, scallops and crabmeat in a lobster bisque sauce ($7.99).

I chose Coconut Beer Batter Shrimp ($8.99) with rice pilaf and fresh seasonal vegetables.

My meal was a treat.

Seven large, meaty shrimp not overly battered, perfectly seasoned and fried.

I didn't taste any coconut, but that was OK with me.

The rice pilaf was the best I've ever had-buttery, well-seasoned, moist as cooked in stock.

Draped over the rice were long thin slices of fresh, lightly sautéed and seasoned summer squash, zucchini, red pepper and snow peas.

My friend chose from the Jumbo Hand Sandwiches section, offering such temptations as Grilled Steak Lilly ($6.99)-charred Black Angus steak tips, sweet onion horseradish sauce and melted Boursin on a crusty French roll.

Watching her waistline, she chose the Spring Vegetable Wrap-a mix of chargrilled vegetables, orzo ( a grain-shaped pasta) and feta salad, radish sprouts, black bean hummus and a Mexican yogurt sauce.

You really have to taste this to appreciate the medley of flavors and spices-a
nice treat for the taste buds.

The dense, meaty mix was packed into a spinach green tortilla and served with crispy fries or vegetable slaw.

On the lighter side, there is Chilled Lemon Pasta Salad ($4.99) with fresh seasonal veggies in a lemon-basil vinaigrette; Grilled Fresh Lobster Pizza $(9.99) on sour dough crust with caramelized onions, herb cream, mozzarella, tomatoes and basil; the TMZ-warm roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and grilled zucchini stacked and drizzled with fresh basil oil and balsamic vinegar ($5.99), or try the rippled Sweet Potato Fries with warm maple syrup dip. ($3.99).

The "Specialties" menu made my mouth water: Charcoaled Lamb Steak ($12.99)marinated in garlic, lemon and sage with grilled veggies and orzo and feta salad; spicy Jumbo Shrimp and Pappardelle Pasta Arrabbiata ($15.99)-homemade pasta ribbons tossed with roasted garlic, red chilies, extra virgin olive oil and a lite plum tomato sauce, or the Garlic and Rosemary Rotisseries Pork Loin rubbed with Mediterranean spices, spit roasted and served with a lite fennel cream sauce, roasted baby potatoes and spring vegetables ($8.99).

While we dined I noticed Chef Steve, Periwinkle's culinary maestro, popping in and out serving meals.

It seems he was trying out new culinary ideas on the clientele.

As I was about to order a homemade Lemon Sorbet with fresh berries ($2.99),
he presented me with a Key Lime Shortbread Square topped with fresh cream,
berries and a side of fresh plum compote to sample.

The warm key lime pudding texture became denser and richer as it melded with the shortbread: an excellent dessert in its own right, really not needing anything more than a garnish.

Microbrewed beers such as Ipswich Ale and Shipyard Goat Island Delight are a
specialty here, served either by the pint ($3.25) or bottle.

There are house wines by the glass and a decent selection of Italian, French,
California and Australian wines.