Bill McCormick left Providence many many years ago. While he was gone, he cooked crawfish and NorthWestern salmon and Pacific Mahi-Mahi. Along the way, he learned how to manage restaurants, teamed up with Doug Schmick, and became enormously successful serving seafood across the entire US. When he finally brought his restaurant chain to Providence, he had seafood and restauranteering down right.

First, let's talk about the fish. One word to remember about McCormick and Schimick's seafood -- Fresh. Their refrigerator is for the butter, not the fish, since all of the seafood shipped in and used up so fast that it's never stored. You've probably had fried calamari -- when it's poorly done, the texture is like a pencil eraser. When it's done as well as it can be with frozen squid, it's still chewy, though perhaps softer inside with a little surface toughness. But the fresh calamari is almost buttery soft, not something that reminds you of a tennis shoe.

Their menu is reworked twice a day based on what fish arrive in the kitchen. Sometimes it might feature Narragansett clams or Block Island monk fish, sometimes it might be North Shore cod or Gulf Coast shrimp. Wild salmon is almost always on the menu, not farm raised and hormone-induced, but instead salmon whose color comes from nature, not a test tube.

The basic menu is Pacific Northwest with Asian influences. Seared tuna, served as an appetizer with and a garnish of wasabi and ginger clearly state "Asian". Salmon served with a flavorful sauce says "Northwest", no matter how much we like salmon here in Rhode Island.

But the menu uses local seafood, local ingredients, and even local recipes. The menu would not be complete if it didn't have New England clam chowder, for instance. Local seafood dominates the shell fish for both the main menu and the raw bar, but that doesn't keep blue crabs or rock shrimp from appearing if they're in season and fit the mood of the chef. The chefs are trained to the "McCormick and Schmick" standard, but the local chef is allowed a little latitude in choosing preparations that appeal to the local palate and his personal taste.

Because of the freshness, the food is excellent. Presentation is pleasant and the portions are more than adequate.

The bar features traditional "hand crafted" cocktails (no blenders). Martinis, Irish coffee, single malt whiskeys, and bourbons dominate the choices at the bar, along with on-tap beers.

The Providence location, just like the other 52 restaurants in the chain, is uniquely designed to create an inviting, original and relaxed atmosphere that reflects the culture and heritage in which it is located. Rhode Island nautical decorations, from antique photos and illustrations of Ocean State boats, fish, and seascapes to a huge stained glass panel depicting a classic sailing ship, make the Providence restaurant uniquely Rhode Island.

While the layout and decor are based on the location, one architectural feature has been borrowed from earlier restaurant designs -- the "snug" -- A cozy, enclosed booth with heavy velvet curtains. It's just the thing for a quiet, more private dinner.

The service? Excellent. Attentive and courteous. Exactly what you'd want for an elegant evening out.

Here are a few miscellaneous points to mention. Dinner and lunch menus differ not only because of the selection of seafood available, but because different dishes sell better at dinnertime and others sell better at lunch. Between lunch and dinner, around 4PM on weekdays, expect to find the restaurant practically empty, just like most upscale Providence restaurants. The restaurant has two entrances, one inside the Biltmore and one outside -- on cold, wet days, come in via the Biltmore lobby. Valet parking for the restaurant is just $3 in front of the Biltmore, perhaps that low because McCormick has memories of parking cars for the Biltmore as a boy.

I heartily recommend McCormick and Schmick's for a fancy dinner, especially if you're taking someone special and have the "snug" reserved.

You can find McCormick and Schmick's at 11 Dorrance Street in the Providence Biltmore. Their phone number is (401) 351-4500. You can find them online at www.mccormickandschmicks.com< /a>

About the author, Paul Pence: Not a life-long Rhode Islander, Paul got to Rhode Island as fast as he could. He has 25 years of writing experience and numerous publication credits including the Providence Journal, the East Greenwich Magazine, Weissmann Travel Reports, Travel Lady Magazine, Jackhammer, Your Skin and Sun, TravelNotes, TexWoman, and many others.

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