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DINING OUT - The Boston Globe Great service makes for waterfront treat The Ocean Club You know the old saying, "The best-laid plans of mice and mothers often go awry." That's what happened on a beautiful evening recently when I planned to visit The Ocean Club in Hull with a group of women friends for a civilized sunset meal. Instead, I ended up eating there with one friend and six of our children. The evening might have turned into a mom's worst nightmare. But thanks to great service, a fresh ocean breeze, and possibly the most succulent shrimp I've ever tasted, a good time was had by all. The start was rocky; I was under the impression that The Ocean Club does not take reservations. This was unfortunate, because it does take them, and the hostess informed us the wait would be up to 45 minutes for a patio table. "You'll have better luck inside," she said, eyeing the children, who were busy stripping off their shoes and socks and navigating their way down a stone staircase to the rocky beach below. But it was simply too lovely an evening to surrender to the air-conditioned quiet of the dining room. We told her we would wait, and ordered cocktails at the outside bar. The Ocean Club, opened about a year ago by the owners of DiNero's in Cohasset, is still ironing out a few kinks. As you walk around the building -- which is the only way to access the outside dining area -- there's a sign apologizing for the construction to your right. But once you step through the gate, you have arrived On the restaurant's multilevel patio, with landscaped gardens and tables of all sizes, is an irresistible view of the Atlantic , which our little people were quickly racing toward . By the time we looked up from our margaritas -- tart, delicious, and worth the $8.50 -- the kids were in up to their navels. The Ocean Club is unusual in that it's not quite casual and not quite formal. (Customers in bathing suits are welcome, but only before 5 p.m. Footwear is mandatory.) While many of the guests looked mildly horrified as our soggy kids made their way back up the steps, sandy hands filled with shell-shard treasures -- the restaurant staff seemed refreshingly relaxed about it. A kind hostess named Johnnie warned us that we still faced a long wait for an outside table, and that the dining room might be best. Sensing my reluctance to leave the gorgeous weather, she grabbed a stack of menus and said, "Come with me." We clambered up the stairs into the newly refurbished second-floor dining room, where she led us onto a narrow terrace that wasn't set up for dining, but afforded the same fresh breezes and spectacular view of the patio below. As we watched in amazement, she and several waitresses dragged out tables, chairs, and service for eight. The kids gamely arranged themselves while we ordered another round of drinks, as well as chicken tenders, burgers, and foot-long hot dogs ($6 per plate) with fries on the side from the children's menus. All arrived in gratifying ly short order, and all were unanimously declared yummy. With the kids satisfied, my friend and I turned our attention to grown-up food. We started with four jumbo shrimp cocktail ($15), which may have been the biggest and most succulent shrimp I've ever tasted. We also went for the appetizer combo plate ($12), a heaping array of fried calamari and cod cakes (sinfully delicious), button mushrooms stuffed with scallops and crabmeat (tangy and tasty), beer-batter onion rings (gigantic but otherwise unmemorable), and Buffalo chicken wings (overpoweringly spicy). My friend order ed the grilled swordfish and said that while she "would have liked the fish to have a little more flavor," the accompanying vegetables "more than made up for it." Her 11-year-old daughter, whose palate is more sophisticated than that of her young tablemates, went for the lobster salad plate ($17), which featured fresh whole pieces of lobster and a genuine claw, lightly seasoned with mayo and spices, and surrounded by fresh fruit and vegetables. We also splurged on the Ocean Club Platter ($21), a scrumptious array of fried shrimp, cod, and scallops that we simply could not finish. By this time the kids had scampered back down to the beach, but they regrouped at the table to share a brownie sundae ($6) and a hot fudge sundae ($5), both of which they raved about, except for the nuts, which we had asked our waitress to skip. Since our service was otherwise friendly and impeccable, we couldn't complain. The grape nut dessert ($4), the famous cereal mixed with whipped cream plus ice cream, was distinctive and satisfying. On the whole, The Ocean Club is a fabulous addition to the burgeoning Nantasket Beach dining scene. Manager Vinny Roth promises that musicians will soon play during daily happy hours, and that improvements are planned. That's good news for us, because we long to sample more on future visits, including the raw bar, the extensive drink menu, and the wide variety of fish entrees. But next time, we just might leave the kids at home. KATHLEEN McKENNA
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