Restaurants like 158 don’t generally appeal to me. But in this case I loved it. Usually, I’m not attracted to dining establishments that have cute, homespun settings, funky décor and ambiance.

The moment we walked in we were instantly charmed. The low, soft lighting was soothing and inviting. The gas fireplace, which seemed to be the only heat source, cast an amiable glow across the room We knew immediately that we were going to like being here. Who wouldn’t, with such wonderful smells coming from the open kitchen?

The small room was nearly full. This is to say that about 20 people had assembled to sample the weekend-only dining hour. It was very clear that this was a neighborhood crowd from South Portland and Cape Elizabeth.

158 has a liquor license to serve beer and wine. In this case there was a choice of one red or one white wine. We had the red, something called Lunedi, a generic wine from Italy. I was all set to hate it. But it was fairly good, if not unusual, with its sweet-dry-fruity run along the palate. Eventually, our waitress told us, their wine offerings will grow. I wonder if they shouldn’t maintain a tight, discerning list of some very likable red Zinfandels and California Chardonnays.

We started off with a “small bite,” sharing the caramelized onion pie. This was a tiny wedge of beautifully burnished onions set in the flakiest buttery short crust. After several bites we had finished it with great gusto.

Our first courses were the baked fresh ricotta with spinach and the oysters Rockefeller. The ricotta offering was unusual and very well done. It came out as a small wedge of baked ricotta, pudding-like in texture, with a coating of a delightfully sweet tomato sauce, accompanied by sautéed baby spinach that had great flavor, perfectly cooked. This was a very tasty dish that I could have many times over.

I was less impressed by the oysters Rockefeller. They were good, but not my favorite version. Perhaps I liked the other first course too well, and this one paled by comparison.

For our entrees we chose the seared trout in cornmeal crust and the hand-cut pasta tossed with chard, walnuts and blue cheese.

The trout had a nice coating of cornmeal, not overwhelming the fish. It was served with a delicious cold salad of black-eyed peas and country ham. I loved it.

The pasta had great texture, and the sauce worked beautifully. My only gripe—which I think the restaurant should change immediately—is that the entrees were served on ridiculously small plates, barely big enough to hold a modest sandwich.

For dessert we chose the black bottom banana cream pie and something called aunt Marty’s cheesecake. As dessert lovers we were in heaven. The banana offering was more like a pudding, served in a small glass bowl. The cheesecake was a rich, intense cream-cheese version, set onto a delicious crunchy, buttery graham-cracker crust.

In every respect this was an enjoyable evening and meal. We felt as though we had been transported to a tiny old-style French café on the Left Bank. In its simplicity, it showed great style, all accomplished by a kitchen staff that performed very well indeed.

To get to 158, go to the end of Broadway to the marina and make a right turn onto Pickett Street by the USM campus. Call 799-8998 for reservations.

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