Don’t expect SeaGrass, a new restaurant in Yarmouth, to be any more than the charming neighborhood bistro that it is. There aren't too many restaurants in the area that I'm familiar with that are worth the trip, so I was curious about this one

Since I live in Portland I tend to go to restaurants that are nearby. When the weather gets more reliable I will occasionally board 295 for points north or south. For short trips north I’ll go to Finch’s in Falmouth. It’s pleasant and the food is decent.

I also like to go to the Falmouth Sea Grill when I’m in the mood for something simple and tasty, not that this is such an astounding dining establishment, but the view is great, the food is highly agreeable, in a homespun way and the service is very friendly and relaxed. I went there for lunch a while ago and was told that the menu has been overhauled. I’m not sure if I’m happy about that. I like going there to have the same old thing each time: old-fashioned shrimp cocktail to start and baked haddock. After all, their menu hasn’t changed in years, which us regulars like.

For me, the best restaurant in the area is the Royal River Grillhouse. As well it should be because half the kitchen staff was lifted from Fore Street some years ago, when Royal River emerged transformed. The cooking is not always consistent, but when it’s good, it’s first-rate grill fare.

That’s my short list for the Falmouth-Cumberland axis.

Then I began to hear a few glowing reports about this new upstart and thought it would be worthwhile to check out.

It’s located in a dull, flat business park off Route 1 on Forest Fells Road (across from the Down East Restaurant). Its neighbors are a post office, a government office and a residential complex that I’ve been told is senior citizen housing (correct me if I’m wrong).

Like many area restaurant start ups, décor was not given high priority. Yet the room has a pleasant stark charm: Dark floors, stainless steel open kitchen and low lighting.

The space is no bigger than a large living room. Yet the night we went there with two friends who live in nearby Falmouth, the place was packed with a crowd that looked right at home in their new neighborhood hang out.

Stephanie Brown is the chef/proprietor. She looks more like a reigning diva--a vivacious soprano ready to hit high “C.” And that pretty much describes her style of cooking. It’s big food, highly seasoned, robust and almost bouncing off the walls with resounding flavors.

It follows the format of New American bistro style with European and Asian influences. This is almost a formula to expect these days wherever one goes. So if you’re looking for meat and potatoes or genre cooking, then move on.

I started with the grilled maple bourbon shrimp with chipolte pepper infused olive oil and it was everything that you would expect contemplating the relationship of the various ingredients. It was delicious and substantial.

Other first courses included grilled Portobello mushroom with Dijon mustard; a mesclun salad; creamy risotto with pumpkin seed oil and tomato soup with orzo and fresh basil.

My dinner companions tried the soup, mesclun salad and the risotto. I heard no complaints on any of these and managed to taste the risotto, which was creamy and light. Often risotto is overdone and emerges gummy and flat. The splash of pumpkin seed oil gave it a kick.

First courses are in the $5 to $7 range.

I chose the herb rubbed chicken as my entrée. Here was a well roasted breast on top of spears of sweet potatoes strongly flavored with an orange essence, sautéed escarole and braised salsify in fig reduction. This dish had a lot going on, as passionate as a three- act play pulled into one riveting scene.

Other choices on the menu were grilled ginger maple soy salmon; seared scallops and cabernet marinated rack of lamb; grilled molasses maple marinated sirloin; and a vegetarian entrée of phyllo napoleon. Entrées are $15 to $24.

I don’t know too much about the chef’s background other than she had a stint at the Ritz in Boston, which seems to be a stomping ground for up and coming New England chefs.

She certainly knows her way around the flavor pool and how to put unusual components together smoothly. It will be interesting to see how her menu develops. For now, everything is a bit on the sweet side. I don’t know yet if this is an indelible style or if other interpretations are afoot.

The dessert menu was pretty much depleted by the time we got to it, and we settled for some ice cream.

There is a short wine list that’s moderately priced but no bar.

I liked Seagrass. Too bad it wasn’t done up as a magical tropical paradise as its name suggests: Colonial rattan-style tables and chairs, big vases of exotic flowers and the chirp of birds in the background.

It’s a curious name for a restaurant that is plain vanilla and stark. Maybe it’s just whimsy on Brown’s part. In any case, I enjoyed it, we all had fun and it was a good excuse to drudge through snowy, icy roads to eat at a new restaurant where the food was a comfort.

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