Artisan in Southport Offers Creative Décor, and More A WALL painted with Brobdingnagian-size, Georgia O'Keeffe-style magnolias is the focal point of the main dining area at Artisan - until the food arrives. The menu at this stylish restaurant in the new Delamar Southport Hotel is even more creative than the décor. The chef, Frederic Kieffer, formerly of the much-missed Gaia in Greenwich, has created a modern version of New England cookery that makes use of many local and regional ingredients, like chilled oysters from the Thimble Islands and Cape Cod hard-shell clams. On one of my visits, a dessert cheese platter highlighting the farmstead cheeses of the Northeast featured hefty slices of aged Vermont Cheddar, blue cheese from Maine and one of the most sublime Camemberts I have ever tasted, from the Hudson Valley. The platter also contained daubs of Red Bee Honey from nearby Weston, quince and lingonberries. And the warm artisanal bread, a light sourdough with honey and wheat germ, is from a recipe Mr. Kieffer developed with SoNo Bakery in South Norwalk. Almost every dish on the menu has tempting accessories. Crunchy-edged griddled crab cake, made with fresh blue crab meat from Florida, flashed a swirling comet tail of piquant carrot-ginger sauce. Sliced tissue-paper thin, La Quercia prosciutto - made from chestnut-fed black hogs, which produce an unusually delicate flavor - arrived with a scoop of creamy whipped ricotta, a pond of palate-awakening pear-ginger mustard, and pistachios tossed in pistachio oil. Artisan's tuna crudo is an inspired version of tuna tartare: chopped sushi-quality tuna rests on a bottom layer of tangy eggplant-chickpea chutney tweaked with coriander, cumin, cloves and garlic, and a tingly mint-and-chive-accented yogurt sauce punctuates the entire dish. Grilled calamari got a flavor boost from a perky green tomato-mustard seed relish. The roasted beets and leek salad was a model of textural contrasts, supplied by dandelions, shards of blue cheese and walnuts. And a refreshing endive salad was a creative combination of diced orange and apple, pomegranate seeds and walnuts in a goat cheese dressing. Several pasta dishes come in both small-plate and entree portions. A small plate of goat cheese gnocchi - light and seemingly heaven-sent, in a pool of aromatic lamb Bolognese decorated with rucola greens - was so delicious that I wished I had ordered it as a main course. Wild mushroom and farro risotto, generously caressed by "Fossa" cheese, a seasonal Pecorino from one small Italian town, also makes a great appetizer (but is just as pleasing as a main course), with hen-of-the-woods, chanterelles and oyster mushrooms hugging the well-textured rice and grains. The fish courses I sampled were standouts: delicate fluke, wearing a feathery goat cheese crust, came in an aged wine sauce, along with whipped parsnips, mushrooms and grapes; and griddle-top black sea bass in a robust chorizo-clam jus shared a plate with a hearty mix of squash, fingerling potatoes and leeks. For an old-fashioned touch, there is beef pot roast - incredibly tender slices - served with whipped potatoes and an array of roasted baby carrots and other vegetables. Equally appealing, with its own nostalgic moment, is the duck breast "a la plancha," accompanied by a duck-vegetable hash made with braised duck leg and root vegetables and served with a small casserole of Jack Daniels-mashed yams stippled with the tiniest imaginable flecks of marshmallows - just enough to remind you of the yam toppings of childhood, without the oversweetness. Desserts are few, but the ones I tasted were delicious. The fruit fritters - apple, banana and pineapple, blanketed in a lovely, light, golden crisp batter - were so good that the cheesecake ice cream that came with them was superfluous. Other treats included a clear, sharp-edged citrus crème brûlée; a warm, intensely chocolate ganache cake with pistachio ice cream; a trio of ice creams (coconut, chocolate and hazelnut); and that aforementioned cheese platter, which could easily be shared by two. Artisan 275 Old Post Road Southport artisansouthport.com THE SPACE The attractive dining area, part of the new Delamar Southport hotel, has wooden floors, a wall with small panes of antiqued mirrors, delicate chandeliers and comfortable chairs. Outdoor area for warm weather dining. Street-level, handicapped access. THE CROWD Many couples, business groups and families. Wait staff is well trained and cheerfully upbeat (perhaps too much so: our waiter consistently called the females at our table "dear"). THE BAR Called the Tavern, it is adjacent to the main room, with a U-shaped bar and tables for dining. A well-chosen selection of global wines starts at $28 for whites and $38 for reds; by the glass, $8 to $20 (for Veuve Cliquot). A welcome selection of bottled craft ales and several on draft. THE BILL Breakfast: entrees, $6 to $15; continental breakfast, $12. Lunch: entrees, $11 to $26 (prime dry-aged rib-eye, $38 at lunch, $41 at dinner). Sunday brunch: à la carte, but prix fixe menu available at $19. Dinner: starters, $9 to $18; pastas in small or regular plates, $14 to $28; other entrees, $17 to $41; desserts, $6 to $16. A lighter Tavern menu is available 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. daily, with entrees from $14 to $41. All major credit cards accepted. WHAT WE LIKED Tuna crudo, grilled calamari, roasted beets and leek salad, griddled crab cake, La Quercia prosciutto with whipped ricotta, endive salad, Artisan beef pot roast, duck breast "a la plancha," crusted fluke, wild mushroom and farro risotto, goat cheese gnocchi, local black sea bass, warm chocolate ganache cake, citrus crème brûlée, golden crisp fruit fritters, assorted ice creams, cheese platter. IF YOU GO Breakfast: Monday through Saturday, 7 to 10 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. Lunch: Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday brunch: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner: Sunday through Thursday, 5:30 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5:30 to 11 p.m. Reservations advised on weekends. Limited street parking in front; valet parking in the rear.