One of the standard jokes about Rhode Islanders is that we routinely give directions by using a long-gone business as a landmark, as in, "You know where the Almacs used to be?" Thus, in the case of Gale Warnings, in the north end of Narragansett, everyone’s saying, "It’s where the Steak Lodge used to be," and there’s an added twist to the tale. The folks who ran the Steak Lodge for many years are back at their old location, with a new name and some old favorites on a revamped menu.

Gale Warnings is in a cozy log-cabin building, with an open-beamed dining room, porch seating that looks out on the Newport Bridge, and outdoor deck seating, if the weather ever gets warm enough to use it! Inside, the log walls with nautical prints and memorabilia are set off by forest green woodwork. The L-shaped bar near the porch was lively the evening we were there, with a team of women softball players celebrating their win.

The appetizers at Gale Warnings are nouvelle twists on familiar bar snacks: tri-colored nachos with vegetarian chili; chicken tenders with fruit salsa and drizzled wasabi; roasted chicken wings with Gorgonzola garlic cream sauce. We chose the grilled portobello with roasted eggplant stuffing ($7.95), which was a wonderful combination of smoky tastes, piqued by the swirls of reduced balsamic sauce around it. The portobello was accompanied by a small salad, of baby spinach and greens.

We passed up the pastas on the menu, which included dishes with veal, chicken, scallops, and little necks, and the grill items, which hark back to the old Steak Lodge days — filet mignon with bleu cheese, rib eye au poivre, a tenderloin with roasted garlic butter, and a half-pound burger among the seven items. We steered instead into the specialties on the menu, choosing chicken framboise ($14.95) and New England cod ($12.95).

The chicken breast was nicely complemented by the sweet/sour effect of the raspberry/balsamic sauce and a healthy pile of sauteed red onions. The chicken entree came with baby red bliss mashed potatoes, with plenty of butter in them, and steamed zucchini and carrots, also carefully cooked to retain their firmness.

My cod was paired with the same yummy potatoes and veggies, but it had its own song to sing. It was topped with a basil-butter sauce, plus breadcrumbs and toasted pine nuts, not just sprinkled but liberally strewn. Delish.

House-made desserts included cheesecake, crème brûlée, chocolate mousse and two specials that night: mango-strawberry bread pudding and peach tart ($4.25). We shared the latter, which came in a warm, soft dough, almost like cobbler dough, accented by a scoop of vanilla ice cream and mixed berries.

All of the staff at Gale Warnings was very friendly, and our waitress was attentive and very helpful through most of the meal. It did seem, however, that she lost track of us between the entrees and dessert. During our long wait, we perused the take-out menu, where we saw this announcement: "Coming this summer: cabaret-style karaoke after 9 p.m." My friend glanced nervously at her watch and said, "Are we into summer yet?"

As luck would have it, it isn’t yet summer (these spring rains confirm it, don’t they?), and we were out of the restaurant before the appointed hour. But, in the community spirit exemplified by the softball team, it might be something to check out in July.

Gale Warnings also billboards its children’s menu, "for the little storms." With such an emphasis on making families welcome and with most entree prices (other than the steaks) between $10 and $15, this eatery promises to be a quite a hot spot for residents and tourists alike this summer.

With some interesting takes on basic New England dishes (the veal is topped with shiitakes; the pork tenderloin rubbed with jerk sauce; the scallops with orange segments and juice) and some good meatless possibilities, there’s something for everyone (the kids can have burgers, pizza, chicken fingers, or even penne with red sauce). Or grab a group of friends and go sing your favorite tune. Just look for the log cabin where the Steak Lodge used to be.