Best of Rhode Island 2009 Editors' Picks

Somewhere along the way, we began to equate outdoor dining with casual meals. The Grill at 41 North is upscale al fresco with a view to die for. Abutting a twenty-eight-room loft-style resort and its very own dock, The Grill keeps its menu as simple as the sea. Lobster, crab and shrimp are only shown up by the steaks and chops (because manly men and women hoist the sails). Don't forget the cabernet and truffle bordelaise, a cool gimlet and the knowledge that life couldn't get much better.