New England Fall Cassoulet includes duck, venison sausage, mushrooms, beans and cranberries.

The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo

If Waterman Grille were an outfit, it would be made of cashmere and other fine fabrics and styled in layers.

The dishes there are woven with luxurious ingredients. But they are all designed differently to suit the mood. If a full meat or seafood course is too much, there are the small plates. The lovely side dishes and a boutique wine list are perfect accessories.

Like that soft sweater, Waterman wraps you in a cozy space fronting the Seekonk River with its open kitchen and lovely aromas from the wood grill and menu with many delights.

It’s nice to see the space in Richmond Square formerly occupied by the Gatehouse serving again, though the neighborhood was rather dark driving up about 8 p.m. leaving us to wonder if anyone was home at the 1871 structure. Perhaps that’s why it felt so welcoming stepping into the bar with all the warm woods, busy conversation and high tables. That was our seating choice but dining rooms are both by the water and on a spacious lower level.

Before very long we were enjoying a trio of Hereford sliders ($9.95), delicious mini hamburgers. Just enough beef, balanced with crusty hamburger roll and aged cheddar. Thin onion strings were a welcome accompaniment.

A Short Rib Bruschetta ($4.95) stood teeny, tiny on its plate but what big flavor it provided. The rib meat, like the sliders, comes from Hereford cattle which have a reputation for producing tasty beef and it reads true with this dish. Much of the sourcing for the meats contributes to the perfection of the food. Of course it’s also prepared beautifully with chef Mike Conetta slow cooking the meat and creating a braising liquid of veal stock, red wine, a mirepoix of celery, onion and tomato, and herbs and spices. The meat is then placed on rich mashed potatoes drizzled with truffle oil and then served on a piece of melba toast, double toasted bread. Savory, creamy, crispy makes for an impressive combination.

Waterman Grille is the first foray into Providence for the Newport Restaurant Group, a subsidiary of Newport Harbor Corp. and the folks who run several fine dining spots, including Newport’s Castle Hill Inn & Resort, The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar and 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar & Grille. That means that Waterman has the full force of experience behind it like chef Casey Riley, culinary arts director and Len Panaggio, corporate beverage director.

The shrimp fritters ($5.95), wonderful little balls of deep fried treats that are reminders of the Bag of Doughnuts served at the Mooring. The team has put together a menu with small, tapas plates such as the burgers, bruschetta and fritters which for many can easily be a meal when shared.

Still, as we moved into the signature and grille plates, our enthusiasm for the selections didn’t wane.

Outstanding was the Farmland Pork Rib Chop ($16.50), an all-natural pork from Iowa that was tender as could be. Of course, Conetta soaks it in a honey and rosemary brine for 24 hours before it is wood grilled. But the sauce, oh that sauce, was sweet but balanced with concentrated flavor. It’s a maple-brandy reduction with garlic and shallots adding more layers of sweetness before being finished with Vermont maple syrup.

The seasonal feature is a New England Fall Cassoulet ($20.95). This hearty and rich stew included a leg of duck, amazing venison sausage, mushrooms, beans and cranberries. The flavors were a mÉlange of all that we love about fall and eating. A blackened Ahi Tuna ($19.95) was a large portion prepared perfectly rare and had a nice blend of spices.

The grille dishes come with small accompaniments but I preferred the sides, including Mac ’n Cheese and Wood-fired Smashed Sweets (both $4.50).

The Mac begins with fresh penne and a combination of simple, flavorful cheeses including sharp Vermont cheddar, creamy havarti, and Reggiano Parmesan. A touch of lemon juice brightens the flavors.

As for those Smashed Sweets, they are creamy and bursting with smoky flavor that comes from a mixture of hard woods for the grilling including oak, maple and cherry.

For dessert, a pumpkin crème brûlÉe ($7.50) was well-executed with nice spices and a creamy texture with crunchy sugar topping. But a Cookie Monster Sandwich ($7.50) was delivered a bit too warm to keep the macadamia nut-white chocolate cookies from melting the vanilla ice cream.

The list of beers included some favorite German brews like Spaten and the boutique wine list features 60 interesting wines from around the world. The variety of interesting food and drink brings a lot of brightness to Waterman’s corner of Richmond Square.