Surprises, standbys make a good combo

Isaac's on the Waterfront

When it comes to dining out, I like surprises. My husband does not. I like small spaces with funky décor. My husband prefers a comfortable chair and good light. I like unexpected ingredients - quinoa instead of rice or pungent rosemary flavoring a dessert. My husband finds satisfaction in straightforward dishes such as steak cooked medium rare or seafood fried to a golden crisp.

For the most part, Isaac's is my husband's type of restaurant.

The second-floor eatery makes the most of its location across the street from Plymouth Harbor, with a virtual wall of windows on the ocean side. A long bar occupies the other side of the dining room, which means nearly every table has an ocean view.

We were glad we had made reservations on a Saturday night - and glad the restaurant takes reservations even for parties of two - since the place was full when we arrived. The long, rectangular dining room felt a bit institutional, with its acoustical ceiling, glass-topped tables, and border of green plants strung with tiny white lights.

The large menu listed some creative combinations in addition to the standards. I agonized between clams casino ($8), noted as a house special, and baked stuffed mushrooms ($7) to start, eventually settling on the mushrooms. Eight or so caps arrived topped with seafood stuffing and a white sauce. My first thought was that the sauce was superfluous, until I tried it and discovered sweet pieces of scallop and shrimp. Clam chowder ($4) was a fine rendition. Not too thick or too thin, it was loaded with small pieces of potato and clam and a touch of thyme.

One of us (can you guess which one?) chose fried Ipswich clams ($17). They were small and tender and accompanied by good, crispy French fries and cole slaw. While my husband enjoyed the clams, I noticed that he kept staring longingly at the slabs of prime rib being delivered to nearby tables.

Had I pursued my typical quest for unusual combinations, I would have gone for the chicken and shrimp apricot ($15). But I couldn't resist "lobster fantasy" ($29), a whole steamed and sautéed lobster split and stuffed with scallops and shrimp. Served on a pretty glass plate in the shape of a fish, the lobster sat on a bed of linguine in a garlic and white wine sauce, topped with mussels and clams. Lobster, scallops, and shrimp were all cooked perfectly, and each retained its distinct flavor. The sheer quantity of seafood in this dish was amazing. I took at least half of it home.

Our only quibble with the entrees was that both arrived lukewarm and cooled quickly. Our waitress was pleasant, but obviously rushed. My lobster setup, with bib and crackers, arrived some five minutes after the lobster.

Purely in the interest of journalistic research, we were willing to try a dessert. But nothing on the dessert menu was alluring enough to induce us to further gluttony. Any other time, my husband might well have chosen chocolate cake, apple crisp, cheesecake, or an ice cream sundae. But Isaac's massive portions had left him happy as a clam.

ELLEN ALBANESE

Hungry for more? Readers can search Globe restaurant reviews at boston.com/ae/restaurants.