Fare with flair At these dinners, more than food is on the menu By Denise Taylor Dining out is always a treat, but some nights call for a dash of pizzazz, for a setting that thrills, for that extra little charge you get when you do something out of the ordinary. From upscale dining aboard a once-notorious tugboat to a movie house that delivers pizza to the row of your choice, we found five unique dining experiences for when it's the right night to try something new. A cozy tugboat Dunfey's in Portsmouth A harbor sunset, a romantic fogged-in dock, the moon framed by the steel angles of the Memorial Bridge, a chill wind and a slight chop in the water - the setting is all the more perfect when viewed through the porthole of a cozy antique tugboat. The most expensive and infamous tug of its time, the John Wanamaker is now docked and serving dinner in Portsmouth, N.H., just an hour north of Boston. The casual outdoor dining decks are closing for winter, but the season for lingering over a fine meal in the warmth of the inner cabins is just starting. This Roaring Twenties beauty, glowing with polished wood and burnished brass, is not to be confused with your usual dinner cruise ship. For one, you never leave the harbor, although the seals, kayakers, and fish that might swim by the portholes provide enough sense of sea traffic. The imposing 61/2-foot-wide steam stack, as well as every other nautical curve and quirk, set a decidedly more authentic seafaring tone. The working glassed-in steam engine (the motor is electric now) that grandly pumps away in the center of the lower dining room is not your usual decor. The Wanamaker is not even your average tug. The luxurious mahogany paneling and fine craftsmanship are the product of scandal. Corrupt Philadelphians used $175,000 in public funds ($135,000 over the usual 1920s cost) to build this tug as an extravagant party boat. They claimed it was just what the city requested: a heavy duty ice breaker and hauler with rooms for union negotiations and the like. When word seeped out about the crystal, monogrammed china, and unseemly revelry among the wicker chairs and coco mats, citizens were outraged. Scrambling to smooth things over, city officials quickly christened the tug in honor of the late, respected philanthropist John Wanamaker. From then on, charity fund-raisers were the only parties held onboard. Today the Wanamaker is host to Dunfey's, and chef Jim Cannon presents an ever-changing menu of new American cuisine. With limited space in which to stow ingredients, Cannon creates dishes daily with whatever owner Walter Dunfey rounds up fresh from local suppliers. This can range from scallops delivered direct by local divers to bluefin tuna purchased right off the boat. The indoor menu offers elegant but straightforward fare such as grilled Maine lobster with corn relish, seared Atlantic salmon with chive creme fraiche, and beef tenderloin with fresh mozzarella and basil. The delicate, brothy fish chowder served year-round has the sweet, clear flavor of a fresh catch. Choices for the more adventurous palate show off Cannon's international flair. A recent menu featured yellowfin tuna lightly seasoned and flash-grilled just long enough to add the surprisingly well-suited flavors of fire and spice to the usually cool tones of sushi. The accompanying chilled coconut sticky rice, roasted shiitakes, seaweed salad, and mango puree filled the plate with color and exciting flavor contrasts. The bitter edge of sugared walnuts paired with cool baby spinach and a pear vinaigrette perfectly balanced a rich Roquefort and chevre tart appetizer. The fall and winter menu will feature game specialties including duck, venison, and quail. If you're seated overlooking the water in the stately upper fiddley (a cabin named for its fiddle shape) where the after bar was originally located, be sure to stroll through the lower dining area to view the engine and take in the unusual eye-level view of the water. No need to worry about getting seasick. The Wanamaker is a heavy hulk, only occasionally shifting gently in the water. Dunfey's Aboard The John Wanamaker One Harbour Place, Portsmouth, N.H. 603-433-3111. Fall and winter: Dinner served Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations recommended. Appetizers $6-$9, entrees $16-$26. Outdoor seafood and barbecue menu served spring and summer, entrees $7-$20. Directions: I-95 north to exit 7 (Portsmouth). Turn right at end of exit ramp and follow signs for Strawbery Banke Museum into town. Left onto State Street toward bridge. Bear right and go down slight hill under bridge. Dunfey's and a parking garage will be right in front of you. Around we go Spinnaker Italia, Cambridge The view from Spinnaker Italia, the revolving restaurant atop the Hyatt in Cambridge, is nearly 360 degrees of urban dazzle. Floor to ceiling glass panels open up to the Boston skyline across the Charles, then Cambridge, then Boston again. Even on a foggy night as Boston University peeks out of the mist and the Citgo sign glows on the horizon, it is hard to take time out for the menu. The upscale, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine far surpasses the usual hotel fare. Ingredients are fresh and the flavorful dishes rival those served at many restaurants on the streets below. So, despite the long lines to get in on weekends, why isn't Spinnaker the talk of the town? Wrong decade. After The Eye of the Needle revolving restaurant debuted at the Seattle World's Fair in 1962, every city had to have one. Dining above the skyline on a giant rotating turntable was a sign of progress and prosperity - a thrill that signaled the futuristic world of the Jetsons was close at hand. These days, we over-computerized and digitized folks of the '90s seem generally blase about revolving restaurants and the techno dream, but I'm still stuck in the '70s, a wide-eyed 10-year-old in awe at the top of Atlanta's Peachtree Plaza as the world circled by. One look at the excited patrons on a recent crowded night revealed plenty of other inner 10-year-olds around. Stepping onto a rotating disk is guaranteed excitement - remember the merry-go-round? Executive chef Brad Ozerdem, however, is not content to let this novelty be the only attraction. "At the hot restaurants in town, there is an element of architecture to the way people do their plating and an element of layering of flavors that to me is Bostony," he said. He crafted the Spinnaker menu to catch that flair. Pan-seared swordfish was tender, moist, and well-paired with one-inch greens, a subtle couscous with fresh asparagus tips, and a tart berry vinaigrette. Chilean sea bass in roasted garlic tomato broth with plum tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, and spinach got just the right spark from a zesty mix of Calamata olive, orange peel, and parsley. A buttery Florentine-like almond cookie cup was generously filled with fresh berries and a fluffy zabaglione (sweet, whipped Marsala wine cream). Those prone to motion sickness may feel a bit unsettled at first, as I did, but the pace is so slow it takes just a few minutes to adjust. The restaurant takes 35 minutes to an hour to make a rotation; the speed is on the higher side when the crowd is bigger, so everyone gets a chance to see the view. For those who prefer to stay put, tables in the non-rotating Bella Vista corner offer a grand view of Boston. Spinnaker Italia atop the Hyatt Regency, 575 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. 617-492-1234. Reservations recommended. Appetizers $6 to $13. Entrees $18 to $26. Cocktails and dinner served daily. Brunch served Sundays 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dancing on Fridays and Saturdays at 10 p.m. Free two-hour parking in hotel garage. Reading, writing, and rack of lamb Newbury College Enter the hallowed halls of higher learning and you just don't expect the sweet scent of poulet a l'estragon to drift past the lectern. But at Newbury College, the culinary arts classrooms are kitchens, the "laboratory" an elegant Victorian dining room, and the day's assignment is to prepare and serve a four-star meal. You can aid in the education of the school's aspiring chefs by paying a moderate price to dine at Newbury's Mitton House. This is about as cushy as it gets when doing good deeds. The three- to four-course lunches feature a different international cuisine each day, from spicy Caribbean to traditional Eastern European. Dinners are four courses of classical French. The tasteful and formal setting, including a marble fireplace, is the restored home of Edward Mitton, the owner of the original Jordan Marsh. The students are held to exacting standards. Utterly refined service, from the black-tie uniforms to the use of a crumber between courses, is matched by gracious presentation. The butter is molded into patterned disks, the entrees artfully arranged, the dessert tray strewn with fresh flowers. The same meticulous approach is expected of the student chefs in the kitchen. On a recent visit for an Iberian Peninsula lunch, a bowl of seemingly simple but exquisite olives arrived with our entrees. When I marveled about them to chef instructor Madonna Berry, she explained that students slow-roasted the mix of Nicoise, Calamata, and Manzanilla olives for three hours with fresh rosemary, thyme, and lemon and lime zests. "We use a rasp for the lemon and lime now instead of a zester because the rasp brings out more flavor," Berry added. The Portuguese fried potatoes that accompanied a light frittata, she explained, were so flavorful because they were finished in a Spanish olive oil made from just one type of olive for superior taste. Berry likes to add a dash of history to her class menus. She said the fried orange slices with powdered sugar that we enjoyed had been included to reflect the Arab influence on Iberian cuisine. Despite the fine-dining atmosphere, try to remember that this is a school and the students are still learning. Just as professionals occasionally serve up an average dish, so do the students, but not often. If the proof is in the pudding, most Mitton House students will saute and filet their way to an A. The Mitton House at Newbury College 129 Fisher Ave., Brookline. 617-730-7037. Advance reservations required. Individuals, couples, and groups seated. Serving Monday through Thursday. Lunch, $12.50: September through November and January through April at 12 noon. No T- shirts, sneakers, or jeans. Dinner, $25: October through December and February through May at 6 p.m. Jacket and tie or business wear. Price includes nonalcoholic beverages and tax. Optional tips go to a scholarship fund. Guests may bring their own wine. Couch potato's night out Stoughton Cinema Pub Not every night cries out for lobster Newburg. The $2.99 admission and a most unusual snack bar at the Stoughton Cinema Pub Theatre make for a couch potato's dream dinner and a movie. Located in Stoughton center, this 1927 erstwhile live theater feels at first like the set of "The Last Picture Show." The concession stand, though, is bustling and full color. Right next to the popcorn popper is a row of beer taps and a blackboard touting the evening's dinner specials - that's right, dinner specials. The brief menu is basic fast food. Homemade pizza goes for $6 a pie or $1 a slice, hamburger and cheeseburger plates come with chips and a soda for $3.50. The weekly specials include favorites such as chicken parmesan subs, Buffalo wings, and meatball subs. Bottled imports, including Corona with fresh lime, and wine complete the bar offerings. For dessert try the popcorn with real butter, the usual candy fare, or a glass of chardonnay. Connoisseurs of cuisine rapide will appreciate that nothing is slowly petrifying under heat lamps here. Everything is made to order and delivered right to your seat. As I watched previews last week, the waitress was thoughtful enough to deliver mustard for my soft pretzel without my asking. Why stay at home with a small screen, reruns, and a pizza you have to go to the door for when you can see a decent film and have your pizza delivered straight to your seat? The movies are second-run features. Since reopening the theater in June, theater manager, projectionist, bartender, and chef Mike Harmon has noted that different films wake different appetites. "The action movie and PG crowd really goes for the hot dogs and pizza. For a film like 'Tea with Mussolini,' I'll have coffee, teas, and cookies. I try to serve the crowd that comes in," he said. Harmon, who has been in the theater business for years, said that more than the movies themselves he loves "having people come in and you treat them like you really want them here. You know you're really putting on the show for them." Harmon's family is out there with him, making the crowd feel at home. That's his mother-in-law in the ticket booth, and his wife and niece are at the concession stand. Finally, the fine art of theater dining is at its most polite when you can keep your dinner out of your lap. Be sure to ask for one of those nifty trays to attach to your cup holder. Stoughton Cinema Pub Theatre 807 Washington St. (Route 138), Stoughton. 781-344-4566. Route 93 south to exit 2 (Canton) onto Route 138 south. Free parking behind theater in commuter rail parking lot. Open Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. A culinary party Cooking in Cambridge If you have ever watched a cooking show and groaned with envy as the host sits down to savor the mouth-watering dishes, the Friday Night Cooking Series is your chance for relief. This particularly popular program at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education provides a close-up view of how a master cook prepares a gourmet meal. Cooking tips, techniques, and recipes flow freely. More important, you get to dine on a full portion of everything that's made - from appetizer to dessert. "It's a culinary party. They come to learn, but they also come to have a good time," said instructor Josef Brozek. Brozek and his wife, Caryl Oliphant, approach their Provencal bouillabaisse class as if they were putting on a show. To liven up the school kitchen, they spread out tablecloths, display ingredients in baskets, put up decorations, and light candles. "It has to be unique, exciting, and unusual. People expect something very tasty but you have to entertain them as well," Brozek said. Those who wish can help chop, stir, or prep. Making individual crepe desserts in Brozek's class is something nearly everyone wants to try. Others prefer to train their eyes on the chef or gab with other guests, and people do make friends here. "In a restaurant there is a nice atmosphere, but no one from the other tables will pay any attention to you," Brozek said. "You come here and it is a friendly supervised place to meet people." There is no need to commit to the whole dinner series, each class is offered individually, but the menus may tempt you to try them all. Fall's choices range from chef Rafael Pereira's sangria and Spanish paella (a rice dish made with a bounty of seafood, meats, saffron, and more) to Bonnie Shershow and Sally Vargas's canape soiree where students sip wine and prepare fancy hors d'oeuvres such as gorgonzola and pine nut crostini. Michael Malkoff, author of "The Every Day Gourmet" (Healing Arts Press), offers several Friday dinners that feature inspired recipes from his cookbook. A recent five-course meal featuring fresh herbs began with his citrus shrimp vinaigrette with basil served warm over arugula and endive. Aromatic entrees of sage balsamic grilled chicken, smoked salmon baked on a pine board with lime and cilantro, and garlic dilled rice followed. Dessert was simple and elegant: fresh pineapple tossed in pinot grigio (a dry white wine) with a touch of sugar and chopped fresh mint. Malkoff doesn't dress up the room like Brozek but adorns his presentation with nonstop cooking insights and priceless asides such as, "If you get a little stem in there, they know they're eating the real thing," or "It's food. It's no big deal. Don't be afraid to cook for people - we're practically related to this stuff." Cooking for 24 can get a little hectic, so expect a lively, sometimes frenetic atmosphere. Washing dishes for 24 is, well, like washing dishes for 24, so expect paper plates and plastic cutlery. Lest all the knowledge you acquire evaporate like alcohol in a flambe, bring a pad and pencil for notes. Friday Night Cooking Series Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle St., Cambridge. 617-547-6789. Preregistration required, call early. $36 per night. Fridays at 6:30 p.m. during school sessions. Wine is included with some but not all classes, so guests may bring their own. Denise Taylor is a freelance writer. © Copyright 1999 Globe Newspaper Company.