Da Mino Ristorante: 415 Main Street, Port Washington; 516-883-3030

Cuisine: Italian/Continental

Hours: Lunch from 12 to 3 p.m., Dinner from 5 to 11 p.m.

Credit Cards: All Major

If you are craving a weekend getaway but only have a few hours to spare, take a short drive to Da Mino in Port Washington. There you can watch a magnificent sunset over the marina on Manhasset Bay, while enjoying some of the finest Italian and seafood dishes.

With extremely high ceilings and glorious skylights, the columned interior of the restaurant offers a wide open gallery of space, that is also idea as a spot to cater your next affair.

If after scanning the terrific menu, and listening to the endless list of daily specials, you still cannot decide what to order, do not fret: "This is the kind of place, that if you cannot find exactly what you want on the menu, you let us know and we will make it for you," said manager Peter Benedetto.

The menu consists of traditional Italian seafood appetizers such as Calamari Fritti ($6.00) and Mussels Posillipo ($7.00). We tried the Baked Clams Oreganata ($7.00) as well as the Zuppa del Giorno, Minestrone ($5.00). The baked clams we extremely rich, and the breading was tastefully light. The soup was a must, even on a warm summer evening.

For the main course, we indulged in the Black Ink Pasta con Calamari alla Positano ($14.00), which is squid ink linguini sautéed with extra virgin olive oil, roasted garlic, fillet of plum tomatoes, and fresh herbs. What was most satisfying dish was the seamless mixture of pasta and seafood.

The Pollo Scarpariello ($16.00), sautéed pieces of chicken in oil, garlic, herbs, balsamic vinegar, demiglaze and tricolor roasted peppers. This extremely well seasoned dish remains a classic Italian dish.

The menu also consists of pasta staples from Penne alla Vodka ($14.00) to Linguini with white (or red) clam sauce ($14.00), as well as a healthy selection of veal, beef, and seafood courses.

Shortly after we finished the last morsels on out plates, an enormous dessert tray was rolled before us. All of these selections are beautifully presented and truly delectable. Both the Napoleon and the Cheesecake, are not to be missed. Da Mino also sports a fine selection of coffees.