Maybe Little Cranberry is too accessible? Perhaps that was going through the mind of one of the Islesford Dock's owners, Dan Lief, as a lunch traffic jam ensued when the second delivery of hungry tour-boat visitors appeared at his door. Customers clamored to eat, but their boat wasn't due back till 3, and he assured them there was plenty of time.

We agreed to eat at the bar and got to sit quickly. Watching the action, rather more interesting than the lovely view, at least for a while, we enjoyed a meze plate ($13)-tiny smoked mussels and garlicky, lemony hummus on baked pita wedges accompanied by a relish made with chopped onion, carrot, cucumber, red pepper, and feta, with some fresh fruit and olives on the side. That simple plate, always on the menu and always changing, is one reason we were all here, glad to enjoy the fresh tastes that the kitchen assembles.

But Islesford Dock wouldn't be so impolitic as to neglect the typical seaside dishes. Clam chowder, steamed clams, and crabcakes are on the list, next to tuna tartar, grilled calamari, Szechuan eggplant, and grilled asparagus. There's a de rigueur steamed lobster right up alongside the Caribbean seafood stew, a cinnamon and chili flavored stew of shrimp, halibut, and mussels. Pasta Rustica mixes orecchiette with Parmesan, white beans, and summer vegetables. Those dishes are available if you take a dinner cruise out here, or happen to live on the island.

The hamburgers ($9), served with fresh-cut fries, are juicy and full of flavor, and made an 11-year-old, a 15-year-old, and a 50-year-old content at the bar. Strawberry or blueberry crisp threw us for a moment, till we each ordered one and shared. Both were scrumptious with ice cream, and a quiet walk around the island afterward was all we needed to make the pleasure of our visit complete.

A huge garden is the source of much of the greens. In 2007 Cynthia and Dan Lief will celebrate their 15th year as restaurant owners here; they started coming in 1972, and rented for 15 years on vacations from New York City as a school teacher, and as a banker, respectively.