Wild Fox Mesquite Grill

Address: 225 Alameda del Prado, Novato

Telephone: 415-883-9125

Web: www.wildfoxrestaurant.com

Cuisine: Rustic American comfort food

Service: Friendly, helpful

Recommended dishes: Sticky maple bourbon barbecue baby back ribs, baby spinach salad, spit-roasted prime rib of beef, house-made ice cream

Liquor selection: One page wine list of mostly California wines, good selection by the glass; specialty drinks, beer

Heart-healthy and vegetarian selections: Yes

Parking: Free lot on site

Wheelchair access: Yes

Hours: Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily; dinners Mondays through Thursdays 5 to 10 p.m., Saturdays 5 to 11 p.m., Sundays 4:30 to 10 p.m., bar menu served 2:30 to 5 p.m. daily, happy hour (with half-price appetizers)

Credit cards: Visa, American Express, MasterCard

Summary: Wild Fox serves a good variety of dishes using fresh, local ingredients and house-made sauces, but its naturally aged mesquite-grilled meats and ribs are exceptional. Portions are huge, and the restaurant has a comfortable lodge-like feel.

No matter how hungry you are or aren't when heading for a meal at the Wild Fox Mesquite Grill in Novato, it's hard not to suddenly crave something juicy the moment you enter the door; the smell of the grill is just too enticing.

On a recent Friday night, the 4 1/2-year-old restaurant adjacent to the Novato Oaks Inn was packed, not only in the casually rustic dining room but in the bar area as well. That made for a rather noisy beginning to the evening - the high, beamed ceilings give a wonderful airiness to the generous-sized dining room but don't do much for animated conversations. So if you're looking for a quiet t te-Æ-t te, you might want to plan a visit later in the evening, after 9, or on a weekday night when it might not be so bustling.

But all that bustling is a sure sign that Wild Fox has found itself a legion of fans. "We've always had a loyal, local following," says Debbie Massarweh, who owns the restaurant with her former husband, Munther Massarweh, and Arthur Prieston. "I see people here we saw five years ago, and some come three, four times a week for lunch."

Because of that, she says, the restaurant tweaks its menu every six months or so. Some of the most recent additions have been Asian influenced, and they've been pretty popular, she says. "You can still have your comfort food, your meatloaf, but every once and awhile, jazz it up. People here have very sophisticated tastes."

The lodge-like look of it is inviting enough, with butternut-colored walls; a few touches of Americana on a high wood ledge; rock wall accents; and half colored concrete, half carpeted floors. A large etched frosted glass divider separates the main dining room from the bar area. You can sit at a bar along the large open kitchen if you like to watch the grill action; in one of the three roomy booths with banquettes off to one side, separated by more etched frosted glass dividers; or at the heavily lacquered wood tables that front a wall with huge windows overlooking a cozy patio with freestanding heaters, a fireplace and large canvas umbrellas - perfect for al fresco dining. But one patio light was so bright that it was distracting, even inside the dining room.

Overall, we thought the lighting, both inside and in the patio area, was a tad too bright. I prefer softer, more romantic lighting and candles on the tables. But as there were several families with kids at the tables around us -a lone crayon that evidently rolled off our table when previous, obviously much younger, diners were enjoying their meals - perhaps romance isn't always necessary.

Relative newcomers to the restaurant, we looked to our server for suggestions on the restaurant's best dishes. Ribs and meat, he said, and so ribs and meat we ordered. Be prepared, though - the portions at Wild Fox are quite large. One entr}e could satisfy two diners, and many people, our party included, left with doggie bags in tow. Although the restaurant's prices verge on the high side, you get a lot for your money.

A half-loaf of crusty sweet French bread and butter were plopped on our table right away. Although the bread was fresh and soft, it didn't have much oomph to it. We would have much preferred a heartier artisan bread, although, quite honestly, after seeing the portion sizes, bulking up on bread would make it impossible to make a dent in any entr}e.

We were eager to try the mudbug (crayfish) fritters ($7.50), and so were saddened when our server told us they'd sold out. No mind - the barbecue baby back ribs ($8.95 as an appetizer, $22.75 as an entr}e) quickly made up for that loss. One succulent bite and we wished we'd ordered the ribs as an entr}e. Three (although our server informed us they'd be four) meaty, nearly fat-free ribs were the perfect balance of sweet (coated in a luscious maple bourbon barbecue sauce) and smoky. The meat, soft inside and just lightly crisp outside, practically slid off the bones. Served atop a tangy blue cheese cole slaw - an unusual but exciting pairing - it was truly a sticky, decadent treat.

The fried calamari, however ($8.50), was not so successful. Looking and tasting more like heavily battered and doughy onion rings, which the dish included, the calamari was almost impossible to taste. On the plus side, the crunchy bites were relatively greaseless, and the two accompanying sauces - a tangy cocktail and a tartar, both house-made - were satisfying. But as longtime fried calamari lovers, we were disappointed.

Other appetizer choices that looked particularly appealing: sake-steamed black mussels in a homemade red coconut curry sauce ($9.95), crab cakes ($11.50 as an appetizer, $18.95 as an entr}e) and an ahi tuna roll ($12.95), one of several Asian-themed dishes on the extensive menu and one of the most popular appetizers, Debbie Massarweh says.

A baby spinach salad ($8.95) with farmers market-fresh cherry tomato halves, spiced pecans, mushroom slices, feta cheese, red onion and hickory-smoked bacon pieces in a maple-mustard dressing was divine, and huge, although, bacon freak that I am, I would have loved a few more pieces scattered about. An entree-seized portion, there was more than enough for the three of us, and we all agreed we could easily see ourselves returning to Wild Fox for it alone.

And, of course, for the ribs, which we were still raving about long after we'd licked the last bit of their stickiness from our fingers. That is until the naturally aged, spit-roasted prime rib of beef arrived. The smallest portion, at 10 ounces ($24; $26 for 14 ounces, $29 for 18 ounces), was a substantial piece of meat. Ordered medium-rare, the meat was so tender that a knife was unnecessary - my fork worked just fine. And, oh, the smoky flavor! Wild Fox rotisseries the prime rib for three to four hours, and that slow cooking keeps it marvelously juicy.

Steak and chop entrees include two sides; diners can choose from a list that includes hand-cut fries ($3), garlic-lemon saut}ed spinach ($3.75) and mesquite-grilled asparagus ($5.95), among about 10 other sides. I ordered the saut}ed crimini mushrooms ($3.95), which was nicely herbed and sauced, and the saut}ed garlic broccoli ($3.75), which arrived, thankfully, a vibrant green, crisp and well-garlicked. But the kitchen made an error at first, plopping a creamy portion of well-seasoned sour-cream whipped potatoes ($3.50) on the side instead of the mushrooms. Our server quickly and apologetically remedied that.

Speaking of service, our server was knowledgeable, friendly and attentive - although at one point, after the salad plates were removed, we'd lost a knife that was never returned -waiting patiently as we narrowed down our choices. But his recommendations were right-on.

There are several pasta dishes on the menu for those who've either given up on the low-carb thing or never fell victim to it. The angel hair pasta ($16.95), cooked al dente, came with six plump grilled shrimp, a generous sprinkling of fresh, ripe tomato chunks and flavorful basil pieces. Unlike too many pasta dishes at way too many restaurants, it was lightly sauced, letting all the flavors come through. Very satisfying, indeed.

The cast iron-seared salmon steak ($18) came with a lovely crunchy crust, and medium rare inside. An herby sauce, gingerly applied gave the salmon extra flavor. Yet without the searing and the sauce, the farm-raised salmon was too mild in flavor, unlike that of a hearty, delectable wild salmon. Its accompanying pilaf was adequate if unexceptional, but the mesquite-grilled asparagus was a hit.

Other entrees include a roasted vegetable tower ($15.50), a vegetarian selection recommended by our server; Mom's meatloaf ($15.95); braised lamb shank ($18.95); an Angus chuck burger ($9.50); pepper-crusted filet mignon ($19 for 6 ounces, $29.50 for 10 ounces); mesquite-grilled smoked porterhouse pork chop ($18.25) and a surf-'n'-turf combo of lobster tail, jumbo shrimp and filet mignon, at $39.95, the most expensive dish.

Dessert seemed impossible to find room for, but also impossible to pass up. From a selection that included a cream cheese brownie with raspberry ice cream and raspberry sauce ($6.25), warm caramel bundt cake with brown sugar sauce and house-made butter pecan ice cream ($6), and tiramisu ($6.25), we tried the fruit crisp of the day- on this Friday, it was apricot - topped with house-made ice cream ($5.95). It arrived bubbling hot and, like everything else at Wild Fox, it was huge. A generous crumb topping - resembling more of a cobbler than a crisp - made it a big hit for me, but tended to overwhelm the peaches, which were slightly overcooked. But the house-made vanilla ice cream that melted oh-so beautifully over it was rich, creamy and luscious. Ice cream on its own, or in one of the six flavored milk shakes ($3.50 to $3.95) just might be the best bet for desserts.

Wild Fox has substantial one-page wine list, weighted almost entirely toward California wines. Most bottles are in the $30 to $40 range, and their house wine with their label, made for them by Round Hill, is $21 a bottle. There's also a good selection of wines by the glass and specialty drinks, and 10 beers on draft.

Marin is undergoing a renaissance in dining experiences lately, with new, exotic eateries popping up all over. So it's nice to see that Wild Fox is still packing them in. It's a pleasant, casual family-friendly place that serves up amazingly generous portions. Ribs and meat, our server advised, and that is what I'd advise as well. Oh yes; and a pretty empty stomach to start with.