RESTAURANT REVIEW:

It is no surprise that the words from the Doors’ “Soul Kitchen” always pop into my head at Sol Grill.

Though Jim Morrison never stepped foot into the bistro by the beach, I am fairly certain this was similar to the Venice Beach café he wrote about more than 40 years ago.

Everyone who is artistic or creative needs that place to hide, to feed one’s soul and escape from the banality of most of society. It is that “clean, well-lighted place” Ernest Hemingway wrote about that both my soul and my mind seem to crave.

The owners of Sol Grill, Peter and Misty, have easily quelled any craving most people have before they enter.

The décor is like a bistro, with artwork on rich, red walls. The almost-matching tablecloths provide a complementary contrast with the jet-black chairs in the small but cozy interior.

Musicians perform regularly in an open corner. There is a band most nights, and Wednesday is open-mic night, featuring such musical styles as pop, folk, rock and blues.

While the atmosphere is outstanding, the food is even better. The menu succeeds in being as reaching and creative as possible.

That imagination starts with the appetizers. There are 11 of them, and while some are routine, others are very inventive.

My friend and I began with sautéed sol mushrooms. They are white button mushrooms in a garlic white wine herb sauce that made my friend, who fancies herself as a mushroom connoisseur, very happy.

I am not a fan of mushrooms, but tried them at her insistence and really enjoyed them.

My appetizer was equally as decadent. I chose the filet mignon meatballs. The meat is ground and hand-rolled and mixed with a Portobello gravy that is very creamy. These were also very good. They were soft and flavorful, but firm enough not to break apart.

My friend had chilled sangria and I sipped at it, my Mexican beer not so appealing once I got a taste of the cool Spanish wine. It went especially well with the fresh-baked French bread, which we dipped in oil and vinegar while awaiting for our entrees.

Thai chicken skewers came for my friend. She wasn’t hungry enough for a main dish and had eyed this on the appetizer menu.

Several skewers of chicken breast filets are grilled and served with a spicy peanut sauce. The meat absorbs the sauce well, and they have a kick to them.

I took advantage of one of the specials. There is a happy hour menu from 5 to 7 p.m., which includes several of the regular menu items for $10.50. There are also four of the appetizers on special as well.

I got the lobster ravioli. The bits of spiny tail lobster are encased in the pasta and served with a vodka cream sauce. It is topped with shrimp and almost has an alfredoesque consistency to it, though it is light red in color.

The dinners there are reasonably priced and plentiful. Seafood is the dominant theme, with salmon, swordfish, halibut and ahi staples of the menu.

Chicken, lamb and pastas are also featured, and one of the specialties of the house, Grandma Jill’s meatloaf, is the ultimate comfort food.

As we finished eating, a man was walking in with a guitar, setting up for a little acoustic blues set he would be playing as the sun was setting.

We were both late for appointments, so we couldn’t enjoy the restaurant as much as we would have liked.

As I drove away, the lyrics from “Soul Kitchen” floated through my head.

“I guess I’d better go now; I’d really like to stay here all night.”

Some day soon, I will.

ADDRESS: 110 McFadden Place, Newport Beach

PHONE: (949) 723-4105

CUISINE: eclectic

SPECIALTY DISH: grilled filet mignon, Grandma Jill’s meatloaf

ALCOHOL SERVED: beer and wine

DRESS: casual

FAMILY FRIENDLY: yes

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: American Express, Visa, MasterCard

RATING: *** 1/2

JOHN REGER is the Pilot’s restaurant critic. His reviews run Thursdays.