Take trip back in time with a meal at Island Inn's Traditions Restaurant

Long before there was mosquito control or even a bridge connecting Sanibel to the mainland, the Island Inn was open for business.

The inn was founded by Kentuckians Harriet and Will Matthews who, in 1895, decided to move with their four children to Sanibel, taking the train to Punta Gorda and a stern-wheeler ferry to the island. As you might not be surprised to learn, friends and relatives soon began visiting.

With the dearth of guest rooms on the island, it wasn't long before the Matthews family opened their home to paying guests. That hospitality eventually grew into the Island Inn, which later evolved into a private club. In recent years, it's been open to the public as well.

The inn seems frozen in time, much like Tarpon Lodge on Pine Island. Modestlooking wood-frame buildings and smaller cottages comprise the accommodations. Dinner guests enter through the inn's reception hall with its original hardwood floors and adjoining parlor furnished with floral-patterned chairs looking out on the beach and water. On the evening we visited, two youths were huddled around a card table piecing together a jigsaw puzzle.

. Fresh mussels, tenderly steamed and served with a garlicky broth, make a satisfying start to an Island Inn dinner. Among the traditions practiced here is the ceremonial announcement of the start of the dinner hour wherein the bartender stands on the steps outside and blows a conch shell, emitting several foghorn-like blasts that are surely heard throughout the 10-acre property.

That's a startling contrast to the tranquility in the modest but cheerful dining room, which is outfitted with green rugs and chairs and contrasting pastel pink tablecloths and napkins. Large windows, affording a water view, line two sides of the room. Big white shutters frame each one, adorned with a single strand of tiny white lights. Paddle fans circle lazily above.

The atmosphere is genteel, as is the clientele, with several men dressed in sports coats and ties. It's been a long, long time since I've seen jackets and ties in a Sanibel dining room.

The wine list is relatively small, but what's there is generally good quality and isn't egregiously marked up in price. We ordered the Cakebread sauvignon blanc, only to find out it was out of stock. Instead, we settled on a Louis Latour Pouilly-Fuisse 2007, which arrived properly chilled. Its mix of flintiness, citrus and apricots made it a good match for the primarily seafood-based meal that followed.

. Medium rare tuna in a delicate Key lime beurre blanc comes with seaweed salad, ginger and wasabi. Like the wine list, the menu's size is modest yet manages to cover a lot of ground with a mix of fresh seafood, Asian-influenced fare, soups and salads as well as full-sized entrees featuring a balance of land and sea. Executive Chef Christopher Hynes and his chef father, Al, do a fine job of creating a contemporary menu that doesn't clash with the quaint setting.

When a restaurant touts its "Award winning New England clam chowder" right there on the menu, it seems mandatory to test that claim. (Traditions' menu goes a step further with "Chef's dad's recipe, satisfaction guaranteed"). Hence, I ordered a cup while my companion tried a nightly special of steamed mussels.

The soup was excellent, creamy but not overly rich or thick, studded with big chunks of potato and lots of clams. I don't know what the award was — the restaurant manager told us the soup had been acclaimed by Regis and Kathie Lee some years back — but it was a noteworthy rendition for which Al Hynes is to be commended. The fresh mussels were tender and lovingly steamed with just enough garlic.

. KAREN FELDMAN/FLORIDA WEKLY Executive Chef Christopher Hynes has a great way with duck, which he roasts then dresses with a perfectly balanced raspberry and orange ginger sauce. From the Island Inn Favorites, we sampled the Asian twice-roasted half semiboned Long Island duckling and the sushigrade center cut tuna steak. Luckily, the dishes were easier to eat than to say.

The duckling was succulent, the flesh tender, the skin lightly crisped. A raspberry and orange ginger sauce was perfectly balanced so that no ingredient overpowered the others. It was mildly sweet, complementing the duck's naturally rich flavor. Rice, a miniature spring roll and an array of fresh vegetables rounded out the dish.

The tuna arrived a perfect medium rare, as ordered. It sat atop a bed of rice and was napped with a delicate Key lime beurre blanc. It, too, came with lightly cooked vegetables as well as a bit of seaweed salad, pickled ginger and wasabi. This is a dish that's easily ruined by overcooking or over saucing but the kitchen got it all just right.

Most of the desserts come from elsewhere but our server told us the pumpkin pie was made on site. It was a classic version of this all-American dessert, with a creamy spice-laden filling atop a pastry crust. The whipped cream added another silky note.

There wasn't much of a crowd the weekend evening we were there. I think that outside the circle of members, it's not well known among locals, although it deserves to be.

The service staff wasn't merely hospitable, it was well trained. Our youthful server did a fine job of serving our wine and making sure our meal progressed smoothly. Servers' attendants kept water glasses filled and quickly dispatched plates with which we'd finished. The restaurant manager stopped by each table to make sure all were satisfied.

Although we didn't have a direct

view of the sun dropping into the water because of the angle at which the restaurant is situated, we enjoyed watching the sky turn peach and violet and orange and gold over the water as the sun set.

In the peaceful dining room, I felt the week's tensions flow away, replaced by that familiar though rare sensation of relaxation that usually overtakes me a day or two into a vacation.

My dining companion (aka husband) and I discussed a weekend getaway to this serene spot. Even if we can't manage that anytime soon, I anticipate a return trip to Traditions for another brief respite from the daily grind and would heartily recommend it to others.