NOSTALGIC TASTES ABOARD QUEEN MARY: SIR WINSTON'S OFFERS A PEEK AT ELEGANCE.

Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic

At age 15, I was more interested in Babette than her feast.

Consequently, my memory of dining on the Queen Mary when the Lipson family immigrated to the United States from England in October 1948 is as hazy as the sky was during a very choppy Atlantic crossing.

But a recent visit to the Grand Lady of Long Beach stirred the memory cells somewhat.

And dinner at Sir Winston's, the ship's haute restaurant, rekindled thoughts about those days when great liners had great dining rooms, the days when food rarely came already arranged on a plate.

That was the time when good restaurants always proffered what was called French service.

This meant that shining silver containers of food - meats, fish, sauces, vegetables, all separated, of course - allowed the waiters to spoon portions from them onto a plate, sometimes leaving the remainder on the table or nearby for second helpings if desired.

Those were the days of tableside service, when waiters and captains often finished the kitchen's work with a flourish, with drama.

Tossing, flambeing, cutting, mixing - they knew how to bring flair and skill to each meal.

At Sir Winston's today, they don't go that far. But they do bring entrees to the table topped with a silver cover that is whipped off in unison when everyone in each party has their plate in front of them.

Back four decades ago, cabin-class passengers who were glad to escape the postwar food rationing period in Britain were extremely impressed with the fare on the Queen.

Even such everyday breakfast plates as ham and eggs seemed lavish at the time.

Today, of course, you'll find foie gras, lobster medallions in black caviar sauce and warm goat cheese in a potato basket among the appetizers at Sir Winston's, the latter two executed very nicely.

Foie gras turns up with beef wrapped in filo dough with a merlot sauce as an entree that's a modern take on the old beef Wellington classic.

Yielding to today's tastes, the Sir Winston's kitchen cooks a free-range chicken recipe and offers a pasta du jour as part of its evening fare.

But you'll also find venison chops, a New York veal steak with riesling raisin sauce and another old favorite, a chateaubriand for two with truffle and morel sauce or Bearnaise.

Prices on entrees run in the mid to high $20's, appetizers from $7 to $11 and desserts all $4.50 except a daily souffle offering at $6.50.

There are other restaurants on the ship, lower in price, yet with food that is well above what the average tourist attraction would be expected to serve.

And there are cabins - actually suites - that have been retained and refurbished as part of the Queen Mary's hotel accommodations.

And currently, where the Lipson family's stateroom No. 121 once provided comfort for my seasick mother during most of our voyage, there's an exhibition area displaying all you ever wanted to see and know about the ill-fated Titanic.

Glad I wasn't on that ship.

THE FACTS

The restaurant: Sir Winston's.

Where: Aboard the Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach.

When: Open for dinner only from 5:30 p.m. nightly. Note that jackets are required. (More casual restaurants serving lunch and dinner aboard ship are the Chelsea and the Promenade Cafe. And the ocean liner is famous for its Sunday champagne brunch in the Grand Salon.)

Recommended items: Seared lobster medallions with fried fennel, warm spinach and black caviar sauce; house salad; beef filo with foie gras and a merlot sauce; creme brulee.

How much: Starters from $4.25 to $10.50, entrees from $18.50 to $28, desserts $4.50 and $6.50.

Wine list: Extensive, but no great bargains.

Reservations: Required. Call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1) The chef at Sir Winston's, the Queen Mary's premier restaurant, where modern favorites such as free-range chicken join the traditional chateaubriand.

(2) A reservation from the Lipson family's October 1948 crossing of the Atlantic aboard the ocean liner.