Table 52

The Scene
The coach house for the Il Mulino mansion has a brilliant white fresh coat of paint which contrasts nicely with beech doors and chromed hardware. The single room is clad entirely in cream wainscoting, a handsome complement to a rust-colored tin ceiling. Massive copper lamps hang over a marble slab bar and a rustic pizza oven adds vintage flair. A dozen white linen topped-tables fill quickly with well-dressed, presumably local patrons.

The Food
The menu is very accessible--two pages of familiar and very familiar items, starting with complimentary piping hot biscuits, arriving tableside from a sizzling skillet. A napoleon of fried green tomatoes, bacon, goat cheese and tapanade is a rich starter. Local arugula is anointed with mustard dressing and dotted with grilled peaches--a near perfect salad. Entrees are big; one mammoth pork chop is ancho-rubbed and served with brussels sprout flakes and pickled plums. Seasonal buckle--recently blueberries baked with cross-hatched crust--wrap things up.

Hits: Art works magic with seasonal American ingredients, making things like unripe tomatoes and bacon seem very sexy.

Misses: The wine list leaves little for the patron looking to spend a minimum on wine and still get a decent bottle--an obnoxious fault considering significant markups on economy items like grits and potatoes.