Brevetto Kitchen does diners a wonderful flavor

Blond wood tables and floor, both with a satin sheen, and a shadowy ceiling above warm lights usher in a sense of well-being as you enter Brevetto Kitchen and Wine Bar. Moist fish artfully paired with herby orzo and grilled artichoke hearts, along with a fat envelope of thin pasta, a lasagne with butternut squash and feta, were two dishes that heightened that well-being as one recent night ambled on.

Brevetto, opened in May 2008 by chef/owner Josh Hixson, occupies a space in the Knox Mill. It would be a wonderful place for an outdoor meal in good weather, when you can sit on the deck and watch the water of the Megunticook River roar over a dam next to the paved terrace. But the well-appointed, modern interior with its clean dcor offers another consolation, conveying order and tranquillity.

Wines from the long, intriguing list start at low prices, like the A Mano Primitivo ($28), a sturdy, dry red that worked well with a wide variety of meals. We'd sent back a bottle of northern Italian red wine that held an unaccountable bitterness -- encouraged by the congenial server to order something else we'd enjoy better.

Large wine glasses are a pleasure to drink from. Short-staffing the night of my visit left the chef serving his own dishes, while apologizing to us for not being a good waiter.

But the food he was placing before us made his questions about who got what a matter of indifference.

Calamari (all starters are $7) wore deep brown grill marks, its flesh tender and scented with the chopped herbs sprinkled on top of creamy white beans. The small plates are called tapas, and another one held goat cheese on grilled bread rubbed with garlic, with arugula as a final touch. Different "truffles" of goat cheese are rolled in porcini, paprika and parsley, displaying colors that translate into wonderful flavors.

Four tissue-thin slices of dried, aged beef called bresaola had been moistened with a house vinaigrette made with white truffle oil. Spiced with ground pepper and Parmesan, with arugula again chiming in among the flavors with its clean, mild bitterness, the red meat asserted its own sweetness.

Local mussels were as fat as mussels are capable of being, and fresh and tender in a soup bowl of white wine and garlic broth. An arugula salad was made with immaculate baby leaves and lightly dressed with another good vinaigrette.

Focaccia, sliced just before serving, was accompanied by a plate of extra virgin olive oil sprinkled with herbs and ground pepper, all of it exceptionally easy to gobble up.

A list of flatbread pizzas (all $12) includes one with basil pesto, fontina and roasted Roma tomatoes, another with prosciutto and salami as well as a vegetarian pizza with five cheeses and San Marzano tomatoes.

But our orders moved directly to the list of pasta, including spaghetti rigati ($13) with sage pesto and roasted Roma tomatoes, a bowl of thin noodles perfectly suited to the oily pesto. It needed salt but no more fat, and more pieces of grilled chicken would have been welcome, but it was otherwise perfectly satisfying.

Haddock ($17, as are all entrees) proved suited to searing, after the Brevetto kitchen staff made sure the fish was perfectly cooked. Moist and tender, the fish was paired with magically light and simple orzo, sauced with house pesto made with sage and Parmesan and flanked by grilled artichoke hearts that were chewy and tangy.

Grilled hanger steak had its savory flavors magnified by a chipotle rub made with salt, garlic and porcini. "I can't really give away my whole recipe," said chef Cory Hooper, declining to complete the ingredient list. That savory, spicy meat contrasted well with tender white beans and sauted kale, which might have benefited from more cooking.

And last among the entrees, a thick square of folded fresh pasta organized chunks of tender orange squash with limp leaves of spinach, and creamy feta and bchamel. Rosemary and garlic goosed the mild and sweet vegetable flavors, along with reliable feta, of this excellent example of vegetarian lasagna.

Best of the desserts was an Amaretto gelato infused with the flavor of roasted almond. Dark chocolate bread pudding was made with croissants, causing the texture of the pudding to be oddly rubbery - the flavors of chocolate surmounted that distraction. An ice cream sandwich made with two thin wedges of simple chocolate cake and filled with vanilla ice cream speckled with cocao nibs, crunchy, bitter, creamy and sweet, tasted better with each bite.

Round, full-flavored coffee in big mugs finished the meal.

N.L. English is a Portland freelance writer and the author of "Chow Maine: The Best Restaurants, Cafes, Lobster Shacks and Markets on the Coast." Visit English's Web site, www.chowmaineguide.com.

Brevetto Kitchen and Wine Bar