The June 14 opening of Mio Kitchen and Wine Bar generated quite a buzz, despite its location in secluded Aspinwall. Owner and executive chef Matthew Porco spent two years as Chef de Cuisine at Veritas in New York before coming home to Pittsburgh to start his own restaurant. Veritas is well known as a restaurant with an incomparable wine selection and stunning food to go with it, and area foodies were more than a little excited to see what this Pittsburgh offshoot could accomplish.

Like Veritas, Mio is almost as much a wine bar that serves food as a restaurant that serves wine. When I asked wine director Alan Uchrinscko to suggest multiple by-the-glass pairings, I was impressed that he actually excused himself for a moment to consider what would be the best pairing. All too often sommeliers think that being able to give a snap recommendation is as important as doing a quality job. I loved a bottle of 2005 Feraud-Brunel Cotes-du-Rhone ($48), as well as a glass of 2005 Chalone pinot noir from Monterey, Calif. ($9), but I strongly suggest putting yourself in Mr. Uchrinscko's hands.

Chef Porco's food is rich and abundant (perhaps a little overabundant) and ideal for wine pairing. Even the lighter dishes lean toward opulence -- the Belgian Endive Salad ($12) is thick with toasted walnuts and blue cheese, balanced with citrus and vinegar notes. The quietest and the lightest appetizer I tried was the Hamachi Tartar. The fish was delicious, but the pickled cucumbers could have used more of a bite.

Many appetizers could double as main courses, such as the transcendent Braised Pork Ragu ($14) with gnocchi that are as light and fluffy as any I've ever tasted. The above average Sweetbreads ($12), easily the largest portion I have ever been served, had a fantastic caramel-colored crust providing a delicious textural contrast with soft, almost melting, insides. The Tiger Shrimp Ravioli ($14) beautifully contrasted the sweetness of the shrimp filling with the slight bitterness of the braised kale.

Some of the entrees are less perfectly executed than the appetizers, and I found many of them to be excessively large. I am generally frustrated by the practice of serving large portions to justify charging a few dollars more. The Crispy Pekin Duck Breast ($33) simply wasn't crispy. I also found the accompaniments overwhelmingly sweet -- glazed baby carrots and Armagnac swamped the dish. The wonderfully moist Roasted Organic Chicken ($28) probably had crispy skin at one point but had become slightly soggy from resting in a pool of jus and Madeira.

Chef Porco's voluptuous preparation of Elysian Fields Lamb ($37) justifies the high price; it tasted so lusciously meaty that I felt like I was eating an entirely different animal. The sweet richness of the chevre potato puree cut the slight unctuousness of the meat, and the wax beans provided a necessary textural contrast.

The Short Ribs ($31) were so tender you could eat them with a spoon, and earthy mushroom risotto mellowed the sharper notes of mascarpone and sweet corn.

Just as Chef Porco contrasts rich meats with sweeter vegetables, pan sauces and cheeses, many of pastry chef Barbara Ferguson's desserts introduce unusual savory notes, such as the life-changing sweet onion ice cream that complemented a dense and chewy Walnut Financier ($7.50). The ice creams and sorbets were generally outstanding -- I loved the plum sorbet and the peanut butter ice cream, although the chocolate sorbet tasted a little diluted. My favorite dessert was a special -- a lemon cake filled with lemon curd, served with lemon-caramel sauce and dulce de leche ice cream. This masterpiece balanced sour and sweet so perfectly that every bite felt fresh and new, never cloying or sharp. I hope that Chef Ferguson adds it to the regular menu.

A few missteps in Chef Ferguson's desserts suffered from leaning too heavily away from sweetness. The bland poached pears that covered the Cocoa Nib Creme Brulee ($7.50) made me feel like a child being forced to eat her vegetables before she got dessert. Similarly, the roast pumpkin in a duo of Pumpkin Clafoutis and Pumpkin Profiterole ($7.50) was too vegetal for my taste.

The dining room itself is gorgeous. Lush orange and red walls offset black leather banquettes. Nooks in the walls and shelves throughout the restaurant are filled with vases and candles, some in wrought-iron holders imitating twisting branches. The atmosphere is cozy and romantic, and I felt as if I had stepped into perpetual autumn.

All of this beauty and comfort came in handy on my first visit, which was marred by service that didn't live up to the standards set by the restaurant. On a busy Friday night, we sat for 30 minutes before our server made an appearance. We didn't receive our first courses until an hour and 10 minutes after we had been seated. In a crowded restaurant, some delay is to be expected, but delays of this length are excessive.

When we asked for a second candle to make up for the dearth of lighting in the middle of the restaurant (most of the seating is well illuminated by understated track lighting), our server commented that he would "see if he could find one."

Ten minutes later we asked again, only to learn that he couldn't find one and clearly didn't care to do anything else to help us. So we continued to squint at our menus.

Mio's service problems seemed to result from difficulty managing a full dining room, rather than any server's inability to do an excellent job. I had superb service on a quieter weekday. The meal was perfectly timed, the table was crumbed between courses, our water glasses were always full and silverware was replaced discreetly without an interruption in our conversation.

A restaurant's service is most tested when something goes wrong. When I discovered a very small piece of metallic plastic hidden among the braised kale of an appetizer, I didn't feel the need to say anything. There was nothing dangerous or unappetizing about it, and I am aware that no matter how careful a restaurant is, such a mistake almost invariably happens on occasion. When our server spotted it, she easily could have ignored it, since I chose not to bring it up. Instead, she immediately informed the maitre d' and the chef. They responded by not only comping the appetizer and sending out an extra dessert, but also by giving me their genuine apologies. Few restaurants can handle awkward situations with such tact and sincerity.

A few minor errors still hold Mio back from its high service goals. Bread plates that we had used for sharing bites were cleared but never replaced after the first course. Sweeteners and milk were offered only after our espresso and tea already had arrived.

Despite these obstacles, I believe that Mio's staff is capable of truly great service, though they may not yet be capable of ensuring that level of service at all times.

Mio offers a lush, decadent, engaging dining experience. I look forward to my next visit; an evening at Mio is ultimately greater than the sum of its parts.