When word got out that brothers Michael and Robert Uricchio were returning to the restaurant business and re-opening the 159-year-old Cross Keys Inn, many hoped it would simply be a new setting for an old classic, the beloved Laforet, which closed in July 2007. The Uricchios, however, had something different in mind.

The availability of the Cross Keys Inn was what drew the Uricchios back to the restaurant business. They liked the location in Indiana Township (Michael lives in the nearby Fox Chapel area), and they loved the space, although it did need a great deal of work.

The setting is gorgeous. The casually sophisticated dining room is the perfect mix of leather, wood and brick, with numerous windows set off by striped Roman shades. But the many rooms also give this restaurant the air of an old country inn. On the second floor, private dining rooms are available for small groups. A friend and I got so comfortable having a before-dinner drink in the downstairs library lounge, with its walls of books, flickering fireplace and nap-worthy leather chairs perfectly set up for cozy chats, that our 8 p.m. reservation time came and went. Fortunately, it was late enough that our table was open for the night.

The restaurant already has become a sort of clubhouse for neighbors. It can take some diners a while to get to or leave their tables, as they stop to greet friends or business acquaintances.

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Cross Keys Inn

Food:

2 stars = Very good
Ratings explained

Ambience:

3 stars = Excellent
Ratings explained

Service:

1 1/2 stars = Good+
Ratings explained

Overall:

2 stars = Very good
Ratings explained

599 Dorseyville Road
Indiana Township
412-967-1900
www.crosskeysinnpgh.com

• Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 5:30-11 p.m.
• Basics: American fare with some very mild international influences; casual but professional service; the unique space is comfortable, elegant and memorable.
• Recommended dishes: Roasted tomato and mozzarella bruschetta; roasted chicken, vegetable and dumpling soup; Elysian Fields lamb loin chops; maple-glazed pork chop; Cross Keys Burger; mashed potatoes; creme caramel; lemon cheesecake; Belgian chocolate flourless torte.
• Prices: Appetizers, $5-$15; entrees, $7-$29; desserts, $5-$6.
• Wine: Currently 11 whites, 18 reds and four sparkling by the bottle; Robert Uricchio is slowly building the list to about 50 bottles, representing a nice mix of price ranges, regions and varietals. An accessible list for a beginner with interesting options for the connoisseur. Six whites, 10 reds and one sparkling for $40 or less. Markup is two-and-a-half times retail for less expensive bottles to about double retail for the most expensive bottles.
• Summary: Not wheelchair accessible; park in lot; credit cards accepted; reservations encouraged; corkage, $10 per bottle.
• Noise level: Low to medium-loud.

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The decor and the clubby feel of the restaurant currently stand out more than the food. While much of the food is good, it is not intended to be nearly as special as the food at Laforet. While its menu includes "pate of foie gras and black truffles" ($15), for the most part the style of the food is casual and straightforward.

The seasonal bruschetta ($7) was a smart stack of thin toast fingers topped with roasted tomatoes, melted mozzarella cheese and a basil chiffonade. Simple, tasty and perfect for snacking on right away. Chicken, vegetable and dumpling soup ($5) was the kind of soup everyone (besides vegetarians) wishes their mothers made when they were sick. Roast chicken meat was moist and flavorful, dumplings were light and fluffy and carrot and celery balanced out the rich chicken stock perfectly. A larger bowl would have made an excellent light main course.

Entree presentations were pleasantly simple, without unnecessary garnishes.

Meat was consistently cooked extremely well. Grilled maple-glazed pork chop ($23) had a lightly crispy crust, juicy meat and just a hint of maple and smoke.

In general, flavors tended to be light. Curried shrimp fritters ($9) were tasty but lacked any heat, and a ginger soy broth was very subtly gingery. Consequently, while dishes rarely offend, they also rarely knock anyone's socks off.

Elysian Fields lamb loin chops ($29) didn't mess with the perfection of this world-class meat. An excellent crust gave way to an incredibly moist, intensely flavorful interior, whose subtle gaminess was enhanced, rather than overwhelmed by, a garlic, rosemary and mustard marinade.

The Cross Keys Burger ($13) is one dish that does go to extremes and is likely to elicit extreme reactions. A moist, juicy burger made from a mix of Angus and Kobe beef was topped with a slice of Swiss (or provolone or American) cheese, then with two slices of apple smoked bacon, and then with a big spoonful of juicy, dripping pulled pork. Too much? Maybe, but it certainly was delicious.

In general dishes are well thought out, but details -- and components that should be viewed as more than details -- are causing a few problems. Entrees come with a house salad that can be upgraded for a surcharge, a vegetable of the day and a choice of french fries, mashed potatoes or a grain of the day. This style of filling out a plate is common at a number of Pittsburgh restaurants, and when done well it minimizes waste while allowing for greater seasonality on the menu. Unfortunately, neither sauteed zucchini and red pepper or ratatouille could be considered seasonal options, and the vegetables seemed like afterthoughts. The fries, while tasty enough, aren't quite thin or crispy enough to go by the highfalutin' name of "pomme frites," but the mashed potatoes were creamy and smooth.

The best of the salads, all classic flavor combinations, was mixed greens with a few thin slices of pear, a handful of lightly toasted walnuts and another of only mildly pungent roquefort ($7). In general, salad greens were less than crisp, and it was unclear whether this was a problem of selection or storage.

Seasoning also was inconsistent. While a number of dishes were just right, whole quails were stuffed with a bland mixture of wild rice and mushrooms, and a side dish of ratatouille and a filet of halibut ($26) were both far too salty.

The ricotta-stuffed eggplant ($18) was the most disappointing dish. It was wonderful to see a non-pasta vegetarian entree, but it, too, was over-salted. The eggplant managed to be burnt and undercooked, and a mystery ingredient formed a tasteless, unpleasantly crunchy crust.

Whole wheat pasta with walnuts, raisins and parmesan cheese ($16, $9 half portion) was a much better bet for a vegetarian entree. The sweetness of the raisins played well off the nuttiness of the whole wheat.

Robert Uricchio oversees the front of house staff and the impressive and accessible wine list, while Michael oversees the kitchen, but there's also a head chef. Lia Davidson-Welling, a Pittsburgh native who trained at the Restaurant School of Walnut Hill in Philadelphia, met the Uricchios (who are the brothers of Post-Gazette Seen editor Marylynn Uricchio) when she worked in the kitchen at Laforet. This is her first head chef job, and as she gains experience, execution problems such as inconsistent seasoning are likely to improve.

Desserts, however, are right on track. A half-dozen tasty options are prepared by pastry chef Candace Uricchio, Michael's wife. A spot-on creme caramel ($5) and an absolutely luscious Belgian chocolate flourless torte ($5) stood out, perfectly executed classics that exemplify the best of what this restaurant has to offer.

Some servers are more knowledgeable about food and wine or have a more polished demeanor than others, but all conveyed a suitable level of professionalism. The casual style of service is just another reminder that the Cross Keys Inn is not just another incarnation of something already mastered. It's a charming, still-developing restaurant with its own identity.