'E' stands for exceptional

Over the years, I've grown wary of restaurants with the word "Grille" in their names. That's "Grille" with an e, a word that I've learned to associate with the sort of wannabe-trendy, upscale-casual restaurant that generally serves mediocre knockoffs of contemporary American fare, and whose kitchen may or may not actually have a grill - that's "grill," without the e.

Admittedly, that's one reason I hesitated for several months after Azure Grille opened before paying it a visit, even though I knew that chef Matt Romatzik is a rising star talent recruited from California's Napa Valley.

When I finally did make it through the front door, I wasn't reassured to be presented with a list of house specialty cocktails, that oh-so-trendy hallmark of the Grille genre. Still, my wife and I ordered drinks -- strictly in the line of duty, mind you. My pear martini and her pomegranate cocktail were both so far superior to the trendy saccharine cocktail norm that I began to suspect I'd unfairly prejudged Azure Grille.

My suspicions grew when I looked around the dining room - which at first I'd dismissed as generic-casual-contemporary - and noticed fresh gerbera daisies on the linen-draped tables and framed collages of opera scenes fashioned from what appeared to be wine labels. On the rear wall, a large impressionist painting of a lavender- and poppy-lined path leading to a French wine chateau was obviously one-of-a-kind.

Owners Ed and Deborah Roach commissioned that painting from a photo they had taken on a visit to French wine country. As it happens, the painting is symbolic of Azure Grille's chief distinguishing feature: the California-French cuisine of Romatzik.

His culinary brush strokes are at once refreshingly inventive and thoroughly grounded in French culinary technique. The crab cake, a golden-crusted disk of lump crabmeat accented with Spanish piment-n and a whisper of cayenne served atop a salad of mixed greens and shaved fennel in a lemon-honey vinaigrette, is an inspired marriage of New World and Old World flavors.

The same is true of his fried green tomatoes whose crisp flavor is framed by fresh mozzarella and a balsamic drizzle. In another first-course presentation, impeccable Prince Edward Island mussels are made even more special by a judicious sprinkling of fresh oregano, parsley and thyme in their white wine broth.

The chef originally intended to change his calamari presentation weekly. But one version, pairing flash-fried calamari with delicately battered slivers of onion, tossed with crushed peanuts and topped with cilantro, proved so popular that customers won't let him take it off the menu. One taste, and you'll understand why.

In even the most ambitious restaurants, it's seldom that a meat eater comes across a vegetarian entree that is a real temptation, especially when the competition ranges from steak frites to shrimp with pappardelle in pesto broth. Romatzik's grilled polenta, enriched with Grana Padano cheese and served with grilled seasonal vegetables (the chef is a stickler for local produce), crumbled feta and walnut oil-cured black olive pesto, is one of those rare treasures.

The culinary artist turns out a comely portrait of roasted chicken breast, too, the picture marred only slightly by marginally overcooked sugar snaps that accompany the bird, along with sauteed greens, a medley of mixed mushrooms, and sherry jus.

Pan-roasted organic Irish salmon, on the other hand, is blemish-free against a backdrop of cool dilled cucumbers, creme fra"che and cherry tomatoes. And Romatzik's presentation of seared sea scallops atop a composition of sauteed sweet corn, shiitakes, asparagus and ginger-lime vinaigrette, is nothing short of masterful.

Romatzik never misses the mark by more than a hair's breadth, and pastry chef Kris McVicker rarely does. An otherwise first-rate peach cobbler was spoiled recently by the sharp cheese flavor in the topping. But McVicker's lemon tart, white chocolate raspberry creme brulee and dark chocolate tart are all well worth the calories.

Azure Grille's wine list lives up to the promise of the painting on the rear wall with a thoughtful selection that emphasizes California but gives France its due. A dozen wines are offered by the glass.

The "Azure" in the restaurant's name, it turns out, is a tribute to the Carolina blue heritage of its owners. As for the "Grille" - let's just say I've learned my lesson.