Mo' than a diner

RALEIGH -- I'm frequently asked to recommend a restaurant suitable for celebrating a special occasion. Of course, the easy way out is to suggest some suitably posh place like Fearrington House. Rather than give a stock answer, however, I like to find out a bit about the people celebrating the occasion and tailor my suggestions to their style and budget. I have indeed recommended Fearrington House on more than one occasion, but I've also recommended Royal India.

When it came time to choose a restaurant for celebrating my fiancee's birthday in October, the decision was a no-brainer. My fiancee (I'll call her Lamb Chop, since Sweet Thang is already taken) has been my dining companion in scores of restaurants, from humble taqueria to nationally acclaimed temple of gastronomy. Her favorite is Mo's Diner.

And no, that doesn't mean that Lamb Chop's notion of haute cuisine is a bowl of chili with a side of cello-wrapped saltines. Its deceptively downscale name notwithstanding, Mo's Diner is anything but a greasy spoon. The food runs not to fried eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches but to carpaccio and duck confit. And the decor -- a converted bungalow whose cozy dining rooms are decked out with lace curtains, dried flower arrangements and old teacups on the mantelpieces, is downright romantic.

When chef Hamid Mohajer and his wife, the charming hostess Holly, opened Mo's Diner in 1997, they chose the modest moniker for their restaurant to distinguish it from all the trendy New American eateries that were popping up like shiitakes on a damp oak stump. The couple wanted a name that was as homey as the setting, and that reflected the motto printed on their menu: "a place to dine on simple foods prepared with care."

Clearly, they chose well. With no advertising to speak of and a menu that has barely changed since the restaurant opened, Mo's has developed such a loyal following that reservations are a must for a weekend table.

Many regulars come back, time and again, for Mo's elegant take on spanakopita, featuring lightly sauteed spinach and a trio of cheeses (mozzarella, feta and Romano) capped with a dramatic oversize triangle of crisp, golden phyllo. Others know that, while carpaccio may have been bumped from the menus of trendier restaurants to make way for more fashionable fare, it's still available here. And they know that the beef will be as parchment-thin and supple as ever, garnished with virgin olive oil, capers and Parmesan.

Lamb Chop can be counted on to start with the oysters Rockefeller -- although chef Mohajer calls them simply baked oysters with spinach instead of oysters Rockefeller, and rightly so. First, because he adds bits of crunchy, smoky bacon to the traditional spinach and hollandaise topping. And second, I suspect, because the Rockefeller name is a shade highfalutin for the spirit of a place called Mo's Diner. Whatever you call them, these oysters are worth a return visit.

Me, I'm partial to the chicken livers. Sauteed to a rich, buttery medium-rare with onions and Madeira and served on goat cheese crostini, these transform the humble chicken liver into something like a poor man's foie gras.

When it comes to the entree, I'm torn between melt-in-your-mouth pan-fried catfish and seafood stew, redolent of saffron and chockablock with jumbo shrimp, scallops and whatever fish is the night's special (usually sea bass, grouper or snapper). And my decision gets even more complicated if duck confit is offered as one of the two or three nightly specials.

You can bet that Lamb Chop will be listening closely when the waiter recites those specials. She lives up to her nickname, and will go for the rack of lamb every time it's featured here -- which, fortunately, is just about every night. Chef Mohajer's reputation for lamb is so strong that the dish has become more or less a permanent staple on the rotation. That reputation, as Lamb Chop will confirm, is well-deserved.

Desserts, ranging from banana Napoleon to silky creme brulee, are also consistently satisfying. Only a rather dry, crumbly pecan pie disappoints.

With well over 100 listings, most of them from California and France, the wine list is more than up to the challenge of providing liquid counterpoint to the food. If anything, it's more ambitious than the static, relatively modest menu calls for. Still, you're not likely to hear any wine buffs complaining about the imbalance.

Mo's Diner doesn't try to impress you with culinary razzle-dazzle, but instead wins you over with reliable food and a welcoming, homelike atmosphere that are as comforting as the restaurant's name. For most of us, that's more than enough reason to keep coming back. And for some of us, it's a perfect setting in which to celebrate the milestones of our lives. Just ask Lamb Chop. *

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