The Wild Orchid Grill

7901-101 Falls of the Neuse Road, Raleigh; 844-7787, www.thewildorchidgrill.com.

Cuisine: Contemporary.

Rating: *** 1/2 stars

Prices: $$

Atmosphere: intimate and casual.

Service: attentive and well-trained.

Recommended: crab cakes, foie gras, sea bass, rack of lamb, soft shell crabs, creme brulee.

Open: Dinner nightly.

Reservations: recommended.

Other: Visa, MasterCard, American Express; full bar; smoke-free; get a sitter.

The N&O's critic dines anonymously; the newspaper pays for all meals. We rank restaurants in five categories:

**** Extraordinary.

*** Excellent.

** Good.

* Fair.

Zero stars: Poor

For descriptions and reviews of more restaurants, use the searchable database at http://triangle.com/dining/.

This story was originally published July 1, 2005 at 3:00 AM with the headline "The Wild Orchid Grill."