By Heidi Knapp Rinella
Review-Journal

What do I really like in a restaurant? That's easy -- the same things as many people: choices and innovation.

      "Innovation" should be self-explanatory: That's a menu that holds some surprises, with both new dishes and offbeat variations on the classics. It also extends to decor that's not right out of the latest industry magazine. "Choices" goes to menu flexibility -- giving customers the ability to design their own meals. A prix-fixe menu, in which customers are locked in to a specific number of courses, may be convenient for the restaurant, but not for the customer whose appetite may be larger or smaller than that of the chef. (And who is paying whose salary here?) Prix fixe also means customers are locked into a specific tab. The attitude may be if-you-have-to-ask-you-can't-afford-it, but the growing sophistication of our local dining public is leading to an ever-increasing number of customers who realize that sometimes, the emperor is not wearing any clothes, new or otherwise.

      Which brings me -- and most happily -- to Grape Street Cafe, Wine Bar & Cellar, 7501 W. Lake Mead Blvd.

      I wouldn't characterize Grape Street as an "inexpensive" restaurant; our multicourse tab for two was $105 plus tip. But we saw a young couple obviously enjoying $7.95 pizzas and soft drinks for dinner, which certainly would be well within the bounds set by many readers. (Sandwiches and salads are among other options.)

      As the name implies, Grape Street prides itself on its selection of wines, and a retail store is part of the package. The proprietor's obvious knowledge of wines has led to a list that's not only well-varied (with some innovative choices) but reasonably priced to boot. And many of the dishes are designed to be complemented by wine (a cheese-and-fruit board appetizer is a case in point), which is a nice bonus.

      We started with an appetizer of baked Brie ($9.95). This was a wonderful variation on what has become a clichŽ, because instead of puff pastry (which tends to be wretched excess when coupled with high-fat Brie), it involved lower-fat phyllo pastry, and was flavored with a flourish of caramelized onions, accented by chopped hazelnuts and just a touch of apricot preserves. It was accompanied by sliced baguettes, grapes and -- a nice offbeat touch -- pear slices instead of the usual apples.

      A word about service here: I said "we" started with the Brie, but in truth, only one of us can stand the stuff. Our waitress had put the appetizer between us, but in short order noticed that only one of us was eating it. She swiftly brought out the soup du jour ($4.95, but soup or salad is included with dishes on the "dinner specials" list) we'd ordered -- a rich tomato with smoky bacon -- so we were equally occupied. Very astute on her part.

      For salads, we chose a small Caesar and a small house ($3.95 each, but again, soup or salad is included with dinner specials). Both were fine -- the Caesar a crisp classic with creamy dressing, the house a chopped mix with apples and blue cheese and a raspberry vinaigrette.

      As entrees, we chose the penne a la vodka with chicken ($13.95; also available without meat or with shrimp) and the lamb chops ($18.95). The penne was perfectly al dente, the rosy sauce flavored with Asiago cheese, and the whole tossed with a generous amount of prosciutto and asparagus and flecks of basil.

      The lamb chops were lovely -- tender and coated with a sauce that contained just a touch of honey -- but we did feel the chef wimped out on the garlic in the garlic mashed potatoes.

      For dessert, we went with a chocolate-cheese mousse ($5.95), which sounded weirder than it was -- essentially just an ultrarich mousse, sort of like a chocolate-cheesecake filling. But what we really like was the Stilton & Port plate ($13.95), an English classic that's almost never seen nowadays. Again, pears and grapes, plus walnuts, Stilton (a blue-veined cheese) and baguette slices, accompanied by a glass of port. A wonderful way to end a meal.

      We reveled in the comfortable atmosphere at Grape Street. There's a patio for fair-weather evenings, although it was filled when we were seated. But the interior is lovely, too -- exposed-brick walls and wrought-iron candle chandeliers.

      As we finished, we looked at the open kitchen and noticed the chefs toasting the successful end of another busy evening.

      It was a highly appropriate touch.