From July 2004

Those who dined at Le Relais in 2002 and 2003 got two bangs for their bucks. They ate the excellent cooking of Yannick Cam, and they did so in a beautiful restaurant. Cam is gone, and Fiore di Luna, an Italian restaurant, has replaced Le Relais. The newcomer is very good, too.

Don't be turned off by the exterior of the restaurant, which sits in the elbow of a strip mall. The inside is lovely, starting with a glass-enclosed wine cellar with a big selection of wines from Italy and elsewhere. Past the wine cellar and impressive bar area, diners will find two dining areas separated by wine racks. The ceiling is high, and booths and tables are well spaced. To the rear is a pretty, quiet outdoor dining area. A harpist or other musician plays at dinner.

Appetizers average $10, pastas $18, and meat dishes $28. The menu lists no seafood main courses--all are daily specials. Service is uneven, even after several months of operation. On one visit, diners had to point to items on the menu when the server was incapable of understanding the order in either English or Italian. Some of the servers are very professional, but it can be hard to attract their attention at times.

The new impresario is chef Andrea Pace, who hails from Italy's Tyrolean north. He first cooked at the Villa Mozart in Merano, Italy, under chef Andrea Helriegel, then accompanied his mentor to Il Palio in New York. In the Washington area he has run the kitchens at Cafe Milano in Georgetown and Il Cigno in Reston. Now in Great Falls, he has used his skills to fashion an ambitious and successful menu.

One complaint: Pace has a tendency to overuse fresh fruit. A salad of baby arugula with shavings of pecorino and a dressing of raspberry-balsamic vinegar was fine, but the fresh raspberries on the plate added nothing. Balls of cantaloupe detracted from a beautiful dish of warm Maine lobster and white organic asparagus garnished with chervil. An excellent baked rockfish did not need segments of grapefruit. These are subtle dishes that do not need the powerful flavors of fresh fruit.

The ten appetizers include excellent offerings. Two beef appetizers are wonderful: the carpaccio of beef tenderloin with foie gras, and the bresaola of thinly sliced, air-dried beef brushed with lemon and olive oil and served with marinated wild mushrooms and shaved Parmesan. Another winner is the pan-seared prawns with lobster-and-red-pepper sauce garnished with crispy artichokes.

Pastas are no less accomplished. Try the ravioli filled with duck and foie gras and served in a light sage sauce with truffle flavoring; agnolotti filled with crabmeat, mascarpone cheese, and artichoke hearts in a light tomato sauce; or gnocchi made from Yukon Gold potatoes with quail breasts and green asparagus and garnished with truffles. The menu usually includes two risottos. Lamb risotto was wonderfully flavored but overcooked to a creamy stew.

You can't go wrong with any of the half-dozen meat courses. The veal dishes are simple--a filet with roasted new potatoes seasoned with marjoram and oregano, and a thinly pounded paillard with tomatoes, Parmesan shavings, and lemon-flavored olive oil. Quail is stuffed with foie gras and wild mushrooms. The stuffed boneless saddle of rabbit is prepared with savoy cabbage, polenta, and fresh porcini mushrooms. A beef tenderloin and a rack of lamb round out the list. Seafood lovers have more limited options--just one selection on weekdays, two on weekends. The chef's tasting menu comprises five courses for $75, plus $40 if accompanying wines are ordered.

Desserts range from familiar crème brûlée, tiramisu, and house-made sorbets to more ambitious selections, such as chocolate mousse layered with hazelnut served with an orange sauce, or a strudel of vanilla-flavored Granny Smith apples wrapped in phyllo dough and served with lemon-and-wild-honey ice cream.