To employ a tired idiom, a picture's worth a thousand words, and Salts Restaurant boasts a picture that perfectly encapsulates its essence. Hanging on the warm, yellow stuccoed walls is a small painting of a woman, muted by broad impressionistic brushstrokes. Rather than sitting demurely at a picnic in 19th century Paris, however, the lady is dressed stylishly in black, perched on an elegant futon. She has a telephone cradled in one hand and a cigarette dangling from the other. The image is a perfect one for Salts, a place where haute-bourgeois society meets its modern yuppie analog.

Salts is located on a rather deserted stretch of Main Street just beyond Central Square. It opened this September in space left vacant by Anago Bistro's move downtown to the Lenox Hotel. If not for the periodic rumble of the T massaging the feet of restaurant patrons, one could easily forget the cement jungle outside of the door. The interior is romantic and tasteful; even the walls are appetising, liberally dosed with colorful still-lifes of ripened fruit. A giant convex mirror reflects all of the patrons in distorted miniature, spotlit from above by track-lighting.

Any self-respecting restaurant designer would have a field day with the salt shakers here, and Salts does not disappoint. The salt is offered in a wide, black matte clay bowl, offset by a simple wooden spoon. The restaurant's name is a reference to the ancient practice of offering salt as a sign of hospitality. Apropriately enough, the waitstaff is remarkably hospitable and prompt, and capably serving the spot's unusually delicious food.

One of Salts' star appetizers, Butternut Pierogi with Wild Hare and Herb Ragout, reinterprets Eastern European combinations with contemporary flamboyance ($9.00). Each dumpling is filled with pureed spiced butternut, then boiled and pan-fried. The dish is topped by a light, winey stew of shredded hare and onion. The appetizer special--port-glazed salmon ($8.00)--arrives char-grilled on a bed of lightly dressed greens, marinated slices of crunchy fennel, and a generous serving of sauteed oyster mushrooms. The pierogi is rich and creamy, the salmon light and crisp. Once again hearkening back to Eastern Europe are the healthy appetizer portion sizes. Unlike many restaurants of its caliber, Salts doesn't see its dishes as minimalist works of art.

The entrees, too, were large, innovative and delicious. Once the mystery behind "Salmon Ukka as a Dinner" ($18.50) is unraveled, it seems irresistable. A filet of fresh salmon, seared and encrusted with fresh ground pepper, is served floating in a delicate vegetable broth brimming with bite-size chunks of carrot, celery, fennel (a popular ingredient at Salts) and tender potato balls. The combination is neither nouveu Americain nor specifically Eastern European but rather a unique invention all its own.

The same is true of the other entree, though the name alone is as much a mouthful as the end product. The grandiose "Rosemary and Black Tea Smoked Lamb Loin with a Spicy Eggplant Salad and a Roast Garlic Vereniki" ($19.50), gives little indication as to what the dish will actually taste like. Smoking the lamb is an unlikely method of preparation, but it works well--especially with the vague resonances of black tea, and the eggplant salad has a surprising tartness and spice which keeps the smoked meat from becoming monotonous.

While the entrees approached magnificence, desserts held their own. Hot chocolate soup may sound like a childhood attempt to find the right ratio between fudge sauce and ice cream in a sundae. But the dish was highly sophisticated, made from velvety, warm, bittersweet chocolate swirled with a touch of cream and punctuated by croutons of cinnamon pound cake. The second dessert, slices of wine-soaked strudel wrapped in phyllo pastry and served with poached pear, saves the tables from gluttonous chocolate saturation and coffee inevitably rounds out the meal.

Due to its convenient proximity (the 15-minute walk can only be helpful after the unavoidable indulgence), the romantic atmosphere, and fabulous food, Salts is an ideal date or parental special-occasion venue. Theirs is an offer of hospitality that should be accepted wholeheartedly.