Tucked off Route 30 at North Huntingdon's Excela Square, Atria's opened its newest restaurant in April, offering casual, upscale American fare.

Decorated in earth tones and featuring a large, central bar, the restaurant's soft overhead lighting and softer music made for a relaxed dining experience.

We arrived early for our recent weeknight reservation, and were promptly greeted and seated.

Throughout the restaurant, business was brisk at the bar (it was a Penguins playoff night), and young families, couples out for date night, and groups celebrating special occasions kept the dining staff busy.

The site is the latest addition to the Restaurant Holdings Inc., a local group that grew out of Atria's and now includes Juniper Grill and Ditka locations, as well as Atria's in Murrysville, Pleasant Hills, Mt. Lebanon, McMurray, PNC Park, Peters, Richland and Morgantown, W.Va.

“It is a good location with good demographics. We have a good partnership with Excela (Health),” says Patrick McDonnell, Restaurant Holdings CEO.

Atria's takes pride, he says, in “high quality, (from) scratch food.”

Popular menu items, McDonnell says, include Signature Burgers ($12.99-$13.99) and Famous Pot Roast Nachos ($12.99).

“Our (Best in the ‘Burgh jumbo lump) Crab Cakes ($23.49) fly out the door here, as does one of our signature dishes, Pork Filet Gorgonzola ($17.99),” says general manager Emily Smalara.

Our friendly waiter quickly served our drinks and placed our “small bites” orders.

One word of caution here - if you come famished, as we did, you may end up with “eyes bigger than our stomachs” syndrome.

Both fans of Sherry Crab Bisque, we quickly emptied our generous servings ($4.99), which were rich and creamy, with nice pieces of crab in most bites.

Then came the Quattro Fromage ($10.99), a fresh spinach and four-cheese sherry dip with what was described as fried pita chips.

These were not the crispy, crunchy chips one might expect. Instead they were warm pillows of chewy bread, with a serving more justified for four diners, not two. We found ourselves unable to finish this dish, but not for a lack of trying.

There was no rush between courses and we took a breather before our entrees arrived.

My red-meat aficionado dining companion enjoyed his BBQ Combo, ($18.99) with Pork Filet Gorgonzola (wrapped in bacon) over potato pancake, baby back ribs, and pulled pork, served with Gouda macaroni and cheese, lending it a slightly smoky flavor.

He found the pulled pork a bit on the sweet side for his personal preference. The pork filet received two thumbs up.

My Miso Glazed Pacific Salmon ($19.99), served with jasmine rice and stir-fried vegetables, was perfectly done. The salmon was flaky, with a miso sauce combining the appropriate blend of tangy and sweet. The portion was generous enough to make a delicious, next-day lunch.

Executive chef David Imhof, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, worked with executive chef Josef Karst at the National Aviary, where Atria's is the exclusive caterer, before joining the North Huntingdon staff.

The site's lunch menu offers numerous appealing options, which we hope to sample on another visit.

Forget the Fork includes a Reuben, a Hand Breaded Cod, a Santa Fe Chicken Wrap and a Classic Turkey Club, all served with choice of coleslaw, French fries or homemade potato chips, $11.99-$13.99.

Atria's Lunch Originals include Petite Filet and Crab Cake, Baja Fish Tacos and Italian Classic Tomato Vodka Penne, $9.99-$19.99.

The broad list of entrees includes steaks, pasta dishes, smokehouse and seafood selections, with a price range from $13.49 to $29.99.

The wine selection includes organic options. The bar features draft and bottled beers, housemade red sangria, cocktails like the popular Moscow Mule and Dark and Stormy, and daily drink specials.

The North Huntingdon site is the first Atria's to offer wine on tap, Smalara says, a new industry concept that can prevent spoilage and bottle waste.

Let the summer thirst quenching begin.

A children's menu offers many small fry favorites, from mini burgers and hot dogs to chicken fingers and grilled cheese, Smalara says.

The new location will soon join other Atria sites in offering Sunday brunch, she says.

This diner's sweet tooth was tempted by a dessert list including Carrot Cake, Key Lime Pie, Limoncello and Turtle Brownie Sundae, $5.99-$7.99, most prepared in-house.

Again, eyes bigger than stomachs. Next time.

Mary Pickels is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-836-5401 or mpickels@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MaryPickels.

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