When a restaurant bills itself as a chophouse, you expect its steaks and chops will excel. Nick and Tony's doesn't disappoint. Its Chicago Bone-in Filet (market price, $36 on a recent night) is everything you expect - a huge slab of juicy, flavorful, tender beef, cooked exactly to order - a medium rare that's warm and properly red, but definitely not raw. But the pleasant surprise of this upscale but relaxed operation is that an equal amount of attention has been given to the pasta entrees. The Lobster and Shrimp Penne ($15) features a generous gathering of medium-sized shrimp and chunks of bright red lobster held together by a creamy Alfredo sauce that doesn't skimp on its sharp Parmesan overtones. The sauce is flecked with diced fresh tomatoes, slices of mushroom that exude flavorsome hints of earthiness and segments of pencil-thin asparagus still bright green and crunchy from quick cooking. The Blackened Salmon ($15) was also a pleasant surprise. This huge stack of salmon turned out to be more crisp-cooked than blackened and surprisingly fiery thanks to a dusting of chilies and the chipotle-spiked butter sauce that accompanied it. It's served with a sprinkling of mango, avocado and tomato bits that may not fall within the official definition of salsa but was nonetheless refreshing. Less enticing was the soft, lackluster rice that underlaid it. We would have much preferred the Overstuffed Potato that came with the Chicago Bone-in Filet (also $3 as a side order). This warm spud was embellished with a huge scoop of cold sour cream, shavings of Cheddar cheese and crumbles of crisply cooked bacon. An alternate accompaniment befitting the chophouse motif is the Heineken Beer Battered Onion Stack appetizer ($5). Crunchy but smooth batter encases the slickly oiled rings of onion, making it the classic choice with steaks and chops. It comes with small bowls of remoulade sauce and ranch dressing for dipping. Our dining experience had gotten off to a rocky start because the restaurant is hidden behind banks of elevators on the street-level lobby of the U.S. Steel Tower and lacks directional signage. After a building insider pointed the way, high-decibel bar chatter served as a beacon to draw us in. We were also disappointed to find that the restaurant had recently updated its menu without updating the Web site version. The bad news was that several enticing items were no longer available. The good news is that some of the prices had received a slight downward adjustment. Just a year old this month, the Pittsburgh Nick and Tony's is one of 37 restaurants owned by the Chicago-based Restaurant Development Group. The chain has five other restaurants in our area - two Bar Louie locations, a Red Star Tavern and Grill, a Cabo Mexican Grill and a South City Grill. Deep, padded leather booths, dark wood paneling and soft-focus black-and-white photos give the feel of a city club grill room. But the floor-to-ceiling wall of windows, the chain's signature fieldstone walls, cylindrical parchment colored suspended ceiling lights and a blazing gas fireplace lack only a conversation pit and a shaker of martinis to complete the atmosphere of a '60s California contemporary living room. Going along with that theme of yesteryear was the BLT Salad ($6), a huge wedge of crisply cold iceberg lettuce that served as a perfect backdrop for the creamy dressing enlivened with a generous handful of blue cheese crumbles, crunchy bits of bacon and diced fresh tomato. The Romaine of the Caesar Salad ($4) was well-coated with a classic Caesar dressing sharp with the taste of Parmesan cheese and just a briny hint of anchovy. The House Salad ($4) features a toss of tender green leaves, long shreds of sweet carrot and bits of tomato and cucumber, accompanied by a slightly sweet house vinaigrette dressing. Like the steaks and chops that are this restaurant's prime attraction, its desserts are straightforward, simple and delicious. Warm Apple Tart ($5) is an abundant two-slice helping of softly cooked, cinnamon-dusted apples in a soft, sweet crust. It's latticed with warm stripes of caramel topping and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Key Lime Cheesecake ($6), made on the premises, carries the full, tart flavor and yellow-green color of Key limes in its smooth, free-flowing filling. The graham cracker crumb shell is soft and crumbles easily. The Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Cake ($6) lives up to its name with dark layers of German chocolate cake batter held together with a dense, rich chocolate icing and - just in case you haven't yet sated your craving for chocolate - topped off with a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Additional Information:

Dining Review

Nick and Tony's Cuisine: Chophouse. Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 4 to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. Entree price range: $5.95 to $36. Notes: Free parking after 5 p.m. for dinner customers in US Steel Tower garage. Reservations accepted. Accepts all major credit cards. Location: Lobby level U.S. Steel Tower, 600 Grant St., Downtown. Details: (412) 642-7600 or online

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