Background

Mirabelle Restaurant and Champagne Bar opened for business in late August in the heart of Oakmont. Owner John Muth, a Philadelphia-area native who has worked in restaurants all of his life, was general manager of the Cafe at the Frick for seven years before opening Mirabelle.

Muth's concept of "seasonally elegant foods" means the menu will change with the seasons as different regional favorites become available. During its first three months of operation, the menu changed six times. But some things remain from one season to the next. The bread basket, a varied offering baked on site with organic whole-grain, stone-ground flours from a local farm and organic butter, is emblematic of Mirabelle's philosophy of presenting regionally authentic foods.

In reaching for a different dining experience, Mirabelle also offers 12 sparkling wines available by the glass as well as a variety of "Bellinis."

Atmosphere

It would be easy to miss this tiny gem tucked into a small strip mall several doors down from a sandwich shop with a bright yellow sign. That would be a mistake. Mirabelle strives to be a special-occasion restaurant and seems well on the way to meeting that goal.

The dimly lit dining room could lose the vertical blinds -- surely there's some other way to deal with the floor-to-ceiling window that looks out on the parking lot. That said, the subdued atmosphere and the minimalist dining room provide a perfect setting for a diner where the focus is indeed the food.

Although Mirabelle is new to the region and still trying to get the word out, the restaurant enjoyed brisk business on a recent weekend evening, when Muth circulated throughout the dining room answering questions and offering suggestions.

Reservations would be a good idea, especially if you're planning to dine with a party of more than two or three.

Menu

The appetizer menu offers a nice mix of plates that are made to share. We enjoyed the sweet-sour crunch of the Apple Reuben Flatbread ($10), a local favorite from the start. It features a marriage of tangy caraway sauerkraut, sauteed apples, farmstead cheeses and apple butter on grilled flatbread. The Antipasto Plate ($12) is a different take on this favorite. It features cheese truffles rolled in olives provencale and almonds paired with a Jamison Farm lamb sausage, sliced fruit and crackers. Tuna Sashimi ($12), a plate of lime- and vanilla bean-marinated ahi tuna with toasted seaweed, seasonal melon confit and melon sauce, should make seafood lovers happy.

Mirabelle's Wild Mushroom Soup ($4), a medley of wild mushrooms, onions and herbs in beef broth with a hint of dijon mustard and a touch of fresh whipped cream, is a tabletop woodland wonder.

The Chilled Beets ($7) salad features assorted roasted beets with goat cheese creme brulee, pickled grapefruit and mint oil. Pear and Leek Crostata ($7), another seasonal salad, pairs sauteed pears and ginger creamed leeks in a free-form pie with fresh herbs, shaved fennel and champagne vinaigrette. For those with a taste for traditional greens, there's the House Salad ($4), a lovely light combination of assorted greens with sprouts, almonds, radishes, tomato sunflower seeds and an almost weightless herb vinaigrette.

Mirabelle's entrees include a variety of dishes, guaranteed to appeal to almost everyone. All feature special vegetable combinations designed to highlight the main offering.

Pasta offerings include Three Pea Pasta Carbonara ($19), a dish that marries the kitchen's homemade fettuccine with fresh chanterelles, seasonal peas, pecorino romano and poached egg, and Homemade Cannelloni ($19), a butternut squash and goat-cheese cannelloni accented with sweet onions, dried cranberries, crisp brussels sprout leaves in a sage cream sauce.

Seafood lovers can choose from Grilled Salmon ($23), a fresh Alaskan salmon glazed with tamarind, served over wilted spinach and five-grain pilaf, or Cod Veronique ($26), another offering from Alaska, with sustainable true cod and tiny bay scallops in a light sauce studded with crisp red brussels sprouts and grapes. The Seafood Sate ($24), a selection of Ahi tuna, Gulf shrimp and farm vegetables, grilled on skewers with a tangy pineapple-chili sauce, provided a refreshing take on these menu regulars and a colorful plate served over carrot couscous.

If there's a signature dish here, it might be Chicken Nicoise ($23). The pan-roasted Amish bird, which Muth refers to as "simple fresh country cuisine," served with fresh black truffle, crisp green beans and pan sauce, has been on the menu from the start. And, given the reception it has received, it likely will remain there. Roasted Duck ($24), moist slices of duck breast served over lamb bacon risotto with sweet potato sauce and tiny onions, rounds out the poultry selections.

Jagerschnitzel ($23), a huge sauteed pork cutlet with Black Forest mushroom sauce, housemade spaetzle and roasted asparagus, is a seasonal offering fit for an out-sized appetite -- or tonight's dinner and tomorrow's lunch. For those in need of a red-meat fix, the Filet Mignon ($27), a filet in rich Madeira demi-glace, comes with tangy potatoes, truffled cream and snow peas.

The housemade desserts -- $7 each -- could merit a visit on their own. Dessert offerings include Pear Huckleberry Cobbler served warm with housemade huckleberry ice cream. Warm Apple Charlotte is serviced with apple cider syrup and the house maple ice cream. And for chocolate lovers far and wide, there is Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake covered with a chocolate ganache served with a rich cream.

Additional Information:

Mirabelle Restaurant

Cuisine: Progressive American

Entree price range : $19-$27

Hours: Lunch, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; dinner, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays

Notes: Reservations recommended. Full bar and wine list, including a dozen sparkling wines by the glass. Major credit cards accepted.

Address: 215 Allegheny Ave., Oakmont

Details : Call 412-517-8115 or visit the restaurant's Web site

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