Stepping inside Nine on Nine, the newest restaurant on Penn Avenue in the Cultural District, I felt as though I had walked through an Alice in Wonderland doorway and ended up in a faraway land. It might be London's Notting Hill or Paris' 7th Arrondissement or Manhattan's Upper West Side. Was this really Downtown Pittsburgh?

Alyssa Cwanger, Post-Gazette Co-owner/executive chef Rick DeShantz, left, and sous chef Bryan Doolittle handle some Pittsburgh Surf and Turf at Nine on Nine on Penn Avenue. Click photo for larger image. Nine on Nine 900 Penn Ave. Cultural District 412-338-6463 Hours: Dinner, 5-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Basics: A sophisticated menu offering an amazing array of appealing appetizers worthy of being considered entrees. Everything from soup to dessert is made in the kitchen from fresh and mostly local primary ingredients. A competent waitstaff assures a first-class experience. Prices: Appetizers, $6-$14; entrees, $27-$36; desserts, $7; wines, $7.50-$16 for a 6-ounce pour. Summary: No smoking; accessible; major credit cards accepted. Parking in Downtown lots.

The sophisticated interior and cutting-edge menu of this new venue are perfectly matched with the talents of a young and imaginative chef, a knowledgeable and friendly staff and a management team that is hard working and focused on the details that make dining at Nine on Nine a thoroughly positive experience.

The ground-floor space with almost floor-to-ceiling glass on two sides has been transformed into a warm and intimate dining room by designer Courtney Lynch. Her navy and gray color scheme provides an understated canvas for the art that is served on the plates at tables. While making the room attractive, she has also addressed the noise issue by tenting the ceiling with heavy gray fabric and upholstering one wall in the same fabric. The window walls are hung with fabric draperies that also absorb noise. The tables are covered in crisply starched white linen and adorned with a low crystal bud vase containing a single blossom and with handsome crystal and china. The flatware is heavy and good-looking. The waiters wear long, white French bistro-style aprons. At the back of the room is a long bar with six high chairs and a lounge area with upholstered seating for eight. There is a glass wall dividing the kitchen from the dining room that allows diners to watch the cooking show but not be subjected to the sounds of clanging pots and pans, which can be so annoying at open-kitchen restaurants.

The stage was set for what looked to be a special dining treat. One look at the menu confirmed that this new restaurant might become a jewel in the Downtown dining crown. The appetizer menu was a long list of dishes you might read about in upscale food publications but never expected to find in a local restaurant. I wanted one of everything!

The first bite of bliss was Duo of Veal ($12). The simple, white plate arrived with a construction of two parts piled in the center in a shallow puddle of whole grain mustard sauce. The base of this tower was a block of braised veal shank. It was topped with a square of sauteed veal sweetbreads, which are the thymus glands from a calf. Considered a delicacy, they are rarely found on menus today. Both of these meats were perfectly prepared: succulent and without overpowering seasoning. The simple mustard sauce was a welcome point of sharpness for the rich and weighty meats. Another stunner on the appetizer list, equally unusual in these parts, is Skate Wing ($14). Skate is a ray (as in sting ray), and the names can be used interchangeably. This flat, bat wing-shaped fish has a slender, whiplike tail and is found in all seas. In the United States, skate is found in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The flesh is white and medium-textured with a mild fish taste. The chef has added spring vegetables and a champagne caviar sauce to complement the delicate quality of the skate. The fish is garnished with white asparagus, English peas, chanterelle mushrooms and grilled ramps.

Grilled Quail ($12) is a first course worthy of full entree status. The crisply grilled quail is paired with creamy cheese grits and smoky country ham in a blackberry sauce. A few leaves of deep-fried sage provide the ideal herb seasoning. Although I have not tried it, I liked the sound of Kurabuta Pork ($12). This piece of gourmet pig is accompanied by sweet potato pie, sauted spinach with wild mushrooms and apple demi glace. There is a unique tuna first course consisting of 4 ounces of tuna, crusted with fennel seeds, topped with fresh sauteed foie gras and sauced with a red wine reduction ($14). I am so in love with the appetizers that I could order the whole meal from this menu. The menu also offers a soup and three salads ($6 to $8).

The entree menu is perhaps less unusual but still offers exciting taste combinations. I particularly enjoyed the Tasting of Duck ($32), a sauteed duck breast with a confit of the leg and a piece of warm duck liver served with buttermilk polenta in port wine sauce. With this dish, the chef offers a combination of textures and flavors guaranteed to wake up all the senses. Thyme-roasted Amish Chicken ($27) is another option that is certain to please. The herb-infused chicken is crispy on the outside and juicy and tender inside. It is served with a galette of Pommes Anna, thin slices of potatoes that have been baked with generous amounts of butter. The top is brown and crunchy while the center is soft and creamy. With this is asparagus flan, mushroom ragout and white asparagus and truffle salad.

Saute Barramundi ($27) is a freshwater fish that is native to Australia but now farmed in other areas, including in the United States. It is relatively free of bones and mild-flavored, making it easy to prepare many ways. The preparation here is provencal with fennel, tomatoes, olives and saffron sauce. The Pittsburgh Surf and Turf ($32) is a festive filet mignon served with lobster pierogi and thyme roasted onions. The "piece de resistance" is bearnaise sauce perfumed with black truffle. Entree portions are relatively small, which is to say that they are New York-sized portions rather than Pittsburgh-sized. This is definitely a welcome change. I hope that more restaurants in our city will follow this trend.

Chef Rick DeShantz spent several years at MediTerra Bakery making artisanal breads. He currently makes the breads served at Nine on Nine. Before becoming a baker, DeShantz was the sous chef at Hyeholde Restaurant in Moon. He is the owner of Cafe Richard in the Strip, where his soups, salads, sandwiches and pastries have won an army of fans. The cafe is open for lunch only.

The dessert menu is short and changes daily. The kitchen makes all the desserts in house. I had a light and airy Fresh Berry Vol au Vent ($6.50). The base, of puff pastry, was so light it was floating on the plate, held down only by the weight of the fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries and a dollop of cream. There is a selection of three house-made fruit sorbets ($7) and chocolate-banana bread pudding served with house-made vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice creams and topped with carmelized banana! It's probably awesome but I'll never know. It is way beyond my calorie quota.

Nine on Nine has an attractive wine list with a considered choice of wines in every price category. There are 29 available by the glass. At the low end of the price spectrum the wines are priced generally at three times the retail price. At the higher end the markup is only two times retail. Wines by the glass are 6 ounces. The glasses are elegant and properly shaped and sized to enhance the wines. It seems to me that the price of glasses is on the high side. A fair calculation would be about one-fourth the full bottle price. I would also like to see the vintage listed for all wines. Surprisingly, even wines in the more than $100 category do not always list the vintage.

Nine on Nine is the creation of Michael Pijanowski and his fiancee, Courtney Lynch. Pijanowski is also the proprietor of Deja Vu on Penn Avenue in the Strip. They spent 10 months renovating the Nine on Nine building, which was formerly Schwartz Bagel Shop. There are plans to expand into additional space next door when it becomes vacant and to eventually add a downstairs lounge in a below-ground space. Although the restaurant is now serving only dinner, they hope to include a simple lunch menu in the near future.

With DeShantz in the kitchen and Pijanowski and Lynch overseeing the front of the house, Nine on Nine is a monumental addition to our Cultural District dining scene.