Cosimo

But almost all of the other entrees were winners. The well-brined pork tenderloin was amazingly tender, served with a New Southern garnish of sweet potato-andouille hash, spinach and barbeque sauce jazzed with five-spice and lemongrass. The only thing better than the homemade tamarind steak sauce that glazed the Angus strip steak was the glass of Einaudi Barolo ($15) that washed it down with licorice and raspberry-scented fruit.

The beautifully meaty wild striped bass could have used a bit more lime-butter sauce to keep it moist. But the nicely browned scallops had plenty of creamy polenta and warm tomato vinaigrette to lend luscious substance. The moist salmon with bacony lentils and pureed leeks was pure bistro comfort. I even found a chicken and shrimp pasta, which I feared would be a bore, to be completely addictive, the notably tender slow-roasted bird glazed in a cream sauce infused with prosciutto and earthy mushrooms.

Cosimo is also one of the few new restaurants I've seen that takes its desserts seriously, too, with a talented pastry chef in Venezuelan-born Andrea Schwob. She ambitiously presents several themed sampler plates of mini tastes, from "shooters" filled with deconstructed tiramisu, peanut-butter mousse, chocolate and strawberries, to a "tropical" plate anchored by passion-fruit panna cotta and tart key lime pie.

Of course, you could also build a platter from some of the 20 or so excellent cheeses and charcuterie offered in the bar. Or, you could just pretend you are the "Wine Duke" of Malvern, summon a glass of 1980 Graham's Port or late-harvest Chilean sauvignon blanc, sip, and savor this welcome new addition to your domain.

Contact restaurant critic Craig LaBan at 215-854-2593 or claban@phillynews.com.