Tavolo

A huge piece of salmon was sorely overdone on the first attempt - in part because our friendly but fast-talking waiter never paused his spiel to ask our preference. Moist-centered fish, Jalon tells me, is not the default choice in this cooked-through conservative burb. But the kitchen graciously recooked our salmon, and with its bed of beluga lentils ringed by the tangy richness of a cranberry-infused brown butter, the much-improved second effort was a satisfying take on the bistro classic that I'd happily reorder.

The zesty little lamb meatballs, served with mint pesto beneath a chip of shaved parmesan, are another dish not to miss. So is the "onion brulee" appetizer, an inventive Jalon signature borrowed from Augusto's that is essentially a hollow roasted onion stuffed with a creamy crabcake, perched atop a nest of spaghetti squash, then ringed with thyme-scented butter.

That spaghetti squash makes another notable cameo in the somewhat misnamed but intriguing "scampi." This updated version lacks the garlicky punch implied by the classic dish, but I thoroughly appreciated this lighter take, which substituted the no-carb threads of squash and zucchini laces for pasta, then dabbed the huge grilled shrimp in an herbaceous lemon jam that brought the dish to life. A rigatoni all'amatriciana was purely traditional, with plenty of rendered pancetta and pepper flakes to give it a rustic zest.

When it's time for dessert, Tavolo resorts through a contracted baker to some of the usual cliches. One was a real flop, a soggy-crusted "limoncello" tart filled with gelatinous curd that could have been renamed "lemon-jello." The others - a fluffy tiramisu, creamy ricotta cheesecake, and strawberry-chocolate shortcake called "fragola" - were perfectly adequate.

Still, if Jalon ever follows through on another of his continuing education adventures (those pastry studies he abandoned at the Restaurant School for the opportunity at Le Bec), these desserts could use the upgrade.

For this hungry corner of the fine-dining wilderness, though, Tavolo has already delivered more than enough good flavors to give Jalon more time to make that happen.

Contact restaurant critic Craig LaBan at 215-854-2682 or claban@phillynews.com.