ASHEVILLE - is a relatively new restaurant (opened in early fall) located on Hendersonville Road in what used to be a Quincy's Family Steakhouse. It's owned by Chris, Dean, John and Peter Barlas, family members who have connections with both The Cornerstone Restaurant and The Poseidon Restaurant, so the issue of experience on the Asheville restaurant scene was a moot point. I had heard mixed reviews about this new place, but every time I've passed it, it has been packed, so recently a friend and I decided to pay it a visit.

Walking in, it is apparent that this place has taken the idea of casual dining to an elegant edge. The interior is very tastefully done - booths and tables, natural woods and lots of plants (real ones rather than the silks). The lighting is pleasant and low, but not too dim to read the menu or the wine list.

The wine list was nicely varied and extensive for an establishment that still has a family-oriented atmosphere - a nice surprise. We chose a Bonterra Syrah, an organic wine from the Mendocino Valley, which was rich and fruity.

Looking at the appetizers, I picked a combo of the Parmesan Stuffed Olives (fried Kalamata olive halves rolled in garlic, stuffed with Parmesan cheese, coated with Italian- seasoned breadcrumbs served with a spicy horseradish/ranch sauce) and fried mushrooms served with the same sauce. Both choices were great, but very heavy. If I had it to do over again, I might well have gone for the homemade tomato bisque, which would have been lighter.

My buddy, an inveterate meat-eater, ordered the 14-ounce New York Strip Steak with a baked potato and house salad. I decided to get the Mediterranean Stuffed Trout (loaded with garlic, baby spinach, feta cheese, tomato and Kalamata olives, drizzled with olive oil and broiled). It came with a fluffy saffron rice and a Greek salad (my choice, again) on the side. Looking back on all my menu decisions that evening, I realize that I ordered the same tastes again and again - the cheese, the garlic, the tomatoes, the dark olives - all of these are flavors I love, but which need to be varied with others.

My dining companion had the right idea with his excellent steak, crisp salad (with a quite good homemade Thousand Island dressing) and plain baked potato. Both meals were extremely good, but the steak did beat out the trout. While the steak was well prepared, it was simple and delicious. On the other hand, the heavy coatings covered the fish and its taste, considering the heavy hors d'oeuvres that I'd already consumed. The menu also offered the trout as broiled, blackened, grilled or fried, any of which, for me, would have better displayed its sweet tender flavor. OK, I admit it, I made a menu choice mistake - rare, but it happens.

I do need to mention that the service here is exceptional. Even though the restaurant was slammed for a Wednesday evening, Cindy, our server, was amazing. She never missed a beat with water, salads or an answer to a question. Pretty special.

I really wanted to check out Big John's Baby Back Ribs, so I got a take-out order ostensibly for my 15-year-old son. I ended up consuming it for dinner myself, on the sly, the next evening. The tender meat fell off the bone and the sauce was delectable.

We did check out a dessert - the Chocolate Confusion, which was a combination of a cake and mousse with wonderful icing. It was served with a non-dairy topping, which doesn't really work for me - once I've consumed the calories of a cake, why not have true whipped cream? The dessert, however, was an excellent chocolate confection on its own.

This place is a real plus for the south side of Asheville, which is short in terms of affordable and enjoyable restaurants. There is a kids' menu, lots of vegetarian pastas and plenty of affordable alternatives to an expensive evening out. Province 620 is not pretentious, while it offers a casually elegant evening to those of us who do not always want to cook at home, as well as to those who want a special night out.

Susan Parke writes about dining for the Citizen-Times. E- mail Parke at StheodosiaParke@aol.com with comments and recommendations on restaurants to review in the future.