It's fitting that "The Sopranos" opened this season with Tony (aka Kevin Finnerty) stuck in the dream sequence purgatory of a hotel chain's restaurant, because there is nothing quite as depressing as dining alone in one. Perhaps it's the solitude. Perhaps it's because you're stuck on an interstate between, say, Columbus and Indianapolis, with nowhere else to go. Perhaps it's the bland chow. Perhaps it's the generic surroundings, and the awful piped in-music, a torturous never ending loop of Elton John, Shakira and Aerosmith ballads that Jack Bauer could use to coerce confessions on "24."

Perhaps it is any number of things, but having had such experiences, they are enough to give Munch pause and raise a skeptical brown-bagged eye at the prospect of dining at such an establishment.

So, despite the aforementioned misgivings, Munch was pleased with a recent visit to a new hotel chain's restaurant, SoHo, in the lobby of the Spring Hill Suites across from PNC Park.

Flanked by Pretty Friend of Munch (PFOM) and Road Weary Friend of Munch (RWFOM) yours truly El Bag-arino checked out the hotel haunt. Unlike its New York City namesake, SoHo is not south of Houston Street, but rather NoGeRo (north of General Robinson Street) to be technical. The decor is sleek and modern though fairly non-distinct. A cutout city skyline adorns a back wall, as does a large photo of an old-style New York apartment building's fire escapes, presumably in the real SoHo.

The menu is a mix of safe staples such as the Smoked Turkey Wrap ($9.95) and Vermont Cheddar Burger ($8.95) and dressed up entrees such as Grilled Tuna with Risotto ($19.95) and Cosmopolitan Seafood ($16.95), a mix of shrimp, squid and mussels with a julienne mix of peppers and onions with diced tomatoes in a white wine sauce over rotini.

RWFOM, fresh off of a sweaty 10-hour drive from South Carolina, would have mowed down anything put in front of her, and indeed made short work of the Salmon Piccata ($17.95), a nice size slab of grilled salmon served with fresh vegetables in a balsamic reduction, and sucked down a Penn Pilsner ($4).

Munch tried the Turkey Tips ($17.95), a platter of six bourbon-flavored turkey tips with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables, washed down with a Blue Moon ($4). The meal was very good, particularly the sweet bourbon sauce, though for the price a little skimpy on the turkey. Munch bolstered the meal with a cup of the Firehouse Chili ($3.95), which was chunky and tasty, though it could have used a little more heat.

Munch and RWFOM enjoyed the crispy fresh veggies that accompanied our meals, and could have eaten a full plate of just those.

PFOM pecked at the Portobello & Mozzarella Roll ($9.95), an elegant mix of garlic roasted portobello mushrooms, caramelized onions, fresh mozzarella and basil on a French roll. The sandwich earned a positive review from the notoriously picky and fickle PFOM.

PFOM also tried the soup of the day, a Sweet Potato Bisque ($3.95) which she found to be delicious and certainly different, but so rich and sweet it could have been on the dessert menu.

Service at SoHo was prompt and attentive. Munch et al made a collective mental note to return on a Sunday, when SoHo offers a brunch buffet from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring a live jazz band and a menu that includes pancakes, pastries, fresh fruit, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, Irish sausages, pesto chicken, apple crepes, Scottish potato cakes, cheese blintzes, corned beef hash, seasonal vegetables, omelette and carving stations, and a dessert table ($16.95).

In another context, say, in the real Soho or even on Pittsburgh's South Side, SoHo would fall somewhere in the solid middle of the dining spectrum -- nice, but not necessarily worth planning your evening around. However, on the North Shore, SoHo offers a pleasant, upscale alternative to the existing sports bars near the ball park, and the place brims with energy before and after home games. SoHo is a welcome addition to the "NoSho."