At first glance, the menu at the Spitfire Grille can seem curiously varied. There's always a pizza and a pasta special, but they share chalkboard space with a sushi roll of the day. There are lamb lettuce wraps with Greek tzatziki sauce ($7.95), alongside a vaguely Peruvian ceviche duo ($9.99).

These diverse influences are a result of chef and co-owner Greg Andrews' experiences working in San Francisco, Hawaii, Orlando, Memphis, Philadelphia, New York and Pittsburgh. When he and his wife, Ashlee, bought the Spitfire Grille, they wanted to update the menu and add a wine program without making the South Greensburg restaurant, which had been open for seven years, less accessible to regular customers.

The wine list, created by Ashlee Andrews, offers a range of interesting choices and a few bottles for more than $40. A separate list offers 25 bottles for $25. The new menu is refreshingly, bracingly new American. Some dishes have been improved by a greater focus on quality ingredients, house-made or local whenever possible. Specials and appetizers allow more room for innovation, and Chef Andrews unapologetically combines dishes and ingredients from different culinary traditions, all with an eye toward vibrant flavors and attractive presentation.

The Cajun salmon sandwich ($9.99) plays the warm spices of Louisiana kitchens off of a thin, refreshing, yogurt-based tzatziki sauce. The sweetness of the salmon -- with its crispy edges and moist, rare center -- was the perfect counterpoint to an abundance of sour pickled onions, and thick, crunchy slices of toasted, house-made sourdough bread.

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Spitfire Grille Restaurant and Bar

2 stars = Very good
Ratings explained

1517 Broad St.
South Greensburg
724-850-4676
www.spitfiregreensburg.com

• Hours: Lunch, Mondays-Fridays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; dinner, Mondays-Thursdays, 4 to 10 p.m., Fridays-Saturdays, 4 to 11 p.m. Closed Sundays.
• Basics: This melting pot menu includes Latin America, Japanese, French and Italian influences but stays true to an American palate. Attractive indoor and outdoor dining rooms, reasonable prices, and good, basic service make the Spitfire Grille a favorite among locals and a treasured find for those coming from farther afield.
• Recommended dishes: Jamison Farm lamb lettuce wraps, artisanal cheese board, cucumber and avocado gazpacho, Cajun salmon sandwich, grilled skirt steak, half roasted chicken, grilled hanger steak with orzo and house-made steak sauce; grilled scallops with the vegetable medley and mango-ginger butter, Meyer lemon creme brulee, pecan marscapone cheesecake, house-made vanilla ice cream.
• Prices: Appetizers, $4.99-$16; entree salads and sandwiches, $8.99-$11.99; entrees, $18.99-$26.99; desserts, $5.99-$7.99; wines by the glass start at $6; by the bottle, $25.
• Summary: Wheelchair-accessible via side ramp and locked side door; smoking permitted outside, at the bar and in a small smoking section; park in lot across the street; credit cards accepted; call-ahead wait list on weekends; corkage, $10.
• Noise level: Medium-low

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The Spitfire Grille's ceviche ($9.99) riffs on several authentic versions at once: The orange in the scallop ceviche is surely a reference to the Seville orange introduced to Peru by the Spanish, and the house-made "corn nut" garnish is a clever and delicious play on the toasted maize that often accompanies this preparation. A few popcorn kernels -- another traditional accompaniment -- add a pleasant textural contrast to the smoothness of the seafood. The one dull note is a slice of unadorned avocado on the edge of the plate.

The avocado's buttery, earthy flavor is used to much better effect in a fantastic Seasonal Gazpacho ($5.99), a mellow cucumber and avocado puree, punched up by minced jalapeno and abundant lime juice, served in a martini glass and garnished with just a few chunks of tomato for color and contrast.

Occasionally, a desire to prepare dishes to suit the season undermined the rules of seasonality: We may crave tomatoes in May, but you will be hard-pressed to find a truly delicious tomato until at least late July. The Mozzarella Tomato Trio ($8.99) was worrisomely pink, and with every bite inspired a chorus of "too early, too early" in my mind.

Even when products are technically in season, there was an occasional failure in quality control. On one evening, the lettuce in the house salads was unforgivably tough -- it was a lettuce for braising, not for nibbling -- and one salad contained noticeable grit. On a different evening, the lettuce situation had improved, but this time a salad was practically a soup, having been doused in too much balsamic vinaigrette.

Appetizers exhibited the most interesting flavors and techniques, as well as the few notable failures; entrees were more consistent but less exciting. Grilled Skirt Steak ($22.95) was served over roasted potatoes with extra-large rings of grilled onion. The listed arugula pesto was a little overwhelmed by the additional balsamic demi-glace reduction, but I didn't miss it. The skirt steak is an excellent cut that deserves more praise. Although it is fairly tough, what you lose in texture you get back in flavor.

A roasted pork loin was sliced and laid over room temperature Israeli couscous with a grain mustard and molasses dressing, garnished with grilled nectarine slices. Spiced, toasted pecans added a nice crunch, but the dish could have used a counterpoint to all of the sweetness. The high point of this dish was the couscous, which had an almost al dente texture far superior to the chewy, slightly sticky texture that is the result of overcooking, a common flaw.

The "simply grilled" section of the menu allows diners to select a protein, sauce and choice of side dishes. Delicious combinations can be found, such as scallops whose sweetness is enhanced by mango-ginger compound butter, served with a perfectly cooked vegetable medley of snow peas, carrots and zucchini.

But there are also combinations that would leave a diner with a far less harmonious experience, and you cannot necessarily expect your server to steer you away from less wise combinations. Faced with a request for half-roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and pineapple-habanero salsa, our server didn't bat an eye. Allowing a diner to go astray without comment is certainly polite, but a gentle counter-suggestion might be kinder in the long run to the kitchen and the guest. Fortunately, though the combination was strange, the roast chicken had excellent crisp skin and moist well-seasoned meat. The buttermilk mashed potatoes, however, could have used a bit more mashing.

For the most part, desserts at Spitfire Grille are house-made. Although there are a number of restaurants in the Pittsburgh environs that make better desserts, the honest, clean flavors of home-made desserts are far preferable to anything purchased from a restaurant supplier. Favorites included blackberry crisp with house-made vanilla ice cream ($5.99) and an intensely citrusy Meyer lemon creme brulee with an even, golden crust ($5.99).

Another great option as an end to the meal is the artisanal cheese board, listed on the menu as an appetizer, but traditionally served between the entree and dessert, or as a substitute for dessert. Five cheeses were served on a small wooden cutting board, accompanied by rectangular toasts and thick seeded crackers, as well as a small dish of honey, a miniature colander of thinly sliced apple and another dish of reduced balsamic vinegar.

On my visit, the cheeses included such superb selections as Rogue River blue cheese from Oregon, a triple cream brie from the Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes, Calif., and Promontory Cheddar from the Beehive Cheese Company in Utah. But, selections change frequently.

Servers are universally attentive, even earnest, though some are more efficient and knowledgeable about the food than others.

The Andrews' devotion to their restaurant is clear. They value teamwork intensely, and make almost all decisions regarding the restaurant together. They do not value change simply for change's sake. The inside remains relatively untouched, handsome without being too formal. A long, dark wooden bar flanks one end of the dining room, a wall of exposed brick, the other. Large arrangements of white hydrangeas at the entry, hooks underneath the bar and a couch at the entry add touches of elegance and comfort.

The pleasant cement patio has become a veritable garden. Leafy trees enclose the space, creating a green barrier between the patio and the street. Wherever you look, you'll find flowers and plants, in buckets and small garden beds. A small waterfall trickles into a pool. An outdoor bar helps insure that service outside is as prompt and thorough as service inside.

As pleasant as it is to enjoy all the Spitfire Grille has to offer, it is even more pleasant to see how thoroughly the area diners have embraced the restaurant -- a necessary reminder that just as delicious food and beautiful dining rooms can be found outside the city limits, so can diners who know a good thing when they find it.