Urban Solace restaurant, on 30th Street in North Park

With a slightly frilly facade, charmingly elegant dining room, and breezy patio - plus a wildly popular bluegrass brunch on Sundays - Urban Solace (3823 30th St., 619-295-6464) may look and sound like it was airlifted from New Orleans and dropped onto North Park's 30th Street restaurant strip. If fact, the kitchen (helmed by a talented chef formerly of Sonoma County's much-heralded Willi's Wine Bar) turns out a delightfully eclectic mix of regional American-inspired dishes, some with Southern touches, others with more West Coasterly influences.

Typically enticing fare includes sassafras-marinated skillet shrimp with chili-grit cakes, "Not Your Momma's Meatloaf" (with ground lamb, figs, pine nuts, feta, and fig jus), New York white cheddar mac 'n' cheese with caramelized bacon and charred tomatoes, and a brunch specialty that just about filled me up for the next 24 hours: the Monte Diego breakfast sandwich (baked-egg bread, smoked ham, Fontina cheese, grilled pears, and strawberry-currant jelly). Given that dinner entrees all cost well under $20, portions range from big to mega, and the ambience and service impart an infectious sense of good cheer, it's easy to see why Urban Solace has vaulted into the upper echelons of San Diego's dining scene since it opened. The owners are committed not just to excellent food but a substantial (and again fair-priced) wine menu, with vintages categorized by style ("lighter intensity whites", "full intensity reds", etc.). Among North Park's gay-popular dining spots, Urban Solace is a genuine treat.