First there was the alfredo at Spaghetti Warehouse, then came the curries at Thai Orchid and then the arepas at Sazon. Now Spring Garden Street boasts a hearty slice of meat loaf at Palate, a pleasant new restaurant started by former firefighter Robert Plummer and his wife, Blanche. Not a bad run for the so-called loft district. I've never heard anyone other than a condo developer use that moniker without finger quotes, but Palate may be a reason to start taking it a little more seriously.

Palate has all the hallmarks of a family operation. The decor is homey. Copper-colored, paint-textured walls are accented by half-moon sconces and strategically mounted strips of metallic lace. It's a small room and space heaters, candles and a soul soundtrack keep it cozy. The service is personal, and since the restaurant is in its infancy you may be asked for honest feedback about your meal. Chances are, you'll have good things to say.

TALL ORDER: Palate serves its jumbo lump crabcake with homemade onion rings, roasted asparagus and lemon butter sauce. : Michael T. Regan

For now Palate is dinner-only, but the Plummers may eventually introduce a weekend brunch. The food is sincere and comforting, much of it straight from family recipes. At a restaurant named Palate you might expect delicate, airy concoctions with exotic ingredients meant to tease or surprise your taste buds. But these are just solid, home-style meals gussied up with nothing more than a few scattered slices of spring onion.

Pitchers of water are flavored with lemons and limes, but you don't get bread unless you ask for it. With these oversized portions, you probably don't need it. It can be hard to know when to stop. There's a Caesar salad, featuring shreds of romaine with papery shavings of locatelli cheese and an unusually light, bright dressing. The all-beef meat loaf, served in two thick slices that together might be the size and width of a paperback, is one of the best around—tender, juicy and accented with a luxuriant brown gravy and sweet caramelized onions. Macaroni and cheese is similarly divine. Made with five different cheeses and ziti noodles, it's silky and velvety with just a sprinkling of crispy bread crumbs and the faintly sharp edges of baked pasta to give it crunch.

The innovations, where they occur, are in the presentation. Shrimp and grits are served as an appetizer-portion "martini," the grits in a glass with four grilled shrimp clinging to its rim. (It's a time-tested pairing, but this construction is awkward to eat, requiring both cutlery and hands.) A quotidian salmon fillet is here ingeniously billed as "salmon mignon," studded with pepper and rolled up into a cylinder. On the fork, it's delightfully creamy and flaky; in the mouth, its seasoning pops.

Palate still has some weak points, like the crabmeat and chicken potpie appetizer, which arrived undercooked and doughy even after a long wait. A double pork chop stuffed with melted jack cheese and roasted red peppers was nicely cooked but an ill-conceived, heavy combination of ingredients.

Some of the side dishes are sloppily executed. Black and white rice, divided into two heaps beneath the salmon, was visually striking but too bland to complement the fish. Another side of white rice, which came beneath the pork chop, was even blander and mushy to boot. The collard greens had a terrific smoky twang but they were oversalted. On the other hand, you can't ask for better mashed potatoes, which come beneath the meat loaf and the short ribs. There may be plenty of decent mashed potatoes in the world but these are transcendent: pure, fluffy, buttery bliss.

Desserts, all homemade, are uncomplicated and stunning. A gigantic wedge of the ultra-creamy house-special cheesecake has a crumbly cinnamon graham crust and a swirl of fresh strawberry sauce spelling out "Palate" on the plate. Sticky toffee pudding, an English confection, arrives warm: a round, moist date cake draped in a gooey toffee sauce. The rum cake comes from a recipe developed by Zurn, Blanche's sister. It's a golden hunk of butter rum pound cake with crisp caramelized edges and a sprinkling of confectioners' sugar. It was surprisingly simple, but in keeping with the spirit of the place. My palate was not shocked or even challenged but it was pleased, and that's just fine.

Palate

BYOB. Wheelchair accessible. No smoking. Reservations accepted. Accepts Visa and MasterCard.