I ordered the Mediterranean salad ($6) at Eros as an afterthought - something light to offset a heavy lunch of Cuban empanada ($9) and souvlaki ($10, plus $5 for an additional skewer of meat). It sounded, and looked, like a typical house salad: field greens tossed in a light balsamic dressing with cucumber, plum tomato, and shaved pecorino romano. Without real enthusiasm, my companion and I dug in. There was something different about this salad. It was not ice cold - evidence of having been made in advance and left in a refrigerator. Every leaf seemed to have been hand-selected, the cucumbers were crisp and flavorful, and the tomatoes lit up my mouth with the essence of summer. It was a perfect, simple salad.

Perfection is an obsession for Eros owner Stergios Kotorlis, who says he pays "extreme attention to detail" in both the atmosphere and the food at his restaurant. Eros' dining room breathes understated sophistication. Kotorlis, his partner Marylou Pace, and interior designer Blynn Nelson have achieved a delicate balance between big-city sophistication and understated elegance. The stonework on the walls and pillars, the custom-made leather and velvet banquettes, the wall sculpture that holds 400 individual carnations, and the languid, sensual mural that covers the ceiling from the entrance to the bar all speaks to the effort that Kotorlis and Pace have poured into the place. The total effect is "both casual and classy," he says, a "nice place for casual people" such as you might find in Southern Italy or Greece.

Kotorlis' ambition to create a place that "hugs you right away" is well-realized; and Chef Joe Cippola's cuisine encourages you to linger well into the afternoon or evening with the one that you love. Inspired by Mediterranean traditions, Cippola has also drawn from other cuisines to achieve something unique. On my first visit to Eros, my companion and I started with a grapefruit mojito ($8) - the drink has the licorice bite of pastis - followed by a bowl of white gazpacho with a pancetta-wrapped scallop ($6) and duck confit summer rolls ($10). The gazpacho, with white beans, roasted corn, and peppers, was cool and refreshing, but somewhat bland until we cut into the perfectly-seared scallop wrapped in crisp Italian bacon. The sweet scallop, the salty pancetta, and the cool, smooth soup made a delightful concoction. The "summer rolls" were fried wontons filled with intensely flavorful, gingery confit, served with a nice sprinkling of micro-greens and a piquant sauce that cut right through the fat of the fried wonton skins and the duck leaving our mouths full of wonderful flavors.

The entrees were interesting and substantial. My companion ordered a pan-seared fillet of Chilean sea bass ($26) and I ordered the herb-crusted lamb chops ($25). The sea bass was a nearly overwhelming plate; a mound of white truffle and split pea risotto topped with a generous fillet of fish crusted with horseradish. The fish fell apart in tender leaves, each bite infused with the smallest hint of horseradish. Accompanied by the creamy and earthy richness of the risotto and beurre rouge (a pan sauce made with balsamic vinegar, madeira, herbs, and butter), this was a sensational dish - large enough to share, but so wonderful that you might want to keep it for yourself. By the way, the risotto is available as an entrée on the lunch menu ($10).

The lamb made for a beautiful plate: four generous chops balanced on a bright orange heap of roasted red pepper potatoes, accompanied with grilled asparagus and a vibrant green pool of intoxicating mint emulsion. The tender chops were perfectly medium rare, the richness of the meat balanced by the pungent mint sauce next to it. It created another of those perfect flavors that Cippola seems to take pride in creating. The inclusion of asparagus on the plate was a surprise since it's no longer in season, but even this was quite good - tender and a tiny bit smoky, adding a springy green flavor to the dish. (I must say, though, that one piece of the asparagus was so woody as to be inedible). Unfortunately, the flavorless and under-seasoned roasted red pepper potatoes added nothing to the dish but height.

At a lunch not long after, my companion and I ordered the souvlaki and the Cuban empanada. Unable to decide between beef, chicken, or pork, we asked our waiter if we could try all three. The chef was more than willing to accommodate us. The souvlaki was extraordinary, served with a solid tsatsiki and a mound of Eros' crispy and savory hand-cut potato chips (flavored with salt and a dash of cumin). Keeping grilled meat moist is a challenge, especially when dealing with three meats that require vastly different cooking times. Nevertheless, the beef came out medium rare and was scented with rosemary and thyme; the pork had a slightly smoky taste that balanced its fat very nicely; and the chicken was miraculously both flavorful and moist.

The Cuban empanada was an unexpected treat. It most resembled a huge fried dumpling full of savory and slightly spicy shredded pork, chunks of green and black olives, and bits of red pepper, all topped with a sweet-spicy salsa of absolutely perfect tomatoes. Served over three marinated slices of ripe avocado, this may have been my favorite dish at Eros and an excellent illustration of Kotorlis' dedication to doing everything perfectly every single time.

Eros | 37 Charlotte Street | 546-2230 | Lunch Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner Monday-Thursday 5-10p.m., until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.