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Mark Freedman’s move into one of the most attractive settings in the Triad is welcome. In this converted home, the front area is now a bar. Panoramic windows look out onto a patio. Michael Smith, a key member of Mark’s original team, is the gracious floor manager.

Soft polenta bread with herbed olive oil and balsamic vinegar provides an early interlude.

First courses were all winners. Rock Shrimp Ceviche ($8) bursts with summery tomato and lime. Fried plantains add to the tropical perspective. In Lobster Crab Roll ($10), split polenta bread frames crab and lobster with herbed remoulade and fermented cabbage slaw. Pork Shank ($8) emits hearty depth, augmented by rich sweet-sour teriyaki glaze. Lush, sweetish, coarse Pate ($12) of duck liver, pork and Kobe beef is complex and deeply satisfying. Sushi ($7) contains crisp tempura shrimp, avocado and carrot — as good as the best specialty restaurants.

Salads are generous. Roasted Beet ($7) joins Gorgonzola crumbles over spring mix, dressed in balsamic vinaigrette. Tomato Mozzarella ($10) is a beautiful presentation of purple heirloom slices stacked between fresh mozzarella with a chiffonade of basil, plus kalamata olives, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Fried Goat Cheese ($8) bears a light crust, joined by hazelnuts, sliced pear and dried cranberries over leaf lettuces in Champagne vinaigrette.

Kobe Burger ($13) is one of the Triad’s best — outstanding depth, seared crisp, stacked with Romaine lettuce and ripe tomato on a grilled bun. Crisp, thin shoestring fries sprinkled with truffle oil complete the presentation.

Grilled Scottish Salmon ($18) is a better quality fish (www.lochduart.com) than the “Atlantic Salmon” seen on many menus. A seaweed salad with miso vinaigrette, pleasantly pungent, plus brown rice, serves the salmon well.

Kurabuta Pork Chop ($18) is thick and lean, the interior moist, its deep natural flavor enhanced with “mango mojo” (mango, blood orange, cilantro, cumin, onion and brown sugar). A blend of black beans and rice topped with fried plantains completes the conception.

I was surprised to learn that Grilled Ostrich ($19) is Mark’s best seller, but not after I tasted it. The dark meat is closer to beef or pork than chicken, lean yet tender, drizzled with truffle oil. This is accompanied by lush mushroom flan.

In Paella ($21), tender lobster, large shrimp, scallops and mussels join chorizo sausage in saffron Arborio rice — quality ingredients but a little dryish in execution. Crab Cake ($24) is soft-textured, large lumps augmented by mayonnaise, egg, Worcestershire, whole-grain mustard, red pepper, panko bread crumbs and onion. Brown rice plus fresh-sliced tomatoes from the garden create a simple summer-appropriate assembly.

Additional vegetable servings combine whatever is fresh from Mark’s garden — petipan squash, carrot, asparagus, yellow and green beans, red peppers, zucchini, yellow squash and sugar snap peas. These are simply steamed, never overcooked, and quite satisfying.

For dessert, Tart Tatin ($7) has soft-cooked apples with thick caramel sauce, flanked by vanilla ice cream — luscious. Blueberry Cheesecake ($7) made with goat cheese and cream cheese, with fresh blueberries, strawberries on the side, surrounded by a raspberry abstract painting. Homemade red wine ice cream ($5) is striking in appearance and flavor. Chocolate Souffle ($11) is sized for two, rich and creamy.

Servers are knowledgeable, deliveries and checkbacks are appropriately paced, and plates arrive at appropriate temperatures.

Mark’s thus returns to the Triad’s elite.

Contact John Batchelor at john.e.batchelor@gmail.com