Dolores Kostelni | Special to The Roanoke Times

Tucked into a slim space near the corner of Main and Washington streets, Brix, the newest restaurant in Lexington, opened at the end of October. Within this short time, I've been there twice, and I rank it as the trendiest, hottest restaurant in town.

Combining small plates and tapas, the reasonably priced first-rate preparations, excellent wines and casual environment make it a fun way to eat out and enjoy an evening on the town without breaking your budget or diet.

The name "Brix" (pronounced "bricks") is derived from a viticulture and grape producer's term indicating the percentage of sugar in a solution. German chemist Adolph Brix developed the scale. The name indicates the restaurant features a significant wine list ($5-$20 per glass).

Brix owner Hunter Smith explains, "There are more than 25 interesting labels and varietals from major global wine regions available at all times. We offer wine only by the glass, and these are intended to complement the food."

The faces behind Brix

Smith has a growing restaurant resume. He served as service manager at Lexington Golf and Country Club, opened Azurro (1994) in Richmond and Patina Grille (1998) in Short Pump, as well as Can Can Brasserie (2005) in Richmond's Carytown before creating the concept for Brix.

Chef Nathan Fountain graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and helped Smith open Azurro in Richmond. He was sous chef at the lauded Palladio Ristorante at Barboursville Vineyards in Charlottesville. Brix sous chef Greg Lewis met Fountain when they both worked in Louisville, Ky., and was sous chef at Palladio.

The vibe

The handsome interior owes its good looks to Smith and Fountain, who refinished the hardwood floor hidden for many years beneath carpeting. They added wainscoting, put in a new bar and servers' station, retiled the kitchen and opened it up to make the chefs visible.

A mural on a front corner wall depicts a "then and now" scene on Main Street, joining yesterday's horse and buggy with today's automobile. Overall, the place has been given a remarkable facelift, making it less cluttered and appearing larger than before, even though it seats only 30.

The menu

Brix specializes in small plates and tapas-style dining ordered a la carte from the five sections of the ever-changing menu, which incorporates seasonal ingredients from local farms and influences from Mediterranean, Southern European, Italian and Spanish cuisine.

The menu sections include light dishes ($3-$5), medium dishes ($4-$13), house-made pastas ($6-$7), hearty fare ($8-$12) and sweets ($5). Dishes from each section vary in preparation style and price, making it easier to balance the meal.

Each order brings a satisfactory single portion or enough for sharing and pairing with different wines. The small plates concept captures the spirit of tapas, but differs from it in that the latter consists of small appetizers instead of a portion of food. Tapas is included in the "light" section of the menu with cured Mediterranean olives ($4), house-made bread ($3), and cheese with water crackers, dried fruit and selected jellies ($5).

The hearty section includes duck breast, braised beef short ribs and grilled hanger steak. Homemade pastas, which are the signature dishes of Brix, can be paired with a choice of three sauces: pomodoro, Bolognese, and gorgonzola cream. Made-to-order risotto with butternut squash, mascarpone cheese and sage oil is the last item on this list.

What we tried

For our first dinner, we shared selections from each menu category. The crusty homemade bread ($3) went well with the vegetable-filled, rough-textured ribollita (reboiled) soup ($4), and the delicately dressed green salad ($5).

From the medium section, we shared stewed greens ($4), containing mushrooms mingled with onions and garlic, zipped up with an Asian chili pepper condiment called sambal, and balanced with sherry vinegar. The red wine poached halibut ($13) was lustrous with creamed Savoy cabbage and slivers of pancetta. The $5 glass of California cabernet sauvignon added a pleasant note to my meal.

From the pasta section, we elected to have tagliatelle covered with a bright pomodoro, the classic Italian tomato sauce ($6), and sage oil-seasoned risotto, made creamy with butternut squash and mascarpone ($6). Both were winners.

Hearty entrees we relished were chicken thighs stuffed with Italian sausage, currants, pistachios and olives, sauced with tomato gravy ($8), and the tender, nicely seasoned duck breast with arugula and a lovely roasted shallot jus.

Of the three desserts, I selected chestnut beggar's purse, which consisted of two petite filo bundles filled with pureed chestnuts seasoned with truffle oil and vanilla bean and adorned with whipped cream ($5). My partner loved the tiramisu, a layered affair of espresso and rum-soaked ladyfingers with mascarpone and chocolate shavings ($5).

Sunday brunch

During brunch, the place hums and swings with music and a roomful of contented patrons. No printed menu is available, but there are usually four to five selections determined by the chef.

We started with ham biscuits, actually small sandwiches of Edward's country ham layered between homemade rosemary focaccia. These partnered perfectly with a glass of fresh orange juice and full-bodied hot coffee. My entree, a wedge of chive frittata with small pieces of succulent duck confit nestled within its furls, came with tart, refreshing mandoline-cut green apple spears.

My colleague selected hanger steak and eggs, a perfect combination of thinly sliced rare, tender beef with two fried eggs sporting yolks sitting up from the whites -- a clear sign of freshness.

This wonderful brunch filled with superb food totaled $27.25 without tip. To both of us, this meal seemed like a great value.

Not to be picky, but ...

The food is prepared with care and all dishes met my standards for quality and exceptional flavor. But one grumble involves the wine, which is only available by the glass. If I come to Brix with guests, wine by the glass affects the bill tremendously. I hope the restaurant will soon offer reasonably priced bottles of wine for groups.

Another complaint involves service timing. Second-course dishes arrived on the heels of the first course, which we had just begun to eat. Empty plates from the previous course cluttered the table, leaving us with the new course and no room to maneuver.

The bottom line

Brix is my kind of a restaurant. I enjoy the small plates concept and I like the way they have implemented it.

Brix serves deftly prepared, reasonably priced, unpretentious food in adequate portions, and the restaurant is tidy and comfortable.