At this Middlesex County restaurant, the food and wine are equal in stature and appeal.
The restaurant's name is Italian, but Eno Terra's offerings may sometimes borrow a dollop from other cuisines, making dishes all the better for the multi-culti blending experience.
Mainstays continue to be the 400 wine selections (that's the Eno), while the proprietors also take pride in what comes from the land (the Terra part) at their own Canal Farm, as well as other area agricultural enterprises.
The approach is well-coordinated at this handsome establishment, where the salumeria offers a wide variety of such hearty choices as Prosciutto di Parma, speck or sopresatta ($9) or in various combos, with appropriate cheeses acting their foil.
Prefer something lighter to start your meal? Try the bowl of cashews ($5), their appeal amplified by sugar, salt and spices.
But that's just the beginning at this fun spot with sharp service, owned by the Terra Momo Restaurant Group, whose holdings include Mediterra, Teresa Caffe and a bakery in nearby Princeton.
The menu is well-stocked with auspicious choices. Some have traditional roots, such as heartily artful tagliatelle Bolognese ($22), made in-house like all the pastas. Others are a bit further afield, though just enough to provide interest rather than straying from the casual-but-chic establishment's mission.
An absolute joy in that category is the pitch-perfect celery root soup ($10). Celery root may not be on your top 10 list at the moment, but this concoction might put it there. Mild and soothing, it's a backdrop for a slightly tart Spigold apple relish, enhanced by the earthiness of brown butter and sage, with toasted walnuts for depth.
It's an example of the style intriguingly demonstrated by Chef Joseph Voller, who has been with Eno Terra for a year, offering an added dimension to the restaurant that debuted its concept in 2008.
Chef Joseph Voller at work in the kitchen at Eno Terra in Kingston. Trained at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, Voller has a wide-ranging background, working at Lacroix in Philadelpha's Rittenhouse Hotel, as well as picking up on Asian influences with chef Stephen Starr (Buddakan) and being exposed to Latin techniques with chef Jose Garces (the Garces Group).
Italian wasn't his first culinary language, so to speak, but he spent his 20-day honeymoon last year hitting restaurants up and down the length of the Italian boot to get the feel of it.
Despite his eclectic background, he said, ''I really try to stay toward the Italy and Eno Terra side of things. We're still pretty rustic, trying to do everything simple but the right way.''
He added, ''We don't want to be the 'occasion restaurant,' but sometimes you are chosen as the occasion restaurant. We plate things nicely, with respect to the ingredients, but not deliberately show off in our presentation.''
Vibrant colors are a hallmark of many dishes, such as the Black Pearl organic salmon ($29), with multiple types of pea enhancement, including petit pois agnolotti, as well as pearl onion and mint.
Salmon with English peas, snap peas, snow pea leaves, and English pea agnolotti. Voller considers the seared octopus ($16) one of his favorite Eno Terra dishes. It's a staple here. Keeping it all in the cephalopod neighborhood, there's a squid ink emulsion.
He also mentioned the lamb meatballs ($12) matched with creamy polenta, a creation of his sous chef, Marco Santana.
Desserts by pastry chef Kaitlyn Pinter have their own twists as she steers clear of trite sweets. There's a touch of sage in the pear/cranberry crumble ($12), served with nicely contrasting creme fraiche ice cream. Rosemary candied Meyer lemon and honey ginger syrup are part of the draw on cheesecake ($11). Wine pairings for the desserts are welcome suggestions that run from $8 to $15.
The lively bar with its wall of wine bottles is a big draw at Eno Terra. The wine list is heavy on Italian varieties, though it doesn't neglect the rest of the world, in accordance with the restaurant's motto: ''Eat local, drink global.''
The focus with wine involves vineyards dedicated to sustainable agriculture, a passion of owner/manager Anthony Momo and his brothers, Carlo and Raoul, who are dedicated to conservation.
''Every part of the building is as green as possible,'' the manager said. He has proof. Eno Terra received a 2-star certification from the Green Restaurant Association.
Wine is poured to exact specifications; 180 milliliters for a glass, 250 for a quartino, 500 for a mezzo and on up. It's nice to be able to order more than a glass, but less than a bottle. As an example, for the Tasca D'Almerita Lamuri (2012) Nero d'Avola from Sicily, the price goes from $12 to $16 and $31. So you could taste it by getting a glass, then move up if you wanted just a little more.
A bar menu is available during happy hour, Mondays through Fridays from 4-7 p.m., but after that, those who want to eat at the bar will be selecting from the restaurant menu.
The atmosphere is perfectly in keeping with the food and wine. It's a well-coordinated approach. There are wooden tables topped by placemats reminiscent of woven grass, a single blossom in a bud vase and a small candle (you might want to bring a little flashlight for menu-reading, because we thought it was a little dim, at least in our corner.
When the place is full (it seats 130, not counting the bar), the noise level is high, but not overwhelmingly so. In warm weather, outdoor dining also is available at what was the site of an 1860s general store (the old beams and stone foundation can still be seen in the wine cellar.)
Eno Terra is perfect for an everyday outing or that special occasion. It has kept up its standards over the last eight years and continues to please with a great deal that's interesting on both the food and wine fronts.
IF YOU GO
Eno Terra, 4484 Route 27, Kingston. 609-497-1777. enoterra.com. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11:30am-11 p.m. Fridays, 5-11 p.m. Saturdays, 5-9 p.m. Sundays.
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Cody Kendall may be reached at CodyDine@aim.com. Follow Cody on Twitter@CodyDine. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.