The dining room was about half full on a recent Monday evening when our party of four arrived.

Owner Nicole Plisson greeted us, paying special attention to the one member of our party who is a regular customer there, a gregarious man we'll call A.P. I, fortunately, slipped in with nothing more than a warm ``hello'' and an ``enjoy your meal.''

Each night the menu includes a prix-fixe meal of three courses for $28 (four on Saturdays for $35), not including wines and cocktails. At least two of us found that night's special menu enticing, but not enough to sway us away from the regular menu.

The food here has French roots, but in recent years chef Daniel Smith has incorporated more local ingredients and subtle international influences. The result is a menu that's classic (steak au poivre) yet refreshing (wasabi-yogurt-marinated cucumbers).

From the list of appetizers and small plates, we tried the organic field green salad with roasted beets ($6.50), the smoked salmon and potato Napoleon ($12), duck rillettes with green peppercorns ($12) and the Hudson Valley cheese sampler ($13). Of the four, the Napoleon was the most impressive. The layers of crispy fried potatoes were a nice contrast to the silky salmon and the creamy goat cheese that held the dish together.

We also enjoyed the rillettes, duck cooked in fat then chilled. The mixture, which resembled a shredded meat pate, was served in typical French fashion with spicy mustard, toasted baguette slices, cornichons and pieces of honey crisp apple. The salad and the cheese plate were both perfectly fine, just not as interesting.

The bartender that evening didn't observe the same strict adherence to protocol as the kitchen. Between courses, our server brought A.P. a Manhattan on the rocks in † gasp † a stemmed wine glass, which proved to be an affront to his sense of propriety. He sent it back, and it returned moments later in a proper rocks glass.

The menu changes at least quarterly, or a little more often as local produce goes in and out of season. One of the entrees we tried, a lobster and local corn risotto ($32), will be replaced soon, since local corn will no longer be available. It was a big bowl of homey creaminess, studded with tender, sweet lobster meat. It was presented with the cleaned head and tail shells splayed across the top of the dish.

Roast rack of lamb ($29) is a common dish in finer restaurants in the area. Here, the pieces are served atop a ragout of artichoke hearts and white beans. The six chops, cut in pairs, were cooked to a medium doneness, as requested. The ragout was hearty, flavorful and seasoned with aromatics such as garlic, bay leaves and saffron.

The grilled New York sirloin ($28) came napped in a light sauce made with blue cheese from the Old Chatham Sheepherding Co. in Columbia County. It was served with fluffy garlic mashed potatoes and freshly steamed green beans. The steak was also perfectly prepared, this time to a pink medium-rare.

But perhaps the most deftly prepared entree of the evening was the Maine scallops ($26), pan-seared and a served with a soy-ginger-butter sauce and rice pilaf. The scallops, caramelized to crispness on the outside, were cooked through yet creamy inside.

For those too stuffed for a full dessert but still craving a post-dinner sweet, Nicole's offers dessert tapas ($16.50), an assortment of small servings designed for two to four people to share. The dishes included chocolate mousse, fresh berries with sabayon, butter cookies, peach galette, Old Chatham camembert cheese and melon salsa. Even with three of us picking at it, we couldn't finish them all.

A.P. meanwhile, indulged himself with the evening's special dessert, a pumpkin bread pudding studded with walnuts ($6.50). It was less froufrou than the tapas desserts, actually plain in comparison, but satisfying nonetheless.

Dinner for four, including four glasses of wine, two cocktails, coffees, tax and gratuity, came to $295.

Compared to newer, trendier restaurants such as Yono's, Angelo's 677 Prime, Envy, Marche and McGuire's, Nicole's Bistro seems a little 20th century. But the food here is as well-prepared as it is anywhere, and it is a better value than many other places.

Ruth Fantasia can be reached at 454-5362 or by e-mail at rfantasia@timesunion.com.