Fine dining in Bowling Green never looked as good as it did on a visit to 440 Main recently. The last time I ate at 440 about a year ago (for pleasure, not review business) I enjoyed the food, but found it to be far too Cajun for my taste. The Cajun spring rolls were delightful for a bar appetizer, but not enough to make a meal.

I was pleasantly surprised to now find a new menu with an inspiring balance of the bayou in Bowling Green.

To begin with, the restaurant itself is beautiful. From the color of paint on the walls to the artwork, the carpet, the wait staff (not to mention the customers) and the food preparation, the atmosphere was aesthetically attractive. The dining room dripped with professionalism, style and layers of experience. After so many years in business, it’s easy for a restaurant to get comfortable, even complacent, but not here.

My dining companion and I began the evening with a delicious appetizer – warmed goat cheese floating in tomato-based sauce served with flat bread. I’m all about taste combination and this was a first rate &#8220real” appetizer, meaning that it tastefully prepared the palate for what was to come.

What was to come was tri-colored tortellini in tomato cheese sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and ham. What a treat. It seemed like a gumbo-inspired pasta dish. The tortellini and sauce would have been enough to make this an appetizing meal. Adding the sweetness of the tomatoes with the pungency of the ham made this dish a truly one-of-a-kind favorite for me.

Not as striking, but still delicious, was the pecan-encrusted grouper I ordered. It was served with rice and snow peas with red bell pepper. Just hearing it makes my mouth water and it was prepared well. A light, yet slightly spicy Louisiana-style sauce served sparingly over the top meant the aesthetically attractive style found its way onto each plate as well. My dining companion enjoyed this dish more, I enjoyed hers, so we swapped the leftovers we took home.

What I’d like to rave about was the wait staff. It was an unusually slow night, yet there was a jovial lightness in the air. Rebecca kept us informed, entertained and the pace of the food and drinks comfortable. This made for an enjoyable evening dining out with a longtime friend who has always been astute and creative and is herself a recent addition to the Bowling Green culinary community.

One distraction, however, were the waitresses in casual, tropical costume walking through from the second bar/restaurant housed in 440, Micki’s on Main. The floor manager checked in with us, and I planned to mention this, but her visit was rushed and routine. Maybe that’s because Rebecca was so personable in comparison.

The menu has a comfortable variety for fine dining – some bayou specialties, as well as steaks, seafood and the added feature of wine pairings. I had a nice, reasonably priced glass of pinot noir that wasn’t recommended with my fish, but did work with the appetizer and salad. It was gone by the time the fish arrived anyway.

One taste disappointment for the evening was the honey butter served with the bread. That may seem nitpicky, but it seemed out of place, perhaps because we weren’t told the butter was sweetened and it looked like regular butter.

We finished the meal with what was supposed to be lemon pound cake with strawberries and sabayon cream sauce, but the dessert arrived with chocolate cake instead. Both my dining companion and I liked the taste, but found the chocolate too heavy a substitute. It took away from both the strawberries and the sweet cream sauce.

I visited the 440 Web site to review menu options, descriptions and other information, but found out it hasn’t been updated in more than a year. It does, however, tell you about the restaurant, the history and the chef.

Overall it was a pleasing dining experience. 440 has created a unique niche for itself in a highly overpopulated dining market and it’s worth a visit, at least once a year.

440 Main

440 Main St. € 793-0450

Hours: 5 p.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday (bar restaurant also serves lunch, beginning at 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday and dinner)

Cuisine: American, cajun

Specialties: Steaks, seafood, bayou-inspired

Price range for dinner: $12.95 to $26.95

Libation situation: Full bar and wine list

Smoking: Patio only