New in Needham: A taste of Newbury Street

Rod and Catherine Walkey created quite a buzz around Needham as word got out that they were planning to open a local version of the Aerosmith-linked Mount Blue restaurant in Norwell.

But in the end, Blue on Highland is more an answer to the Dover couple's personal culinary quest: an upscale urban dining experience without having to pack up their three elementary-age daughters and drive all the way into Boston.

``We wanted to have a city feel. People like us with children can't go into the city," said Catherine Walkey.

Not that music and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler won't be playing a role at the 120-seat restaurant, which opened quietly a few weeks ago -- but more on that later.

Blue, which offers a mix of American, Italian, and French cuisine, brings a Newbury Street ambience to Highland Avenue in Needham Heights. Inside, abstract paintings by regional artists hang from the walls. Drum lamps with silver silk shades cast a fireside-like glow in the dining area. Orange pendant lamps made of hand-blown glass illuminate the bar. In warm weather, the storefront windows of the former pharmacy are unbolted, creating an open-air feeling.

Catherine Walkey, 37, who grew up in Wellesley, designed the sleek, minimalist interior. While not a professional decorator, she's an avid hobbyist.

Rod Walkey, 40, grew up in Duxbury and is a financial consultant for LPL Financial Services. Married for 10 years, the Walkeys own the New England Country Club in Bellingham as well as its pub, Egan's.

The live music, expected to start late this month, will serve as an accompaniment to rather than the focus of the dining experience, said Rod Walkey. On Friday and Saturday nights, the wait staff will push aside a couple of tables in a corner to make way for jazz, acoustic, blues, and reggae ensembles.

Blue on Highland will share the booking with Mount Blue, which Walkey said receives at least five CDs a week from bands.

He met Tyler several years ago through a mutual friend, Lee Kennedy, a part-owner of the Norwell restaurant. Walkey initially told Kennedy he wanted to open a second Mount Blue. Though the concept for the new restaurant changed, Tyler and Kennedy are among the new venture's half-dozen backers.

Walkey said his interest in live music stems from his childhood. He's played the guitar since age 12 and performs in a four-piece band called John Deere. He described their original music as acoustic rock akin to the Dave Matthews Band.

``Steven asked, `Is your band a joke or for real?' " said Walkey, recalling a recent phone conversation with Aerosmith's lead singer.

He managed to persuade Tyler that the band is ``for real." He said he would appear -- unannounced -- at Blue with John Deere as backup.

``I've been practicing the `Walk This Way' guitar lick every day," said Walkey.

Blue on Highland would be the only permanent live music venue in town. The Homegrown Coffee House in the First Parish in Needham, a Unitarian Universalist church near the town center, offers folk performances twice monthly between October and May.

Blue's chef, Peter Tartsinis, 36, trained at Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island and was executive chef at Papa Razzi in Concord.

Recent menu offerings included a goat cheese dinner salad ($11), consisting of a croquette of cheese breaded with panko crumbs and lightly fried, topping a mound of arugula lettuce and fried beets; steak frites ($18), featuring a hearty helping of beef cutlets drizzled with a red wine glaze and arranged in a half-moon around garlic-sauteed green beans and hand-cut french fries; and margherita pizza ($9), with a thin, crispy crust topped with fresh Roma tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella.

As for the kids' menu, Tartsinis offers such favorites as chicken fingers, mac and cheese, and penne pasta with butter or marinara. Children's meals cost $7 and include a drink and dessert.

The bar offers an ample selection of wines, beers, and spirits. The restaurant's signature mixed drink is the Blue cocktail, made of vodka, pineapple juice, blue curacao liqueur, and chilled champagne, for $9.

Meals are served on white plates -- circular, square, or rectangular. The garnishes are simple: sprinklings of basil or a sprig of rosemary here and there. Entrees have a drizzle of sauces, rather than being submerged in them. This no-frills presentation suits the restaurant's relaxed ambience.

``We're not going to crazy heights," said Tartsinis.

Shortly after 7 on a recent Saturday, Blue on Highland buzzed with a full house and a 45-minute wait. Managing partner Matthew Sullivan scurried about the restaurant, overseeing the wait staff and checking on customers. Pausing in the corner, Sullivan dabbed perspiration from his forehead. Despite no advertising, the restaurant has been packed for dinner since opening Aug. 19, he said. It will start serving lunch within a few weeks.

Needham resident Mike Skatrud sat at a round table in the center of the restaurant with his wife, father, and two daughters, ages 1 and 3. Skatrud ordered the grilled double cut pork chops while Grandpa shared his pepperoni and sausage pizza with the kids.

``I love the combination of a linen table cloth and a kids' menu," said Skatrud.

Lauren Meade can be reached at l_meade@globe.com.