Fine dining in Mission style

Mission Oak Grill

If you feel like indulging yourself but don't want to get all dressed up -- it's summer, after all -- you might consider the Mission Oak Grill, a classy new place in downtown Newburyport that mixes fine dining with a friendly, laid-back ambience.

The name comes from the restaurant's newly renovated Mission-style interior, which is all dark wood and leather upholstery. Those who remember the space when it was the New Zealand-themed Kiwi Grille wouldn't recognize it. They would certainly recognize its striking exterior, however, which hasn't changed: The building is a former church with a Gothic steeple overlooking Newburyport City Hall.

The large dining room was nearly full when we arrived at 7 p.m. on a Friday evening. Diners ranged in age from toddler to senior . The expansive bar was well populated, too.

The overall vibe was lively, though the lighting and noise level were comfortably low.

The brightest spot in the room was the open kitchen, which was lighted like a stage and jutted into the room like a proscenium. Four dervish-like cooks whirled in white smocks and dark cloth caps that resembled fezzes.

Steak and shellfish dominate the menu. The dishes are mostly familiar, or at least relatively uncomplicated. An appetizer of fresh steamed mussels in a tomato and fennel broth ($9.50) was nicely prepared and fun to disassemble, the way eating an artichoke is.

When we learned that the entrees we chose came with only a token amount of green vegetables (four small Brussels sprouts and nothing, respectively), we ordered and enjoyed an arugula-and-pear salad with candied pecans ($7.50).

The Mission Oak porterhouse of lamb ($28) was a pair of thick and succulent lamb chops with a side of mashed sweet potatoes. To our surprise, the sweet mint sauce was brushed on the lamb, not left on the side. (All our lives, we've left it there.) With the sweet potatoes, it was all a bit too much sugar.

The char grilled, peppercorn-encrusted hanger steak ($24) was tasty and came on a bed of cubed tomatoes with a side of spicy french fries. Like the lamb chops, the dish was ample but not distressingly so.

In fact, thanks to the civilized portion sizes, we managed to polish off most of our entrees for a change, despite devouring a basket of fabulous hot European-style breads when we first sat down. That seems to us like a good way for a restaurant to operate -- you actually eat what you're served. Still, it must be said: Mission Oak Grill charges plenty for those portions (paella: $30; creme brulee, albeit delicious: $8.50).

A more serious quibble: Halfway through our meal, the volume of the music (Sting, '70s soul, James Brown) was cranked up. Maybe our table was under a speaker, but from that point on, we had to lean toward each other and shout. Goodbye, mellow ambience. It reminded us of a party when the hosts decide it's time for everyone to stop talking and start doing the watusi or something. Our server explained that diners on weekends here like louder music after a while.

COCO McCABE and DOUG STEWART