A Review of the Tuscan Osteria and Mercato, in New Canaan NEW CANAAN has attracted several new restaurants, one of which - the Tuscan Osteria and Mercato - has taken over a large and comfortable space formerly occupied by a furniture store. Guests enter through the mercato, past baskets of produce and gleaming cases of fresh meats; in the dining area (separated from the shop by a charming brick archway), banquettes, brick walls and arches provide a rustic contrast to the white-tablecloth formality. Behind the dining area is a barroom, with tables and television screens placed off to the side of the long and lively bar. The atmosphere is informal and friendly, but there is nothing casual about the kitchen, where the chef, Marc Minella (formerly of Solaia in Greenwich) and his very competent staff turn out wonderfully creative dishes. Their expertise became clear at once in an ambrosial starter - fresh figs stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese and prosciutto etched with vincotto, a cooked wine. Almost as tasty was the grilled octopus - combining it with sliced chorizo, ricotta salata and roasted, diced sweet potato is unusual; add a mildly sharp citrus aioli and the result is inspired. One of the lightest, prettiest and most appealing appetizers was a pear salad. It arrived with half a baked pear at one side, scored for convenient eating, while the rest of the plate was heaped with arugula, ribbons of shaved fennel and tiny bites of Gorgonzola. Sprinkled over the top were faintly salted, finely chopped walnuts. The greens and nuts balanced the sweet pear and tangy blue cheese, and the dribbles of vincotto that decorated the plate added a perfect finishing touch. Among the other engaging starters we sampled - from a menu that changes seasonally - were a lightly breaded and crunchy calamari salad with shaved fennel, mizuna greens and pickled onions in a lemony citronette; goat cheese salad, with thinly sliced yellow and red beets, stacked in layers like a mini-skyscraper and surrounded by scrawls of port wine; and schiacciata Toscana, a thin, slightly sweet flatbread topped with an abundance of prosciutto, arugula and roasted tomatoes. The entrees we tried were similarly well prepared. If it is on the menu at the time, a guest might try the oven-roasted blackfish. Ours was superb. Served within a towerlike display, the fish was crowned with radicchio marmalade and rested on a sopressa au gratin, which in turn sat on a bed of spinach, surrounded by delicious nubbins of roasted potato. Another fish dish, oven-roasted Chilean sea bass, was just as impressive - moist, flavorful and layered with baby fennel and artichoke, with a dash of subtle but zesty pear chutney. The ravioli ai crostacei featured big pockets of tender house-made ravioli stuffed with lobster and crab meat and embraced by a luscious garlic cream sauce. Equally seductive was the lemon cream sauce, dotted with kernels of fresh corn and shiitake mushrooms, that was wrapped around the pan-seared sea scallops. The large, tender scallops would have had greater eye appeal if they had been seared to a golden brown, but the combination of flavors was superb. The risotto al tartufo also needed a visual lift. Speckled with green peas and truffles, it was certainly savory, with a great Parmesan richness, but the plate cried out for more color - perhaps a few more peas or parsley sprigs - to brighten the pale sea of Arborio rice. The braised short ribs were so tender they could be scooped out with a spoon - a near-perfect dish enhanced by a creamy mound of risotto flecked with shiitakes. Unfortunately the hanger steak, though nicely complemented by mixed greens in a balsamic glaze, arrived thoroughly well-done (it was ordered medium) and bordered on tough. Desserts, however, always ended our visits on a sweet note. Molten chocolate cake and heirloom apple crostata, both served with ice cream, were simply delicious. And the tiramisù, though by now something of a dessert cliché, was top-notch, exceptionally light and creamy. Another satisfying choice was vanilla panna cotta, crowned with seasonally fresh berries (blueberries and raspberries on a recent visit) in whirls of pine cone syrup. Among the assorted gelatos I can attest to the delectability and clarity of hazelnut, pumpkin and chocolate. The Tuscan Osteria and Mercato 136 Main Street New Canaan thetuscan.com THE SPACE An archway at the back of a small upscale mercato leads to a charming dining room with brick walls, a colorful dropped ceiling and banquettes and free-standing tables covered with white tablecloths. Handicapped accessible. THE CROWD Many young couples and singles, some families and office groups; smart-casual attire. Wait staff is cordial, but service can be slow between courses. THE BAR Behind the main dining area and separated from it by a partition, the barroom has several tables and three television screens off to the side of a long and lively bar. Medium-size northern Italian wine list, from $24, with a few other wines from France and California and several from Spain; 22 wines by the glass from $7 to $20. Open until 1 a.m. weeknights, until 2 a.m. (with live music) Friday and Saturday. Meals served only during restaurant hours. THE BILL Lunch entrees, $12 to $30. Dinner: starters, $9 to $16; entrees, $20 to $42; desserts, $8 to $12. All credit cards accepted. WHAT WE LIKED From a menu that changes weekly: stuffed figs, octopus with chorizo, pear salad, calamari salad, beets and goat cheese salad, Tuscan flat bread, lobster-crab ravioli, oven-roasted Chilean sea bass, braised short ribs, pan-seared scallops, oven-roasted black fish, apple crostata, molten chocolate cake, vanilla panna cotta, tiramisu, gelatos. IF YOU GO Lunch: Tuesday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner: Tuesday through Thursday, and Sunday, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5:30 to 10:30 pm. Closed Monday except during football season, when weekly dinner hours pertain. Reservations advised on weekends. Limited free parking on the street; pay lot across the street.