Solé's version of the traditional Spanish rice dish, paella, is inspired by the cuisine of the Valencia region of Spain. It is studded with seafood and spiced with orange and saffron.

SOLÉ SPANISH GRILLE , Location: 1608 East Blvd. Phone: 704-343-9890 Fax: 704-343-9862 Details: Corkage fee $20, waived if you buy a bottle of wine; no corkage fee on Sunday; wine list selections are available for purchase by the case; all ABC offerings; inseason patio dining; separate bar area; reservations recommended; children's menu; vegetarian specialties available upon request; off-premise catering and corporate events for 50 people or less; take-out at both lunch and dinner. Prices: Lunch, $7-$10; dinner entrees, $12-$17. Hours: Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner: Sunday-Thursday 5-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 5-11 p.m.

Open since early November, Solé Spanish Grille has become a neighborhood hot spot, serving lunch and dinner at the top of Dilworth's East Boulevard restaurant row. The building, which was once home to Wad's, has been refurbished. After a brief incarnation as Bistro East, this easygoing neighborhood spot has come into its own again.

Brothers Phong and Tri Luong own both Solé Spanish Grille and the successful Miró Spanish Grille in Stonecrest at Piper Glen. Though the Luongs came here from Vietnam, they developed a love for Spanish cuisine when Tri worked under the watchful eye of Aldolpho Montero at Tio Montero, then located in what is now Brixx Restaurant on East Boulevard. In the early '90s Tri, assisted by his brother, opened the original location of Olé, Olé on Kings Drive. After many successful years in business, Luong sold Olé, Olé to a young chef from California and opened Miró Spanish Grille. In November, the Luong brothers extended their business with authentic Spanish cuisine at Solé in Dilworth. The menu, much like Miró's, features tapas, as well as made-in-house sangria, paella and a host of Spanish entrees, soups, salads and desserts.

The restaurant is small, but parking seems plentiful. The bar is often crowded and can be rather smoky, but get a table or booth in the back, and get set to enjoy. With an open grill at the kitchen in the back and the bar crowd in the front, there is a hustle and bustle to the place. Despite the action, a friendly and well-versed waitstaff makes ordering easy as they guide you through your culinary adventure.

Start with wine, either by the glass or bottle. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Phong is glad to let you taste before you order and will share his vast wisdom of wine, Spanish selections in particular.

RATING SCALE Excellent, a must try. Above average, worth consideration. Average, but nothing spectacular. Just okay. Poor, not recommended.

Dining options at Solé include an evening of tapas - small plates of Spanish appetizers, perfect for two to share - or the more traditional American approach of an appetizer or two, soup or salad and an entrée, followed by dessert.

Several tapas come highly recommended. The grilled calamari, served in a light lemon saffron and tomato sauce, is a refreshing change from the heavy, fried batter-dipped variety, bathed in marinara, served most everywhere else in town. If you want something on the slightly spicy side, try the Chorizo Salteado or the Tortilla de Chorizo. Both feature chorizo, a popular Spanish sausage, and go down nicely with a glass or two of red Spanish wine, as does the Langostinos al Pil Pil, a.k.a. prawns sautéed in garlic, olive oil and a flavorful Spanish paprika. If your taste buds are calling for something rich and creamy, the Parmesan Baked Scallops or Vieras Gratinadas more than fill the bill as they melt in your mouth.

As soups go, the traditional black bean soup, or Frijoles Negros is very nice, not too thick, but still full of whole beans. In warmer weather try the gazpacho, paired with a salad, for a nice light meal.

The entrées are filling, and while two evenings at Solé have not afforded the opportunity to try them all, the ones I've tasted are all winners.

Solé's version of the traditional Spanish rice dish, paella, is inspired by the cuisine of the Valencia region of Spain and is studded with seafood and spiced with the subtle flavors of orange and saffron. With tapas and a soup or salad to start, it is plenty for two to share, while still affording you room for dessert.

For a saucier version of the traditional paella, try the Zarzuela de Mariscos. This is an aromatic seafood stew, much like paella but with less rice and more sauce. Cooked with a combination of large chunks of grouper, shrimp, scallops, calamari, mussels and clams in a spectacular saffron tomato sauce with saffron rice on the side, this dish may be my favorite Solé selection. Also quite good: the Berenjena Rellena, or baked eggplant stuffed with fresh sautéed spinach and cheese served over saffron rice, and the slightly less Spanish dish, Entrecotes Cabrales, a grilled N.Y. strip steak topped with the crumbled Spanish bleu cheese, called Cabrales, and served with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. Specials are offered nightly.

While it may sound cliché, whatever you order, try to save room for dessert. There is no set dessert menu at Solé; it's a visual experience. Your waiter or waitress will bring the dessert tray and tempt you with a half dozen or so sweet treats. Top picks are the sticky, sweet baked Spanish flan and the soft, creamy and rich milky white layer cake known as Tres Leche. Tres Leche is traditional Spanish white cake made with a trio of milks: condensed, evaporated and whole milk. The dessert, Luong says, is "reforming and winning over chocoholics on a daily basis." Both are made in-house and are worthy of your undivided after-dinner attention. Finish off the evening with a glass of sherry or Spanish coffee and you will leave, as they say, "muy contente," eagerly looking forward to your next visit.

The talented kitchen staff also caters both corporate events and at-home occasions.

Phong Luong, pictured, and his brother Tri are the owners of Miró Spanish Grille at Stonecrest and Solé Spanish Grille on East Boulevard.

Well-known Charlotte restaurant critic, food writer, cooking instructor and connoisseur of food and wine, Heidi Edidin writes "South Charlotte Weekly: Culinary Corner," a restaurant review or food feature that appears weekly. Contact Heidi with questions and restaurant, food or story ideas by email at heidi@southcharlotteweekly.com.

SCW photos by Sean Busher.

This article first appeared in "South Charlotte Weekly" on January 10, 2003. "South Charlotte Weekly" is a free, locally owned, independent newspaper that's "About the Community, For the Community," available every Thursday in South Charlotte and Uptown.

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