Table 219: A place to soak up fun flavors, cool vibes and hearty hospitality

Next time I'm having the burger. That's what I promised myself every time I left Table 219. Why? Because it seemed like that's what everyone else was having.

Then I'd go back to this sliver of a spot, barely visible among the tattoo parlors and fast-food joints of Broadway, and be sidetracked by things like duck confit nachos and andouille sausage corndogs, by Sloppy Joe sliders and baby back ribs, by rockfish cakes and hanger steak and adorable mini Le Creuset pots of macaroni and cheese.

So I never did have a burger, and just as well, because it would have meant choosing between the bison burger with tomato jam, or the lamb burger with tzatziki.

The lamb burger and crispy penne noodles are two of the very few carry-overs on the menu from the not-so-long-ago days when Table 219 was El Greco, the much-loved Mediterranean bistro opened in the early 1990s by Thomas Soukakos, who eventually moved to open Vios.

Gary Snyder and Stacey Hettinger took over El Greco in 2002. Apart from adding a bar, the veteran restaurateurs, who also own Geraldine's Counter in Columbia City, didn't change much about the place until this spring. After a brief closure, El Greco became Table 219 in May, sporting a revamped interior, a luscious cocktail lineup and a new dinner menu. (Pancake and French toast aficionados, breathe easy: They haven't tinkered with brunch at all.)

The high banquettes and tall tables now clustered in the front of the restaurant are dress circle seats for the quirky urban operetta of Broadway. No doubt the row of tables leading past the kitchen to an intimate bar tucked deep in the softly lit interior sees some action in the darker, colder months, but on these warm evenings, with the front open to embrace sidewalk seating and incense wafting in on the summer breeze, the place to sip and sup is up front.

Chef Jeffrey Wilson joined the team last fall and helped conceive the new menu, a fun, eclectic roster of small and not-so-small plates that are inventively imagined. If a few fall short of total satisfaction, that doesn't get in the way of a good time, because Snyder, Hettinger and their likable staff have honed the art of hospitality to a fine edge.

Consider this nicety: When a couple dropped in for a drink just before closing on a Saturday night, Snyder suggested a glass of Januik red, one of the priciest wines on the short list, but said he'd charge half the $12 price. "The bottle's already open, and we'll be closed for the next two days," was his smart rationale. "It won't be much good by Tuesday."

Every Tuesday, by the way, bottles of wine are 50 percent off, but that's not the only enticement, beverage-wise. Quality sips include an excellent Old-Fashioned made with Basil Hayden bourbon, organic beer and ginger ale on tap and pure cane sodas and fresh squeezed lemonade.

At weekend brunch, my mug of Café Vita was never allowed to be empty. The morning crowd favors omelets or the Seattle Slam, a combo of eggs, meat and a choice of pancakes or (for a buck more) French toast. Pancake flavors change daily, but the French toast, made with Macrina Bakery sourdough, is eternal, also extraordinary — sweet, vanilla-scented, with a pastrylike brittleness.

The soft, absorbent buns for the trio of Sloppy Joe sliders on the dinner menu are crafted in-house. They are ideal for corralling chunky, super-tender beef in tomato-enriched gravy that's reminiscent of leftover pot roast. For an extra kick, tuck a slice of gingered pickle under the bun.

Novelties like corndogs made with chicken andouille sausage and duck confit nachos with St. Andre cheese sauce were fun for a few bites. Dijon-spiked mayo was a more companionable condiment than sweet soy ketchup for the greasy trio of dogs sheathed in cornbread that didn't quite cling to the sausage casing. The nacho sauce comes in a ramekin, next to a field of red tortilla chips. Though the duck is plentiful and the luxurious sauce is also studded with chopped tomato and scallion, monotony set in long before the bottom of the bowl.

A bright yellow mustard curry sauce was exactly right for rockfish cake, a sturdy seafood patty buried under shards of jicama and radish that contributed a cool crunch. Not so cool and crunchy was the delightfully tart, currant-flecked, green apple slaw served with baby back ribs. Perhaps plating it under the saucy bones isn't wise. The meat was soft, supple and a little fatty, a plus in my book.

Other pluses: grilled hanger steak, whose robust flavor was a match for a smoky swirl of butter blended with bone marrow. Serving it alongside stuffed roasted potatoes cut to mimic marrow bones is a clever touch. And for dessert, doughnut à la mode does a good impression of a sundae topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate and caramel sauces, and pecans.

The only major minus was the crispy penne noodles. I poked through the oddly crunchy pasta, beleaguered by an excessively salty eggplant, caper and kalamata sauce, and vowed: Next time, I'm having the burger.

Providence Cicero: providencecicero@aol.com

Information in this article, originally published August 8, was corrected August 8. A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the name of Geraldine's Counter.