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Eleven's cuisine is an alluring combination of the familiar and the unusual -- all in a most sophisticated setting.

The latest in a collection of creative restaurants owned by the big BurritoRestaurant Group, which includes Casbah and Soba in Shadyside and the Mad Mex restaurants in and around the city, Eleven provides a dining experience rarely matched in Pittsburgh.

In the Smallman Street site formerly occupied by Valhalla, Eleven provides a sleek, architecurally intriguing space in which to dine. Service is provided on two levels, and the atmosphere is slightly different on each.

The first floor, with a ceiling and glass wine case that soars to the second level, comfortable round booths and a collection of tables for two, bustles with the sights and sounds of the open kitchen, stretched along the back of the restaurant. A walk past the geometrically styled fireplace and up the staircase, which separates the first-level dining room from the elegant bar area, takes you to a quieter area of the restaurant -- more suitable for conversation or a romantic dinner.

Service at Eleven is superbly choreographed. Seemingly an army of servers arrive at and disappear from your table, each performing mini-services that make the meal flow effortlessly. They offer baskets filled with a variety of slices of bread from Eleven's on-site bakery -- including cranberry-walnut, sun-dried tomato, and a parmesan sourdough on a few or our visits. They refill drinks promptly, clear plates immediately and offer suggestions and guidance on menu items and the wine list, all with a graciousness and friendliness sometimes not experienced at restaurants at the high-end of the spectrum.

Executive chef Greg Alauzen and pastry chef Barbara Ferguson create meals using classic American dishes as their inspiration. What they do with things such as chicken dinners and banana cream pie need to be experienced to be understood. And we strongly suggest you do so.

Every part of the meal is presented with the same passion for simple foods prepared with as many local ingredients as possible. Everything is made in-house, from dressings to dessert -- including the dark chocolate candies that will conclude your meal.

To start our meals on two separate visits, we tried first course portions of Sea Scallops ($11) and Jumbo Lump Crabcake ($12). Two very large and tender scallops arrived topped with a crust of fried potato hash, with a petite portion of a Southern-styled greens, pearl onion, hamhocks and peas as a savory, flavorful counterpoint. The large crabcack was filled with flakes and chunks of crab, with just enough filler to hold it together. A citrusy topping added a sweet note.

Salads are decidedly not basic. The Three Greens Salad ($8) is a nice light starter to a meal. This salad relies on fresh mixed greens dressed lightly in an exceptionally creamy goat cheese dressing. Roasted red peppers accent the goat cheese well. The unusual Warm Duck Confit Salad ($9) combined frisee, tiny shoestring potato crisps and tender pieces of duck in a heavenly vinaigrette, with just the right balance of texture and flavors.

Two soups -- Seafood Chowder ($7) and Puree of Fall Squash ($6) -- are perfect foils for a chilly late-autumn evening. The chowder is a good choice for a traditionalist, the squash a selection for the more adventurous palate.

Main courses are loving adaptations of home-cooked classics, served in modest portions.

A favorite was Alaskan Halibut ($26), a buttery soft portion of fish crusted in Parmesan and served with a mild tomato fennel broth. Pairing fish with cheese is sometimes a challenge, but this marriage of flavors is inspired. This dish is served alongside braised endive.

Amish Country Chicken ($19) is comfort food on a higher plane. Served with sides of delicious risotto and sauteed spinach, it's a tender breast pan-roasted to perfection with an almost sweet glaze.

We ordered the Beef Tenderloin ($36), just so we could get the side dish. The beef arrived perfectly cooked to order for the pickiest of our red-meat eaters. Alongside was the intriguing Maytag blue cheese bread pudding -- a sort of free-form muffin interspersed with chunks of our favorite cheese. We loved this whimsical re-imagining of something generally thought of as dessert. The tenderloin was served with a subtly complimentary red wine essence atop a scattering of tiny, firm brussels sprouts.

The pillow-soft potato Gnocchi ($18) was tossed in broth with a melange of fresh mushrooms, tomatoes and topped with broccoli rabe. The crisp broccoli rabe added just the right amount of sharpness.

Be sure to save room for Ferguson's dessert creations. Her Banana Cream Pie ($7) looks nothing like the traditional version, but it may edge it out of the running in taste and appearance. Puff pastry shaped like the outline of triangles are sprinkled with cinnamon and layered with dulce de leche custard and impossibly fresh bananas. It arrives on a plate with arful dots of caramel sauce.

Carrot Cake ($8) tastes much the way one would expect, but a cream filling, a bitingly cold carrot sorbet, a chunk of walnut brittle and a chutney of pineapple and raisins make it something much more special.

Hot Chocolate Cake ($8) is the perfect size for a chocoholic who wants just a few bites. The petite, fudgy cake is served with pistachio ice cream in a cocoa nib crisp with chocolate sauce.

Also for chocolate lovers is the Chocolate Pecan Pie ($8) -- which looks more like a tart -- served with candied pecan ice cream, Jim Beam butterscotch sauce and delectable shavings of dark chocolate flecked with gold.

Also offered at Eleven are the Chef's Tasting Menu ($65) and Vegetarian Tasting Menu ($45), which allow diners to enjoy four pre-selected courses and a dessert for one price. Wine pairings are available for the tasting menus for $26 and $24, respectively.

For a spectacular treat, the Chef's Table is available as well, offering a seat in the kitchen and personal interaction with Alauzen.

"Once somebody has it, they want to keep coming back," he says. "It's a chance to have 10 to 12 small courses, all by surprise. Once it's reserved, I call them up to make sure there aren't any food allergies or restrictions, or anything they won't eat or any special requests they have. I always really wanted to have something like this."

Alauzen says his goal was to create a place with "cool food and friendly service." He and his collaborators have succeeded enormously.

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