When covering the restaurant beat, a certain amount of turnover is the norm. Whatever the reason -- location, capitalization issues or changing consumer preferences -- dining establishments come and go. The same spot may host a series of different eateries.

Wine & Vine has had its name on the door in downtown Elmhurst for nearly a year. It was preceded by a French-Italian place and a short-lived Asian concept restaurant. Predicting the future for this most recent arrival run by Hank and Beth Dreyer is beyond our scope. While it's off to a promising start and boasts of the freshness of its provisions, there's room in the kitchen for improvement.

At Wine & Vine, service is attentive and the selection of wines by the glass or bottle impresses, as does the high quality of its produce and meat. But the calamari appetizer we tried was off-putting: Instead of being quickly sauteed in a hot pan, the baby squid was unappealingly allowed to stew in its juices. The marinara dipping sauce, however, tasted just fine, as did the creamy homemade tomato-basil soup that was included with the entree.

The bread that came to the table was another story -- so bereft of character, one might have been chewing on Wonder Bread.

Entrees can be a mixed bag, too. The filet trio, at $39.95 the priciest item on the menu, featured three hand-cut 4-ounce filets. The meat itself was excellent, cooked medium-rare as requested. Yet the three different toppings on each steak seemed more of an afterthought. Gorgonzola was the best of the lot. The bearnaise sauce was embarrassingly anemic, with nary a hint of tarragon, and the Parmesan cheese a dismal powdery pile.

Much better was the 12-ounce pork chop marinated in brown sugar and herbs. It was plated with crisply sauteed zucchini and wonderful mashed potatoes with enough garlic to keep the most determined evil spirits at bay.

Among other main-course choices are shrimp scampi, Atlantic salmon, chicken piccata and such pasta dishes as vegetable lasagna and fettuccini Alfredo. Prime rib is a Saturday night feature.

Desserts are worth considering, especially "Coffee and Doughnuts," interpreted as glazed-doughnut bread pudding with a mild espresso mousse and vanilla caramel creme anglaise.

Wine & Vine creates a comfortable ambience with rustic chandeliers, gleaming wood floors and white linen-draped tables. An open kitchen provides a ready view of one's meal as it takes shape.

Thomas Witom is a local free-lance writer.