50 upscale restaurants: A sampler

There's a thin line between `casual' and `upscale' restaurants. For some, that line has a dollar sign: If an entrée peeks its head above $20, some might say you've crossed the line from family-friendly to anniversary-only. For me, the line is also drawn in menu chalk. It's the food. If a place is layering flavors like they do at East Side Show Room - even if the clientele sits on thrift-store chairs -the food elevates the experience to `upscale,' especially after a few artisan cocktails. Not all the restaurants in this sampler fit easily into the `upscale' category. When I reviewed Buenos Aires Cafe and Annies Café & Bar, for example, I rated them using the number system we created for casual restaurants rather than the star system we created for high-end places like Jeffrey's or III Forks. They're casual by day, more cosmopolitan by night. Hybrids. They're in this `upscale' sampler because the four-color gnocchi at Buenos Aires and the pan-roasted rabbit at Annies give them more in common with Trio than with Torchy's.

In either case, it helps to explain each system.

What the star ratings mean:

: Food, service, atmosphere and value suffer flaws on every level.

: Serious room for improvement, with a few bright spots.

: A good overall experience. Clear mission, solid execution.

: Excellent across the board. Perfect in some areas, with only a few small distractions.

: An extraordinary restaurant experience from start to finish.

What the number ratings mean:

The 10-point scale for casual dining - and places that are right on the line between casual and upscale - is an average of weighted scores for food, service, atmosphere and value, 10 being the best.

The ratings in parentheses were awarded after full reviews, usually after more than one visit. Those restaurant descriptions without ratings come from single or otherwise limited visits.

Artisan Bistro. Chef Cesidio d'Andrea's French repertoire includes first-rate pâté, beef bourguignon and duck confit, but his bread is even better. 900 S. RM 620, Suite C107, Lakeway. 263-8728, www.artisanbistroaustin.com . (Reviewed 7/10: 7.5 out of 10)

Aquarelle. The soft knock of wooden floors, the tight embrace of small rooms and impossibly delicate sauces. When people say, `that romantic little French house off West Sixth,' they mean Aquarelle. 606 Rio Grande St. 479-8117, www.aquarellerestaurant.com .

Austin Land & Cattle Company. An upscale steakhouse without the pretense. In the lounge, try the rib-eye sandwich and Mexican martini. 1205 N. Lamar Blvd. 472-181, www.austinlandandcattlecompany.com .