In the late evening haze of a reunion with an open bar, the mood teeters between old school glamour and kind of drunken grandiosity reminiscent of British comedy. In the cold, marbled world of the lobby bar one cannot help but think of the Titanic. As a septuagenarian in tails raises his warbled voice to sing 'Memory' with a chorus of bluehaired women in beaded gowns, I know this evening has found its iceberg, and we are all going down. Luckily, I have an escape plan: Finn & Porter.

Off the mammoth lobby of the Hilton is Finn & Porter, a 'Steak, seafood and sushi' restaurant Serving fresh fish and crustacean alongside beef, it is a glowing world of art glass, golden textiles and large-scale arts and crafts style dining that crosses a line somewhere between a warm Sonoma feeling and a Pacific Northwest austerity. Magnums of red wine and large vases and plates of hand-blown glass punctuate the horizontal surfaces of the dining room.

Sumptuous filet mignon

The beef is expense-account worthy. The filet mignon was a thick, ten ounces of dry-aged meat. Cooked simply and beautifully with salt and black pepper, I forgot to use the mountain of horseradish I usually require to tame the earthier taste of some beef, and I hardly needed the steak knife. The filet was as tender as it gets. Served with Danish bleu cheese, mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables (thick asparagus spears and grape tomatoes), the filet fit perfectly with the clean lines of the oblong white plate it was served on; the plate fit well on the slightly curved maple top of the booth and reflected in the oversize bloom of my red wine glass so that with the first bite of beef I had a sense of transcendent harmony.

So it is with Finn & Porter that what it does well it does very well.

For example, the Naughty Cake, a chocolate torte served with bittersweet sauce and an artful dollop of whipped cream gives naughty a good name and ends a meal on a note of above-average richness. Warm with undertones of cocoa and darker chocolate, the torte is full of round flavor yet light in texture.

Because it does so many things well, Finn & Porter is not the kind of restaurant you fool around with; it's the kind of restaurant you marry. It looks good, its pros outweigh the cons, you can show it off to your parents.

It has moments of tenderness, naughtiness, and simple excellence. Its Caesar salad and Alder plank roasted Atlantic salmon are impeccable, the sushi glistens, the crustacean bar delivers what it promises, and the lobster and chips, served with two huge and excellent lobster tails battered and deep-fried with fries, puts a new spin on traditional pairings.

Finn & Porter is not the kind of restaurant you fool around with; it's the kind of restaurant you marry. To this end it has good couples seating against the windows that look over the outdoor dining terrace and the pond with its geyser.

Nestled among the collection of more than 1,000 bottles in the wine room is a beautiful long table ready for the next special engagement.To meet the diverse needs of expense accounts, date nights, or a good steak dinner, Finn & Porter is a great option, and I promise you won't go down with the ship; Finn & Porter is a safe choice with moments of perfection.