A major new Bucks County dining destination? 

Which is exactly why my meal at 552 in Newtown was such a treat.

At first, I thought the waitress was joking when she presented the wine list and told us that, on Sunday evenings, every bottle on it was half-price. Seeing the look of incredulity on my face, she reassured me that this was, in fact, true.

I slipped into a state of mild catatonia: I’d had dreams like this before. Stags Leap “Artemis” cost $50! Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Domaine Serene was a mere $42.50! I actually began to swoon, and my dining companion, Ms. Martini, had to remind me to breathe. I eventually regained my composure, settled on a lovely red blend from Portugal’s Douro region ($16 for the bottle!), and finally began to focus on the food.

And there is plenty of it. The menu, in fact, made me a bit nervous initially. I have a deep fear of menus that stretch out for more than a few pages, as they seem, to offer too many opportunities for mediocre preparations. I call it The Cheesecake Factory Syndrome. I need not have feared.

We began with the Smoked Salmon “Nachos” ($9.50), a grown-up version of the inexplicably beloved and abominably salty appetizer served at low-end restaurants all over this cholesterol-rich nation of ours. I couldn’t imagine what the kitchen at 552 would do to redeem this culinary cliché, so curiosity, more than anything else, led me to order it. It turned out to be a harbinger of good things to come. Wonton chips arrived at our table in an artfully arranged mound, with strips of house smoked salmon, citrus crème fraiche, and tobiko interspersed throughout. The flavors were appealing and well-delineated, and the presentation was colorful and quite pretty.

The toasted coriander crusted fried calamari with tomato garlic sauce ($9.50), was a bit of a letdown. The good news is that the delicate rings of calamari were perfectly cooked; they were among the most tender I’ve had in a long time. But they suffered from too much salt and too little coriander. Still, the tomato sauce was tasty and helped the dish.

The Szechuan Peppercorn Crusted Tuna with purple sticky rice and pickled ginger ($28), while lovely on its own, was delicious when eaten with a bit of the purple rice. The juxtaposition of the textures, and of the sweetness of the rice with the heat of the peppercorns, was fabulous.

The flavors in the Chef ’s Duet ($26), 552’s version of surf-and-turf, were as unexpected as they were delicious. The spice-rubbed rib eye was very creatively seasoned with a rub which incorporated ground espresso beans, coco powder, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika. And the corn-battered shrimp and mango coulis were nicely mild accompaniments. My only complaint is that the piece of meat I was brought was a bit on the fatty side. From a flavor standpoint, of course, that fat was absolutely wonderful, but too much of a good thing can be overwhelming after a while.

Our desserts, on the other hand, were both remarkable. The Ice Cream Sandwich ($7.50) was a lusty and unabashedly rich combination of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry gelati served between two gorgeously thick Belgian waffles. And the S’more Cake ($7.50), a grown-up take on the original, featured milk chocolate mousse atop a graham cracker crust, and all of it crowned by a puff of meringue. The “triple berry sauce” anchored it both literally and figuratively, and it was here that 552 found its culinary voice.

552 is a charming restaurant, and while its culinary sights are certainly set high, it does not seem to be overwhelmed by the height of its ambitions. This is a rarity in the world of restaurants, and Newtown’s dining scene is certainly better for having it.

Lately, 552 has been showing all the signs of becoming a major Bucks County dining destination. As it is now, I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday night out, especially if you’re a wine drinker. That half-off deal alone is enough to make me return. And during the rest of the week, the food itself will certainly justify the trip.

552 Restaurant is located at 552 Washington Crossing Rd., Newtown. They can be reached by phone, (215) 968-5300 and fax, (215) 968-3517 or online at the 552 Restaurant Web Site (www.552restaurant.com).