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• Kelties

The chicken pot pie ($12) holds a rich, peppery chicken filling, dotted with peas and other vegetables, between two layers of puff pastry. (Steve Sanchez/The Indianapolis Star)

Pork tenderloin with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus served by Kelties. (Steve Sanchez/The Indianapolis Star)

Creamy, robust cinnamon bread pudding with caramel sauce ($6) brought the meal to a sweet end. (Steve Sanchez / The Star)

Last fall, Kelties moved two doors down from its inaugural location, and, in the switch, it added significant seating and kitchen space. Soon, the management plans to add a full bar. (It's beer and wine for now, but check back later this month for a martini.)

There's been no change in the aspects that have kept the restaurant on "best of" lists in town since it opened in 2004. The food? Still vibrant. The service? Same. The experience? Still worth repeating, again and again.

The food

Kelties' menu is made up of homey dishes prepared in ways most of us never could muster the imagination or skill to do at home. To wit: roasted turkey sandwich with mango aioli, grilled chicken with rosemary and brandied cherry sauce, grilled pork chop with port-cinnamon sauce and risotto.

From the handful of starters, my guest and I chose the lump crab cakes ($9). Their pleasantly crisp exterior held a creamy crab mix with enough filler that the cakes tasted strongly of celery. A brisk, spicy Cajun aioli provided a saving grace.

The house salad ($4) included strawberries, shredded cheddar and sliced almonds in a faintly sweet poppy-seed dressing.

My pork tenderloin ($19) bore the sharp heat of ancho chili powder, made richer and deeper by the apricot-mustard sauce that topped the sliced meat. Mashed potatoes -- thick and chunky -- held a whisper of pesto, and buttery green beans maintained a good snap.

My guest had a hard time choosing meat loaf, battered cod or chicken pot pie, but finally settled on the pot pie ($12) -- without regret. Served between two layers of puff pastry, the chicken filling was peppery, rich and fresh-tasting down to the last pea.

Cinnamon bread pudding ($6) capped the meal perfectly. With its creamy, dense texture and robust flavor, the bread pudding is unrivaled in Indy.

The service

Many restaurants fail at the front door; others offer a corporate or otherwise scripted greeting. The staff at Kelties welcomed us as if they'd set up shop in the hope that one day we'd cross their threshold, setting a lovely tone for the evening that our server maintained with adept, casual and chatty attention.

The atmosphere

Tall windows at the front of the restaurant bring grandeur and beams of sunlight to the dining room (when sunlight is available). A subdued, almost masculine color scheme warms the room, as do fresh flowers and the friendly attentions of the staff. The price

$89 for two, including tax, tip and three glasses of the house wine ($5 each). I've paid a lot more for much less skillfully prepared dishes (and in less appealing dining rooms). Kelties offers a heckuva value.

Next time

Meat loaf. The menu describes it as "just like Grandma used to make," but I can assure you, my own dear grandma never drizzled meat loaf with shallot demi-glace or served it with pesto mashed potatoes like Kelties does.

- By Traci Cumbay / Star correspondent