The pan-seared rock lobster with beurre blanc sauce and brie.

James Gregg / Arizona Daily Star

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There's bad news from the new The Dish: Reservations aren't accepted; you'll have to wait in line to get in.

And there's good news: Reservations aren't accepted; at least you'll be able to get in.

At long last, you can snag a seat on a weekend night instead of having to wait sometimes weeks, which would happen in the old location across the street.

More bad news: The restaurant, which serves American cuisine with some international accents, is smaller, seating only about 25 — the old Dish wasn't massive, but it sat more people, about 40.

But still more good news: the food, the glorious food.

The menu has changed — it's heavy on smaller dishes, though a few full-portioned entree specials are offered nightly. Some favorites, such as the saffron mussels, are still on the menu.

The small dishes sampled over a couple of visits were fully satisfying. As were the larger ones.

Besides being cozier, the new location is more clearly a part of the RumRunner Wine & Cheese Co. — in fact, you have to go through the Rumrunner, past the wine racks, the well-stocked deli case and a couple of pillars, before you get into the restaurant. Which should make for some fine window shopping while you wait.

Blond wood rules — the tables and bar all have that golden glow. The floor is concrete and there are colorful accents and cool pictures — mostly of fruit and flowers — on the walls.

The same warm, glad-to-be-here service prevails. A two-month-or-so closure to facilitate the move from the old location happily didn't dampen that one bit.

Because of its association with the Rumrunner, the wine list is voluminous — you can choose any wine from the store and have it with your meal for retail plus $12.

The by-the-glass wine list, impressive and not overpriced, changes with the offerings.

Those offerings, crafted by Executive Chef Jerry Hernandez, the sous-chef at the former location, are what really sent us over the edge, however.

Let's start with the butter, a holdover from the old Dish: creamy brown butter fat with caramelized shallots and onions. It's tempting to smear that over the crusty bread provided and eat nothing else.

Ah, but then you would be denied such oh-my inspiring dishes as the rock lobster ($13.75, the priciest item on the menu, though specials are generally more).

The firm, sweet (but not as sweet as Maine lobster) tail was coated with smoked paprika, oregano and basil, pan-seared, and had a melting crown of brie and a shallow pool of tangy beurre blanc sauce kissed with lemon and chive. It was a remarkable symphony of tastes and textures that lived long in the memory.

A less expensive Small Dish was the fat, bouncy spring roll ($9.75). Tightly tucked into the rice paper were crab and avocado, crunchy cabbage, cool cucumber, bits of bright carrots, yin tsai (that's a Chinese spinach) and fragrant mint. An emulsion of hot wasabi and sweet pear was a fine punctuation mark.

The more hearty dishes come from the limited (only three dishes) Deep Dish category — but not too hearty, mind you.

For instance, the vegetable soup was just the right amount to feel satisfied.

And satisfied you will be. The broth, cut with cream, is rich with puréed zucchini, poblano peppers, tomatoes and onions and is tickled with lime. The topping of queso blanco and a large shrimp coated with blue corn and hibiscus floated in the sturdy, flavorful soup.

But if you're hungry for more, a couple of full-size specials are generally offered.

On one occasion, that was a moist 10-ounce piece of sea bass ($32) with a crispy coat of lentils and cashews and topped with a lemon beurre blanc dotted with achingly sweet cherry tomatoes. And here's our favorite part of this dish: a sweet risotto with fresh corn and creamy mascarpone cheese. Every last bit on the plate was devoured.

On another visit, the special was a slightly tough piece of New York strip ($28) topped with a sophisticated brandy demi-glace and a big pile of down-home garlic mashed potatoes. We like dining in those two worlds.

And we like diving into the world of chocolate. The Dish does, too. The chocolate dessert ($6.75) was a stop-in-your-tracks temptation with a smooth chocolate truffle center neatly filling a shortbread cup. On top (because too much chocolate is rarely enough): a creamy chocolate truffle candy. We believe this kind of excess is essential.

So, the bad news: We can't eat there all the time (it's closed Sundays and Mondays and for lunch).

The good: We really, really want to.