by ELIZABETH EVANS Special to the Orange County Register

The word I've heard most often to describe this hidden - it's on the second floor of a Back Bay shopping center - eatery is "cute".  It is not a high-style space designed for the see-and-be-seen crowd. With its silk flowers and high oak backs between booths, it is reminiscent of an Orange County of a bygone time.  Bowers - who with her sleek bob looks too young to own two restaurants - is the busy soul who not only creates the recipes but runs the front of the house.

When I ask later on the phone how she chose her second site, she says, "I was visiting my sister and I bought a home by accident."

Several nights a week there is a saxophonist softly playing. On other visits the music on the sound system is of an older variety - one night it's Dean Martin, another day it's Perry Como and a mix of easy-listening tunes from the 1970's.

As for the food, the dinner menu is comprehensive, with a sturdy offering of classic dishes.  Start with the seafood stuffed mushrooms ($6.95) - the juicy caps are packed with a blend of scallops, shrimp and crab, and come steaming hot to the table. Thai egg rolls ($5.95) are a not to Bowers' Thai heritage; they are crispy cylinders of pork and vegetables with a tangy sweet dipping sauce.

I am less thrilled with the sausages an apples ($6.95) in part because they don't arrive at out table terribly warm. The links are cut in half lengthwise, broiled and served over a bed of sautéed tart apples, and cleverly presented on a fried-noodle cage.

Crab cakes ($7.95) are full of shredded crabmeat and pan-fried golden brown.  Served two to an order, they are teamed with a slightly fiery cream sauce.

All entrees come with a choice of soup or salad. The soups are above-par. The wild mushroom is smooth with small bits of pureed mushrooms. I'm also fond of the chicken and spinach soup. The mild broth is full of white meat and loads of spinach seemingly added just before serving.  It's straightforward, warm and good.

Salads are a well-textured blend of greens with perhaps too much crunchy red cabbage for one night. I like the balsamic vinaigrette dressing - it's got the sweet complex flavor of the winy vinegar with enough herbs and oil to make it seem very decadent.  The blue cheese is also fine - properly thick and chunky.

Between the first course and the entree, Bowers serves a small scoop of sherbet over a thick slice of orange. The palette cleanser is a charmingly old-fashioned touch. While I prefer the frozen blueberries, which are used here as a garnish, as an intermezzo, the frozen ice does bring a nostalgic smile to my designated diners.

Main courses here include a large selection of meats, but a few can be made vegetarian. One such offering is a vegetarian Wellington ($20.95), a flaky pastry crust topped with a ginger-based gravy and plentiful with mushrooms.  It also comes filled with tender chicken.  Of course there is rabbit ($25.95), a haunch of it. Unfortunately the lean white meat is dry this night. It is infused with thyme and served with a ragout of onions and peppers.

A better bet is the outstanding New York strip ($26.95). The 14-ounce piece covers the length of a large oblong plate on which it is served. Cooked to order, it is topped with a rustic mix of caramelize onions and mushrooms in a rich Pinot Noir sauce and served with roasted potatoes.

The fish special this night is Dover sole ($26.95), thick fillets of it topped with a rich blend of bay shrimp and a creamy pesto sauce.

Entrees are served with vegetables - this night the overcooked mélange includes cabbage, green beans and carrots.

For dessert, look no further than the Key lime pie ($5.95). the real fruit gives the creamy filling plenty of tang in contrast to the homey sweetness of its graham-cracker crust.

At lunch the menu is simplified, but not really slimmed down. A list of sandwiches include a thick Reuben ($8.95) on rye, and a two fisted Wild Rabbit burger ($8.5) made with a beef patty, Portobello mushroom and avocado on grilled sourdough bread. Entree-size salads include a traditional Cobb ($7.95 for a small, $9.95 for a large) and a Thai salad with chicken ($7.95 and $9.95).

The fish and chips are made with flat planks of panko-crusted orange roughy, and the french fries are beer battered. Ketchup and a garlicky tartar sauce come on the side, although I would recommend asking for a for a side of the terrific balsamic vinaigrette as a touch that no only updates the fried fish, but cuts some of the richness.

Although this looks like a great place for a highball from the bar, so far Bowers sells only beer and wine. Her wine list is a very competent one, Bogel Sauvignon Blanc ($7.50 a glass) is a nice choice or the lighter offerings, while the fruity Bogel Old Vine Zinfandel ($34 a bottle) stands up nicely to the heartier choices.

Perhaps the wildest thing about the Wild Rabbit is its name, but in a world of high-concept restaurants with rotating chefs, it stands out as a cozy alternative.

THE WILD RABBIT, 2675 IRVINE AVE., STE. D, COSTA MESA, (949) 574-4995; WWW.THEWILDRABBITRESTAURANT.COM. OPEN MON.-SAT., 11 A.M.-2:30 P.M., 5-10:30 P.M. DINNER FOR TWO, $40-$60. BEER, WINE.