It seems as though every dish at Carlyle is composed in a round ring, then piled impossibly high with other ingredients (all of which tremble with the first touch of a fork, and then scatter wildly across the plate). If it occurs to you that this presentation seems to effectively distract from the actual food making up these sweeping architectures, then you may be on to something.

Undeniably, it is a pleasure to be here in this comfortably small and clubby interior. Some outside tables in good weather make for peaceful, rustic twilight-watching. The unexpected location under the Fremont Bridge makes it feel like a special find, and the lighting is magnificent—no wonder it has a romantic reputation. In fact, the ambience tends to paint a patina of success around a less-than-stellar dinner.

The cocktail program here is solid, though not yet one of the more ambitious and dedicated in town. (To be fair, the bar is set extremely high in Portland). At any rate, it’s much more careful and astute than the wine list, which is adequate at best, and peppered with goofy, mass-produced wines like Goats do Roam.

The menu is divided into three sections: tastes, small plates, and principals. But most everything, no matter how artful, is plagued by execution problems. Seared foie gras has come carelessly de-veined, making it stringy and off-putting. On the other hand, sweetbreads with olive oil, crushed potatoes, bacon, and mushrooms have been expertly seared, creamy textured, and full of wonderful flavor.

Some dishes are totally hilarious, like a “ravioli of milk-fed veal” that has come as a single, undercooked raviolo sitting in a pool of sauce that, while very good, obliterated any veal taste, rendering the raviolo obsolete. Calamari is cooked fine but served with awful sauces; a butter-lettuce salad with prosciutto and melon worked together about as well as Congress.

Mains are a total disaster, overcooked and paired with salty, inedible components. Hanger steaks and veals are small and disappointing for their price. Fish tends to be the best choice, especially at lunch, where you might find expertly grilled smoky and moist halibut.

But in general, this place is a crap shoot without the thrill.