From wildly campy to elegantly understated, Avenue 5 is turning heads for reasons that have nothing to do with men in heels. The restaurant arrives on a wave of sophistication in place of Lips, where San Diego’s sauciest drag queens doubled as entertainers and waitresses before taking their schtick to new digs in North Park.

The space is unrecognizable from its glam days. Big picture windows have emerged, allowing street traffic to see the softly lit bar and dining room with dark hardwood flooring, mossy green banquettes and a kitchen partly concealed by frosted glass. A faux-brick wall in the back marks the spot where the Lips stage has all but disappeared. The result is a serene and airy atmosphere.

Avenue 5’s menu is masterminded by chef Colin MacLaggan, a native San Diegan who made his rounds at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute and London’s renowned Conran Restaurant Group. MacLaggan adheres to the doctrines of French cooking, although he skips the heavy sauces and scads of cream to allow the natural flavors of seasonal ingredients to sing.

His cream of cauliflower soup, for example, has only a touch of cream mingled with chicken stock to accent the main ingredient, as did an entanglement of “flash toasted” onions garnishing the dish. My companion, who normally doesn’t like cauliflower, was especially pleased.

Madeira broth beautifully exaggerated the earthy essence of wild mushrooms stuffed into delicate, homemade tortellini. With only three pasta pillows per order, the appetizer was mouth teasing – punctuated with sweet corn and champagne grapes that imparted a unique, sweet-and-tangy essence to the dish.

Offering more bang for the buck as a starter course is duck leg confit yielding loose, tender meat encapsulated in delicious crispy skin. MacLaggan pins down the cooking method of this classic dish to an exact science before tossing in just the right amount of commotion from blue cheese, candied walnuts and brandied cherries – without distracting from the supreme fatty flavor of the duck.

Vodka-cured beef capaccio was anti-climactic, if only because I expected the paper-thin meat shavings to offer a more pungent or perhaps peppery taste from the liquor. We deferred to the caper berries and baby arugula on the plate to achieve that outcome.

A crafty presentation of salmon served “mignon” style became my main entrée. MacLaggan uses a top center cut of the fish that he folds into itself to resemble beef filet in terms of thickness and density. Moist and divinely translucent in the middle, it sat atop compressed sweet potato gratin with a layer of nicely cooked spinach in the middle.

My companion’s Kurobuta pork loin was expectedly plump and tender, powered by a sauce made of the juice from peaches, plus caramelized onions, honey and stock. The meat on its own for some reason lacked “porkiness.” And, finally, a new twist on mashed potatoes that incorporates something other than cheese, garlic or truffle oils. The chef gives them a highly satisfying Irish spin, tossing in bits of cabbage and pancetta.

The succinct dinner menu also includes: Alaskan halibut in a fricassee of mussels, clams and chorizo; lamb rack with grilled ratatouille; sea bass with caviar-shallot sauce; and organic chicken breast served with pearl pasta and Portobello mushrooms. Additionally, a five-course tasting menu is available for $70 per person ($100 with wine pairings).

MacLaggan’s venture at Avenue 5 is supported by his brother, Brian, and Paris-born Nicolas Carbonne, who served us throughout the evening and exuded the affable charm and plate knowledge that earned him “best waiter in 2007” from San Diego Magazine.

The dessert menu features appealing artisan cheeses complimented by delicacies such as candied beets, fruit compote and spiced honey. My companion opted for a glass of 10-year-old Fonseca Port that offered a lasting caramel flavor. I tripped the light fantastic on Tart Tartin topped with five-spiced apples and rosemary-infused whipped cream – a masterpiece of flavors I’ll not forget soon.

Avenue 5 proves a good dining choice when you’re looking for a place that falls between formal and casual, hip but not overly trendy, and with food sporting a solid gourmet flair that doesn’t swallow your wallet.