Change and stability strike an uncommon balance at Inn at the Park.

As exciting new dishes keep emerging from this one-stop supper destination located on the ground level of the Park Manor Suites, the restaurant’s cozy vintage atmosphere and friendly gay spirit remain cemented in brick.

At the helm of the kitchen is new executive chef Rodney J. Robinson, who has taken the menu by the horns, presenting creative cuisine that reverberates with his early background in southern and New England-style cooking. An ex-marine, Robinson absorbed much of his grandmother’s cooking skills when growing up in Detroit and worked at various restaurants in Southern California after leaving the military. His dishes at the Park are tastefully stamped with ambition and novelty.

My dining companion and I recently caught the tail end of the chef’s debut menu that has been in place since he took over the kitchen in January. A fresh slate of appetizers and entrees will be introduced on March 15, although some of the items we consumed will thankfully remain on board.

The Breaded Artichoke Hearts, for example, are a must. They’re filled with a judicious amount of blue cheese and arranged over a colorful red and yellow bell pepper puree. We’re guessing that these babies were baked, rather than deep-fried, given the light greaseless texture of the breading. Also sticking around are Robinson’s Foie Gras with hazelnuts and fig ham, plus an appealing Olive Sampler served with feta and ricotta cheeses – two more inventive appetizers that somehow play up to the dining room’s lounge-like character.

My companion’s Steamed Greenlip Mussels were also excellent – a divine dozen encircling one of the best garlic-herb butter sauces we’ve ever tasted. Sadly, the mussels are going, but the light, clingy sauce is staying for an escargot appetizer on the new menu.

Count yourself lucky if you come here when the soup of the day is Crab Bisque because the chef doesn’t skimp on the amount of shredded crab he injects into this sweet and creamy broth. We also ordered a winning crock of French Onion Soup, attractively presented with a savory cap of toasted onions and melted provolone. A basket of pencil-thin bread sticks on the table suddenly found its purpose.

Our entrees arrived to the mellow notes of singer/keyboardist Carol Curtis, a Saturday-night mainstay who helps procure much of the repeat business here. This is one of the few restaurants that successfully pulls off live music (seven nights a week) without infringing on the conversations of dinner guests. With an adjoining lounge visible from one half of the dining room, patrons can either tune in or shut out the musical merriment occurring around the bar.

Part two of our relaxing supper featured a Roasted Cornish Game Hen for my companion and Pork Scaloppini for me, both of which paired swimmingly well with the full-bodied Camelot Merlot sitting under our noses. The companion’s bird was a cute little thing, perfectly roasted, yet somewhat plain and barren. But the dressing alongside it, made of wild rice and cranberries, adequately compensated for any lost flavor.

My dish featured a good amount of thinly sliced salt-cured pork that sported an underlying taste of ham steak – a satisfying main course, provided you’re not expecting the more subtle flavor of traditional roast pork. The plate also included a side of excellent fettuccine tossed with capers, garlic and white wine, as well as a medley of perfectly par-cooked veggies.

A double-layer Black Forest Brownie along with a berry-filled phyllo creation that the chef pulled out of his sleeve left us grateful that this well-established restaurant, with its good food and cheery wait staff, isn’t going to blow away anytime soon.