By Frank Sabatini Jr.

Ever since restaurateur John Ealy opened Harley Gray Kitchen & Bar in April, people still keep asking, “Who the heck is Harley Gray?” It was in fact the first question a friend posed to me when we met at the bright and airy Mission Hills restaurant for lunch.

The name, as Ealy explains on the restaurant’s web site, meshes the names of his two esteemed nieces, Harper Grace and Marley May.

“They have individually changed my family forever and brought a sense of peace and purpose to our lives,” he writes.

With the mystery pretty much solved, the soothing vibe and sure-footedness of Harley Gray seems to reflect that support.

The restaurant’s redesign from what was previously The Gathering has resulted in more light and space. Heavy awnings that had partially blocked the sunlight from entering through the building’s large, paned windows are gone. So is a wall that cordoned off a small banquet room. And the new color scheme of aqua blue and off-white, along with a tiled “H” wall behind the central bar, greets with a radiant stay-a-while feeling the moment you enter. In addition, attractive lighting fixtures were added, which are not of the raw, ubiquitous Edison ilk. Hurray!

A capable, enthusiastic staff lends an extra dose of charm to the place, not to mention a couple of well-constructed cocktails that kicked off our meal.

My friend chose the Sangrita, another name-blending of a more obvious nature that cleverly combines a margarita with house-made sangria.

“This is like luxury perfume,” said my friend of the drink’s fresh, bewitching bouquet of berries and citrus. The more we sipped from it, the more of it we wanted.

Ditto for my sugar-rimmed strawberry-ginger bellini, which contained only a wisp of champagne in lieu of Canton ginger liqueur and a decent measure of Stoli Vodka; highly flavorful but dangerous at the start of a sweltering afternoon.

Harley’s menus feature “all day” dishes, plus dinner entrees (available after 5 p.m.) and weekend brunch specialties that include a colorful egg scramble called “Harley’s hot mess.”

It’s really prettier than it is messy, given the colorful bell peppers and bright-green broccoli strewn throughout the eggs and potatoes. The ingredients were cooked to perfection, although Cholula sauce from the table helped compensate for the lack of seasoning.

Moving on to midday fare, the deep-fried artichoke hearts breaded with Cajun spices were addicting, though not as peppery as expected until swapping them through the accompanying chipotle aioli. Bravo to the kitchen for using fresh chokes instead of the canned, brined ones. And with a nice homemade Italian-kissed marinara sauce also on the side, I vote in favor of adding some type of pasta dish to the menu to further flaunt it.

Fried calamari with tartar and cocktail sauces was also excellent and generously served, and without a rubbery piece in the bunch.

Ealy also owns the Boat House Restaurant on Harbor Island and a café in Maui. The ahi poke appetizer underscores his connection to Hawaiian cuisine through super-fresh fish speckled with macadamia nuts and light ponzu sauce. The plate itself resembled a tropical flower with wonton chips arranged like petals around the ruby-red ahi.

The pulled pork sandwich I ordered also tasted of the islands, with a little kalua-style smokiness emanating from the meat, though sweeter due to molasses in the barbecue sauce. Additional bonuses included Asian slaw draped over the pork and an excellent bun sporting oven-fresh flavor from Sadie Rose Baking Co.

Perusing over the menus, the dishes escape trendy reinventions for the most part. They instead offer honest, continental meals that will appeal to seasoned foodies and conservative palates alike. From the “trios and platters” section, for instance, you’ll find bruschetta served a few ways as well as various combinations of shellfish.

The dinner hour heralds in such dishes as blackened rib-eye, stout-braised short ribs, seafood stew, honey-glazed salmon and a grilled bone-in pork chop served with mashed potatoes and spiced apples — the true definition of solid comfort food sans the needless intricacies and miniature portions.

Weekday specials are also in the offing, including one that especially caught our eye: the Maine lobster dinner on Thursday nights priced at only $13.99. Count me in.

Desserts are made in-house. From the two we ordered, the towering Oreo-crust mud pie constructed with praline and peanut butter ice cream clearly beat out the chocolate layer cake, which was served with a flavor-locking chill. Needless to say, Harley Gray greets with a warm personality, well-crafted food and an inviting bar that doesn’t fall into the trap of any particular scene.

—Contact Frank Sabatini Jr. at [email protected].