We're far from the only ones who have hit downtown Ridgewood on this delightfully mild winter Saturday evening. And it's heartening to look into window after window of restaurants animated with lively crowds, their clinking and laughing noises wafting onto the street.

Then we arrived at our destination, 5 Seasons Bistro. Just three other tables were occupied, and at times, an awkward silence hovered over the dining room.

5 Seasons opened just last summer, but its dining room has a history. The last occupant, a restaurant called Bazzini, gained national notoriety from an appearance on FOX's "Kitchen Nightmares" that showed celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay trying to keep it from going out of business.

Ramsay was unsuccessful, and the space sat vacant for months until Laurie Cera and her son, Larry, happened to drive by. They were the owners of a cheerful restaurant in Pequannock called The Silver Spoon and had decided to give in to the chorus of customers insisting their eclectic fare belonged in a more central restaurant town. The price and the location were right, and soon the Ceras were scraping off the black paint that Ramsay's crew had sprayed onto the brass railing (which, finally, is no longer rickety).

Still, 28 Oak St. remains one of the most awkward restaurant spots I've ever dined in. Visiting the restrooms requires a hike up a daunting staircase, and in one area in the dining room, we could see a banquette slipcover peeling off. The dinging from the kitchen when dishes were ready and the mirrors lining one wall were reminiscent of a diner. Laurie says she'd love to get rid of the mirrors, but kitchen and electricity issues have sucked up too much money.

Clearly, the Ceras are hoping the room won't be your focus. The ambitious menu from Laurie, who was runner-up in this year's Ultimate Chef Bergen County competition, is loaded with unusual ingredients: On the January menu alone, you could pick among dishes offering red shiso, fregola pilaf, chayote squash and anchoide sauce. This initially struck me as an intimidating only-foodies-welcome attitude, but Laurie says that's not her intention. Rather, she wants customers to "have an experience — and walk out and say, 'Wow! I had something I never even heard of before, and it's delicious.' "

There is plenty of opportunity for that here, starting with some superb game dishes: quail wrapped in crisp pancetta and spiked with a pomegranate and blood-orange reduction ($34), hearty rabbit cacciatore over silky fontina polenta ($34), and a charcuterie of Muscovy duck three ways – smoked breast, sausage and a soft confit, all pulled together with apricot confit ($16).

Laurie also laces many of her dishes with strong ethnic influences, smothering pot roast in a rich ancho chili sauce and adding a delicate tamale ($23). Salmon and halibut crusted in white harissa in a coconut broth ($32) was another winner, though the dishes would have been even better if the pot roast was a little more tender, and if someone had warned us of the aggressive spiciness of the fish.

Even the complimentary starter plate of ficelle bread, salumi, mascarpone cheese and figs was a big improvement over the usual bread basket, though on one dinner ours was never delivered.

The menu advertised the Cape Cod bay scallops as "pure sugar!" and they were sweet, but also had been seared past translucence into a stringy, slightly rubbery state ($34). We were still thrilled by the multidimensional flavor of kaffir lime over the accompanying truffled risotto. But a starter of matsutake mushrooms in parchment paper with rosemary butter and a cinnamon stick sounded better than they tasted, which was gritty ($14).

When we asked about a puntarelle appetizer, Larry described it, then later returned from the kitchen with one of the small, crunchy green shoots – as a preview of the lively salad with sharp provolone and an anchovy-garlic sauce ($8).

Larry does double duty at 5 Seasons as the main server and the pastry chef. As a waiter, he's more informative than smooth, and though he was attentive, he seemed awfully nervous, at one point fretting openly about whether his ice cream was thoroughly churned.

That was the last thing he should have worried about, as his desserts were astonishingly good. My friend was so enraptured with the apple bread pudding ($8) that I nearly needed to wrestle it from her to enjoy a few bites of its soft, almost feathery texture. Dainty lemon cake alongside a cool, tangy Key lime panna cotta with a graham cracker bottom ($8) was a creative spin on the usual pie, and a light banana-flavored crème brûlée ($7) evoked a lush banana pudding and could give Magnolia Bakery a run for its money.

You've probably noticed that this is not a cheap restaurant. The prices aren't out of line for the unusual ingredients and ambitious cooking, and there are plans to add more lower-cost comfort food items. But the dining room is likely so quiet because customers can find restaurants with similar prices, comparable-quality food and atmosphere that's much more pleasant – some within walking distance. Still, it's hard not to pull for such a unique spot serving dishes you don't see every day.

Email: ung@northjersey.com Blog: northjersey.com/secondhelpings Twitter: elisaung

5 Seasons Bistro ** 1/2

28 Oak St., Ridgewood

201-857-5900

5seasonsbistro.com

Food: Contemporary American, ambitious and full of unusual ingredients.

Ambience: Worn, depressing dining room.

Service: Nervous but extremely well-informed.

Value: Prices are high – reasonable for the quality of ingredients but not for the service or atmosphere. Appetizers $6 to $18, entrées $23 to $40.

Would be good for: Anyone interested in trying new foods.

Less appropriate for: Those focused mainly on atmosphere or service; anyone who has issues climbing stairs.

Recommended dishes: Menu changes monthly. During our visits, we enjoyed the game dishes, and dessert is a standout.

Hours: Lunch: noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Sunday brunch: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner: 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Liquor, wine: BYO.

Noise level: Depends mostly on your fellow customers – our dinners were sometimes eerily quiet.

Credit cards: AE, D, MC, V.

Reservations: Recommended for Friday and Saturday dinner and Sunday brunch.

Accommodations for children: Items on request (the owner says lunch and Sunday brunch are more child-friendly), highchairs.

Dress: Neat casual.

Early-bird specials or deals: No.

Takeout: Yes.

Parking: Street, municipal lots.

Reviewed: Feb. 3, 2012.

About the ratings
O Poor
* Fair
** Good
***Excellent
****Outstanding
In determining ratings, each restaurant has been compared with others of the same type and level of ambition. Reviewers make at least two anonymous visits to a restaurant, and the newspaper always pays the tab.