Formerly The Old Mansion, the Addison House restaurant has been refurbished inside and, thankfully, outside, as well. For those who don't know, this restaurant had been painted a Pepto-Bismol pink. Ugh! Now it's a tasteful neutral hue, and very inviting.

The decor is in a traditional style done in shades of brown and cream. The floor is carpeted, and the windows are hung with filmy, lacy white curtains that allow light to filter through. About a dozen tables are scattered throughout the dining area, and the Lunch Bunch loved the icy-white tablecloths and spiffy cloth napkins. What a treat for diners accustomed to oilcloth tablecovers and flimsy paper napkins.

For those who care to imbibe, there is a bar area separate from the dining area.

We loved the soup selections and couldn't resist ordering a cup of each kind. The Crab and Lobster Bisque ($4.25 cup; $4.95 bowl)) was outstanding, creamy and rich with lots of small bits of shellfish. The diner who ordered it wanted to pick up the cup and lick the inside. Loved that stuff.

The crock of French Onion Soup ($3.25) held rich, beefy broth swimming with tender onions and croutons topped with cheese. We polished off the whole crock, but chided ourselves for not dipping the warm, fresh, chewy rolls we enjoyed from the basket on our table.

The appetizer selection at Addison House is perfect for those who love munchies. You can find everything from Calamari to Coconut Shrimp. The Lunch Bunch opted to try two favorites, Fried Zucchini ($3.50) and Fried Onion Petals ($3.95). The six pieces of thinly sliced zucchini were lightly breaded and fried to a deep, golden brown and served twisted into a coil. We never had them like that before They were served with a choice of marinara or horseradish sauce. We chose marinara to go with the zucchini, because we wanted to try the horseradish sauce with the lightly breaded and fried onion petals. Both offerings were crisp and tasty and not at all greasy. As much as we love fried food, the Lunch Bunch doesn't like grease.

The quarter-pound Hamburger ($5.25) was Angus beef grilled to medium doneness, as requested, and served with a choice of toppings. We chose a slice of Swiss cheese and two crisp slices of bacon. The burger came with lettuce, tomato, a slice of dill pickle and a hefty mound of steak-cut fries. (You also could choose pasta.) This is a fine choice for anyone who loves burgers, and it is quite filling. We can't imagine anyone could finish the Addison House 8-ounce Angus burger. It has to be huge.

The Chicken and Spinach Salad ($7.99) was a beauty with its dark-green, tender spinach leaves contrasted with grape tomatoes, quartered hard-cooked eggs and bits of fontinella cheese. The grilled chicken was sliced and spread out across the top of the large salad. A superb dressing with chopped bacon was just the right touch to bring the flavors together.

The Portobello Mushroom & Pasta ($7.95 for lunch portion) came with a side salad and choice of soup. The salad, although rather small, was more than just iceberg lettuce -- it had mixed greens, tomatoes, onions and cucumbers. The Wedding Soup had a rich chickeny broth, small spicy meatballs, bits of carrots and lots of escarole and pastina. The pasta dish was just the right size for lunch. Huge portobello mushrooms, sauteed in oil and garlic sauce, were mixed in a bowl of angel-hair pasta. Although the mushrooms had a light garlic flavor, the pasta did not. So, for those of you who have to head back to the office, or kiss your sweetie, this dish is not laden with garlic.

Compiled by Rebecca Killian and Sis Reola. Meals are paid for by the Valley News Dispatch and are unrelated to advertising.