A restaurant in Milan that was once an upscale eatery called Main Street IX has now been taken over by the Stamatopoulos family, a Greek family that has a history running several restaurants in the area, including Brothers Four in Ypsilanti, Alpha Coney Island in Dexter and Jackson and City Limits Diner in Saline and Tecumseh. Main Street IX closed in 2007. This October, two years later, it became Milan Grill.

Main Street IX had an appealing color palette of soft apple greens and burnt orange, and several different rooms so distinct that each could be its own private space. Milan Grill maintains that ambience, but it has far more of a family-friendly feel. There are five choices on the kids menu, all of which come with a wonderful sweet cupcake decorated with sprinkles. There are enough menu options, everything from salads to more hearty steaks and ribs, to satisfy everyone here.

Among the highlights was the delicious, melt-in-your-mouth Milan bread, spread with garlic butter and infused with a mix of rosemary, basil and oregano. The dough is prepared at The Milan Bakery across the street, then baked at the restaurant to yield a mouth-watering delight, served warm. On each of our visits, we couldn’t, and didn’t, want to resist filling up on this delicious prelude to our meal.

As for the lighter fare, Chesapeake crab balls were decent, but can’t rival the crab cakes served at fancier establishments. Turkey chili was warm and hearty, easily enough to fill you up.

Healthful options, including the basic salads, were more of a challenge. All of the dressing we tried (raspberry vinaigrette, ranch and blue cheese) had an out-of-a-bottle taste, while the oriental chicken salad was bland and held together poorly.

The ribs, while cooked perfectly, had a sauce that lacked punch and flavor, and were accompanied by lumpy potatoes that could have used more seasoning.

The restaurant managed other entrées well. A highlight was fresh grilled chili honey salmon, so tender it easily flaked when pierced by a fork, served with a wonderful, tangy sauce. I also thought the chicken piccata pasta was outstanding. Tossed with a light, lemon-caper sauce, it featured lightly breaded chicken and big chunks of artichokes.

Desserts were somewhat uneven. We longed for a larger portion of the palm-sized peanut butter cream pie, while we didn’t need such a large serving of the molten chocolate cake, a leaden-tasting dessert that came with routine, uninteresting ice cream. The chocolate mousse parfait was served in an elegant, slender glass. Perfect for dipping into with our long spoons, it was creamy, rich and delicious.

Our first server was kind-hearted and tried her best. The second time around, on a Sunday morning, the place was ill equipped to respond to the post-Church rush, so the food was slow in coming, but the clearly overwhelmed server was apologetic.

Brunch is served on Sundays. Highlights included the light and fluffy omelet with green peppers and cheddar cheese; the crispy hash browns; and toast that tasted as fresh and homemade as the Milan bread. Basic scrambled eggs weren’t nearly as good, suffering from an overabundance of butter. Butternut squash soup contained so much cinnamon as to make it too sweet, and it lacked that essential thick and creamy consistency. French toast was thick and hearty. Coffee tasted standard, the kind you’d expect at an old-time diner. I crave a more bold, gourmet version during my Sunday morning brunch.

Milan Grill is a very family-friendly option that offers a variety of choices including sandwiches and burgers (which we didn’t try) at very reasonable prices. Despite the mixed results on some of the dishes, it’s still worth making the journey from Ann Arbor to get there.

Milan Grill 39 E. Main Street Milan, MI 734-439-7774 Hours: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; bar stays open until at least midnight. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; bar is open until at least midnight. Sunday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; brunch is served 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Plastic: American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Discover. Liquor: Yes. Prices: Inexpensive. Some hearty brunch entrees are under $5; entrees are no more than $12 and include bread as well as soup or house salad. Value: Very good. Noise level: Medium to loud, as it is often filled with families with expressive young children. Wheelchair access: Yes. Smoking section: Yes, by the bar.