IF you believe in the quote “Good things come in small packages” you will most likely approach Porter House with caution as I did. This steakhouse is located in the new 28,000 square foot Hamilton Manor banquet hall. The mere mention of the term “banquet hall” conjures up images of average food being pumped out in mass quantities, a notion we’re willing to accept at a corporate sales meeting, but not when going out to dinner on a Saturday night. The fact that Porter House is part of this larger venue makes you wonder if banquet fare will spill over into the restaurant.

   Joyfully, it does not.

   Porter House is well separated from its larger counterpart. The restaurant is warm and intimate, while the neighboring Sweet 16 party can neither be seen nor heard. The space is handsomely arranged with a stone-face wall opposite a bar that flaunts the same stone facing with black granite countertops. An alternating mix of toasty cinnamon and cement colored walls stylishly hug the room and a beautiful, antique mirror is a focal point, as is a prized round table composed of wood and marble. Mahogany wood and table linens luxuriously clothe the dining room.

   Wine lockers are built into the walls, a trend that is becoming increasingly popular. For $250 per year a patron can rent a locker and keep about a dozen bottles on hand for subsequent visits. In recent years, the Salzano family (Joann, Jerry and sons Joe, Jerry and Andre) has become prominent in Hamilton’s restaurant business. A few years ago, they eased into the business with Peasants, a little place that serves rustic Italian food and inspired tomato pies. Now the Salzanos are operating in full force after a major renovation of the old Polish American Club at the intersection of Route 130 and 156. The Hamilton Manor has been opened since June and the Salzano family is showing the same warm hospitality that won me over at Peasants.

   This is not just a typical steakhouse. The food at Porter House is somehow a little friendlier in price and style. Beyond the cohesiveness that comes from a family-run business, Executive Chef Megan Cattani and Sous Chef Frank Dere are the restaurant’s biggest assets. Cattani is the mastermind behind the menu and in the kitchen. Passion for her craft comes through in food that is often stamped with her signature. She believes in local produce and meats and homemade everything: homemade pasta, homemade bacon, homemade ice cream, and even homemade butter. Cattani is in the kitchen giving it her all every day and when the orders start pouring in, she gets charged.

   A winning all-crab crab cake ($13) is plated with a roasted corn salad served at room temperature and rimmed with an orange remoulade for those who venture to dip and far enough off to the side for those who don’t. The name Porter House certainly implies steakhouse, but as with any good steakhouse, the fish has to be up to par as well. In fact, fish is equally as popular as the steak here. The best selling appetizer tuna tartare ($14) is a testament to that. A generous 6-ounce tower of sushi-grade tuna is diced and lightly infused with the flavor of toasted sesame. It is bisected with avocado in the middle and topped with the freshness of micro greens and bean sprouts. A little drizzle of sarachi sauce is, again, off to the side. While this dish is a success, a little less of it would make a bigger impact.

   Cattani’s blank canvas is her pasta of the evening. The dough is made fresh daily and then rolled out just before the dinner crowd arrives to prevent the noodles from drying out. Cattani likes to create something new every night, a mantra she actually sticks to with all her specials, but she especially enjoys making pasta. The pasta of the day can be served as an entrée, an intermezzo course or a half-portion appetizer. The night we visited, lemon pepper fettuccine was tossed with a light olive oil and roasted garlic sauce and speckled with grape tomatoes, roasted red peppers and jumbo lump crab meat. This dish boasted undeniable freshness, despite the intensity of black pepper.

   At Porter House the steaks are supreme. Not only are they cooked to perfection, they are also seasoned to sing in the mouth. The house’s signature seasoning, composed of salt, pepper, Cajun smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin and wattle seed (an exotic Australian spice), is key, as is the decadent dollop of home-churned garlic butter infused with fresh thyme and rosemary that melts on top. I’m not sure a hunk of meat can get any better than this. The prime Black Angus porterhouse ($38), and the leaner 10-oz. filet mignon ($28) are both excellent. A deeply flavored, fresh herb demi-glace highlights every steak.

   Deviating from the a la carte arrangement of most steakhouses, all steaks at Porter House come with garlic smashed potatoes incorporating skins and herbs. These are sufficient, but fail to excite. All other vegetables are ordered a la carte. The snappy grilled pencil asparagus ($7) with a shaving of Pecorino Romano draped over top is a nice choice.

   Chef Cattani is fond of preparing braised meat. Her 20-oz. espresso barbecue braised beef short ribs dish ($27) is a staple at the restaurant. And the pan seared halibut ($28) with wild mushrooms, pearl onions and roasted baby tomatoes always gets high praise.

   A side of sautéed mushrooms ($8) is worthwhile, but I wish service had told me that they were out of wild mushrooms that evening and button mushrooms would be the replacement. In fact, service was disorganized on the night of our visit, a common flaw for a new restaurant. For example, our dinner rolls finally turned up as an afterthought after we were finished with our entrées.

   The wine list, like the food, is inviting and covers a reasonable price range while touching upon regions that span the globe, although there’s a noticeable soft spot for Californian wines.

   While some desserts are made in house, the two we chose came from a bakery in Hoboken. The “Chocolate Bomb” ($7) with peanut butter and chocolate mousses encased in dark chocolate and coated with crushed peanuts is luscious and the fruit tart ($7) is not.

   While the steak is what ultimately calls me back to the restaurant, I look forward to the delightful surprises Chef Cattani puts in her daily specials. Service issues can be rocky, but more importantly, management has the bigger picture under control. Ultimately, it’s a pleasure to dine at Porter House, where the owners are vigilant and the chef’s enthusiasm is infectious.