Our new puppy tends to glare malevolently at us if we dress up to go out in the evening and have a meal, or even if we sit on the couch and open our respective books to read for a while.

Virgil is still learning to talk - he barks rarely but can say a few words in French and, for some reason, recites Keats' "Ode to Autumn" in Gaelic - but the only English he knows so far is, "If you leave me, or don't play with me non-stop until it's nap time, I will chew a hole through the plank flooring and you will be able to see all the way to hell."

Actually, our dog doesn't talk - yet - but he does like grilled cheese, which was good because my wife Eileen and I had been wanting to try NV Bakery & Market in Waterford. A family-owned offshoot of Cafe NV across the street, it is indeed a bakery and market for the come-and-go shopper, but it's also a very fine casual dining spot whose claim to fame will include a vast, clever and creative array of designer grilled cheese sandwiches.

There are 16 of them, in fact, on the menu as well as a "daily special" creation. What's great is that, while the NV Wizards have clearly mastered the simple greatness of the blueprint, they've incorporated all these additive ingredients in alchemical fashion - but at the same time never go so far as to detract from the innate Grilled Cheese-ness.

Here's what we've tried so far:

• The Greek ($9.95) blends baby spinach, roasted tomatoes, dill Havarti, feta and a Kalamata tapenade on peasant bread - and it's as good as it sounds. The roasted tomato and the briny olive mixture in particular elevated this to extraordinary status.

• A Triple Threat ($11.95) is when pastrami, roast beef and corned beef have a sleepover on a bunk bed of buttered marble rye with quilts of crunchy coleslaw and Swiss cheese. A bit of confusion ensued when I asked them to hold the pastrami - and the sammich was served with pastrami and without roast beef and corned beef. That's okay. It was still a very nice combination, although I think the allocation of coleslaw to beef was a bit overwhelming.

• When you first bite into the Mozzarella Stick ($9.95), that is exactly what you taste: the yummy bar staple/Italian restaurant appetizer. But the sandwich goes beyond that. The mozz is accompanied by aged provolone, fresh basil and, again, the oven-roasted tomato. It's served on the peasant bread, which has been coated with Italian dressing and panko breadcrumbs, then sautéed. It's a brilliant idea, brilliantly executed.

• Philly Steak ($9.95) was a daily special and comes with mushrooms and onions. I eschew the vegetable components as not being authentic to the City of Brotherly Love original recipe. The lean shaved steak and gooey American cheese were transported to a new level between the buttered and grilled planks of peasant bread. Just amazing.

A few of the other options you can ponder include pear and prosicutto ($10.95), smoked salmon ($11.95), vegan ($8.95) and a spicy chicken melt ($9.95). It's cool that all the sandwiches are on bread that's been selected specifically for each: the peasant bread, marble rye, multigrain, ciabatta, regular brioche and even cinnamon brioche applebread. Ditto when they choose a specific cheese to best complement the other ingredients. And don't be fooled if a few of the grilled cheesers seem to be on the smallish side. They're very rich and incredibly filling.

Plus, each comes with a tomato bisque "shooter." Rich in flavor, the fresh Italian tomatoes are mostly pureed into a coarse texture and simmered with secret seasonings that summon images of ancient gods. You can upsize the shooter to a cup ($4.60), and there's also a rotating soup of the day special. One, the Greek Lemon Chicken ($4.50), has a velvety finish and combines torn bits of breast with a subtle citrus presence. Very nice.

Of course, there are other menu items to consider. On one visit, we supplemented our sandwiches with an order of home fries ($2.50 for a generous plate). They were delicious - crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, not at all greasy, and nuanced with little bits of toasted onion shreds.

There's also a menu page devoted to "sweet" and "savory" crêpes. Most fall into the latter, dessert category and range from "The Classic" ($7), which is prepared with sweet butter, lemon curd, sugar and honey, to Apple Pie ($8.50), combining cinnamon baked fruit, triple cream brie, shaved almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon spangled with caramel sauce.

The savory choices include a BLT ($9) with applewood smoked bacon, roasted tomatoes and baby spinach , cheddar and truffle ailoi as well as Ham and Brie ($8.50).

Though stuffed from our main meal, it was too tempting and we explored the "S'mores" crêpe ($7.50). A sorcerer's fusion of marshmallow sauce, melted chocolate and graham cracker crumblies in the elegantly thin crepe - even thinner on the edges, with a good chew and surrounded by the familiar tastes of childhood. Yum. And more than enough for two people, especially two people filled with gourmet grilled cheeses.

On our next visit, we will definitely try one of the NV smoothies or perhaps a breakfast bagel sandwich - and the glass cased homemade desserts and baked goods in the market side of the space appear lovely.

NV Bakery & Market

40 Boston Post Road, Waterford

(860) 574-9038

Cuisine: Conceptual grilled cheese, soup, crepes, bagels and breakfast sandwiches, smoothies, muffins and desserts, coffee, tea and hot chocolate

Service: Friendly and very helpful. Order at the counter and they bring your food.

Atmosphere: Casual and laid out to simultaneously accommodate in-house diners and browsing shoppers. There's a sprinkling of two- and four-top tables along with a long counter and stools on the right. Soothing violet and sand walls.

Prices: Sandwiches $6.95-$11.95, crêpes $5.50-$10.50, bagels and breakfast sandwiches $1.50-$7.50

Handicap access: Several parking spaces right out front and very roomy interior

Credit cards: All major

Reservations: No, but you can call ahead for to-go orders.