I’m not a big fan of putting together jigsaw puzzles. I do understand that some people find it relaxing. It takes the mind off the chaos that seems to characterize so much of modern life, and it gives the illusion that, if you think clearly, keep calm, and apply yourself to a single task without interruption, you can put the right things together in the right order.

Competitive jigsaw puzzling particularly, looks to me to be far from relaxing. But I’m told that, even though puzzlers have wildly different ways of approaching the pieces on the table, there is something about having everyone finish all in the same place that makes the exercise both exhilarating and strangely satisfying. It’s a reminder that the pieces only make sense when they are put together in the right order to make a much larger picture.

This turns out to be true of most things we do. Shade tree mechanics, doing mathematics, falling in love, following directions on Google Maps and, yes, eating. For example, not many people look back at the school cafeteria as being a highlight among their dining experiences. This isn’t because the food is necessarily bad. It’s that the compartmentalized food tray, a recent invention that makes it possible to combine a collection of entirely unrelated foods into a meal, makes no real culinary sense. True, it’s common in modern dining. It appeals to our fondness for the kind of freedom that Americans value so highly. It’s the same principle that makes picking ingredients we don’t like off a pizza pretty much a human right along with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But jigsaw puzzlers will tell you that getting the right things in the right order feels pretty good, too.

Luna does this. It starts with something as simple as a cheese board ($16). Three cheeses, a spicy honey cheddar, a musty soft spreadable cheese in a beer washed rind, and a sharper raw milk cheese, come together in between sweet dried fruits, fresh grapes and a selection of tangy olives. It’s an appetizer that is greater than the sum of the parts.

It’s true that, sometimes, these appetizers are tossed together from what’s available on the counter that evening, but whether it’s intentional or intuitive, it works. And I’m inclined to believe it’s the former because the sablefish ($25), with its lightly crisped skin and its, translucent flesh, done to the right firmness and served at the right temperature, comes in the same bowl with smoked mussels, roe and a taste of the islands in a sofrito made of tomatoes, peppers and cilantro. Even the risotto has a place, but not its own, making all these pieces a part of a much more complex seafood dish than it would be if the parts showed up in a compartmentalized tray.

Something similar happens in the gnocchi ($18), a traditional earthy Italian dish turned a little French by touching the cheese with wine and serving it with peas and light greens. Another thing to try: combine the potato leek soup ($7) with the arugula and pear salad ($11) with its fennel, walnuts and chevre cheese. You can taste fall, with the last hints of summer in the form of a suggestion of mint. This isn’t pretention. It’s simply thoughtful.

Admittedly, the menu goes full-French with the puff pastry, and blossom dressed, mille feuille ($8). But the menu, as a whole, is an autumn flavored fusion of carefully selected ingredients woven into an October jigsaw. Sorry about the mixed metaphor.

Luna is located in a strip mall and so the atmosphere takes a secondary place next to the menu. And portions are adequate although, by some Midwestern standards, slight. But the flavors are substantial by any measure. And the service is excellent, with servers who are well versed in the menu and fully aware of the favors they are bringing to your table.

One final point – it’s hard to refer to fine dining establishments as offering good value, but in a market where fine dining menus include entrees that routinely top $45, a New York strip steak dinner for $25 is a bargain.

Luna is not new to Fargo. It has been at the same spot for a long time. It has been a favorite for many for just as long and for good reason. It’s excellent, thoughtful cooking.

What: Luna Fargo
Where: 1545 S. University Drive, Fargo
Cuisine: American fine dining
Hours: Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Phone: 701-293-8818
Reservations accepted: yes
Alcohol: Beer, wine, and cocktails

(out of 4)
Food: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Ambiance: 3 stars