March 2004 Dirt Cheap Eats

Bottles of olive oil line a window sill at this sunny Tuscan-inspired restaurant. Pictures of rabbits nibbling on radicchio are painted on the peach walls. Pastas are served family-style: Each table receives an unlimited helping of spaghetti (at $6.50 a person). Then each person chooses a sauce.

The cream of pistachio sauce ($3.75) was light but filling. The most expensive sauces, like vongole--clams in the shell in white wine--are $4. The cheapest sauce, tomato purée with basil, is $2.25. You can construct your own pizza from 28 toppings. The wood-fired, crisp pies, large enough for two, are $13.50 to $18.95.

Splitting dessert, such as tiramisu or sliced strawberries with balsamic vinegar, each $5.75, is the perfect way to end the evening. Two glasses of house wine ($5.25 each) could break the budget.