This northern Italian restaurant offers very good food at very reasonable prices. Except for the beef tenderloin, none of the main courses is more than $20. High ceilings and comfortable chairs help make it an enjoyable, albeit noisy, place.
The menu is unusual in that it lets diners choose normal-size dishes or famiglia portions that serve two or more but cost only 60 percent more. Good starters are the beef carpaccio with apples, walnuts, and shaved Parmesan; the classic bruschetta; and the steamed mussels Argia with a broth enhanced with white wine, garlic, and parsley. Pastas, varied and excellent, include saffron fettuccine with scallops and egg linguine with shrimp, zucchini, and tomato. For a main course, consider the pork tenderloin wrapped in pancetta with a black-pepper crust; the braised lamb shank; and Saltimbocca alla Romana. There are daily specials, including a fish selection. The luncheon menu features panini, the flattened sandwiches of Italy, and pastas, with prices starting at $7.95. The good wine list is well priced.
