Dinners begin with slices of standard Italian-style bread studded with sesame seeds. But the olive oil, seasoned with garlic, lifts it beyond the ordinary. The appetizer list, larger than most, has several different seafoods. Complaints were unnecessary as the clams, stuffed with breadcrumbs, were very acceptable. Minestrone with tomato, lentils and pasta seems underseasoned.
Dressings are predictable but the herbed sour cream is a good bet.
Pastas are all very good. Homemade cheese-filled tortellini are served with shrimp, scallops and mushrooms in a delicate cheese sauce. The tomatoes begin short of flavor but within minutes, the flavors of the fresh garlic and parsley kick in, making this another winner. This is a seafood eztravaganza with everything from mussels to scallops and a remarkable light tomato sauce that manages to unite the competing flavors. The veal is of fine quality but is only lightly pounded to achieve a European texture, not the near mush, fork-tender veal Wisconsinites prefer.