Pescecane

A whole slew of tuxedoed servers descend upon the table like some gastronomic SWAT team, leaving behind spicy slices of zucchini, mounds of diced ripe tomatoes laced with olive oil and basil, a basket of Italian bread and focaccia crisps, and flutes of sparkling pink champagne. At this point you might be tempted to say, "Waiter, could we have the check?" but then you'd miss out on the rest of the show. Owner Tito Dallavalle is an old-school restaurateur with a Ziegfield-like obsession for making his patrons' night out a spectacular one: Portions are outlandishly sized, wine is generously poured, and customers are doted upon in Old World fashion. Among the winners are a trio of jumbo, breaded, garlic-laden shrimp scampi, butterflied and buoyed by a luscious lobster sauce; homemade pastas such as porcini-permeated ravioli with truffle-flecked champagne sauce; whole salt-crusted branzino, the mild flakes of fish accented with a splash of olive oil and squeeze of lemon -- just like they do it in Venice. Prices are fair, especially in light of all the freebies: Veal variations are $21.75, shrimp preparations $28.75, chicken dishes $19.75, and pasta for $18.75. Pampered diners are each given a glass of homemade vin santo dessert wine at meal's end, and a warm farewell at the door.