Now, That's Italian!

Everyone knows the old adage, "A man's home is his castle." The saying might be a bit old-fashioned or cliché, perhaps even sexist. But there is nothing old-fashioned or cliché about a warm greeting and personalized service when you are seeking a lovely dining experience.

Come to Il Castello (Italian for "the castle") in Mamaroneck, and owner Lenny Castello offers a kind smile and a gentle buona sera upon your arrival, setting the tone for the evening. Like a host welcoming a friend to his home, he seems genuinely happy to have you in his restaurant.

The first time I dined at Il Castello was for Mother's Day. Not always the best barometer of a fine dining experience, Mother's Day at a restaurant can be a bit stale and disappointing, what with the limited set menus and scheduled seatings to accommodate the crowds.

Not so at Il Castello. The nine of us were able to order whatever we wanted, even the time-consuming house specialties --the classic Insalata Caesar for two ($16) and the Branzino (priced to market) -- both prepared and served tableside.

Following our meals, which everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy, each of the three mothers was presented with a $20 gift certificate to return to Il Castello. With good food, good service and that special touch, I knew I wanted to come back and review the restaurant.

Though I wanted to have the Caesar salad and branzino (a Mediterrean sea bass dish) again, I thought it best to try something else. While we perused the menu, the staff was quick to take our drink orders and start us off with a complimentary warm bread basket, olive oil and a plate of fresh pecorino romano cheese, olives and roasted garlic. In addition to the classic and delicious Italian bread, our basket overflowed with homemade, fresh-baked foccacia. With the combination of salty and savory cheese and olives, and the whole garlic cloves perfectly caramelized to bring out its sweetness, I was in heaven.

We selected the Vongole a Piacere (clams any style, $10), opting for the classic chopped baked clams. While the clams were a bit small, they were very tasty and not too fishy, seasoned with bread crumbs, white wine, finely chopped tomatoes and oregano. A true Italian, my husband needed to start with a pasta course, selecting the homemade Pappardelle ($16). This broad, flat noodle is tossed with a Bolognese meat sauce featuring chopped Italian sweet sausage. A bit of a Bolognese connoisseur, he said it was "right up there with some of the best Bolognese I've ever had." My 11-year-old claimed it to be "perfection on a fork."

High-praise indeed, and well deserved. My mouth is watering right now just writing about it.

True carb queens, my girls opted for a half portion of the homemade cheese ravioli ($14 for a full portion) and one of the specials, homemade potato gnocchi, as their entrees. The ravioli were filled with creamy ricotta, and the gnocchi were literally the lightest I have ever tasted; they almost melted in your mouth.

My husband enjoyed the Vitello Sette Colli ($18), a thin and tender cutlet of veal served with artichokes, mushrooms and capers in a brown cognac sauce. I opted for another fish dish, this time trying the special filet of red snapper. The tasty fish was firm, not flaky, and was served with sea scallops in a very light plum tomato sauce with yellow and green zucchini. Both of our entrees were accompanied by roasted potatoes and julienned carrots and green beans.

A meal like that requires something sweet to follow. We found the tiramisu to be light as air, and the chocolate mousse cake was creamy perfection to satisfy any chocoholic (I would know – I live with three of them). While the pistachio gelato was less creamy than I would have liked, I appreciated that it was not too sweet, had lots of nuts and was not a Technicolor green. The crème brûlée was classic, creamy and delicious.

Appetizers at Il Castello range from $5 for Stracciatella alla Romana (Italian egg drop soup with spinach) or house salad, to $12 for the seafood salad, jumbo grilled shrimp or carpaccio. Pastas range from $14 (ravioli) to $20 for homemade fettucini with mushrooms, cherry peppers and jumbo shrimp. The chicken, veal, fish and meat entrees range from $16 for the Chicken Marsala or Francese to $35 for the medallion of veal with lobster tail.

Il Castello Ristorante is open for lunch, Tuesday through Friday, from noon to 3 p.m. Dinner is served weekdays from 5 to 9 p.m.; until 11 p.m. on Saturdays; and from 2 to 9 p.m. on Sundays. The restaurant is closed Mondays.

Il Castello is located at 576 Mamaroneck Ave., Mamaroneck; 914-777-2200.