Yes, it's another chain restaurant, but Bravo! Italian Kitchen in Castleton provides a nice change of pace from the usually identical cuisine/decor/service spanning the franchise community.

Across the street from Castleton Square Mall, this Italian eatery was a hub of activity when I visited with my husband.

The mood

Bravo! welcomes patrons to faux Roman ruins. In the entrance, paint imitates peeling plaster and worn bricks, and columns reach to the ceiling in the dining room.

On one side is a more modern-looking bar, which serves Italian wines and beer and some interesting cocktails.

In the other direction is a working brick oven with its own bar seating. Crates and crates of wine are artfully stacked and surround the expansive and open room.

We were seated by a friendly hostess at a table close to the entry, but weren't at all disturbed by passersby.

The food

Straightaway our eyes met with the lunch specials on the extensive menu. Sandwiches such as the grilled zucchini focaccia and Sicilian chicken salad topped the list of lunch fare.

I settled on half of a turkey sandwich and the homemade soup of the day for $7.99. Alas, it was not to be. The kitchen had run out of gobbler sandwiches. Must be a popular choice.

My second choice, the penne Mediterranean, was unbelievable ($9.99).

Penne pasta, tossed with spinach, sweet sun dried tomatoes, crunchy pine nuts, olive oil and feta cheese. Heaven.

My hubby chose tortelloni florentine ($8.99). Pasta pockets stuffed with spinach and cheese swam around in basil and pomodoro sauce, a light tomato, onion and garlic mixture.

The drinks

An ice water for the sweetie and a constantly refilled Mountain Dew ($2.30) for my sweet tooth. Caffeine jitters, anyone?

The damage: $22.44

I was really hoping to squeeze in some dessert, but satisfaction came without it. We were already over budget and couldn't afford the sweet stuff, anyway.

The food was wonderful, and the service superb.