Journal photo / Sandor Bodo
THIS PLATE is a combination of two starters, the Antipasto Italiano and the Caprese.

Discovering Lucia's in Newport

By MERIDITH FORD
Journal Restaurant Critic

• See the menu.

NEWPORT -- I'm lost. I've climbed the stairs of a walkup on Thames Street. But instead of Lucia's, the Italian restaurant I'm looking for, I seem to be in the middle of a pizzeria. And am I overdressed.

I'm confused, too, but only for a moment -- Lucia Tacchi Luison, the restaurant's owner and namesake -- seems to understand my predicament. She takes me through the back of the pizzeria, winding through a small corridor flanked by the kitchen, to the dining room of Lucia's. (The pizzeria, I learn, is a separate business, Pizzeria Italiana, owned and operated by Lucia's.)

Ah, here's Lucia's, just as I expected it would be: small and intimate, closely placed tables and a frilly fussiness to the decor, busy floral prints in the wallpaper, large flowery prints in the tablecloths, ruffly trim to the curtains in the front bay window. Ornamental copper pots and pans take up most of the space on one wall; showy, gilded mirrors are on others.

Immediately I am attended to with water, warm bread and soft butter. These provide sustenance until my husband can return from the liquor store around the corner with a bottle of wine, since Lucia's is BYOB.

But it isn't long before other things arrive, and they are not only sustaining, but fulfilling as well.

Northern Italian

The menu is a generous list of northern Italian favorites, modest and unpretentiously prepared. There are a few specialties -- crescentina, for one -- not common on Rhode Island menus.

Crescentina is a type of flat bread that is a specialty in Rome and especially Bologna, where it is often paired with prosciutto. Lucia's has several versions, including one filled with a silky smooth, salty-flavored prosciutto and gooey provolone cheese, too.

The dough is lightly seasoned with rosemary and sage, with a light, fluffy, almost biscuit-like texture and chewiness. And although I would have liked it to be served warmer, it was enjoyable nonetheless.

An antipasto was a simple plate of mixed greens tossed in a perky vinaigrette with thin slices of buttery-textured, spicy pepperoni and prosciutto, and wedges of soft, mild fontina cheese. Pimentoed peppers were scattered around the greens to give some tart balance.

The dish was completely satisfying, without a lot of fanfare and with just enough on the plate to leave me wanting more -- delightfully underwhelming, since these days doggie bags seem to be an inevitable part of dining out. It was nice to have no more than I wanted.

Veal scallopini was a tempting special, but in the end it was impossible to pass on a dish of cheese ravioli with a ragu alla Bolognese.

It's said there are as many interpretations of this basic Italian meat sauce as there are cooks, and Lucia's version leans more towards the tangy tomato than the rich and meaty. It's not that it isn't rich and meaty; it's just that the refreshing flavor of the tomatoes is as welcomingly present as that of the meat. And all the better for the ravioli, since its cheesy flavor isn't overpowered by a heavy sauce.

Chicken often takes a back seat to heavier hitters such as veal or beef, or even pasta. But it shines in Italian cooking, especially when lightly dredged in flour, as it is at Lucia's, then sauteed. The resulting mild-flavored juiciness is the perfect backdrop for a white wine sauce heavily laced with peppery sage and the sweet tawniness of Marsala wine.

The person responsible for all this in the kitchen, by the way, is Lucia's husband, Ennio Luison. Both come from the Venezia region of Italy.

Light and airy dessert

Tiramisu for dessert seemed appropriate. Lucia's version, unlike the surprising Bolognese sauce, was a light and airy melange of the expected: whipped cream, mascarpone, soft, coffee-soaked sponge cake.

A mascarpone mousse was what I would go back for -- creamy mascarpone whipped with cream -- it was like eating a sweet, tangy-tasting cloud.

But honestly, Lucia's had me with hello: the impromptu welcome at the wrong door, the warm bread, the soft, spreadable butter. Sounds easy enough, but it's surprising how many restaurants can't provide these simple, essential things.

And like the bread, the hospitality is warm, too. Waitresses scurry around the dining room like sisters, with Lucia the ever-present hostess.

Lucia Ristorante Italiano, 186B Thames St., Newport, 846-4477. Casual. Open for lunch Saturday and Sunday, noon to 3:30 p.m., and for dinner every day but Wednesday (closed), 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. No smoking. Not wheelchair accessible. From November to April, parking is free in a municipal lot behind the restaurant. V, MC, DIS.

Appetizers, including soups and salads, are $3.95 to $8.95. Pasta dishes are $13.95 to $19.95. Other entrees are $15.95 to $20.95. There is a vegetarian menu, too, with selections between $4.95 to $13.95 to $15.95. Desserts are $6.50. The restaurant is BYOB.