From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Gianni's Ristorante / Pompano Beach

February 6 2009

1601 E. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach

954-942-1733

Giannisofpompano.com

Cuisine: Italian

Cost: moderate

Hours: lunch weekdays, dinner daily

Reservations: strongly advised

Credit cards: all major

Bar: beer, wine

Sound level: very noisy

Outside smoking: prohibited

For kids: boosters; high chairs

Wheelchair accessible: yes

First impression: Wildly popular, Gianni's packs them in until the place is bursting. The white tablecloth main dining room is simple and attractive, but the best seats — with the least amount of noise — are in the pretty greenhouse porch.

Ambience: Sure, those three tables in the small wine bar seem cozy, but just wait until the customers pour in and start breathing down your neck while you're trying to eat. Sit there on weeknights or off hours, but forget weekends when waiting is the norm, even with reservations.

Starters: Skip the unevenly cooked lackluster clams oreganata ($9.95) and go for eggplant rollatini ($9.95), two chubby eggplant bundles filled with cheese and crowned with excellent house marinara, Or, consider any homemade soup served in big bowls ($6.95). The escarole and beans is especially noteworthy with the wilted greens swimming amid cannellini beans, aromatic veggies and tomatoes.

Entree excellence: Southern Italian cooking leaves its mark on fork-cuttable veal francese, splashed with enough lemon to remind you it's there, ($22.95). Fettuccine Alfredo, ($16.95), while not as cheesy as some, should still satisfy aficionados. I recommend the generous salmon Mancini ($21.95), a moist filet capped with sauteed, still-crisp red and yellow bell peppers, artichokes and onions in that delightful marinara. Or, consider one of the recited specials, as in chicken breast stuffed with goodies including zucchini, spinach and mozzarella ($25.95). It looks like a giant meatball surrounded by sliced sauteed mushrooms, served with a blend of marsala, marinara and mushroom sauces.

Side issues: Dinners include garlic rolls as big as baseballs with crusty outsides, cloud-light insides, minimal garlic and a dusting of parmesan; spaghetti, nicely al dente; and a hearts of romaine salad artfully composed of whole leaves adorned with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, gorgonzola cheese and a good drizzle of the pleasant house balsamic.

Service: Service depends on luck of the draw. For us, that meant specials that weren't mentioned until we asked and, though most likely due to the overcrowded dining rooms, overlooked beverage refills and other niceties.

Sweet!: Lovely Italian style ricotta cheesecake goes down lightly while tiramisu loaded with freshly whipped cream ($6.95 each) will please anyone who loves the stuff.

— Judith Stocks