Every aspect of Lidia's Pittsburgh -- from the design of the restaurant to the packing up of leftovers -- matches sophistication with rusticity, grandeur with a sense of fun, warmth with professional reserve.

The large dining room feels open and spacious, but multiple dividing walls and plentiful space between tables also create a feeling of intimacy. On each visit I was seated in a different area of the restaurant, and each time it seemed like the best seat in the house.

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Lidia's Pittsburgh

3 stars = Excellent
Ratings explained

1400 Smallman St.
Strip District
412-552-0150

• Hours: Lunch, Mon.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; brunch, Sat.-Sun. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner, Mon.-Thurs. 5-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5-10 p.m., Sun. 5-8 p.m.
• Basics: Savor rustic Italian comfort food prepared with the highest quality ingredients and served by polished professionals. You'll want to return again and again.
• Recommended dishes: Polipo alla Griglia, Frico, Antipasti Per Due, Insalata di Rucola, Pollo con limone e Olive, Fegatini di Pollo, Gnocchi con Anitra, Ravioli Ripieni, Ossobuco di Maiale, Chocolate and Hazelnut Crostate, Tiramisu, Biscotti Misti, Torta Gianduja.
• Prices: Antipasti $7-$15; entrees $16-$32; desserts $3.50-$6.75.
• Summary: Dining room is wheelchair accessible, loft is not; nonsmoking; $5 valet available or street parking; credit cards accepted; reservations strongly recommended on weekends; corkage $25.
• Noise level: Medium-loud.

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Lidia's wine list is remarkably user friendly. I was especially thrilled to see the map of the wine regions of Italy as well as the long list of wines for $28 a bottle. Drinking good wine with good food multiplies the pleasure of both, but restaurant markups, even though necessary, can make ordering wine a painful, calculated process. Putting a long list of "cheap" wines front and center not only erases the embarrassment of ordering the least expensive bottle on the list, but also encourages diners to explore the wide world of Italian wines, rather than just ordering Chianti or Pinot Noir because those are the familiar grapes. On one visit our server recommended the "Solyss" La Corte, a Puglian wine made from the Negroamaro grape that was lush, juicy and remarkably food friendly.

Of course, these aspects of Lidia's existed well before the tenure of executive chef Eric Wallace, who joined the Bastianich restaurant family in the spring of 2006. Even the menu at Lidia's Pittsburgh is a collaboration among Lidia Bastianich, Wallace and Dan Swinney, executive chef of Lidia's Kansas City. But it is Wallace's almost constant presence in the kitchen that maintains the outstanding quality of everything it produces. Wallace is responsible for more than the food -- as executive chef, he manages the entire restaurant and meets weekly with general manager Mike Hamwey, who primarily is responsible for the front of the house, to address problems.

I am constantly impressed by the efforts restaurant servers must exhibit simply to adequately do their jobs (far too often, in my opinion, complaints about service don't take into consideration the difficulty of these jobs). But, I have rarely felt as taken care of as I did at all of my visits to Lidia's. Even the delivery of the breadbasket was gracious and informative -- each time the server pointed out the different types of bread and described the accompanying spreads, never letting on that he must repeat this little speech dozens of times every evening.

Another considerate touch? Rather than making assumptions about who knew the most about wine or who was paying for the meal, the server simply asked our table, "Who would like to taste the wine?"

All of the Bastianich restaurants are influenced by the cuisine of Lidia's birthplace -- Friuli, a region of Italy known for its rustic, hearty cooking style, as well as for the influence of neighboring Austria and Slovenia.

One of Lidia's Pittsburgh's most popular starters is the indulgent frico, a typical afternoon snack in Friuli, typically paired with a glass of Tocai. Velvety potato filling garnished with sausage and apple is enfolded in a crust of browned montagio cheese -- the perfect comfort food. I liked the frico, but I loved the Polipo alla Griglia -- grilled octopus ($9.95) cooked so perfectly the flesh almost tasted fluffy, served on a bed of warm potatoes that had soaked up the red wine vinaigrette, sweet from threads of pickled red onion, and bright with the flavor of parsley and olives.

The Antipasti per Due is another superb choice, although it's not for those who fear the scent of garlic. A wooden platter is heaped with bruschette topped with garlicky broccoli rabe and even more garlicky whipped salt cod that was lighter and smoother than I could have imagined -- a luscious surprise. Tangled Prosciutto San Daniele (a highly esteemed variety imported, of course, from Fruili) was sliced thicker than usual and the chewiness was unexpectedly delicious. A warm heap of mixed olives kept us happily occupied until the next course arrived.

Every salad is special -- even the well-worn Caesar salad, reborn as the Cesare ($7.50), which was made with such care and such exceptionally selected ingredients that I felt as if I'd never eaten one before.

I've lately been disturbed to notice that chefs seem to be using up their creative juices on interesting, varied appetizers, while the entrees consist of a dull repeat of protein, starch and vegetable. Not so at Lidia's.

Proteins are rarely repeated and each entree stands alone as a unique and well-balanced creation. Pollo con limone e olive showcased a spectacularly tender chicken breast, but the star of the plate was humble spinach, vivid with lemon, perfectly cooked. Manicotti di Ricotta brought to mind a family recipe handed down by my Italian grandmother.

The sampler of three pastas ($16) that change every day is a lovely way to experience something new without taking too many risks. On one visit, the whole table was stealing bites of the sweet potato Gnocchi with walnuts and brown butter.

Fegatini di Pollo ($16) -- chicken livers -- are intensely earthy, gamey, rich. Served medium-rare, their juices dripping into a round of polenta scented with bay and rich with the flavor of Parmigiano-Reggiano, I have rarely felt so overtaken by a dish.

Braised meats were consistently spectacular. The meat on the lamb shank fell from the bone at the touch of a fork, made almost subtly sweet by the presence of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.

The pork "Ossobucco" beautifully showcased the superior flavor of heirloom pork, while sadly reminding me of the fact that most American pork has been bred to be so lean as to be almost tasteless.

On one evening there were a few mistakes in execution that led me to wonder whether perhaps plates were being less carefully inspected than they might have been. The grill marks on a salmon fillet ($18.50) were so dark that all I could taste was charcoal, and the braised lentils that accompanied it weren't quite tender. But the mustard sauce that finished the dish was so delicious, so buttery, lemony and bright that it almost redeemed the errors in execution.

Between courses servers attentively cleared used cutlery, brought plates for sharing, refilled wine and water and discretely delivered leftover food in attractive brown paper bags.

Leaving room for dessert can be tricky -- the portions are extremely large. But given the reasonable price of dessert (almost all are $6.75) and the skills of pastry chef David Wodzinski, one must simply muster the strength to indulge.

The incredible Biscotti Misti -- a plateful of assorted cookies -- would be perfect for a table to share. From the first crispy, crunchy hazelnut biscotti to the last crispy chocolate cookie, I was in heaven. A tangerine sorbet was light and refreshing. If you do have room, the more intense desserts are scrumptious.

Chocolate lovers will swoon over the Torta Gianduja, though I liked the Dolci del Giornia, a gooey Chocolate and Hazelnut Crostate, even more one evening. The Panna Cotta was consistently rich and creamy, set off by a loose compote of apples and cranberries on one occasion, poached pears and grapes on another.

Another fantastic addition to the end of the meal? Caffe Corretto -- espresso with a half-shot of the liqueur of your choice ($5.50). My favorite was Kahlua, whose coffee flavor beautifully heightened the intensity of the espresso.

Great restaurants (and great chefs) are always improving, innovating and adapting. They are their own toughest critics. The most recent innovation at Lidia's? Green lighting. According to Wallace, the kitchen lighting is 100 percent environmentally friendly and the front-of-house lights are about 75 percent of the way there.

We can expect some exciting additions to the next menu, as well. Wallace is currently anticipating an upcoming trip to Milan with Lidia Bastianich and other chefs from the Bastianich restaurant family. They'll explore regional wines and foods, and soak up a dash of Italian food culture. We can't all dash off on food trips to Italy. But dinner at Lidia's is almost as good.