Ciao Italian Restaurant has been around a quarter century in its quiet
Seventh Street digs. The unassuming hole-in-the-wall eatery sports
white walls, black tablecloths, red napkins and a display of local
artwork. What comes out of Chef Tony Mobly’s kitchen, though, could be
described as dressy and delicious.

For the lunchtime diner on a budget, there’s much good Italian food to
be had. Ten meals are offered as “Express Lunches” at the rather
reasonable rate of $5.45. Standards include spaghetti Bolognese, cheese
tortellini pesto and Caesar salad. But there are also specials that
range from the
modest to the extravagant.

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We’ve made several stops in lately to escape the workday world and enjoy
companionship and good food. On one recent visit, we gave the fried
beef ravioli ($5.45) a try. The crispy little morsels are just as good
as any you’d find in St. Louis, the birthplace of fried ravioli. Our
companion went for a daily special, the spicy crawfish fettuccini
($8.99). The big bowl of fettuccini noodles comes topped with perhaps
the spiciest Cajun-enhanced Alfredo we’ve sampled. The crusty crab cake
on top included lots of crabmeat and noticeable bits of corn and
veggies, a nice, un-spicy balance to all that crawfish and sauce. Plus,
an assortment of fresh veggies, flavored deliciously with black pepper,
salt, olive oil and garlic.

We also paired our tortellini Alfredo ($7.99) with a cup of lobster
bisque, a salty yet heavenly bath of flavor. The delicate tortellini was
filed with a cheese and plenty of tender veal, which matched well with
the cheesy Alfredo.

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Another visit, we decided to give the house focaccia ($3.79) a try. Out
came a basketful of crusty-edged herbed wedges, deliciously soft on the
inside, along with two boats — one filled with a blend of roasted
garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette, the other with bits of Feta
cheese, red onion and scallions. It alone would be worthy of a light
lunch, and it took a lot to be able to set the half-full basket aside to
enjoy our main courses.

Our companion chose another of the specials, the beef tenderloin topped
with spicy seafood ($14.99). If we had any complaint, it was that the
tenderloin itself was hidden under large shrimp and chunks of crawfish.
The 4-ounce steak was fork-tender, perfectly cooked and tasty.

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We also sampled another of the daily specials, the salmon with dill
cream sauce ($9.99). The plate came with the same linguini and
vegetables served up with the beef tenderloin. It was a little more
done than we’re used to, but with the sauce it was a lovely lunch.

We didn’t give into the temptation of finding out about that $46.99
ultimate beef tenderloin; leave that for those unconcerned with keeping
the budget. Our lunch tickets every time we’ve visited, even with
multiple desserts, came to less than that lofty amount.

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Ciao Italian Restaurant
405 W. Seventh St.
372-0238

Quick bite
Desserts change on a daily basis. At lunch, mini-desserts go
for $2.99. Especially recommended: a diminutive but perfect chocolate
creme Brule, the flown-in-from-Key-West Key lime pie and the chocolate
truffle (a half-round as a mini-dessert). Also: vanilla gelato with
berries soaked in Frangelico.

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Hours
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday.

Other info
Credit cards accepted. Full bar.

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