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By JOHN TANASYCHUK

First impression: Back in January, the space once occupied by Matteo’s became Capri Ristorante Italiano, a friendly, family-run restaurant with servings as big as the city from which its owners hail: That would be Chicago. If you love exquisite pasta, head to Capri.

Background: Joey Capri and his family have operated Italian restaurants in the Chicago suburbs for 30 years. After a nine-month renovation, Joey and wife Giavanna, with partner Joseph Falso, found the perfect spot for their first South Florida venture.

Ambience: Not so big to feel like a chain, but not so small to feel like you’re in someone’s house. There’s a big piano in the center of the dining room, but until they resolve an acoustic problem, diners will love the Sinatra heard throughout the restaurant. A nice big bar that divides the main dining room from a private party room can accommodate up to 50.

Starters: Grilled baby octopus ($13.95) is slightly smoky from the grill and maybe a bit dry. Nothing a squirt of lemon juice won’t solve. A tomato and fresh mozzarella salad ($11.95) could do with better-quality tomatoes. An order of perfectly cooked garlic shrimp ($15), one of the nightly specials, comes with four lovely oversized shrimp but just two pieces of garlic toast.

Entree excellence: If you love pasta, it doesn’t get much better than this. We sampled two different dishes that were benchmark examples of how pasta ought to be cooked. Both were cooked al dente, of course, and both had just enough sauce but not so much that it overwhelmed. Cavetelli Con Broccoli ($15.95 or $10 half) takes homemade dumplings and then tosses them with broccoli in a simple garlic and olive oil. Classic Bolognese is best with rigatoni ($19.95, $10 half). The sauce is creamy and dense, meaty and light, all at the same time. Rib-eye steak ($26.95) is sauteed with mushrooms and onions in garlic and olive oil. Although I normally order medium rare, our server recommends well-done — reasoning that any fat on the steak will be deliciously crispy. While it isn’t steakhouse tender, it’s what I call a very good bar steak. There are more potatoes on the plate than any one person could ever eat. Vitello San Giuseppe ($24.95) is a nice layered dish with veal, eggplant, mozzarella and lots of tomato sauce. Pollo Vesuvio ($19.95), included in a section of the menu devoted to Chicago Sun-Times award-winning dishes, is an outstanding half-roasted chicken with lots of garlic, peas and potatoes in a white wine sauce. It’s what every Italian chain only wishes they could serve. Fellow award winner Mellinzana Parmigiana ($15.95) is a simple rendition of a restaurant staple. This one is made with fresh mozzarella and a not-too-sweet marina.

Sweet!: Be sure to order Bananas Foster ($8.95 for two) made tableside. The presentation is worth the price. It starts with brown sugar and butter, followed by two kinds of liquor and a flambe that gets sparked over and over again with a shaker of cinnamon.

Service: Forget service with a smile. What about service with personality? One night our server had no shortage of opinions or suggestions about everything from our wine choice to how we should order a steak.

R E V I E W
Capri Ristorante Italiano

FOOD: B+
SERVICE: A
ADDRESS: 39 S.E. First Ave., Boca Raton
TELEPHONE: (561) 391-8044
PRICE RANGE: Moderate-expensive
HOURS: Dinner Monday-Saturday
CREDIT CARDS: AmEx, Visa, MC
RESERVATIONS: Recommended
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes, including restrooms
WHAT THE GRADES
MEAN:
A — Excellent
B — Good
C — Average
D — Poor
F — Don’t bother