The Red and Black

Issue date: 1/27/04 Section: Variety

DaVinci's, located at 1065 Baxter St., serves an array of pizza and Italian foods as well as an all-you-can-eat buffet with soup, salad and wings. (Sarah Nix * The Red & Black) [Click to enlarge]

DaVinci's Pizza-in-a-Pan on Baxter Street has the character of a wine expert decked out in a T-shirt and torn jeans.

It was a pleasant surprise to find sophisticated Italian fare in such a quaint pizzeria atmosphere.

A breathless server was the first impression of the spacious wood grain interior. The hoarseness of her voice quickly revealed how hard the solitary waitress was working. A slight delay was no concern after service came with the briskness of a bullet train.

The assortment of long tables can seat large parties of at least a dozen, while booths allow couples to share an intimate meal.

A clever approach to mood lighting fills the room with a glow emanating from gigantic overhead bulbs diffusing through large art works resembling stained glass.

DAVINCI'S PIZZA-IN-PAN Rating: 4 stars Lowdown: Gread food, great service, great prices -- a true Renaissance eatery.

The walls of DaVinci's are covered with mirrors short on reflective space amidst the giant beer logos. If the mirrors function as a panoramic alcohol list, then beer experts should bring an appetite for more than just Italian.

For those not yet of legal drinking age, DaVinci's also offers the classic compliments to pizzeria fare -- basic Coke products.

Including salad and garlic rolls in the price of the entree was a wise economic decision on the restaurant's part. The full assortment of house specialties all run just around $10.

The invigorating salad was a dogpile of shredded cheese, red onion and baby tomato slices atop fresh iceberg lettuce.

A nice tangy flavor and a blend of spices adding kick and texture came from the creamy house Italian dressing.

The garlic rolls were a delightful bounty of bite-sized morsels smothered with creamy butter, but these treats lacked a true garlic flavor.

The main course of Fettuccini Gorgonzola was large enough to feed two people. The abundance of noodles and gleefully squishy seafood swimming in creamy Gorgonzola cheese had me praising the chef's efforts for days afterward.

While I opted to pass on dessert, the 8-year-old inside me was salivating at the thought of the giant Cookie in a Pan.

But even 8-year-olds have to understand that four dollars is a hefty price tag for dessert.

The extra-hungry who don't like to fuss over menus can indulge themselves on DaVinci's all-you-can-eat buffet. The endless supply of deep-dish pizza, hot soup, salad and hot wings at around $5 is a calorie-counting bargain.

It would be easy to make some worn out art joke to compliment DaVinci's Pizza-in-a-Pan.

Suffice to say that when it comes to high-quality Italian dishes in a low-key setting, eating is believing.

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