Donacesca Ristorante

The atmosphere says New York City circa 1960 and the singing waiter would make Dean Martin proud

by Margaret LeRoux

Donacesca Ristorante Italiano 26 South Bolton Street, Marlborough 460-6778 Lunch Mon.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner Sun.-Thurs. 4-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 4-10 p.m. Major credit cards Full bar Handicap accessible

I love Italian food and have eaten in every Italian restaurant in Worcester. Why go anywhere else when you can happily dine your way up and down Shrewsbury Street? Recently I found a reason: Donacesca Ristorante Italiano in Marlborough, where the ambiance is unlike anything in Worcester. It's straight out of New York City circa 1960. Go on a Saturday night for a memorable dining experience that includes a singing waiter who'd make Dean Martin proud.

I was charmed by the garlands of tiny white lights that decorate the outside; inside, stucco white walls are adorned with fresco-style paintings. The hostess immediately made my companion and me feel welcome, even though we'd come without a reservation on a busy night.

"We'll find room for you," she said as she led us to a cozy table by the window. A wall of glass bricks separates the bar from the dining room where tables are set with fresh flowers, snowy white cloths, and burgundy napkins.

The seasoned maitre d'(later in the evening he confided that he once owned a restaurant in New York, and that you can't get good help today as you could back then) kept a watchful eye on the dining room. When he noticed our water glasses hadn't been filled, he returned immediately with a pitcher of ice water, a small loaf of hot, crusty bread, and a bowl of marinated mushrooms and olives to snack on while we considered the extensive menu.

There's something for every preference, from pasta dishes for budget-minded diners to heart-friendly items for those watching their cholesterol. And plenty of red sauce, cream sauce, and mozzarella cheese for those crave Southern Italian fare.

Grilled items include sirloin steak with pasta or potatoes ($13.95), with red sauce and mozzarella cheese($14.95), or sautéed table-side with portobella mushrooms and onions ($16.95).

You can have your choice of pasta standards: ziti, linguine, or fettuccine with your choice of meat sauce, meatballs, pesto, or garlic and oil as well as eggplant Parmigiana for under $10. There are also baked cheese lasagna ($9.95), ravioli ($10.95), and fettuccine Alfredo ($10.95). Pasta and vodka with eggplant ($11.95) is an unusual combination of cream tomato sauce laced with vodka, red pepper, and eggplant.

The low-fat entrées include pasta primavera ($10.95), grilled chicken limone ($12.95), and broiled scrod florentine ($10.95).

Seafood includes shrimp and swordfish scampi served in white-wine sauce over linguine ($16.95), clams and mussels in red or white sauce ($13.95), and scrod topped with marinara sauce and melted Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses ($11.95).

There's a long list of veal, chicken, and sausage selections -- the usual piccata, Parmigiana, florentine, and pizzaiola sauces are offered, as well as veal or chicken verdicchio -- scaloppine sautéed with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and roasted peppers ($16.95).

We began our meal with a shared order of mussels chablis ($8.95), a platter of sweet shellfish steamed in the white wine with garlic, onions, and tomatoes and served with slices of brushcetta. With the appetizer we chose from Donacesca's wine-by-the-glass assortment a rather timid Albola Pinot Grigio ($4.50) and a Tessera chardonnay ($4.50) that better complemented the mussels. Nearby we saw a couple enjoying a large plate of fried calamari and peppers ($6.95), a signature dish for the restaurant.

My companion, who prefers seafood, was delighted with his choice of entrée: mare e monti ($18.95), an assortment of shrimp, scallops, clams, and mussels in white wine and garlic sauce over linguine. The scallops were especially tasty. Here, they were sweet and tender; so often they suffer from overcooking.

My selection, chicken Abruzzi ($14.95), was very tasty -- tender chunks of white meat and sun-dried tomatoes in a tomato cream sauce served over penne. But I found myself sneaking bites of my companion's seafood throughout the meal. The glass of Tessera merlot ($4.95) I chose to accompany my entrée was too heavy; a lighter wine, like zinfandel would have been better.

Now about that singing waiter. Midway through our meal he made his entrance, microphone in hand as he belted out "Volare." It could have been excruciating, but he had a good voice and the diners showed their appreciation with applause. He wandered from table to table, offering the mic but amenable to those who didn't want to sing along.

We ordered dessert and coffee as an excuse to stay and enjoy the show and were rewarded with a light and tangy slice of lemon torte ($4.25). Our bill, including tax but not tip, was $72.95.