James S. Wood / Arizona Daily Star

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Ambience — the atmosphere, the mood of a place — can make an already splendid restaurant meal even more satisfying.

So it is at Trattoria Pina, an Italian food restaurant where a scenic setting and artful decor complement exquisite cuisine.

Perched high in the Foothills at 5541 N. Swan Road, Pina offers grand, picture-window views of the Catalina Mountains, a colorful courtyard and a beckoning dining room with pleasing artwork on the walls.

However appetizing the ambience, this is a restaurant that is first and foremost about good, fresh, authentic Italian food.

Executive chef Fedele Colosimo — who owns the restaurant with his wife, Pina — cooks up not only familiar classics, but also some inventive specialties.

We began a dinner visit with the Primavera appetizer ($12). Large and hearty enough to split with a dining companion, the plate featured a grilled portobello mushroom with a supporting cast of zucchini, cannelli beans, asparagus, roasted red peppers, goat cheese and pesto.

The Polenta alla Griglia ($21) is one of the house specialties — and it took only a few bites to prove its special status.

The dish is a full-on feast of polenta — an Italian-style cornmeal with a wonderfully dense texture — served with grilled Italian sausage, a tender chicken breast, roasted peppers, onions and roasted garlic in marinara sauce.

The spicy sausage means business. It was pure pleasure on our palate, but it might take that spicy theme a little too far for some diners. And, ah, the garlic — such a potent herb, rendered so mild and creamy in the roasting.

Another entree, Bianco & Nero ($25), was a pretty plate brimming with black and white pasta, sea scallops and large shrimp in a brandy cream sauce. The scallops were tender to perfection, and the sauce was delicate — not overpowering.

Both entrees came with a choice of soup or salad — which brings us to a mention of one unexpected glitch in the otherwise excellent service at Trattoria Pina.

Our waiter had just served the aforementioned Primavera appetizer when he returned, almost immediately, with our soup and salad course. As he searched for space to squeeze the bowls onto the table, we politely reminded him that we were just beginning on the rather large appetizer and that he would need to hold off for five or 10 minutes on the next course.

The waiter removed the soup and salad and returned to serve them at the appropriate time.

Of course, there was no need to follow such rich, full-flavored entrees with a dessert. But then the waiter arrived with a will-busting tray of sweets.

We gave in to temptation — splitting a large piece of Amaretto Cake ($7). Infused with almond liqueur, the subtle, not-too-sweet cake was the perfect end to a fine meal.

The lunch menu at Trattoria Pina offers lower prices than dinner. It includes an extensive selection of salads, pasta, panini, fish and chicken dishes and pizza.

A large and hearty salad — the Insalata con Melanzana & Funghi ($13) — featured grilled eggplant, mushrooms, goat cheese, tomatoes and olives with a warm balsamic dressing. Like other offerings at the restaurant, this one stood out for its fresh ingredients and don't-overdo-it preparation.

The Penne al Salmone ($14) was penne aplenty topped with salmon, roasted red peppers and asparagus — finished with a vodka cream sauce. We couldn't quite finish the penne. The cream sauce, as the name implies, was rich and very filling — fine if you're famished, but probably too much for those with a light appetite.

The dessert tray came. We saw. We ordered. This time it was the Limoncello Cake ($7). It made a good midday dessert — not too heavy but fully expressing the flavor of its namesake lemon liqueur.

Service at lunch was prompt, attentive and efficient without being obtrusive. One nice touch: Instead of refilling a diner's lemonade glass, a server brought a fresh glassful when the first one was nearing empty.