It's a Monday night - a night that's so slow at restaurants that many take it off. On top of that, it's chilly and rainy - weather that would keep most Tucsonans snug in their homes. Yet it's hopping at Tavolino, a new Italian restaurant on Tucson's Northwest Side. And it remains hopping for much of the evening. Seems the establishment, barely 2 months old, has been discovered. And no wonder: The small restaurant - there are just 12 tables - serves unfussy fare that makes the taste buds dance. And at prices that top out at $19. Add to that the ambience. It smacks of the small eateries one finds in neighborhoods like New York City's Upper West Side, or San Francisco's Noe Valley. Old friends seem to gather there, the staff greets diners as though they know them, and it's full of childhood photos of co-owner Massimo Tenino and his family in Italy. Tenino, a self-taught chef who cut his teeth in Los Angeles and San Francisco restaurants, owns Tavolino with his wife, Deborah. While the cozy space may bring 'em in, it's the food that brings 'em back. This is good, straightforward Italian fare, made lovingly and expertly. Plus, Tenino has a free hand with garlic. We like that. He also uses only the freshest ingredients. We like that, too. The Antipasto Assortito ($8.95) appetizer can send your taste buds on a hunt for more. It changes regularly, but on this night it was a plate full of prosciutto, kalamata olives, big slices of salami, marinated mushrooms, and sweet grilled bell peppers - a delectable sampling of some of Italy's finest. Not working quite so well were the shrimp ($8.75) with feta cheese and a tangy lime and mint vinaigrette. The shrimp were unevenly cooked and the feta too overwhelmingly salty to allow the sweet taste of the shrimp to balance it. Ah, but the Spaghetti al Pomodor e Basilico ($9.75). The entree had al dente noodles tossed with sweet plum tomatoes, basil, lots of chunks of fresh garlic, and just enough extra-virgin olive oil. While it might have been perfect if there were more basil, this uncomplicated bowl of spaghetti sang of freshness, simplicity and good food. On another visit, the lasagna ($11.75) called. And thankfully so. This could be the best lasagna in town: a heaping helping of wide, made-there noodles layered between a rich sauce meaty with beef, veal and pork. It was jazzed up with fresh pepper and lots of pungent garlic. Finishing it off were mozzarella and fresh Parmesan, but not too much - the meat sauce is the star here, not the cheese. The Ravioli di Zucca ($11.75) featured puréed butternut squash, cut with nutmeg and given a little body with crumbled amaretti cookies and stuffed into ravioli noodles. A magic sage-brown butter sauce, judiciously poured on top, added a slight musky flavor to the sweet tone of the dish. If pasta's not your thing, there are other choices, such as the moist, crisp-on-the-outside chicken breast ($14.75) marinated in lime juice and olive oil before it's charbroiled to perfection. Or you can indulge in the grilled lamb chops ($19), oozing the scent and flavor of fresh rosemary. While they are thin, they are also tender and cooked to perfection. A meal this flavorful should be punctuated with dessert ($5 each). OK, you're right, all meals should be punctuated with dessert. And the punctuation for the bonet would be an exclamation point. Maybe three or four of them. The satiny chocolate custard had a slightly cakey texture and a definite edge, thanks to crushed amaretti cookies. It was topped by a sticky caramel sauce - the sweet custard and barely bitter caramel are a heavenly combo. The Affogato al Caffe is just a fancy espresso with lots of cream. Actually, lots of vanilla gelato ice cream. And topped with real whipped cream. We don't consider that excessive. It's a down-to-earth dessert with heavenly results. Service at Tavolino was friendly and earnest, if perhaps a bit disheveled. On one visit the waitress kept promising answers to questions, but kept forgetting to get them. On another, entrees were slow in traveling from the kitchen to the table. But these are growing pains. Tavolino will work them out quickly, we're confident. It doesn't matter much anyway: The food makes visits there worth a drive. Even on dark and stormy nights.