RESTAURANT REVIEW:

If you didn’t know Luggatti’s Italian Grill was family-owned and a spin-off of an old-style Italian restaurant, it would be easy to assume it is part of a chain.

The difference between Luggatti’s, in downtown Huntington Beach, and Lino’s Italian, tucked in a little corner off Edwards Street, is striking.

Lino’s is small, quaint and feels like it has been run by a family for generations. The restaurant has been there for more than 20 years and is a neighborhood favorite.

Luggatti’s, which opened in November 2005, is large, noisy and feels like a corporation operates it, which can be a little disconcerting if you are looking for a quiet evening.

Because the dining room is so expansive, the amount of people generating normal conversation provides a background of static. It was difficult, but not impossible to hear the person across from me.

The room has an energy to it, much like many of the restaurants in downtown, though this one is sequestered away from Main Street, a block away.

The design of the restaurant, located a block away from Main Street, has a sports-bar theme. There are four large flat-screen televisions on the walls and the open design of the room, with a large bar as a focal point, creates a celebratory atmosphere.

The food is the real all-star here, though. The menu has dishes inspired by the Lino family but is much more than basic Italian cuisine.

The appetizers are a perfect example of that. The sticks and stones are fried mozzarella sticks, a staple of most Italian restaurants. But this dish comes with gnocchi’s stones, cheese-filled potato dumplings.

Other examples of this creativity are stuffed artichokes with goat cheese, roasted pepper puree and tomato cream sauce, as well as grilled pancetta-wrapped shrimp, which is accompanied by Tuscany white beans and spinach.

Even the salads have a little flair to them. One I really was impressed with was the baked asparagus salad.

There is only minestrone soup during the week and it is good, but for a treat, join the crowd and come on the weekend when they serve crab bisque.

Deciding on an entrée may take a while, as there are more than 50 options.

The fresh fish dishes include a salmon vapore, which is salmon slow-braised and steamed with capers, shallots, asparagus, white wine, roma tomatoes and thyme, served with angel hair pasta. They also do a halibut vapore if you prefer a thicker cut of fish.

I was surprised to see steak on the menu and was tempted to order the 8-ounce filet. There is also a 12-ounce New York strip.

I chose what my waiter recommended: the fettuccine Da Vinci. The pasta is combined with sun dried tomatoes, basil, a touch of chili flakes, a tomato cream sauce and chunks of mozzarella. The sauce reminded me of a combination of red and alfredo sauce, and it worked well with the texture of the pasta. Meatball, sausage, chicken, calamari, shrimp or scallops can be added for an additional price. I got sausage, which added to the pasta.

My friend Mark had one of the baked dishes the restaurant offers: the gnocchi. Unlike the usual fontina white cream sauce that accompanies the potato dish, this came with a choice of marinara or meat sauce.

I found that to be much more appealing. The meat sauce compliments the dish, and Mark added a meatball that made the potato much more palatable.

If you like doughy pizza, which I do, theirs is worth ordering. It is a little heavy on tomato paste, but that is easily fixed. We ordered a simple cheese and pepperoni, though there are several exotic ones as well.

Though a bit pricey, the portions are large. We ended up taking home half our orders. It is worth the price and, if you don’t mind a little noise, is a great place to visit in downtown.

ADDRESS: 210 Fifth St., Huntington Beach

PHONE: (714) 536-8846

CUISINE: Italian

SPECIALTY DISH: The Great Pumpkin Ravioli

ALCOHOL SERVED: full bar

DRESS: casual

FAMILY FRIENDLY: yes, children’s menu

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: American Express, Visa and MasterCard

RATING: *** out of 4

JOHN REGER reviews local restaurants for the Independent.