Located in the historic district of downtown Carlisle, Piatto, a small BYOB establishment, has been putting out platefuls of fresh, unassuming dishes from regions throughout all of Italy for a little more than two years now. The owners’ philosophy for simple preparation and seasonal ingredients from local farmers comes through with every order.

The regional cuisine is stressed at Piatto particularly through the tasting dinners offered in the fall, winter, and spring. In the summertime, they take advantage of the vast local ingredients they get delivered daily.

Approaching the restaurant, you can’t be quite sure it is a restaurant. The converted Victorian-style brick house still has all of the subtle signs of being a residence. Just follow the chatter of the patrons who choose to dine on the side porch in nice weather and you’ll get there. Open up that large front door and you’re greeted immediately and foremost by the hostess at her station at the base of the stairwell. Tables placed in the two dining rooms are small and cozy but not cramped. Don’t expect the tired red and white checked tablecloths here as white linen drapes the tables of this Italian kitchen — free of Italian kitsch.

On a recent visit, wedges of herb-accented frittata (Italian-style omelet) along with hard-crusted dinner rolls, got our dinners rolling. The packaged butter dollops accompanying the bread seem a bit too informal here, though — I can get those at a pizza joint.

What I can’t get at a pizza joint, however, is fantastic thin crusted, flavorful pizza. Zucchini, roasted tomato, fresh herbs and semi-soft fontina cheese grace a firm, grill-marked disk to form a superb summer pizza. (And, they actually call it the Summer Pizza ($7). Pizza Margherita ($7), having its origins in Naples, is also an ideal pizza to have in the summertime with tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil. The red of the tomato, white mozzarella and green basil represent the colors of the Italian flag — a flag of which hangs proudly outside the restaurant’s doors.

An appetizer of Panzella ($6), bread salad with vegetables, vinegar, olive oil and herbs is a standard summer salad in some regions of Italy. In this region of Central Pennsylvania, the Panzella set a standard for all bread salads as the freshness of the greens was enjoyed next to the large chunks of bread macerated but not at all soggy. For $2 more, add fresh mozzarella to this salad.

Some pasta dishes can be served as a nice sized appetizer or as a main course. Spaghetti alla Puttanesca ($6 appetizer portion; $12 main course) is one such pasta dish. The bold flavors of tomato, garlic, olives, anchovies, capers and chillies will make you want to get the larger helping. The theory for this pasta dish, named for the ladies of the night in Naples (puttana is the Italian word for prostitute) is not as disputed as the reasons for which it is named. For example, a dish that could be made very quickly when time was of the essence; or, speaking of essence, the aroma of the dish simmering would lure in gentlemen passing by; or, the spice of the dish equaled the spice of the ladies. Whatever the reason, a plateful of Piatto’s Puttanesca is as good as this dish gets.

Another spicy pasta dish served as an entree, combines tomato, Cinzano, garlic and chillies with perfectly sized clams and mussels over linguini, a steal at $14. Fettuccine tossed with pepper and pine nuts and extra large shrimp in a wine and butter sauce comes from the kitchen creamy yet light for $16.

The Risotto of the Day ($5 appetizer; $10 main course) happened to feature green and yellow zucchini. Very creamy but slightly over done, the grains of risotto had not much bite left to them and the zucchini slices were a bit too transparent. However, a Grilled Duck Breast ($15) with a mixed berry balsamic glaze as a main course was served exactly medium-rare as described, providing the best flavor.

If you like chicken, you will love Piatto’s Chicken al Mattone ($13). One half chicken is marinated and grilled under bricks, a style that cooks the chicken more evenly and gives it a crispy crust. It is amazing as it is probably the juiciest chicken you will ever have.

Traditionally a winter dish, I was surprised to see Osso Buco on this summer seasonal menu. But, for $15, give me these tender braised veal shanks — and the delicacy of the marrow from the bone — any time of the year! And, Italian restaurant counterparts charge $23 and up for this hearty Milanese dish served with risotto.

An up and coming Italian dessert, Panna Cotta (or cooked cream) ($4) from the Peidmont region is being seen more often than in years past, but not as often as I would like. Traditionally this Italian baked vanilla custard is not as sweet as classic French creme brulee, so it may be disappointing to some. Piatto’s version jiggles plenty on the plate and stays close to its roots in the lightly-sweet category. If you want a "pick me up", try the Veneto region’s Tiramisu ($4). The classic mascarpone cheese, espresso soaked lady fingers with chocolate is an excellent dessert choice at Piatto, but the summer Sorbetto (water ice) ($3) of three melons on one plate - cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew was not as refreshing as it sounded.

There is a section of American-Italian selections on the menu, i.e. Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce ($10), Spaghetti with Meatballs ($12), and Veal Parmesan ($14). Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are Family Pasta Nights, with salad, pasta, and dessert served family style, for very moderate prices.

Piatto

Entrees
$13 – $18
Average Dining Time
60 minutes

Location
Easy to find

Parking
On street

Handicapped Access
Request

Exterior Appearance
Victorian-style Brick House

Initial Interior
Hostess Station at
Base of Stairway

Reservations Necessary
Preferred

Preferred Dining Attire
Neat and Clean

Wait (to be seated)
None

Wait (for service)
None

Lighting
Subtle

Meal-time Music
N/A

Dining Area Appearance
Cozy

Noise
Fine

Climate
Fine

Tables
Small but Comfortable

Chairs
Sturdy

Booths
None

Table setting
Full

Your meal
Excellent

Automatically served
Frittata Wedges, Hard Crusted Rolls

Cocktails
BYOB, no corkage fee

Salads
The Summer Salad

Main Course
Chicken al Mattone

Desserts
Panna Cotta

Coffees/Teas
Caffe Mocha

Staff Attitude
Friendly

Staff Appearance
Refined

Hospitality
Welcoming

Cleanliness
Very Clean

Wash Rooms
Clean

Crowd (Qty)
Full

Crowd (attitude)
Sociable

Food (portions)
Large

Overall Service
Friendly