Attempting to locate some good Italian on a Monday night traditionally proves difficult, since most of the suitable restaurants on Federal Hill are closed that day, so make a point to remember Cassarino’s Ristorante.

We pulled up the last three chairs at the bar (this Monday night thing apparently isn’t lost on the locals), and dived into the extensive menu. Cordial restaurant manager Steve Anderson proudly acknowledged the extensive wine list and mentioned some popular pairings (also worth noting is an interesting beer selection, including a few varieties of the elusive Samuel Smith). Late summer had me craving potent Bloody Marys, and busy bartender Melissa gladly obliged, tossing plenty of Worcestershire, horseradish and Red Hot into the extra spicy request.

Rich hardwoods and earth tones within an almost smoky aesthetic interior are introduced when stepping into the bar area. Look past the glass double doors, into a confined but inviting space, we see a dimly lit dining room that could pass as a romantic café in Versailles, a Spanish tapas bar, or, in this case, a cozy Italian trattoria.

The décor suits the timeless tastes offered by owner-kitchen manager Steve Renzi, from a rich and sweet roasted duck ($18.95) with a raspberry demi-glace that hits all the right notes, presented atop a creamy risotto and garnished with goat cheese and asparagus, to the Old World recipe for veal bracciola ($15.95), rolled with prosciutto ham, provolone, and homemade sausage braised in marinara. It comes with cappellini. Most of the dinner selections are available until 3:30 p.m. on the lunch menu, which includes a memorable meatball sandwich, and the restaurant is open throughout the day

To start, we went for the ubiquitous calamari ($7.95), offered here in four varieties. For an extra buck, the balsamic reduction style is a steal, with the flash-fried squid retaining crunch while swimming in the subtly sweet and tangy reduction. The mozzarella and tomato salad ($8.95), a no-brainer, is reason enough to stop for a quick bite al fresco while walking the Hill.

The homemade mozzarella marinara ($6.50) arrived in three giant, pan-fried triangles topped with that equally authentic marinara. Heat wave aside, I had to sample a bowl of chicken escarole ($2.95), a bit lighter than usual, but no big deal considering the bold flavors on the way. The baby spinach salad ($6.95) lured us in, if not just for the accompanying champagne vinaigrette, a simple yet exquisite complement to the fresh greens, bacon, and goat cheese.

Chicken parm may be the official state culinary standby, but Cassarino’s is the one local Italian restaurant where I always feel compelled to go for one of the olive oil-based dishes, entrees highlighting perfect components to infuse a nice aglio e olio. The pollo Milano ($13.95), a sauté of roasted peppers, prosciutto, artichoke hearts, spinach, and mushrooms in a white wine butter sauce, tossed with penne, usually dissuades me from even glancing at the entrees. But for an extra three bucks, my carnivorous companions eyed the meat and potato or bistecca Sicilian variation. Contemplating entrees, the ridiculous late summer humidity had us straying from the carb-heavy pasta choices (although the expertly prepared gnocchi options provide quintessential comfort cooking). I wasn’t about to chime in with personal favorites, but Melissa, who hadn’t steered me wrong yet, recommended the chicken special, described as an alluring combo usually found in their saltimbocca and marsala preparations.

Clams zuppa in white sauce ($14.95) was a star attraction. The Bistecca Sicilian arrived in an enormous oval platter, providing a colorful mélange of hot peppers and kalamata olives tossed with crispy yet tender oven-roasted potatoes. And the assumed thin strips of sirloin turned out to be hefty cuts of tender beef, cooked to a perfect medium-rare. "You gotta try this," was about all I could muster as I handed out samples of the decadent chicken dish, with garlic-smashed potatoes underneath a sauté of spinach, prosciutto, and mushrooms in a light marsala demi-glace, finished to perfection with melted mozzarella.

For dessert, tiramisu, cannoli, crème brûlée, and a host of international coffees sounded too good to pass up, but we were overstuffed. Melissa was already shaking a round of their famous Liquid Dessert ($7.50). Good call, so good, in fact, we requested another round three sips into this chilled masterpiece. It was a stellar finish to an authentic and simply incredible meal, complete with unpretentious prices and generous portions — on a Monday night, no less.

Chris Conti can be reached at buckeebrooks@cs.com.