Seeing four wedges of dessert displayed in what looked like a jewelry case next to the hostess’s desk, I knew we were in the right place when we stepped into Luigi’s. Not every restaurant is as clear about what’s important to it, but these kitchen-made offerings are as up-front as you can get. Proprietor Ralph Batista is proud of his recipes, prepared by chef Carlos Arriaza, and this also goes for the dishes coming out before the concluding sweets.

Another I’ll-do-it-my-way dimension to Luigi’s is the single-minded decorative element of floral patterns: big, lush, rosy flowers on the wallpaper, artificial flower wreaths around the petals of the white-glass wall lights, and, for good measure, two paintings of flowers. Hey, in finding a decorating theme that says cozy to you, go for broke. Nor are they taking the easy way out — the little vases on the tables contain real flowers.

So the placemats are paper, but the napkins are cloth. This is a family restaurant where the overhead goes to what matters and the customer pockets some of the savings. Prices are moderate, with appetizers running $3.95 to $8.95, and main courses not climbing above $14.95, unless you want steak. There’s a "create your own pasta" opportunity that’s as cheap as $6.95 — with soup or salad — for an exquisite signature marinara. You can match sauces, from aglio e olio to red or white tuna sauce, with more than penne or linguini: you can even choose Luigi’s homemade gnocchi, but more about this later.

On a budget, you can’t do better quality-wise than here Tuesday to Friday, when two can share a bottle of wine (or appetizer or dessert), as well as two entrées from a list of two dozen, for a mere $26.95.

Dinner rolls were promptly brought to the table, and while the olive oil was rather bland, the baked garlic cloves were good for spreading on the bread. We started out with one of Luigi’s three appetizer combos. Number one ($6.50) came with four stuffed mushrooms — two plain, two spinach — and two littleneck clams casino. Johnnie liked the creaminess of the spinach and cheese-filled mushroom, while the equally tasty breadcrumb-stuffed caps were my favorite.

Johnnie chose the soup of the day as her main course accompaniment, and I wished she’d gotten a bowl instead of a cup. Even though she scooped out all the escarole before I got a taste, the full flavor of the chicken broth, which is often rather bland, was appreciated, not to mention the abundant, not-boiled-to-death white meat. My salad was fairly large, containing radicchio as well as romaine, and the house balsamic vinaigrette was just tart enough.

About that marinara. Thank goodness I ordered what I wanted instead of what I should have had as a side with my chicken Raffaello ($11.95). The boneless breast, topped with fried eggplant cutlets, was smothered in mushrooms and a dense Marsala wine sauce, so to be professional about it, I should have ordered the mashed potatoes and butternut squash instead of penne to go with it. But I was in a red-sauce mood, and was rewarded for my hedonism by getting the best marinara — billed just as Luigi’s Tomato Sauce — I’ve had in recent memory. It had the depth of flavor that only comes with long simmering, usually with red wine. Superb.

Johnnie had the gnocchi Gorgonzola ($10.95), which was marked as a new item. She considered getting the Luigi’s gnocchi al forno, which is baked with mozzarella and contains that marinara, but she wanted something peppier. It was quite good, in a pink vodka sauce, but be forewarned that Gorgonzola is perhaps too rich a cheese to indulge in for a whole plate like this. The potato gnocchi were creamy and enjoyed, but she ended up doing more sampling than usual from my side of the table.

As for those desserts, there are many more than those four on display, mostly popular standards. There were three cheesecakes: cappuccino and Oreo, as well as strawberry. There was carrot cake and tiramisu, and usually, we are told, a triple-chocolate cake. All the pies and cakes are $4.95. We shared a slice of Key lime pie, and the extra-snappy citrus tang was as it should be.

Luigi’s Restaurant is a charming little place. It makes you feel not just like you stepped into somebody’s grandmother’s quaint living room, but that she’s been lovingly slaving in the kitchen all day.

Bill Rodriguez can be reached at billrod@ reporters.net.