Gradisca is a gem! I found this place with my friends one night, and we had a wonderful time. The chef is an Italian grandmother who hails from Bologna, Italy. You walk in, and you immediately feel the coziness of the wood, bricks, candles, and the light chatter of other diners.

We ordered a carafe of red wine and an antipasto dish with chunks of mozzerella and parm, various meats and olives all resting on a bed of mesclun salad. With the bread we received, came a little pot of tomato sauce, fresh pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. All this really whetted our appetite for what was about to come.

We all orderd various entrees so we could share. We ordered the lasagna Bolognese, the carbonara, the veal cutlet with proscuitto and parm, and the grilled steak on mesclun with Parm shavings and balsamic vinegar reduction. The lasagna was dense and filled with a creamy bechamel sauce. The outside was crispy and topped with crispy parm wafer. The result was a completely flavorful, decadent square of pasta. The carbonara was a very reasonable portion (which means I totally was able to finish it without carb-food-coma worries) and barely needed any Parm to add flavor to the light, creamy pasta with bits of perfectly cooked bacon. I'm not into veal, but I did try a bite, and it was amazing how good it was. The combination of breaded veal, prosciutto, and Parm was sublime. Finally, the steak was cooked perfectly, with just enough pink in the middle. The vinegar reduction was surprisingly sweet, but add the steak, cheese, and lettuce, and you'll understand their reasoning behind putting the ingredients together.

The prices are New York for sure--15 bucks for appetizers and 20 bucks for entrees--but if you love true Italian food (not American-Italian ricotta filled pastas), this is the place to try out. It's heavy but not overly filling because the portion size is just right. In fact, one of us still had room for the bread pudding and a cup of coffee. Finally, I noticed on the website that you can get a two course meal for 30 bucks if you go in for a pre-theatre dinner. Not a bad deal at all.