NEIGHBORHOOD EATERY : Small Avanti Trattoria Speaks Fluent Italian

You know you are in for a slice of gastronomic heaven, Roman style, when you sit down at an Italian restaurant and the waitress who approaches begins speaking in a lilting accent signifying that she hails from the great Boot of Europe.

Clues abound that Avanti Trattoria, winner of a culinary award of excellence from Restaurant Writers Assn., is genuine Italian: from the imported help to the sizable selection of Italian wines to the freshly baked breadsticks and the rich smells wafting from the kitchen.

Trattoria Avanti is a small but elegantly decorated hole-in-the-wall overlooking Lake Mission Viejo. Many find it by accident, but once inside, one realizes that the place is worth investigating.

At first glance, it looks tres expensive, with dark wood-paneled walls, mauve table cloths and crystal settings. The prices on the abundant menu, however, tell a different story.

The jumbo scampi, sauteed in olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and white wine, is $15.95. But that is far and away the most expensive item.

The pasta dishes fall well into the economical range, from $6.95 to $8.25. The Margharita sauce is the best around, made with fresh, firm tomatoes and basil. The marinara, a thicker red sauce, is also a taste sensation. But the best sauce, served on a number of pastas, is the Alfredo sauce, a delicate, creamy white sauce that is not overwhelming, as Alfredo sauces tend to be.

The menu also offers several meat dishes, including a Piccata al Limone (milk-fed veal in lemon and white wine for $12.50), a Pollo ai Ferri (a broiled marinated breast of chicken with lemon and capers for $11.95) and the Vitello al Parmigiana (veal scaloppine in marinara sauce with mozzarella cheese for $11.95).

Don’t forget to start the meal with one of Avanti Trattoria’s appetizers. Two favorites are eggplant ravioli and mozzarella in carroza (a fancy name for fried mozzarella-- carroza means jacket). Appetizers range from $3.50 for the zucchini fritti to $5.95 for lumaca, jumbo escargot in a butter and garlic sauce.

Dinner is also served on a quaint patio outside the restaurant, where diners sip Cabernets while watching paddle boats lazily moving across the quiet waters of Lake Mission Viejo. The view of Saddleback Mountain is breathtaking.

Inside, the bar is cozy and inviting. Live jazz music is played on Friday and Saturday nights, while the big screen television gives bar-goers a more relaxed place to enjoy Monday night football.

Avanti Trattoria is elegant but never ostentatious. It is a winning pick for both a romantic date or a memorable family dinner.

Avanti Trattoria, 27762 Vista del Lago, Mission Viejo. Open for lunch Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner Sunday through Thursday, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday till 10 p.m.; Champagne brunch Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (714) 951-7820.