From the very moment I walked through the doors ofToscana, I knew I was in for a real treat. The Italian music, aroma of freshbread and decorations were very fitting.

Toscana, which opened in De­cember 2008, is anItalian-Amer­ican restaurant and lounge. Con­veniently located on Central Road,it’s a prime spot for the Rolling Meadows community to come and dine.

The atmosphere is extremely in­viting andfamily-oriented. All of the servers and hosts are friendly and attentive.Decorations disguise the rather small size of the proper­ty. The walls arepainted to make it appear as if you’re sitting on a bal­cony looking out into avineyard

The meal starts with several loaves of warm, crispybread, complete with basil and parmesan cheese.

There are quite a variety of en­trées to consider.These items are grouped under chicken, pasta, pas­ta al forno (baked dishes),salads and pizza.

One of the most interesting things about Toscana isthat you can cus­tomize your pasta to accommodate your likes and dislikes.

Intrigued, I decided to try out this unique feature. Tostart, I chose a sauce. Sauces like pomodoro, pesto, carbonara and Bologneseare among the many choices.

Following that, I chose what kind of pasta I wantedwith my sauce. Customers can choose from capellini, fettuccine, linguini, riga­toni,spaghetti or penne noodles. In the end, I decided upon pesto over pennenoodles.

When my food came, I was more than satisfied. Thecreamy pesto sauce was delicious. I might even go as far as saying it was the bestpesto sauce I have ever tasted.

Of course, every restaurant has their flaws. The onlyone that can be seen with Toscana is large por­tions. I ended up taking abouthalf of my dinner home.

My dad, who loves Italian res­taurants, ordered theLinguini con Calamari. After taking two bites of his meal he said that Toscanawas “better than Maggiano’s.”

And there’s no need to worry about spending your wholepay­check on some fine dining. Toscana is very reasonably priced. Each mealaverages $13.

Toscana also offers catering and carry-out.

If you like authentic Italian cui­sine,quality service and a fairly-priced menu, Toscana should be your next meal.Toscana is the per­fect place for both a family outing and a date.