Upscale, not fussy

Tessa's

16 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville, (630) 357-9200

Cuisine: Rustic Italian

Setting: Family-friendly, upscale trattoria

Price range: Starters $4 to $14; salads $6 to $8; entrees $8 to $42; desserts $3 to $7

Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday

Accepts: Major credit cards

While food trends come and go, Italian fare has staying power.

And while we've never met a person who has an inherent bone to pick with pasta or a grudge against giambotta, we're of the mindset that this universally enjoyed cuisine suffers from oversaturation. (Case in point: Right next door to Tessa's is La Sorella di Francesca.)

Still, Tessa's was packed, and we headed there cautiously enthusiastic to give it a go.

Jim Bergeron's revamped, four-level concept is located in a pleasant, press-tin-ceiling, vintage building. The menu, though tried and true in appearance, takes recognizable fare to garlicky (we'd even say sometimes delightful) heights.

Details such as exposed brick walls accented with steel ductwork, dark wood touches and butcher-papered, green-and-white-check tablecloth-topped tables signal familiarity and warmth. Slightly elevated pop tunes help drown out some of the din, which increases as families pack the house, while a small bar -- complete with flat-screen TV -- in back promises the wait for tables on weekends will be near-tolerable.

Upstairs, myriad banquet rooms -- including a top-floor space with a veranda -- cater to businesses and partiers in search of homey fare, minus the work involved.

The menu is huge (even a bit overwhelming) and is filled with many tasty-sounding things. We'd certainly suggest ordering the red-wine-soaked garlic bread to start. An interesting twist on the toothbrush-required favorite, this soused, brightly hued slab managed to be rich and chewy on the inside while retaining a crisp exterior. And it was all the better for being finished with a fresh crackle of sea salt.

We also wholeheartedly recommend the chopped salad. This monster is available in two sizes, and we could barely make a dent in the small. It's packed with everything but the kitchen sink -- blue cheese, plump cherry tomatoes, bacon bits -- and tossed with a tangy, creamy Italian vinaigrette. After enjoying the leftovers, we attempted to replicate our own the next night.

Meals also can launch with sexy starters such as beef carpaccio, prosciutto-wrapped shrimp and steamed clams. You'll find spiced tomato or eggplant bruschetta, crab-stuffed mushrooms, fried calamari and spinach-artichoke dip, too. Groups can opt to nosh on an antipasto platter or, perhaps, an Italian cheese plate.

Speaking of groups, large parties should check out the family-style menu. Available in two configurations ($24 or $29 per person), it comes with an array of appetizers, salads, pastas, entrees and dessert.

But back to beginners. We're sure salads alone could make a meal given our experience, so don't be afraid to fill up on a caprese, Caesar or spinach and prosciutto number or couple them with Italian onion or minestrone soup. Pizza is an option as well.

You'll find nothing fussy about the main courses; they are rustic but upscale, hearty and meant to be shared.

The chicken farfalle was a brilliantly hued feast, its garlic-packed basil-pesto cream sauce clinging to piquant, cheese-topped bowties. Served in a massive white bowl with a big spoon to promote sharing, it was hard to do anything but keep this to oneself.

All pasta selections are available in half and full sizes, so decide how hungry you really are before ordering the pancetta and clam-speckled linguine in lemon cream sauce, stuffed jumbo shells with goat cheese-tomato sauce, rigatoni with mushroom ragu, or orecchiette with tomato and ricotta.

One dish we didn't try but thought we might was the oddly named tomato fondue rigatoni, a misnomer in the sense that the dish is simply finished with a cheesy, tomato-based cream sauce.

All the greatest hits -- from eggplant Parmesan to chicken Marsala and veal saltimbocca -- are on the menu, too. We couldn't help but indulge in the costly (but worth it) veal osso buco, which falls apart at the tap of a fork into a rich, tomato-y sauce. Its tender, sweet vegetables and whipped garlic potatoes are perfect sides.

Other appealing eats range from apple rosemary-stuffed pork chops and a veal porterhouse to (all-the-rage) braised short ribs, a Kobe beef rib-eye and grilled swordfish with puttanesca sauce. Seared sea scallops cozy up with capellini and sun-dried tomato sauce, and calamari gets stuffed with ricotta cheese.

Not that you'll need to, but you can order sides such as asiago-crusted fennel, grilled portobello mushrooms and roasted baby carrots if you're so inclined.

Unless you make a point to reserve room, ordering dessert could be inconceivable. Try to plan ahead. Abundant leftovers will reheat well, and the crunchy-shelled, creamy mascarpone-filled cannoli is worth the calories imparted. We found the coffee gelato to be a luxe, refreshing finale.

The wine list is as large as the menu, and it includes everything from a classy Fiddlehead pinot noir to a trendy Grgich Hills merlot. Some selections are available by the glass, but they were few in comparison to the by-the-bottle array.

A few specialty drinks, which seem to be requisite these days, and a small but appealing collection of draft and bottled beers round off the beverages.

Nothing here is earth-shatteringly different, nor will it leave you shouting from the rooftops. It's just simple, well-prepared food that caters to the masses but never feels churned out.

Service, on the other hand, was harried. Our waitress was the only one staffed when we dined, and many of the tables were filled. Despite the crazed look in her eye, she navigated the situation fairly well and we had a hard time holding it against her.