PITTSFIELD -- When Lynne and Michael Soldato bought what used to be the North End Ristorante on upper North St. (Route 7), they brought a good deal of restaurant savvy to their new venture. She had been part owner of Pasta's in Lanesboro and he co-owner and chef at Mario's in New Lebanon, N.Y.

They wanted to work together and to come up with something all their own, and it looks as if they have done it.

Zucchinis has a lot going for it -- a spacious bar, easy parking, a well-traveled road, very reasonable prices and a crowd-pleasing, mostly Italian menu with woodfired pizza, too.

The first thing we saw on our way in from the parking lot was, yes, zucchinis. A huge patch of the signature vegetable peeking up greenly from sprawling vines by the stairs.

It was Lynne's idea, and they weren't just for decoration, either. They were harvested regularly and served up as appetizers and side dishes or over pasta. (That was in late September, before the frost finally did them in.)

The next thing we saw was the people, almost as prolific as the squash. On the stairs, in the doorway, three deep at the bar. It was a Saturday night, and Zucchinis was hopping. No one seemed deterred by being told that there would

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be a 35-minute wait. Some slid into the bar, some clustered by the entry, chatting and enjoying the scene.

We decided we had just the right amount of time for an appetite-whetting stroll the short distance up to the southern tip of Pontoosuc Lake. It was lovely and silver in the dusk and we marveled once again at what a city of contrasts Pittsfield is.

We timed our return to find the people ahead of us being whisked off to a table, and soon enough it was our turn. On the main level, the place has large and smaller dining areas split by a very large fireplace that will provide a comforting glow of gas fire during the nippy months.

The walls sport faux brick, indoor awnings and murals depicting café life. A big attraction in the main room are the comfy booths lining either side, each with its own television screen.

We, however, preferred more old-fashioned entertainment -- talking with one another and watching live people -- from an ordinary table by a window.

What a lively mix of people to watch: Our immediate neighbors included an elderly couple, a gaggle of teenagers sipping big pink drinks, a guy in bandana and leathers with a woman in a "Biker Chick" T-shirt and a family of eight, a small one of whom toddled over to our table and climbed up on the empty chair to have a look at us before she was scooped up by her mother and returned to her place by the tube.

I'm quite sure that mine was the only dress and my husband's the only tie in the dining room.

A glance at the menu gave us a good idea why the place appeals to a wide audience: steaks and veal, pastas and strombolis, salads and burgers, mac and cheese, and chicken in several guises, including a couple of slightly incongruous Thai offerings.

The pizza lineup had all the usual suspects and a handful of novelties, including hot wing and Hawaiian -- which we did not try -- Gorgonzola with pecans and pears, and artichoke with chicken and spinach ($7.95 each), both of which we sampled at a later date for takeout.

One of the appetizer specials caught our fancy -- a tomato napoleon ($5.95) made of layers of locally grown, but still rather bland, tomato slathered with pesto and interleaved with fresh mozzarella and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction.

Our other choice was a must-try: fried zucchini ($4.95). About a dozen slices, with a crusty coating sprinkled with garlic, Reg-giano parmesan and parsley came with marinara for dunking. We polished these off between sips of one of the house reds, an Australian cabernet.

Iceberg salads and herbed rolls and butter ushered in our dinner choices, and I must say that I was increasingly impressed by the attentive young man who served us. He seemed courteous, organized and unruffled by the busy pace.

We must have been in a carnivorous mood, because we both chose meat entrees. Rod pronounced the Steak au Poivre ($16.95) good, but not memorable. It was a largish New York strip with plenty of peppercorns and brown sauce, and it arrived pretty rare, even though he'd ordered medium. (If the chef erred, at least it was in the right direction, said I.)

It came with green beans, a little too al dente, and steamed red potatoes.

I decided to play to the house strength with an Italian classic -- Veal Parmigiana ($13.95) -- and was rewarded with two tender breaded cutlets, with not much parmesan flavor, but with lots of capers, butter and lemon.

When dessert rolled around, we both passed on the touted homemade brownie sundae. I continued my Italian bent, opting for what turned out to be a lush, moist tiramisu ($3.95) of coffee-dipped sponge cake and sweetened mascarpone cheese, adorn-ed with strawberries.

Rod couldn't forgo the chocolate zucchini cake ($3.95) -- surely one of the better-disguised vehicles for getting people to eat their vegetables, or, perhaps, for luring the confirmed sweet tooth into a sense of false virtue. The large slab was dense to the point of being almost clay-ey, with a sweet cocoa flavor and good chocolate icing.

As we finished our coffee -- an espresso machine wouldn't have been amiss there -- the bill came, and we felt a pleasing reverse of sticker shock. It seems that Zucchinis has found a recipe for success, giving Pittsfielders a congenial place to meet and eat at prices that will keep them coming back.


Restaurant Review

Zucchinis, 1331 North St. (Route 7), Pittsfield, Tel. (413) 442-2777.

Style: Casual Italian and pizza

Dress: Comfortable

Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday -- 11:30 to 9; Friday and Saturday 11:30 to 10.

Prices: Appetizers and salads: $2.75 to $7.95; Burgers and sandwiches: $5.50 to $6.95; Entrees: $6.95 to $16.95

Smoking: Bar only

Liquor: Full bar

Accessibility: Fully accessible

Credit cards: All major

Reservations: For parties of 10 or more

Specials: Banquet facilities for parties and meetings

Oct. 22, 2003