In heart of city, Italian eatery fit for a fat cat

As I sat in a comfortable booth at LaScala's waiting for my order of lasagna to arrive, I felt like Garfield the cat.

Alternating layers of cheese, pasta and sauce - it's a simple concept but one that tends to elude me on Penn's campus.

So when I finally had a chance to eat at a downtown Italian restaurant, there was no question that I would order anything but the preferred dish of everyone's favorite feline from the funny pages.

Thankfully, the lasagna at LaScala's did not disappoint.

Neither did the bread, the appetizers or the desserts.

By the end of the evening, I was starting to understand where Garfield's chronic weight issues stem from.

With its seamless blend of home-style comfort and Center City chic, LaScala's serves up Italian staples in an atmosphere just as sophisticated as its trendy neighbors.

And rather than falling into the trap of trying to be autentico with decor that emphasizes tiles and columns (as many Italian restaurants do), LaScala's skips the cliches and goes for a sleek look that pairs simple lighting with brick walls.

I started the evening with an appetizer of homemade fried mozzarella ($7), which is the classy way of saying cheese sticks. My companion (let's call her Odie) went with a delectable sampling of calamari fritti ($8).

Moving on to main courses, I feasted on the aforementioned lasagna ($15). Just as I had hoped, it was the ideal - and hard to mess up - combination of cheese, pasta and tomato sauce (I opted out of the meat sauce.)

I was, however, impressed by its presentation: Only so many restaurants would put effort into making a dish you could prepare in any oven look like something fit for a gourmand.

Odie had the lobster ravioli special, which she described as "buttery." In Odie-speak, "buttery" means "two thumbs up."

For dessert we dined on chocolate cake and tiramisu, but we regretted being unable to try the chocolate-chip-cookie sundae or banana and chocolate-chip bread pudding, just as we had earlier lamented not being able to order every pasta on the menu. With an extensive martini menu and several unmined entree options, we barely scratched the surface of LaScala's offerings.

LaScala's provides great food, friendly service and affordability; I'm not sure I - or Garfield - could ask for much more in a restaurant.

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