Scarpetta, Edinburgh

Restaurateurs of the world rejoice! After receiving inspiration during today's review I can now offer financial salvation. Ground down by ever shrinking margins? Burdened by horrendous food inflation? Read on, and your woes may be lifted.

If you want to wager that an Edinburgh Italian place is run by members of the Crolla family, you'll get odds no better than evens. Place that bet here and you'd be on a winner. It's a husband and wife team, Antonio and Carmen Crolla. On their website they describe Scarpetta as a space full of cozy (sic) retro charm. They also say in interview that they turned the place upside down from its previous incarnation as Caffe Centro.

Patricia Cornwell, Creator of Kay Scarpetta

When I visited with the Retired Captain of Industry, I immediately recognised all the pictures on the wall, and aside from a lick of paint, it looked much the same. I just hoped that the coffee had improved from last time. Anyway, what about the name?. If you're expecting memorabilia from, or homage to, Patricia Cornwell's famous heroine you'll be disappointed. The literal meaning of scarpetta is little shoe; however fare la scarpetta means mopping every last drop of sauce from your plate with bread, finger or, I suppose, tongue. All permissible in my book if the food is good enough.

A traditional Italian meal lines up as antipasto, pasta, primo contorno (first course), secondo contorno, dolce. Now, while I doubt that many eat thus these days, the idea of pasta as a main course is a peculiarity of Brito-Italian menus. I don't really approve nor, I think, does the RCI who has genuine Italian ancestry. I discover in the course of lunch that he is the second cousin of the celebrated Italian singer and film star Mario Lanza. But we digress.

The problem with the average Italian menu is that they all look much the same. The difference is usually to be found in the recipes handed down by nonna. It might be regarded as negligence to review an Italian restaurant and not sample the pasta; however, I had my eye on my favourite pollo milanese. What would be great would be a small plate of pasta as a starter. Is this possible? I asked of our smiley waitress. Clearly not a common request, but she promised to enquire. With an even broader, nay triumphant, smile she returned. Yes, of course we can do this! But - wait for it - it'll be the same price.

So, chefs everywhere, that's the secret. Give your customers half the food, but charge them full whack. I have to deduct two points from the service score; one for the sheer effrontery of the chef, the second to Ms X (whose name I have unforgivably forgotten) for not refusing to pass on the insult.

So we had polpette (meat balls) of which they boast highly and arancione (rice ball). Both pretty decent. And, unlike the last Italian joint which I reviewed here in town, sensibly priced. I stuck with my chicken Milanese and RCI, an expert on the subject, went for Mamma's Lasagna. The chicken was pretty decent without being memorable. (Yes, I am aware I used that phrase three lines ago.) And the lasagna? The problem with mammas is that until there is a next generation and they become nonnas, their cooking levels don't quite reach the same heights. The verdict: pretty decent.

In summary, both of us could have produced better food. I don't subscribe to the view that that's a reason for avoiding an eating place. But if you are going to produce tried and tested, I think that just a little bit of zing is required. Check out Sugo Pasta. Oh, also check your website. It's weird.