If I were going to create an Italian restaurant, I'd design it with several small dining rooms, each slightly different from the other but all with cool terra cotta tile floors. Then I'd cover the walls with stucco and adorn them with lifelike murals. I'd use dark wood furniture appropriate to the theme and I'd use skylights to make sure the overall feeling was light and airy. Well, if I ever do design an Italian restaurant, I'd simply be copying Bocci's - a great Italian restaurant in historic downtown Charleston.

USA Today mentioned Bocci's as one of the leading Italian restaurants in the United States. Bocci's is ably managed by Kelly Cooper who sees that the young attractive staff knows exactly what they're talking about when they describe the excellent menu as well as nightly specials and ensures that the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. When I last ate there, we were served by Richard who did an excellent job, handled a special request with cool aplomb and encouraged us to try several things that were new to us.

Bocci's has a good wine menu as well as quite a few excellent selections available by the glass. We were so impressed by these that we settled on wine by the glass so we could change throughout the meal. The appetizer menu includes a great antipasta salad, "heart-healthy" minestrone soup and several unique creations. We settled on the Bocci Sampler which contained tender fried calamari strips with a pesto cream sauce, plump artichoke hearts filled with gorgonzola cheese (lightly breaded and fried and served atop a florentine cream sauce), and handpulled mozzarella cheese breaded and fried and served with tomato basil sauce for dipping. These were great! We were also served a wonderful homebaked Italian bread, which was accompanied with a delicious herb garlic butter. A feast all by itself! The menu has choices of pastas, all made on the premise, as well as meat and fish entrees. If you order one of the latter you still get a side serving of spaghetti and fresh vegetables. The members of our party chose a variety of dishes. We were particularly impressed with the angel hair pasta topped with sautéed shrimp, sundried tomatoes and a pesto cream sauce. It was the great way the pasta had been tossed with the sauce which meant that it was thoroughly blended. We also enjoyed the sautéed boneless breast of chicken atop the angelhair pasta in a delicate lemon basil cream sauce.

Bocci's is Italian and so you have to try their desserts and special coffees. We settled on cappuccino which was perfect and the Canaille and Trams.

TRAVELHOST of Charleston gives a rave review to Bocci's for great Italian food in a perfect setting. Bocci's is conveniently located just a block off the Market at 158 Church St.
For more information or reservations, call (843) 720-2121.

By Ruth Ackermann

Dinner Nightly
Lunch 11:00 Dinner 4:30pm