Issue date: 9/15/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment

A snapshot of the eatery's pleasent dining environment. [Click to enlarge]

The pleasent greeting each patron receives. [Click to enlarge]

If you're like me, or any other college student, you're constantly on the lookout for a cheap Saturday dinner. And, if you are like me, or any smart college student, you're constantly on the lookout for some good Italian food.

You can quit your scouting mission, because I found the answer for all of you: Due Amiche on Dave Ward Drive. This cozy, low-key Italian restaurant is big on taste and small on price, and you'll definitely not leave hungry. Looking for a nice sandwich you can't find anywhere else? Try the Chicken Parmigiana sandwich for a measly $4.95. More of a classical Italian buff? Spaghetti and meatballs will cost you $5.50. And if you're into calzones, you can get a pepperoni calzone roughly the size of Lithuania for less money than it takes to do your laundry.

Not only that, but the service is quick and friendly, and the atmosphere is wonderfully easy-going. Due Amiche probably has less than thirty tables, but they treat it like a world-class establishment in Firenze. They have a wait staff of maybe four, but they give you cloth napkins. It's a restaurant that reinforces their family ambience with a picture of a twelve-year old posing for a picture in full football togs.

I had been to Due Amiche before, but when I went in last Friday it was in a completely different mindset than I generally have when I walk into a restaurant: that of a person just looking for mistakes. From the start, it seemed like there might be trouble, but the problems I was looking for never really emerged. There was a crowd outside of the restaurant, but my date and I were seated at a comfortable table immediately. The service to get our menus and drink orders was slow, but our bread and food were brought to us within five minutes. Our waitress was little overly involved in our dining, but eventually she let well enough alone. Everything was going fine.

I decided to test the chef a little and order Veal Parmigiana, arguably the most difficult item on their menu. The breading was perfect, and the parmesan cheese on top was perfect, just the right temperature and amount. The meat was extremely flavorful, but, to my overly critical tongue, a little tough. The spaghetti was cooked perfectly (as should be obvious), and the marinara was flavorful, but the entire dish seemed to be drowned in the sauce. I decided to order some tiramisu for dessert, generally a strong call at Due Amiche. We were informed, however, that the tiramisu was still in the freezer, and if we wanted dessert we would have to wait for it to thaw out. We politely declined, and went to Shake's for custard instead.

To be sure, no one is going to confuse Due Amiche for Spagos, or even for Pasta House. But if you're looking for cheap, filling, good Americanized Italian food, it just doesn't get any better than Due Amiche.

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