"Instead of doing a lamb ragout, we'll do a lamb shish kabob and put it on top of a salad with cucumbers and mint," he said.

Favorites include the wild mushroom and pistachio terrine ($8) and lamb ragout and tagliatelli ($18).

The cuisine features ravioli and lamb ragout, sea bass with chard and potatoes, and gibanica - a dessert involving poppy seeds, walnuts, cheese and apples.

For mains, favourites include the tian d'agneau aux olives (lamb ragout with olives; €18) and the caprettu arrustini (roast kid; €21).

New menu items include grilled sweetwater prawns, and rigatoni with lamb ragout.

The carrot fettuccine comes in a lusty lamb ragout with truffle oil, and spaghetti is tossed in a seductive Bolognese sauce.

Many fine pastas, including handmade fusilli with a lamb ragout and malloreddus, little multi-colored cones that are a specialty of Sardinia.

Pastas include homemade gnocchi topped with a lamb ragout and Parmesan cheese, linguine tossed in a fresh octopus sauce, and ravioli of spring lamb and artichoke.

Hardy pastas like homemade fettuccine bathed in a lusty lamb ragout and tricolored fettuccini perky with bacon, white wine and cream are also fine openers.

Lasagnette with lamb ragout also came in an astonishing portion.