Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano on the West side is a dining experience that includes reasonably priced, generously portioned and freshly prepared Italian cuisine.

A boost to any restaurant’s credibility, Biaggi’s has catered parties for Mrs. Cindy Alvarez on more than one occasion.

The first Biaggi’s opened in 1999 in Bloomington, Ill., which now serves as the restaurant headquarters.

The Madison restaurant opened on the west side on Junction Road in December 2000 as the fourth location for this growing company. Biaggi’s now has 16 restaurants in 10 states while increasing their Madison business.

Walking in for the first time, one might think that Biaggi’s is suited for business casual attire. But the white tablecloths, linen napkins and two separate wine lists are not necessarily representative of the dress code.

Many businessmen and women do come in during their lunch breaks, and some of them even conduct meetings in the wine room or reserve the entire side room for presentations. But don’t be intimidated by first impressions. A large majority of those who dine at Biaggi’s are everyday people wearing jeans and cotton T-shirts and just going out for a good Italian meal.

Keeping with their goal of “always having something new to offer customers,” the menu at Biaggi’s is regularly modified to offer new selections and weekly specials. For example, earlier this summer, wine selections were changed to allow for every wine (excluding those on the reserve list) to be offered by either the glass or bottle.

Only a few months back, Biaggi’s joined many other restaurants in offering “low-carb selections.” How could an Italian restaurant offer anything low-carb? Skip the cauliflower mashers and stick with the flavorful, carb-full garlic mashed potatoes.

When it comes to antipasti, Carpaccio Tradizionale is something you won’t find at most Italian restaurants in the Madison area. Thinly sliced, raw beef tenderloin surrounds a mixture of arugula, capers, red onions, and parmigiano reggiano cheese, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. There are other standard Italian restaurant appetizers of bruschetta, stuffed mushrooms, fried calamari and garlic bread.

Pizza lovers should check out one of the five (often a sixth is offered as a special) different nine-inch, thin crust, individual pizzas. Those who are not into pizza may enjoy pasta.

Try the Ziti al Forno, a penne pasta tossed with fresh shrimp and grilled chicken baked in a lobster cream sauce with red onions and a blend of four cheeses, Rigatoni alla Toscana, a tube-shaped pasta sautéed with Italian sausage, roasted red and green peppers in a marinara sauce topped with herb goat cheese or Capellini di Mare, an angel hair pasta tossed with five types of seafood in a spicy tomato sauce. Just be sure to remember that everything is served àla carte and choice of soup and salad is not included with the meals.

If you are dining there for a quick lunch, sandwiches are just as good of an option as pasta dishes. The turkey avocado and chicken parmesan sandwiches are two of the more popular selections. All sandwiches are served with a choice of thinly cut French fries or homemade potato chips.

Although Biaggi’s is an Italian restaurant, they serve two excellent steaks. The N.Y. strip and filet mignon are prepared to order and served with sautéed vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes. Other entrees offered include the K.C. veal strip, a 12-ounce steak served with a mushroom demi-glaze cream and sautéed broccoli, Shrimp Oreganata, eight oregano and garlic breadcrumb encrusted shrimp oven-roasted and served with angel hair pasta tossed in a tomato basil sauce and Chilean sea bass, a cast iron seared tender, yet flaky fillet of fish atop a bed of roasted red pepper cream sauce, sautéed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes.

Definitely peruse the dessert menu. White chocolate bread pudding, the dense Torta Ciccolata topped with raspberry sauce, or a spumoni gelato sundae built into a crispy crepe shell topped with fresh strawberries and chocolate sauce are all wonderful.

All in all, Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano is definitely worth the short trip out to the West side of Madison. With affordable prices, a comfortable atmosphere, good food and great service, Biaggi’s is sure to continue building its clientele.