doesn't take reservations except for parties of eight or more, but people are obviously willing to wait for tables. The contemporary good looks can be attributed to teamwork by architect/designers Keith Jakobsen and Len Meikl along with restaurant co-owner Vincent Gentile. If the name rings a bell, it's because his father Giusseppe Gentile was behind the Italian Village and Casa D'Italia in the 1960s and 70s. The food is casual and there are strengths and weaknesses. On our first visit, we liked the caesar salad with its full-bodied dressing and the tuna carpaccio was nicely prepared and presented, although it was shaved so thin the delicate flavor was hard to detect. A pizza with garlic, fresh basil, boconcini cheese and tomato sauce is a good idea, but was too heavy with melted cheese and a cooked tomato sauce. The crust was on the tough side of things. The red snapper, too, could have used a lighter touch. On a second visit, we enjoyed a calamari dish, sauteed with garlic, white wine, herbs and a julienne of vegetables, as well as the mixed green salad. My linguine with fresh prawns and garlic was generously endowed with prawns and the flavors melded well. My husband's lasagne, although a hearty and rustic dish, was quite heavy with cheese and sauce. The wine list emphasizes affordable Italian selections and is adequate for a casual menu. By the past choices were disappointing. Mia Stansby Vancouver Sun Critic Back...

Touch of Designer Hip on The Drive L'Impero{Marcello's} Ristorante 1404 Commercial Drive (604)255-4444 Ambiance: 4 stars L'Impero [now called Marcello's] Ristorante strode on to a street previously immune to design teams and stylishly hip young staff. As any Commercial Drive buff knows, the folksy nature of the drive is what gives the street character. But L'Impero, in a face-lifted brick building, definitely adds a stylish allure to the street. It has high ceilings, maple and wrought-iron furniture, Roman columns, huge bay windows, faux terra-cotta-tile floors and warm yellow sandstone walls. On nice days, golden shafts of sun spill into the place, bathing diners in a warm glow. Smaller windows with Romeo and Juliet "balconies" give the look of a Roman piazza. Servers dress in black and white, and their colorful ties say: "I'm cool." There has obviously been a pent-up demand for such a place--two months after opening, there's a crush at the door in the evenings. L'Impero