Tuscany (the restaurant) is a three-part affair. There is a Tuscany in Oak Brook, one on North Clark and one on Taylor. The focus of this review is the Taylor Street venue.

Different strokes for different folks. I happen to think that Tuscany shines when it comes to pasta dishes and the "specialita Toscane." Among the other possibilities, say, antipasti and a few of the veal dishes, I find no excitement at all. Once in a while the daily specials sling a thunderbolt or two, but I sometimes wonder if the selection is misguided. If I want Dover sole, for example, I will take mine at the Cape Cod Room, thank you. If I want tuna, I would likely have it at Toque on Randolph or Nick's Fishmarket.

In addition to pasta dishes, look under the menu heading "Griglia" for that lingering sunset of good flavor. Food that gets a turn on the wood-fired grill or rotisserie is where it's at here, in particular the chicken. The slow and steady turn on the rotisserie renders the flesh tender and moist, which results in chicken that actually tastes like chicken. And the roasted potatoes that truck along with the chicken are pretty good, too.

Another dish that sang a high flavor note was the grilled scampi. Marinated jumbo shrimp were split (tails still on) down the middle, grilled to a turn and arranged on a bed of spinach. Hard to beat something this simple and this good.

Having knocked the specials a bit, let me now back off and note one that was quite good: mixed greens (frisee, oakleaf, radicchio) rearranged with toasted pine nuts, strips of roasted red peppers and pencil-thin spears of grilled asparagus. And it was the luscious grilled asparagus that set the high tone for this dish.

The "specialita Toscane" noted earlier is only five dishes big, but for my money, were there but one to try, it would be the sauteed escarole with sausage and beans in garlic-infused olive oil. It is a meal on its own, but I would suggest that it be split as an appetizer, since a small amount goes a long way.

Now about those pasta dishes. Tuscany on Taylor Street offers up, like some noble tribute to the god of Macaroni, a wealth of good eating possibilities. A dozen choices are listed on the menu proper. One or two on the daily specials bump it up.

From the specials list: How could I refuse one that combines linguini with oil and garlic, throws is some roasted red peppers and then ups the ante with sun-dried tomatoes and chicken? I could quite easily, considering that this creation went one ingredient too far. The dish would stand--proper and perfectly--without the chicken (I am speculating that the kitchen was using up some of the rotisserie chicken from lunch).

But it doesn't get any better than the chewy-good potato gnocchi dressed with a fresh tomato sauce and fresh basil (ah, the joy of cucina semplice, or keeping it simple). Rousingly good, too, are the raviolini ai quattro formaggi, small ravioli stuffed with meat and Parmigiano cheese and dressed lightly with a rich four-cheese sauce.

Ah, the linguini con scampi fra diavolo. Translation: linguini with shrimp and hot as hell. ("Fra diavolo" translates as "brother devil.") With a marinara sauce, zesty with garlic and crushed hot peppers, lacing the linguini, and a bevy of shrimp to boot, this was one fine plate of pasta. Priced at $17.95, this is the highest-priced pasta dish on the menu, but it was worth it.

Regarding price, a word of advice. Pasta portions are large and can easily be split for a pasta course. And since many of the pasta dishes are less than 10 bucks (above creation the exception), the value is there.

Desserts are mostly a yawn. Tiramisu almost looks factory-made, and seems to have a DNA consistent with polyester. Chocolate mousse cake is well made, but nothing special. Probably for the money, the best bet is the chocolate cannoli, but all that is is a cannoli shell dipped in chocolate with the usual ricotta filling.