Pasta and a Trolley Car Near San Pedro Square

A vintage trolley car sits in the middle of a big, two-story, factory-style dining room, and yes, you can have dinner inside it. That single detail gives this downtown Italian restaurant a personality that is hard to confuse with a standard red-sauce spot.

The building has the scale and industrial bones of an old loft, softened by warm lighting and an assortment of vintage décor. Booths, a bar area and counter seating spread through the room, while the trolley car provides the most nostalgic table in the house.

For children, the trolley seating turns a pasta dinner into a small outing of its own. For adults, it is pleasantly goofy in the best way: a place to settle in with a plate of spaghetti while surrounded by a piece of old-fashioned transit.

The car also has a nice way of making a family tradition out of an ordinary dinner. The restaurant has drawn repeat visits across generations, including families returning to the train-car setting with their children.

Trolley seating is subject to availability, so it is better viewed as a memorable possibility than a guaranteed assignment. Even away from the car, the rest of the dining room has enough character to keep the visit from feeling generic.

The menu stays in the reassuring territory of hearty, rustic Italian cooking, with pasta at the center. Portions are generous, and the appeal is straightforward: the dishes people tend to crave when they want a filling, familiar Italian meal rather than a tiny, precious plate.

Spaghetti with meat sauce remains a dependable starting point. Spaghetti and meatballs, angel hair with meat sauce and sausage, and baked lasagna all fit the restaurant's generous, old-school approach.

The Meat Lover's Treat gives diners another substantial option, while chicken Alfredo and chicken piccata add a break from the red-sauce side of the menu. A mixed table can order across the classics without anyone having to negotiate too hard.

Among the pasta favorites, mizithra cheese with browned butter has its own following. It is a simple-sounding combination, but the salty cheese and rich browned butter make it an especially satisfying choice for someone who wants to step away from marinara without leaving the comfort-food lane.

This is the sort of order that gives regulars a personal favorite to return to. It also works well on a table where people are sharing tastes and comparing sauces.

The usual rhythm of a meal is notably substantial: soup or salad, bread, an entrée and spumoni at the end. It has the pleasingly unhurried structure of a full Italian dinner, even when the main decision is simply which pasta sounds best.

Bread gets its own share of attention here. A mini loaf has accompanied meals, and cheesy bread has appeared as an appetizer, giving the table something warm and easy to pull apart while everyone waits for the main plates.

Then comes spumoni, the classic three-flavor ice cream combination of chocolate, strawberry and pistachio. It is a fitting finish for a restaurant that is unabashedly fond of old-fashioned pleasures.

The restaurant also includes vegetarian selections, with vegetarian items clearly identified on the menu. That does not turn it into a dietary-specialty restaurant, but it gives a group with different appetites more room to choose.

Chicken piccata is a useful alternative for diners who want something lighter in character than lasagna or a meat-heavy pasta plate, while Alfredo dishes keep the menu's creamy, indulgent side well represented.

A setting with a trolley car might sound tailored to children, but the room works just as easily for a relaxed date or a long dinner with friends. The warm lights, vintage pieces and loft-like surroundings lend a little occasion to a plate of spaghetti.

Private dining and banquet rooms expand the options for gatherings, and the restaurant has accommodated parties as large as 13. The service style is friendly and accommodating, which matters when a table is ordering across several courses and several generations.

In addition to the various indoor rooms, outdoor dining is available. That gives the restaurant a different pace from the enclosed vintage setting, particularly for diners spending time around the pedestrian-friendly area near San Pedro Square.

Parking in the downtown area can mean an on-site lot, street spaces or paid lots and garages. The mix is practical to know before dinner, especially when the restaurant is the gathering point for a larger party.

Some visits have moved quickly from arrival to table, though seating times naturally vary. Calling ahead has helped at least one large group arrange its meal, a sensible detail when several people are hoping to sit together.