You know that a restaurant’s hospitality factor is romantically high when the owner tells you personally, “Close your eyes, and your dreams will come true.” And when it’s stated so poignantly in a warm and fuzzy Milanese accent, you can rest assured that those dreams involve some lip-smacking dishes steeped in northern-Italian goodness.

I haven’t visited Antico Toscano since it was taken over by Luca Allieri of Milan two years ago. Clean Tuscan-style meals, smooth Chianti wine and the restfully lit atmosphere fondly swayed my memories of the place when the previous Zanobini family owned it. Yet much to our delight, Allieri has not only preserved the restaurant’s humble core, but he’s glossed up the menu with creamy risottos and meaty entrees that include one of the best spaghetti Bolognese dishes I’ve had on this side of the Atlantic.

If you prefer total nurturing, Allieri removes the decision-making process from the equation with a “chef’s menu” that gives you a little of this, a little of that. Or if you can’t decide on a vino from his unique wine list, which features some rare Italian reds, he’ll fetch you a palate-pleasing varietal with almost telepathic judgment. Sophisticated white-linen dining with a homey twist seems to be the motto here.

My dining companion and I took a passive approach to the wine list while opting to rake over the food menu on our own. A super-mellow Syrah and big Pinot Noir became the correct picks for two different appetizers – a wonderfully spongy Grilled Polenta with Gorgonzola-mushroom sauce, plus a plate of paper-thin beef Carpaccio adorned with hearts of palm, lemon and white truffle oil. Magnifico!

From the menu’s diverse salad category, the house Casalinga proved that simplicity is the spice of life with its curly lettuce, fresh tomatoes and superb vinaigrette. The Tropicale is also recommended if you’re looking for a burst of roasted bell pepper with your greens.

As the irresistible rustic white bread on the table began dangerously filling our stomachs, we thought it best to skip over two tempting soups – roasted tomato with goat cheese and Pasta e Fagioli made with white beans. My companion’s Ravioli di Formaggio was reminiscent of the stuffed pasta pillows the former owners used to serve – delicate in texture, rich in flavor. Here, the Porcini mushroom sauce tasted delectably earthy with plenty of cream mixed in to cloak the tongue.

But it was the Spaghetti Bolognese that excited the heck out of me given the fact I’ve never found a version of the dish in San Diego that turns out a meat sauce this thick and zealous. Less authentic recipes, geared for all-American palates, usually resemble goulash. Allieri gets it right, however, with the added merit of finely minced pork in the mixture. And the hefty portion size yielded two leftover meals for me in the ensuing 48 hours.

With plenty of pasta dishes in sundry sauces comprising the menu, visitors will also find a tasty selection of meat and fish entrees such as chicken casserole made with artichokes and root vegetables, salmon baked in white wine, beef Osso Buco and Angus filet with Gorgonzola cheese. And by mid-September, the kitchen will have in place a wood-fired oven imported from Italy for making pizza.

Of the desserts, the Panna Cotta is a jiggly, gold-medal creation made with brandy-soaked cherries. Spumoni and Cannoli are also available. And naturally, the espresso-soaked Tiramisu shows off Allieri’s adherence to quality and heritage, which remain the fail-proof trademarks of this fine Italian restaurant.