“You can’t even buy a salad at Jack-in-the-Box for these prices!” exclaimed one of my dining cohorts as we gawked over the menu at the new Apertivo. It was as though we were reading a serious misprint. Italian tapas such as Shrimp Scampi, Chicken Parmesan and Grilled Portobello Mushrooms all priced in the low single digits for under $6 apiece? The portions must be microscopic, we thought.

Suddenly a $3 antipasto flew by us. “That doesn’t look so small,” noted my other dining companion. “And I’m sure I saw meat and cheese in it,” he blurted.

Still skeptical, we ordered it along with two other salads also costing $3 each. Had we not been a trio, I could have gotten fat on greens. The antipasto, though served on a pie-size plate, sported plenty of mozzarella and diced salami for the price. The arugula salad with crumbled Gorgonzola and sweet onions was also satisfying. Ditto for the spinach salad with bits of hard-boiled egg. Sharing was believing.

Chef Ken Cassinelli and his wife, Janie Losli, are seemingly giving away their Italian-tapas restaurant since opening last month. But Cassinelli says, “The numbers are working out” when referring to his bottom line. He also notes that overhead is low, given the fact Losli waits on tables and there isn’t much else of a staff.

Faced with such bargain prices, we ordered lawlessly. From the meat lineup, we tried the Grilled Chicken Breast ($4), a simple but delicious filet served in a puddle of olive oil with parsley and a slice of lemon. A couple of meatballs for a buck apiece proved tasty, too. In fact it’s the first turkey meatball I’ve consumed that almost fooled me into thinking I was eating beef. And an order of six Grilled Shrimp ($5) ranked among our favorites, given their succulent charred flavor.

There was little semblance to the influx of food to our table. But part of the fun with tapas is that you eat in the order they’re received. A generous serving of Roasted Red Peppers ($2), however, could have been better utilized at the beginning of our repast for pairing up with the chicken or salads. And we weren’t expecting them to be served chilled. Although a nice plate of mixed olives for the same price – some pitted, some not – kept us picking from beginning to end, as did the complimentary warm, soft breadsticks served with extra-creamy Darigold Butter.

It soon became evident that Cassinelli draws from his half-Italian decent when cooking, as the food doesn’t struggle to capture the rustic flavors of Italy. The Eggplant Parmesan ($4) steers clear of the mushy, over-cheesed version I find in other restaurants. And the marinara sauce, used also on the meatballs, tastes pure and fresh.

From the pasta category I can’t recommend enough the Puttanesca. For a measly $4 you get a quaint serving of spaghetti, capellini, linguine or penne dressed in a thin tomato sauce that mingles lovingly with capers, anchovies and olives. Top it off with a few shakes of grated Romano cheese from the table and say hello to heaven.

Pasta prices cap off at $6 if you opt for the Vongole sauce, made with clams, garlic and olive oil. It’s the most expensive item on the menu. For a couple bills less, the Pesto we ordered was of fine pedigree. Cassinelli omits the pine nuts, which allows the basil to blossom. And the Fettucini Alfredo was standard tasting, if not a tad light on the cream and cheese.

Cassinelli intends to expand the menu soon, although we found plenty of adequate choices that also included Fried Calamari, Lasagna, Roasted Potatoes, Italian Greens and several other pasta plates.

A wine bar stocked mostly with Italian labels resides along the back wall of the open dining room, which might cry for soundproofing on busy nights. The casual atmosphere is nonetheless comfy and especially enjoyable if Cassinelli comes out of the kitchen to schmooze. His enthusiasm for this first-time restaurant venture is as contagious as the food he serves.

From the dessert cache you’ll find homemade Chocolate Mousse Pie ($3) made with Ghirardelli chocolate, mini Canoli ($2), tri-colored Spumoni ice cream ($3) and a decadent Lemon Cheese Cake Mousse topped with blueberries ($3).

It’s all good, especially when you consider that nowhere in San Diego can you shovel down so many little meals for such a minor blow to the wallet.