With the awards (Best New Restaurant 2005 in Chicago magazine) piling up and the rave reviews pouring in, it was a bit of a surprise to walk into Osteria Via Stato and not see crowds of rabid diners packing the heavy wooden tables. Chalk it up to my late lunch arrival, because it can't be because of the Italian family-style food, the cost-effective concept or the country farmhouse mixed with a business-in-the-big-city atmosphere. (It could be because of the weird, techno jazz playing in the background, though).

Here's the deal: At dinner pay $35.95 for a three-course meal, a simple, budget-friendly way to try several rotating entrees. The portion size is along the lines of, "Let's start small and if you want more, we'll bring it to you." (All except for the entree; you only get one serving of secondi).

Within a few minutes of sitting, the killer antipasti dishes start crawling out of the kitchen. By the time I had barely tasted a spoonful of soup, a small crowd had swarmed my table, with waiters delivering the next tiny dish of mixed olives and plates of wood-roasted Peruvian onions finished off with parmesan cheese. All at once, the bread basket arrived, full of fat wedges of rustic country toasts, along with a tossed field green salad with a sugar-laced dressing competes with petite mozzarella balls dressed in olive oil and fresh basil. Then, before you know it, my entree is eased onto the only available space left on the table. Whoa!

The seasonal entree's change frequently, but most of the fishes are delicious (the pan-seared halibut in fennel and a light tomato jus was fantastic), as are the pastas (the homemade cavatelli with fresh green peas was featherlike and almost like an Italian version of chicken and dumplings). It doesn't stop with the main course, though. Alongside the entrees came a round of tender, baked asparagus, plus a huge dollop of creamy polenta (truly, you could make a meal out of these two sides alone).

With the neat "just-bring-me-the-wine" option for tasting different wines for a fraction of the bottle cost, the bill just keeps getting lighter. The adjacent wine bar offers a small plates menu.

Centerstage Reviewer: Misty Tosh