Business Lunch.

Ciao

405 W. Seventh St.

Little Rock

372-0238

5 waiters-Perfection; 4-Excellent; 3-Good; 2-Fair; 1-Poor

Gross Revenue: $16,058 for December, excluding alcohol sales

THE ITALIAN RESTAURANT CIAO IS NOT unlike what you'll find in the never-ending strip of charming eateries in New York's Little Italy.

Certainly the building might suggest less-than-fine dining, but once you begin eating, you might ask yourself why you didn't dress up a little more. But you don't have to. The informal atmosphere is perfect for conversations, and there's little traffic among the tables to cause distraction. The restaurant also presents an excellent menu of enjoyable, tasty convections at affordable prices.

The combination makes Ciao a smart choice for informal Monday lunches, business-like Wednesday meetings with clients or Friday afternoon celebrations over fine wine.

We visited Ciao twice, and on both occasions were impressed by the speedy, affable service. Waiters explained the specials, promptly arrived with appetizers and kept the glasses full. On a busy Wednesday with only one table available, our hostess didn't hesitate to provide our party of three with a table for six.

Naturally, we began each meal with a basket of Ciao's baked Italian cheese and garlic bread ($2.50). It didn't take long for the three of us to empty the basket. The bread was warm and soft with a liberal coating of cheese and sprinkled garlic providing a delicate taste that left us wanting more. Delicious.

Now for the main event: One in our party ordered the lean and trim entree ($5.95), a grilled chicken breast served with vegetables. Though the chicken breast was slightly dry, the mix of vegetables were all fresh and well-seasoned.

Across the table, another in a our group reveled in the creamy goodness of the linguini and clam sauce ($6.50), served hot and looking delicious. The pasta was cooked with chopped clams, cream, garlic, grated cheese and chopped parsley, which added a pleasant seasoning to the mix. But be forewarned: When the menu says "cream," cream is what you get. Our diner loved the dish (he ordered it again on our second visit), but understood that some might not like such a slathering of cream.

On our second visit, we enjoyed the linguini primavera ($6.50) and that day's special, the Parmesan Chicken (about $5). The primavera was typically good, served in a nice-sized portion with a rich cream. Though our friend liked the pasta, she though the cream might be too rich. The saving grace, however, was that the meal wasn't too garlicky, which often is the down-fall of linguini primavera.

The parmesan chicken was excellent. The portion was just right, and the chicken was so delightfully tender that it practically melted in your mouth. The side serving of pasta was a noble effort, though bordering on bland.

For dessert, we settled in a dark, lovely creme brulee. And nothing seems to taste better after a god Italian meal than a thick, creamy chocolate. The dessert reach that happy medium of "not too rich, not too bland," which dazzled our taste buds and left us ready to face the rest of the day.