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Just last week my husband, baby, and I had dinner at Riva's Trattoria, one of the newest of the new downtown restaurants. They only opened a few weeks ago, but for the last few months I've been watching their progress and anticipating giving the place a try.

Before I ever set foot in Riva's, I had learned of the owners' idea to open a place that would offer casual and affordable traditional Italian food with an emphasis on quality ingredients and big flavors. Sounds like my kind of place.

Rob and Tracy Lamothe, the husband and wife owners of the trattoria, are on the growing list of Greensboro restaurateurs who embrace the trend toward local and organic food — a trend I couldn't be happier about. Tracy, Riva's chef, cooks with chicken and produce from Weatherhand Farm, Giacomo's cured meats, eggs from the Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market, and Goat Lady Dairy cheeses. The Lamothes are also members of the Slow Food movement.

We went to Riva's for an early dinner, mid-week, and when we stepped through the front door, we weren't at first sure if we should stay or order dinner to go. The restaurant was busy, but quiet, and we didn't want to risk intruding on other diners' meals with our sometimes restless daughter. Rob greeted us, seemed to read our minds, and genuinely welcomed us in, explaining as he did how he and Tracy wanted to create a place where families could come to enjoy a meal together, no worries.

So we sat, we ate, and we really enjoyed ourselves. Frank Sinatra's croon eased out over the dining room, and the low din of diners enjoying conversation and food added to the ambience.

The food was comforting, fresh, and simple in the very best way — pure-tasting, vibrant tomato sauce that hadn't been muddied by too many ingredients or too much time simmering; salad greens so fresh and tasty they barely needed a gloss of dressing; asparagus cooked to tender-crisp and seasoned just right with lemon and garlic. Nothing felt smothered or hidden.

We started with an appetizer of fried triangles of polenta, garnished with tomato sauce and crumbles of gorgonzola cheese. My only wish for this dish was that the sauce had been salted just a little more generously, but that was remedied easily enough at the table. I'm a fan of each of the three elements in this dish, and the combination worked well.

Incidentally, this appetizer no longer appears on the menu but there are several other tempting choices, notably cantaloupe wrapped in thin slices of prosciutto; layers of mozzarella and breaded eggplant topped with tomato sauce; and a selection of Italian cheeses, olives, and meats.

For dinner, my husband had a penne dish that married Giacomo's sausage with Riva's pomodoro (tomato) sauce — a winner all the way around. My Lasagne Fiorentina (with spinach, tomato sauce, and three cheeses) came bubbling hot in its own little gratin dish. Again, I thought this dish needed a touch more salt, but just the dash or two I gave it brightened the fresh flavors enormously.

Pastas at Riva's come with a house salad — that super-fresh mix of greens and herbs I mentioned earlier — served with house-made dressings. We both had Riva's house vinaigrette, a tasty dressing with a hint of carrot and fennel that went as well with the amazing bread (imported from New York's Tribeca Oven). Have I mentioned the bread yet? It's out of this world. I could have eaten an entire loaf and been happy.

Riva's children's menu is, for me, one of the most exciting things about the place. Made up of six of the seven pastas on the regular menu, it demonstrates so clearly to me both the Lamothes' generous attitude toward children and their loving enjoyment of food. Just because you're young doesn't mean you have to eat chicken nuggets and french fries for every meal.

I'm of the opinion that if kids aren't offered what their parents are having for dinner they'll never learn to eat adventurously. Here kids are given that option: spirally pasta with pesto, lasagne with spinach or meat sauce, pasta with olive oil and vegetables, spaghetti with meatballs, or cheese tortellini with peas and Giacomo's ham in a creamy béchamel sauce. (Truth be told, chicken fingers are the final kid's option, but at least they've got stiff competition!)

Riva's also offers an array of second courses (Chicken Picatta, Tilapia with Lemon and Capers, Rosemary-Garlic Pork Tenderloin among them), none of which I've yet tried, and a few of which don't quite fit the Cheap Eats profile.

Wednesday nights, though, diners on a budget have the chance to try some of these higher-priced items for a mere $10. Additionally, there are beer and wine specials Tuesday nights and live acoustic music on Thursdays.

At lunchtime, Riva's offers many of the dinner options at slightly lower prices, along with a handful of sandwiches.

Cheap Eats features local restaurants for diners on a budget. It runs every other week in Go Triad. Contact Angie DeCola at angiedecola@hotmail.com.

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