by Anna Bennett

he space is intimate and promising, with pillar candles set in nooks on a whitewashed brick wall, and flattering low lighting.

The wait staff are engaging and friendly. The menu under chef Giuliano Matarese is varied, divided into Stuzzichini (small plates), Antipasti, and Secondi (entrees).

A lot of thought went into the wine list, which is small, but quality. Each wine is described by region, flavor, note and texture. It made choosing a wine simple and straight forward. From the selection of Vini Rossi, which the menu describes as Fragrant, Youthful, Fresh, we chose La Ghersa Barbera Di Asti Piage 2006 (Piemonte), purported to be Organic, fresh and juicy, medium bodied with notes of raspberries and cherries.

The description was spot on, and the wine, sipped in the candlelight, was a highlight of the evening.

Bread and olive oil with cannellini bean spread was brought to the table. The bread was average, but the dip was quite good. There is value in their Prix-Fixe Menu ($19 M-Th): a menu of appetizers, an entrée and a dessert. To start, my companion had the fried ravioli. It was presented well, and would have been stellar, if it had been just a bit hotter – a theme that persisted throughout our meal. If only the kitchen had upped their temperatures by 20 degrees or so, this review would be gushing.

We also shared some al la carte dishes – arancini, small fried balls of rice which should have had a molten center of mozzarella cheese and peas; and polpette, small lamb meatballs in a tomato sauce topped with cheese. This was not a mountain of meat balls, and to my taste, the appetizer portion sizes were perfect. The price for these tapas is $6.00 each, not bad at all, if only they were warmer. I also think that the oil with which they fried the arancini could be fresher.

The entrée chosen from the prix-fixe was a home run. Bistecca alla Griglia: Skirt steak, kale and potato nuggets. The steak was perfect and the kale was good. The potato nuggets showed promise, but they were fried in the same oil as the arancini, and were served more than a bit tepid.

A la carte, we ordered the special, lasagna in meat sauce. Perfect for a cold and rainy evening – if only it were a bit warmer.

For dessert we ordered dolce and cappuccino which went very well with the cheesecake from the prix-fixe menu and the tiaramisu from the al la carte. Mario Batali will not lose any sleep over tré, but none of his restaurants offer a prix-fixe menu for $19, or a weekend brunch for $17 (with unlimited Champagne). Our dinner for two cost just over $110.

Tré, 173 Ludlow Street, 212.353.3353, www.trenewyork.com, reservations through www.opentable.com, delivery, full Bar, Open for dinner M-F; Brunch and Dinner S/S