In the year since its move from Royal Palm Pointe to Ocean Drive, Ti Amo Sempre has established itself as a beachside favorite – and its new menu, rolled out just in time for The Season, should keep the northern Italian trattoria high on the list of top island restaurants.

Dinner in this attractively decorated restaurant gets off to a good start with the arrival of warm bread served with herb-infused dipping oil. And if you are lucky, as we were on two out of three recent visits, your waiter turns out to be Bernardo, one Ti Amo's gems.

When our wine selection on one visit was out-of-stock, he quickly returned with a more expensive bottle of Nero Davola, a Sicilian wine that was a better (and pricier) pick than our choice, which was generously offered to us at the same price. On another visit, he recommended a modestly priced bottle of primitivo, a close Southern Italian relative of zinfandel that proved an excellent complement to our dinners.

When it comes to appetizers, two of Ti Amo’s standbys truly stand out. The Cozze o Vongole al Martini ($11.95), a bowl of small clams sautéed in dry vermouth, garlic, shallots, lemon butter and crushed red pepper, are without peer (and you will inescapably find yourself reaching for the bread to soak up any remaining sauce). The calamari fritti ($10.95), flash-fried with spinach and lemon, on two separate occasions were prepared perfectly.

If we have a quibble with Ti Amo, it would be with salads, which we would rate good but not great. A Caesar salad ($5.95), topped by two small anchovies, had an extremely light dressing. A spinach salad ($7.95), spinach nicely sautéed with olive oil, garlic, red onions and mushrooms, was a bit bland. To our taste, the pick of the salad choices is the arugula salad, served with grilled pineapple and topped with goat cheese, almonds and drizzled with orange almond vinaigrette ($8.95).

But with great main courses and deserts waiting, perhaps the best choice is to move directly from the antipasti to the secondi piatti.

On one visit, I had one of this season’s new dishes, the Brodetto di Capesante ($23.95), an Italian stew containing white beans, braised escarole, carrots, onion, and pancetta topped with perfectly seared scallops. Mouthwatering. My husband was equally happy with the risotto con capesante ($23.95), with the scallops served on a bed of sundried and artichoke basil pesto risotto. Our companion had a Ti Amo favorite, Ravioli al Funghi ($17.95), a delicious mushroom ravioli in a mushroom sherry shallot sauce.

On a subsequent visit, I opted for the Piccata di Vitello ($19.95), a very tender veal scaloppini sautéed with lemon butter and capers served over linguini. My husband chose the Pappardelle al Sugo d’Anatra ($18.95), a very tasty duck ragu. But probably the best decision on this evening was made by our companion, who opted for the evening’s special, a sumptuous dish of giant prawns wrapped in prosciutto ($24.95) served on polenta.

For deserts, two top choices are the very tasty tiramisu ($5.00) or the crepe with fresh strawberries, a surprisingly light confection given that it is drizzled with Neutella and topped with whipped cream ($6.95). Both go very well with a cup of espresso ($3.00). Dinner for two with a nice bottle of wine comes to about $130 before tip.

We have had a number of fine dinners over the years at Ti Amo, both on the beach and at its previous home on Royal Palm Point. It is a very well run restaurant with hands-on, caring owners and an inventive cuisine that on many occasions has delighted.

The engaging male half of the ownership couple, Vincenzo (Enzo) Perucchini, often drops by the tables during dinner to insure you are enjoying the meal, and to chat about the wines and food of his native Verona.

With Ocean Drive restaurant competition at the start of this season at an all-time high, Ti Amo seems well positioned to welcome back old customers and lure new ones.

I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at tina@verobeach32963.com .

The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 4 pm to closing

Adult Beverages: Beer and wine

Address: 1517 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach

Phone: (772) 231-1550

Review first published:Oct. 30, 2008