Restaurant Review : 10 Reasons to Celebrate Prego’s 10th : Restaurants: In a city glutted with Italian cuisine, where most establishments have the longevity of rock ‘n’ roll bands, the Beverly Hills eatery is still cooking.

For 10 years now, Prego has done the steady, prosperous business most restaurateurs only dream about. Lunch and dinner, the rooms fill with customers, the kitchen clinks and clatters, the staff moves briskly, food and wine flow. In a city glutted with Italian cuisine, where most establishments have the longevity of rock ‘n’ roll bands, one can’t help but wonder what makes Prego cook, year after year, despite both recession and dramatically increased competition.

I made some visits recently, with a varied assortment of companions, and what I found were both general and specific reasons that this cafe flourishes: 10 good reasons, as it were, to celebrate Prego’s 10th anniversary.

1) Whether I came in by myself, as part of a couple or a group, with or without reservations, we were always greeted promptly and warmly--no attitude, no edge--and seated as soon as possible.

2) Prego’s brick-walled dining rooms predate much contemporary restaurant design, and while they may seem tame by today’s standards, these rooms are also classic: Booths and banquettes are especially comfortable, the art tasteful, the flower arrangements grand.

3) The service tends to be excellent. Waiters not only take their work seriously, they actually appear to enjoy it. At one ladies’ lunch, we ordered course after course and shared it all. We were constantly supplied with clean cutlery and plates; our drinks were replenished; our every little need--move this, more bread, coffee, please--cheerfully met. When I thanked our very patient waiter, he said, “Oh, that was fun.”

4) Prego functions like a practical European cafe and, as such, has that rare-in-L.A. capacity to make the lone diner feel completely at home. On the other hand, a large group of us had no trouble having a festive, celebratory dinner--all of which is to say that Prego’s hospitality has range.

5) If you do have to wait for a table, or if you want to smoke, or if you just want to stop in for a drink and a few bread sticks, or an espresso and a peek at the latest Abitare, the bar is pleasant indeed. Bartenders are affable and generous and there’s a great selection of reading material.

6) Prego’s wood oven has probably been around as long as any other in town and clearly, cooks have mastered its use: Breads and pizzas are terrific. Soft, chewy, hot pane, baked to order, is fragrant with rosemary, drizzled with olive oil. An amusing appetizer for the table or a varied individual meal, pizza mista , a long, almost rectangular pie, has four different topping zones: pesto, mushrooms and artichokes, tomato and basil, and roasted peppers. But the Rustica, with smoked mozzarella and prosciutto, is my unabashed favorite. Prosciutto, after a brief stint in the wood-burning oven, acquires the wondrously smoke-haunted flavor usually only found in bacon pan-fried over a High Sierra campfire.

7) Starters are one of Prego’s longest suits. Try grilled shrimp served chilled in a lime and mint vinaigrette with slices of creamy, fresh feta or a selection of marinated, grilled fresh vegetables. Great hot appetizers include a big bowl of mussels and clams in brodo , and a large plate with grilled hunks of radicchio, eggplant, a huge portobello mushroom and grilled bundles of prosciutto filled with soft, hot goat cheese.

8) No waiter volunteers this information, but ask about the night’s selection of rotisserie-cooked meats. If available, pounce on the half-chicken; the thigh pops with juice when touched with a fork.

9) While there are specific dishes that will bring me back to Prego again and again, it should also be said that the food in general is just plain good. Portions are generous, ingredients absolutely fresh, and the seasonal menu always holds a few surprises.

10) Finally, Prego’s prices remain reasonable. Very reasonable. After the quality of food and service, I am invariably stunned by the bill--pleasantly so.

Here’s to Prego’s next 10 years.

* Prego 362 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 277-7346. Open for lunch Monday-Saturday, dinner seven days. Full bar. Valet parking. American Express, Master Card and Visa accepted. Dinner for two, food only, $32-$64.