Café Sole excels in chicken, pasta

The envelopes have been opened and the Oscars awarded, but most of us are still catching up on the “must see” movies. Before or after a screening in La Cañada Flintridge, Café Sole is a great place to catch a bite.

Nestled between a big-name coffee place and a cellphone store, expectations for this place might not be high, but the family-run restaurant offers value and variety in pleasant surroundings.

They’ve been here 10 years, so they must be doing something right! The patio is inviting on warm days or evenings, and heaters provide warmth when the sun will not. The interior boasts about a dozen tables, in view of the kitchen’s bustle and flame. Tempting aromas waft forth, stimulating the appetite instantly.

Bread and checca salsa (tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and basil) will take the edge off the hunger while the menu is perused.

A view of the antipasto case makes a lunch choice a cinch. For $9.95 at lunch (or dinner), an antipasti platter might include a selection of farfalle salad, grilled eggplant, roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, tomato and cucumber salad or tuna and white beans.

The colors paint the plate beautifully, and the flavors don’t disappoint. Even a simple green salad offers an option of shaved parmiggiano, which is generous and packed with flavor (salad $5.50, with shaved parmiggiano, $6.95).

An order of prosciutto and mozzarella is arranged with care, with abundant pink drapes of prosciutto and two spheres of soft and supple milky cheese, garnished with sliced tomatoes and a few perfect basil leaves. Drizzle a little balsamico over the plate, and savor the textures and perfume before devouring every morsel ($8.95).

An arugula and radicchio salad with parmiggiano makes a nice starter, or add grilled chicken and make a meal (salad $6.95, with grilled chicken $10.95).

The menu boasts many pasta dishes, from pennes to spaghettis, from gnocchi to ravioli.

Pappardelle with sausage, artichokes, tomatoes and basil is lovely and fresh, with a golden tone to the silky pasta, and a deft hand with a light sauce ($14.95). Linguine al pesto is a full plate of tangled noodles bathed in aromatic and deeply flavored basil sauce ($12.95).

Numerous chicken dishes are available, and the descriptions make decisions difficult. A delicious and healthful choice is the Pollo Paillard, a thinly pounded chicken breast, grilled and served with peppery arugula, richly ripe chopped tomatoes and garlic ($13.95). Accompanying vegetables are crisply steamed and tasty. The roast chicken (Pollo Arosto $12.95) features crisply burnished skin studded with rosemary and a tender interior.

With pizzas, panini and calzoni options and daily specials, the menu and staff are family friendly, but equally good for a night out for adults.

So make a movie date, and stop for a bite at the place next door ? Café Sole.