It also has been a busier-than-usual and somewhat stressful week for participating restaurants' kitchen and wait staffs, which have been stretched to the limit for this temporary flood of diners.

At Panini, which opened all of six weeks ago, this has been a hectic but welcome initiation, according to chef Brandon Howard. From that viewpoint, the restaurant's crew displayed grace under pressure.

My first visit to Panini was before the Dine O'Round promotion, when we were one of about six tables being served in the main restaurant. (Also part of the new venture are Café Panini, a more casual counter-service spot for lunch only, and a private club sectioned off from the main dining room that currently is the only option for a cocktail.)

The restaurant and its appendages have taken over the digs of the swanky but short-lived Il San Sovino on the second floor of the former American Stores building, since purchased by Wells Fargo.

The dining room is still elegant, with valanced lighting on the room's perimeter, carpeted floors, attractive wood furnishings throughout and, from some tables, nice views of the cityscape. As long as the weather holds, Panini also offers patio dining, with tables overlooking Gallivan Plaza or Main Street.

Our server was quick to welcome us and take drink orders, and suggested we start our meal with the smoked salmon bruschetta, which was exceptional -- lots of diced fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil and sweet balsamic vinegar over toasts spread with Borsin cheese and lightly smoked salmon. As he promised the one skeptic at our table, the addition of salmon was subtle enough to please most everyone.

Service throughout the evening was excellent. Our waiter was attentive, but not overbearing, and was helpful when asked for recommendations.

On our next visit, during the Dine O'Round, the dining room was a much different sight. Although it was early in the week, the place was bustling, with several large tables filled in addition to most of the smaller ones. Our waitress, who was clearly busy, was quick to welcome us and ask for patience as she delivered a large order.

Not surprisingly, dinner came more slowly than the previous night, but I was still impressed with our server's efficiency and good humor. And as on the previous visit, the lone bus person seemed an observant and invaluable aide to his co-workers. What could have been a frustrating experience was still an enjoyable evening, due largely to the staff's demeanor.

Of course, food was the primary focus of our visits, and we were generally pleased with the outcome.

Chef Howard, most recently executive chef at The Point restaurant in the Huntsman Cancer Institute, said he was invigorated by the opportunity to develop a new concept with Panini. He describes the cuisine as "contemporary Italian" with more of an emphasis on seafood and leaner meats, including buffalo (a holdover from the healthy food focus at The Point?), and a shift from what Americans view as traditional Italian. This isn't the place to find lasagna, but the buffalo tortellini with a terrific Bolognese sauce ($14) is a fine alternative.

Panini offers a half-dozen pasta dishes, and a nice option for indecisive diners is the pasta sampler for two, which allows a couple to select half orders of three pastas for $32 "and a guarantee to provide lunch for tomorrow," says Howard with a laugh.

We sampled the linguini gamberetto, full of large shrimp and sun-dried tomatoes and a little too much mustard in the sauce for my liking; and delicious portobello and butternut squash ravioli. The mushroom ravioli were perfect; the butternut was delicious in small bites, but too sweet in the large-sized ravioli. Perhaps by increasing the ratio of pasta to squash, the sweetness would be tempered.

The shrimp and crab cakes, served as a dinner entrée for $18 or as an appetizer for half the price, are delectable, with a welcome crunchiness on the outside and tender seafood inside. . The mushroom ravioli were perfect; the butternut was delicious in small bites, but too sweet in the large-sized ravioli. Perhaps by increasing the ratio of pasta to squash, the sweetness would be tempered.

Like all of the dishes delivered to us, the delicious crab-stuffed halibut ($21) arrived as a feast for the eyes as well as the palate, with garnishes and sauces added as an artistic touch rather than an afterthought.

All of the dinner entrées are served with a choice of salad or the house soup -- a creamy, fresh tomato basil bisque, and a side dish of boiled potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, or a wild rice medley. thought.

Pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven also are a treat, with the margherita pizzetta a simple but flavorful thin crust topped with fontina cheese and the season's incredible fresh tomatoes and fragrant basil ($10).

Howard delights in offering several desserts that substitute fat-laden cream with sweetened low-fat ricotta, including marbled pound cake and shortcake. That wouldn't work well for his creamy tiramisu, however. "It's got to be fatty and full of love, if you ask me."

Although Panini has applied for a full-service liquor license, it currently serves only beer (including higher-alcohol varieties) and wine, which it offers for $6 or $7 per glass (white and red respectively), no matter the varietal.

Whether you try to slip in under the Dine O'Round wire or choose to wait for the crowds to disperse a bit, Panini's menu of contemporary Italian cuisine, with a wealth of fresh flavors and beautiful presentation, is worth a try.

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Nancy Hobbs is The Tribune's restaurant reviewer. The newspaper covers the cost of meals at restaurants reviewed and there is no connection between reviews and restaurant advertising. Hobbs welcomes food and wine news, comments and suggestions at nhobbs@xmission.com.

Panini