Ziti Gonzales

A co-worker suggested we do lunch the other day and for some reason Italian invaded my mind and refused to leave. Maybe it’s because I’ve been watching a lot of ‘Soprano’s’ episodes. Now there’s a show where food got almost as much screen time as the actors. Carmella uses it to woo the wallpaper man, as incentive to threaten a New York attorney into writing a college letter of recommendation for Meadow, as an excuse to visit the priest. Junior describes her signature lasagna as having a layer of basil leaves. Tony and Pussy eat rare steaks as big as their heads to celebrate whacking one of the kids who shot Christopher. Artie Bucco. Vesuvio. Buffalo mozzarella.

Flag City is obviously far from New Jersey and certainly doesn't have a Little Italy, but when I think of Findlay Italian I think Rossilli's, 217 S. Main St. It had been several months since I stopped by there anyway, I needed a fix and so we went.

Ziti with mushrooms, sausage and creamy red pepper sauce for under $7 did the trick. With a touch of heat and a lot of heart, the more-than-enough portion filled me up so much that I couldn't finish my second roll - practically a sacrilegious act, as far as I'm concerned. "The chef said that's the best ziti he's ever made," our waiter said. "It's delicious," I admitted. "I'll be sure to tell the chef you hate it then," he quipped. A waiter with a sense of humor - that man got a 20 percent tip. I have no means of comparison since that's the first time I had their sausage and mushroom ziti, but way to go, Shad.

It's also worth mentioning that the two of us ladies arrived at noon, had no reservations, but were seated by co-owner Meg Rossilli at the primo round table closest to the bar on the upper level - the one usually reserved for larger parties. "Might as well not let one of the best tables just go empty," she said. Yes indeedy.

Does watching 'Soprano's' episodes make you hungry too? Rossilli's is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday; and for dinner from 5-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It's never a bad idea to make a reservation there, particularly for dinner. The restaurant's number is (419) 423-5050.

Lunches are practically a steal in terms of quality, portion sizes and pricing. Dinners are understandably more expensive. For instance, the same dish I had for lunch costs $14 in the evening.