Mamma mia! This undiscovered neighborhood Printer's Row gem rarely has a wait for its indoor or outdoor seating, which is surprising, given the high quality and innovative ingredients in what could have been standard Italian fare.

The inside dining room is fairly small, as is the restaurant's pretension: Salads are served with dressing on the side in a small plastic container, a simple detail that adds to Trattoria Caterina's charm. So does its wait staff, who perfectly balance friendliness with efficiency and never rush a lingering patron out the door, even though the indoor space can be quite cramped.

Although the lunch menu features some salads and sandwiches, the pasta dishes are its real delight, including a marinara-and-pesto sauce mixed with artichokes over pasta and baked ziti with more cheese than ever work up the mettle to request. Meat lovers, red sauce lovers, white sauce lovers and more will find no shortage of noodle wonders to dive into.

Though the restaurant does serve some reasonable wines, most customers bring their own and pay the $2 uncorking fee. The BYOB crowd forks over little more than $20 for a salad-and-entree dinner for two: Not bad for some intense Italian cooking.

Trattoria Caterina also does a brisk delivery service, a brilliant choice when you're craving tasty pizza, but call or stop by early; the eatery isn't open too late, even on the weekends.

Centerstage Reviewer: Erin Brereton