Vinny T's of Boston

The Scene
So long as there are families in search of kid-approved Italian fare served family-style, Vinny T's will remain profitable. Few patrons look up from their troughs of pasta to notice the faux-Italian decor (checkered tablecloths, pictures of Italian-Americans icons like Frank Sinatra). Solo diners, a rare sight because of the portion sizes, flock to the hospitable bar area where there's always a game on the TV. Pleasant servers try to maintain straight faces when delivering laughably large pasta platters.

The Food
As one might expect, the restaurant sacrifices quality in favor of quantity--expect too much pasta, not enough meat. Most items are available in two misleadingly titled sizes: ''per uno'' (enough for two people) and ''per due'' (enough for four). While decent steaks and chops are offered, most everyone wisely sticks with pasta dishes like lemony chicken piccata and rich lasagna. Desserts (try the creamy, reasonably authentic spumoni) are equally humongous.