FAZZI, 65/67 CAMBRIDGE STREET Tel: 0141 332 0941

ARE they having us on?". The Moll shot me a suspicious glance. "They must be," she said, her mouth on the verge of a smile.

I'd dragged the good lady into a former favourite haunt of mine - Fazzi on Cambridge Street. It's as authentically Italian as Paulo Maldini chaffeuring Luciano Pavarotti in a Ferrari. STARTERS:

Mushroom soup £2.95

Focaccia Fazzi £4.45

MAINS:

Risotto Marinara £7.45

Proscuitto Pizza £7.95

DRINKS:

Bottle mineral water £3.20

Espresso £1.50

Coffee £1.20

TOTAL: £28.70

But they'd taken it a step too far. Drifting from the restaurant's stereo speakers was the unmistakable theme tune to The Godfather.

"I'm not sure if this is supposed to make me feel relaxed or not," whispered the Moll. "As much as I loved the film I'd rather not dine with Don Corleone."

"Or sleep with the fishes," I added.

Fazzi's is one of those places that's been around for so long it's dipped under my radar. A permanent fixture of Glasgow's culinary scene, it had been many years since I ventured in.

With the exception of the tribute to Francis Ford Coppola's cinematic career, Fazzi's is refreshingly free of pseudo Italian clutter - empty chianti bottles and red and white checkered tablecloths.

In fact, any sort of frills are short on the ground. Clearly the focus is on the cooking.

The menu is a fairly small and traditional. Which suited us fine as we were both in the market for home cooked comfort food.

We kept matters simple to start with, a bowl of mushroom soup for me and a focaccia for the Moll.

We were placed at a corner table with a clear view of the street outside - ideal people watching. So, as we tucked into our starters, the flavours were enhanced by the sight of poor passers-by struggling with gale force winds and torrential rain.

My mushroom soup was a dark, rich broth which was the perfect antidote to the weather. The Moll's focaccia was a delightfully crisp affair, peppered with chillies.

At this point, I noticed the specials board, carefully hidden in the far corner of the restaurant. When I overheard the adjacent table order the day's special, lasagne, I felt my heart sink. Suddenly my Parma ham pizza, which was almost upon us, seemed a poor second choice.

Matters were made worse when a fellow diner was heard to mutter that Fazzi's were "famous for their delicious lasagne."

Oh well, I'll know next time.

However, thoughts of layered pasta with a rich beef sauce soon vanished as I tucked into what can only be described as a first rate pizza. A thin, crisp base, with just the smattering of a rich tomato sauce and layers of deliciously salty parma ham.

Meanwhile, the Moll was scooping up her risotto marinara - seafood risotto - with gusto.

With the exception of a rather limp side salad and the appearance of a crab stick, the risotto was a rich, creamy concoction which the Moll declared a huge success.

As enticing as the dessert menu looked, we knew when we were beaten and instead rounded things off with a piping hot coffee.

Despite the slightly menacing soundtrack, the staff couldn't have been more friendly.

We'll definitely go back, I promised the Moll. Only next time, I won't miss the specials board.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR: Authentic Italian pizzas WHAT TO AVOID: Not paying attention to the specials board