Tom Billante has done it again, this time at the 260-seat indoor-outdoor restaurant behind Coconut Grove's beloved old Taurus that sadly could not score as Cefalo's. Called Calamari, his casual, Italian-themed seafood spot with its large, well-priced menu is a crowd pleaser.

Billante's recipe for winning restaurants is as sure as bread and butter. Calamari's selection of carpacci, pastas, salads, soups, pizzas and entrees is nearly identical to the ones at his other successful venues such as Il Villagio, Carpaccio, Bella Luna and Rosalia. But here, as the name indicates, he has added a bit more from the sea.

And though the sprawling space is largely unchanged, it suddenly seems to work. Perhaps it's because of the friendly staff, capably supervised by New York and South Beach veteran Salvatore Catania. Even with a half-dozen kids at the table, our young waitress and her sidekick were largely unflappable. And though some dishes arrived at the wrong places and pacing occasionally faltered, all were exceedingly polite and gracious.

The space has many personalities. There is the lively bar, a cozy row of tables near the open kitchen and a romantic (but buggy) terrace surrounding a fountain. Tables are set with white cloths over red and white checked cloths, evoking a seaside picnic.

Meals start with a basket of warm bruschetta, really focaccia triangles seasoned with lots of fresh herbs, garlic and oil and heaped with a fresh tomato salad. Puffy hunks of thick peasant bread arrive later, warm and ready for lathering with sweet butter.

The namesake calamari appears in a variety of outfits. The best is as a respectable basket of tender ringlets with filament-thin wisps of zucchini in a see-through batter, fried until golden. Sure, I'd like some tentacles, but I'm happy to share these, dunked in a not-too-sweet marinara sauce. The stuffed calamari is unwieldy and tough, as big as a fist, with loads of crab and nearly equal parts of bread crumbs.

A zuppa de pesce in a handsome if watery broth is loaded with more calamari, salmon, mussels and clams, flavored with basil, sage, slabs of aromatic garlic and fresh tomatoes. Three big planks of buttery herbed croutons make for good dipping.

Though the spot boasts an impressive-looking wood-burning oven, the pizzas we sampled were on the flabby side. The kids didn't mind the heavy layer of cheese and underdone center, but our party of six didn't bother to finish off even one pie. Then again, there was all that bread at the beginning of the meal.

Kids preferred the huge plate of spaghetti and meatballs that the kitchen was happy to split, but the mammoth, bread-crumby meatballs with an off-putting dab of ricotta didn't thrill me. Other pastas, including a signature lobster ravioli and an admirably garlicky shrimp scampi over al dente linguine, are more satisfying and authentic.

Seafood plates include the usual salmon, grouper, tilapia, snapper, tuna and a quite tasty and fresh enough snapper oreganato. The competent and generously portioned fillets can be had livornese, françese or piccata style, accompanied by a smattering of roasted potatoes, a spear of steamed broccoli and a couple of rounds of carrots.

Desserts, too, yield no surprises but plenty of smiles. There are fine examples of all the classics including a tiramisu, molten chocolate cake and coconut flan.

This is one dining experience in the Grove that's grown up, yet fun and easy to recommend, especially for a crowd.

Victoria Pesce Elliott reviews Miami-Dade restaurants. E-mail her at velliott@MiamiHerald.com.

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