Rating:

Ariana’s, named for the owner’s daughter, is just one of Franco Frederico’s family of restaurants in Montgomery County. There are also the more casual Giuliano’s (named for his son), the more upscale Fountainside, both in Horsham, and his newest, Primo Bacio in Wyncote.

I was attracted by the words “Raw Bar” in Ariana’s advertised full name, i.e., “Ariana’s Ristorante and Raw Bar,” thinking that a plate of fresh oysters or clams on the half shell would be a treat.

I was not disappointed. My order of a half-dozen oysters ($8.95), Long Island Blue Points, was very appetizing. The six medium-size beauties were fresh and sweet. One minor complaint though … I like to eat oysters by lifting the shell, tilting it and allowing the meat to slide off the shell, but I was unable to do this because they were not completely shucked, the still uncut muscle holding the flesh fast.

Also, for my taste, I prefer a cocktail sauce with more horseradish. The server was happy to oblige when I asked for some.

Although Ariana’s also offers raw clams, steamed clams and shrimp cocktail, calling this a “raw bar” is a stretch. There is no bar (the shellfish are opened in the kitchen), no display cases filled with bivalves and crustaceans, no varieties of clams and oysters to be had.

But, OK, it does signal that Ariana’s has clams, and oysters on the half shell (which I certainly enjoyed).

The menu also offers some non-raw, shellfish appetizers, e.g., mussels, calamari and scallops.

Ariana’s has two large, pleasant and comfortable dining rooms. At dinner, the tables are set with white linen and the small oil lamp candles are lit. A brick pizza oven peeks from behind a partition.

Green bottles of Pellegrino water add a splash of color to the tables.

Very soon after being seated, our server delivered a basket of truly superior Italian bread with butter, and on my request, olive oil, which was an inferior quality.

An especially excellent minestrone soup, containing a generous amount of exceedingly tasty meatballs, followed.

Half the menu is an extensive selection of personal-size (9-inch), thin-crust pizzas, calzones and a few strombolis.

Ariana’s is obviously not your corner pizzeria. I observed the server going by with a large plate of steaming, aromatic and colorful penne tossed with spinach and diced tomato for a party seated nearby ($10.25).

I opted for one of the pasta and dinner platters, choosing linguini with mussels in red sauce ($11.45 at lunch).

It was nicely presented with the fresh al dente pasta encircled by the black-shelled, medium-sized sweet tasting mussels neatly hand-placed and facing up.

My L.D.C. (Lovely Dining Companion) surprised me by ordering from among the “panini” (hoagies and sandwiches) — not her usual inclination — a chicken parm sandwich ($6.85).

Large, appetizingly breaded chicken filets were nestled in a fold of lightly toasted Italian roll and blanketed under a thick layer of rich tomato sauce and melted fresh mozzarella.

The pasta plate came with a generous fresh house salad and the sandwich with a pile of fries.

We both could consume but half our portions; the remaining half became a very good lunch the following day at home.

Overall Rating: mmm 1/2 (out of 5 m’s) for lots of very good Italian favorites, plus a few raw bar appetizers.

To contact Mitch Davis, you can e-mail him at MdavisMainCourse@aol.com

Ariana’s Ristorante

Location:: 981 North Wales Road, North Wales (Montgomeryville) Phone Number: 215-362-7505 Cuisine: Southern Italian plus raw bar treats Ambience: Neighborhood friendly Web site: www.arianaristorante.com

Hours: Monday to Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday noon to 10:30 p.m.; Sunday 3 to 9:30 p.m.;

Brunch: Sunday 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Prices: Salads $5.65 to $11.45; Pizzas $8.95 to $11.45; Entrées $9.95 to $14.85 Alcoholic Beverages: B.Y.O.B.