It’s been said you can’t go wrong opening an Italian restaurant. Americans love Italian food as long as it’s pasta and pizzas with double marks for having tiramisu on the menu. Red Rooster Brick Oven in San Rafael has all three covered.

Red Rooster Brick Oven is on B Street at the corner of Third. Large windows face out to their covered parklet and beyond to Third Street. The long room is divided between guest seating and the brick oven and bar.

After receiving a friendly greeting from the host, I was shown to a dark wooden table with a booth bench on one side and chairs on the other. The same tables and comfortable wooden chairs complete the seating down the length of the room. I sat on the thick pillowed bench and was pleased to note it was higher than most. Sometimes I sink so low into the bench I feel like a little kid with my chin just an inch or two above the table.

My guest and her young daughter arrived and after catching up, we started our order with a Shirley Temple ($5), a glass of an Italian Pinot Grigio Accordato ($9 a glass, $32 a bottle) and draft Stone Delicious IPA ($5). There is a full bar with cocktails at $8. Wines are priced from $9 a glass to $52 a bottle.

The Feisty Calamari ($15) with a house-made smoked jalapeño aioli was fried with a light, crispy batter but not really feisty. The aioli was quite mild and much appreciated by my younger guest.

The Red Rooster Balls ($15), with no spaghetti, was another appetizer. And, of course, there are Red Rooster Wings ($15) on the menu. That seems to be a must have on casual food menus.

Some of the salads include the Caesar ($13) and the Blue Cheese ($15). An abundance of Arugula Salad ($15) was tossed with sliced pieces of burrata, candied pecans and a mild red wine vinaigrette. A small pot of pickled red onions was served on the side. The cheese didn’t add anything to the salad but all in all, the salad was refreshing.

The Sesame Salad ($13) on the menu seemed to be out of step with the other offerings. Additions of chicken (fried or not), shrimp and salmon are available to expand your salad into a meal.

The Pesto Chicken Panini sandwich ($16) was not improved by its ribbed ciabatta bread that lacked any flavor. The texture of both the bread and filling wasn’t firm enough to hold the sandwich together well. We ordered onion rings as a substitute for the fries that are served with all the sandwiches. They were the standard frozen variety and were gobbled up. Are we all suckers for fried crunch?

The hint of sherry in the Penne Norcina ($18) brought back memories of cream sauces of yore.  The creamy porcini sauce with pork sausage and mushrooms lightly coated the al dente penne. It was a comforting dish.

Now on to pizza ($15 to $20).

The Lover ($20) is topped with arugula, mushrooms and prosciutto. The Blue ($20) is topped with blue cheese and vegetables and the oddly named Mustache ($20) is a more traditional meat and red sauce pizza. The crust was golden, blistered and chewy, and a light hand had added the red sauce. Sausage, pepperoni and salami were cooked into the sauce and then sprinkled with fresh basil, Parmesan and slivers of red onion. Yum!

There are several desserts to choose from including a Root Beer Float ($7), Tiramisu ($8) and what intrigued us, the S’mores Pizza ($13). The full-sized pizza arrived topped with toasted miniature mushrooms, chocolate chips and some crushed graham crackers. It’s a clever idea but disappointing. It was just too dry. There was no blending of the flavors. Wish we’d ordered the Tiramisu — next time!

Restaurants that serve Italian American food are one of life’s comfort stations. People go to them knowing what to expect. It’s like meeting up with old friends for an evening. That’s what Red Rooster Brick Oven is along with a heavy dose of warmth. Managers Anh Tran and Chi Truong welcome people in and give them what they’re looking for.

Ann Walker is a freelance food writer. Email her with suggestions, comments and questions at [email protected].

Red Rooster Brick Oven

Address: 901 B St., San Rafael

Phone: 415-234-8414

Website: Redroosterbrickoven.com

Cuisine: Italian American

Noise level: Moderate

Seating: Tables

Liquor selection: Full

Gluten-free selections: No

Vegetarian selections: Yes

Vegan selections: No

Dog friendly: In parklet

Parking: Validated at B Street lot across from the restaurant

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily

Prices: $15 to $32

Reservations: Call

Summary: Welcoming restaurant in downtown San Rafael with a menu to please all.