A lack of great food has recently become a common complaint of students. Fortunately, Ellington’s, located in the Holmes Student Center, hosted “Sano Italiano,” which translates to “Healthy Italian.”

This delicious three-course meal only cost $10, and the focaccia bread was soft and moist. The bread contained hints of basil, oregano and garlic. Like most Italian bread, the focaccia was filling, addicting and difficult to stop eating.

The menu also had two diverse appetizers. The first was a skewer with salami, soppressata, fresh mozzarella cheese and a juicy cherry tomato. The cheese and olive oil added flavor to the meaty skewer.

The other appetizer was hearty Italian pasta soup–with an emphasis on hearty. You could definitely taste the vegetables in this soup. The tomatoes and Parmesan cheese that were added contribute to its great taste.

The first entrée was a polenta with tomato-braised beans. This cornmeal was baked and had the perfect amount of garlic. The best part of this entrée was the juices from the tomato and olive oil mixed into the polenta.

The second entrée was chicken marsala with mushrooms. This meal was served with two pieces of chicken. One piece was small, soft and had a lot of flavor, and the other piece was big, thick and a little bit dry. I expected the chicken to be a bit warmer, even though it was completely cooked. I was caught off guard when the chicken was served because it was not hot–eating meat that isn’t room temperature is a personal preference of mine. The chicken was also served with steamed asparagus, mushrooms and noodles. The best part of the meal was the noodles. The noodles added needed flavor to the chicken. Honestly, I could have eaten the noodles separately–they were that delicious.

For the record, I have never seen anyone frown when eating tiramisu. The coffee-flavored tiramisu contained vanilla pudding, cookies and Kahlua. This sweet dessert was a wonderful way to conclude the meal.

A second dessert offered was a red wine-peached pear. This artistic dessert, although tasty, was difficult to eat. I was afraid it would slip off my plate.

Overall, the FCNS 320 class did a great job at Ellington’s. Ironically, “Sano Italiano” clocked out with more than 1,000 calories in my three-course meal. This shouldn’t negate the delicious meal. Keep an eye out for a Mexican lunch called Puebla’s at Ellington’s 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday.