Restaurant Review F e b r u a r y / M a r c h 2 0 1 8 7 5 Tuscan Terrific Wonderful surprises await you at the sign of the swine. Look out for the colorful pig mural that catches your eye as you approach the Maine Mall. By Claire Z. Cramer “Y ou’ll love this table,” says the hostess as she leads the way up one of the two staircases to the second-floor balcony dining room of Tuscan Table. “You can see all the action.” Can we ever. Settling into comfy wing chairs at a table overlook- ing a huge, bustling universe, we’re enchanted. Soaring, latticed light fixtures of delicately shaved and shaped wood hang from the distant ceiling. As choice as our table is, there doesn’t appear to be a bad seat in the house. We select glasses of Circa pinot grigio and Dipinti sauvignon blanc ($7.50 and $8 respectively) from the 20 Italian wines available by the glass. Drinks arrive in delicate stemware, quickly followed by bread and a dish of fruity, peppery olive oil. We ponder choices while shar- ing an antipasto of cavolfiore–roasted cauliflower set on leaves of romaine hearts sparked by a zingy ancho- vy-lemon dressing laced with Gra- na Padano ($9). Dainty, crisp garlic croutons bring to mind a glammed- up Caesar salad. Other antipasti in- clude platters of salumi and for- maggio, $3 to $5 per selection; polpette (pork meatballs in to- mato agrodolce), $9.50; and a fritto of scallops, whitefish fritters, and calamari served with artichoke aioli, $11. A bowl of gnocchi with fresh porcini mushrooms braised in butter with leeks, garlic, and thyme ($19) is perfect for sharing. The airy, potato-fragrant gnocchi and the intensely earthy sauce are a deeply satisfying combination. Gnocchi and all pastas here are house- made–we spot spaghetti car- bonara ($17) being served be- low us at the bar, glistening strands beautifully coiled. Other pastas include fettuc- cine with Bolognese ragu ($19) and lemon-buttered ca- meaghan maurice