There are many things that lure me to a restaurant. A positive review in the paper or a guidebook is one way by which I discover a certain eating establishment. Other times, I simply pass a restaurant's menu on the street and am lured by the unique and mouthwatering dishes the place offers. Most often, I discover great restaurants by word of mouth, with friends, relatives or even acquaintances guiding me to the best meal in town. My desire to eat at Hadley's Aqua Vitae, however, was not fueled by any recommendation or even an interest in their culinary offerings. Rather, I had passed its faded façade and vintage sign on Route 9 numerous times and was intrigued by the restaurant's mysterious appearance. Did anyone ever eat at the Aqua Vitae? What was the food like? Amidst the clutter of strip malls that lined the highway, the Aqua Vitae stands out, looking like a speakeasy from another era.

While my friends and I often talked about eating at the Aqua Vitae just for kicks, our schedules always seemed too busy for a visit. Fate, however, stepped in when I was shopping along Route 9 with my new friend Kathleen. We had intended to eat at Carmelina's, but as luck would have it, they didn't serve lunch. While brainstorming other ideas, my mind drifted back to the Aqua Vitae. Would Kathleen be game for eating at such a dive?

"Bumpity bump!" went our car across the loosely graveled parking lot of the Aqua Vitae. The lot was so empty, I wondered if the restaurant was even open. Indeed it was, with a neon sign beckoning us to the "old school" Italian cuisine that awaited us inside. "Old school" perfectly describes everything about the Aqua Vitae, which has been serving traditional Italian-American cuisine since 1951. Upon entering the restaurant, one passes a trickling fountain made of seashells, with the ambient sound of rushing water providing a soundtrack to the entire dining experience. The décor of the establishment forms a time capsule of what Italian restaurants were like in America during the '50s. The walls are decorated with murals that depict scenes of Venice and Sicily, while Tiffany-style lamps loom over each table. The centerpiece of the room is a giant planter in the shape of a gondola, filled with faux flowers and plants. Other accents in the room include Chianti flasks, carpeted blinds, a jukebox and an arcade game, circa 1983.

Despite the restaurant's Venetian decorative touches, the menu is firmly entrenched in the cuisine of Southern Italy, as was adapted by Americans years ago. Entrées are reasonably priced in the $13-15 range, though this may seem pricey for the rather standard Italian fare. Pasta dishes, which include classics like spaghetti and meatballs, range from $10-13 and sandwiches or "grinders" are around $7. For lunch, Kathleen and I opted for the classics. I ordered baked ziti while she went for the chicken Parmesan. Each of our entrées came with salad and bread, and Kathleen's chicken was accompanied by spaghetti, french fries or a baked potato. The salad, a composition of iceberg lettuce, pink tomatoes and store-bought croutons, was served family style with bottled vinaigrette. Not exactly a gourmet dish, but somehow, its modest homey quality charmed me. Much tastier were the bread rolls, which were warm and soft, reminding me of the bread served at summer camps. The main dishes were much as we expected: hearty, filling and simple. My baked ziti evoked memories of my mom's, with a heavy coat of mozzarella forming a delightfully crunchy top to the ziti that lay within. The chicken Parmesan was also tasty, if plain, though its spaghetti was decidedly bland.

Overall, my meal at the Aqua Vitae was an experience I don't think I'll ever forget. While the food was certainly not memorable, the kitschy décor and vintage feel were. I don't think I'll rush back to the restaurant anytime soon, but I would recommend that everyone stop by this place at least once. Besides, with its cheesy "Lady and the Tramp" atmosphere and secretive location, the Aqua Vitae may be the setting for a magically romantic date! Just keep the Chianti flowing ...