Wheelchair accessible. Smoking permitted at the bar. Reservations suggested. All major credit cards.

I’ve never been one to put much weight on first impressions. Not because I don’t trust my own snap judgments, but because I’m an idealist. I believe people, situations and even restaurants can change and improve -- even over the course of one meal.

In our excitement to try new-to-University-City Penne, we committed the cardinal sin of food reviewing: We went on their first day. In our defense, we didn’t know, and in theirs, it wasn’t apparent -- as we walked in, the huge dining room seemed to be running smoothly. Likewise the shiny open kitchen, and the “pasta laboratory,” where Chef Roberta Adamo rolls and cuts the dough that makes the perfect pasta. Other diners filled several of the many tables in the huge dining room, proving that others were anxious as well. The distressed coral walls were welcoming despite the high ceilings, and the copper deco ceiling fans were cool to look at, as well as cooling. Then I looked down. Ever been to a casino? If so you’ve experienced the vertigo I had when I looked at the floor of Penne. Why the designers would choose so wisely for almost every aspect of the decor and then opt for this loud, ugly carpet was beyond us. But our first impression of Penne was a good one, marred only slightly by the flooring.

No matter, our waiter was there in a flash, and was attentive throughout our prolonged meal. Though the wine list was extensive, with 11 different flights and three times as many bottles to choose from, we felt inept to judge them, opting for sodas instead. Our appetizers took a long time to arrive, but there was standard bread and olive oil to tide us over, with soda refills coming quick and often. Our appetizers did finally arrive, and Rachel, who had been so excited about the calamari, was disappointed when it was mostly breading. “This could be an onion ring!” she said, and all agreed that there wasn’t much fishy about the calamari.

Lori’s salad was more pleasing, with just enough dressing to coat “every leaf” of the greens, crisp apples, honeyed walnuts and tangy gorgonzola -- though there wasn’t quite enough cheese to suit us. Juliet’s mussels swam amidst a subtle, tomato white-wine broth, and were “the far side of perfect.” Lori, a first-timer, remarked that they “went down easy.” A kitchen error provided us with two gourmet pizzas, one of which was complimentary -- a white affair with tomatoes and broccoli -- and fairly bland. The other, four-cheese with sun-dried tomatoes, was tasty, though the tomatoes were few and far between. All agreed that overall, our appetizers were somewhat disappointing, though not terrible. Food first impression: lukewarm.

After a brief wait, our entrees were presented in all their glory, looking like pictures in a magazine. Lori’s capellini with shrimp, baby spinach, summer squash, garlic and lemon was light yet full of flavor; the three shrimp were perfectly cooked and a “nice palate cleanser” between bites of pasta. Rachel commented that the transition from mediocre appetizers to delectable entrees had completely changed her impression. She actually squealed at how tender her filet of beef was; served atop basil mashed potatoes and bedecked with spinach, pine nuts, currants and brandy, the filet was pronounced one of the top five of Rachel’s favorite restaurant meals ever. A huge filet of grilled salmon with crab and corn risotto was a great combination, with almost perfectly cooked fish, just slightly dry on the edges, and a creamy risotto that wasn’t the least bit heavy. Juliet noted that its marjoram accent was exceptional. (“It’s a shame it’s such an underused herb.”)

My cavatelli à la Norma (our informed waiter explained that its name came from the Puccini opera) was made with sweet onion, eggplant and tomato and didn’t look like much; luckily the taste more than made up for it. The pasta actually melted in my mouth, and the flavors of the fresh vegetables complemented each other delightfully. We all agreed that each entree was delicious and light -- after all that food, we still had room for dessert!

By now, our hosts at Penne had caught on that we were press -- the manager came over and introduced himself, then we were brought a surprise dessert along with the ones we ordered. The chocolate bomb was “a ridiculous display of decadence and indulgence,” as Rachel put it: chocolate cake, white chocolate mousse and chocolate crème covered by a chocolate shell that “shined like the top of the Chrysler Building.” Adorned with Miel chocolate squares and fresh raspberries, this was easily the best chocolate dessert I have ever experienced. The complimentary lemon blueberry tart had a flaky crust and the perfect combination of fresh fruit and tart lemon mousse -- just right and not too sweet. The creamy cherry vanilla ice cream that Juliet chose was simple yet delicious, and “brought the Italian influence back to the meal,” while Lori’s raspberry sorbet was pronounced light and zingy by all.

As we left Penne, full but not stuffed and definitely satisfied, we took turns exclaiming that we had been pleasantly surprised by the food’s fortunate turnaround. Our first impression had not been favorable, but after stellar entrees and decadent desserts, we agreed that Penne, even on their first day, was well worth the patience.