Mike Ceccanti started in the restaurant business when he was barely out of diapers. His grandfather, Ernesto Ceccanti, put him on top of crates to stir the minestrone soup fed to loyal customers of the Monte Carlo Restaurant, one of Portland’s first Italian restaurants.

”When I was 3 years old, I was running my tricycle over waitresses’ toes,” Mike Ceccanti said. ”When I was 7 or 8, I used to make raviolis with him. I could barely get my chin on the table.”

Now grown, Ceccanti serves minestrone from his grandfather’s recipe at Ernesto’s Italian Restaurant, a Bend eatery housed in an old church.

Ernesto’s dishes up Italian food with Old World flair. Trendy California-style pasta combinations are available, as are smaller portions. But the menu also boasts spaghetti with homemade meatballs, veal parmigiana and fettuccine with Alfredo sauce that will never be labeled ”lite.”

Upstairs, the church’s vast ceilings and tan walls, paired with checked tablecloths, lends the restaurant a Venetian piazza feel.

The downstairs contains the bar and permits smoking. Ernesto’s revamped the space about a year ago, giving it a pub feel.

The upstairs and downstairs boast their own specials. Upstairs, the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet offers a salad bar, pasta bar with five sauces, entrees, soup, pizza and vegetables. It costs $7.50.

Downstairs, complimentary pizza and vegetable trays with a beverage purchase are available Monday through Saturday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Another special to watch for is the early-bird menu from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

All dinner entrees come with fresh baked focaccia bread served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and soup or salad.

After all, Ceccanti said, his grandmother, Emilia, used to wander the tables making sure customers got enough to eat.

Ernesto’s Italian Restaurant

Location: 1203 N.E Third St., Bend

Hours: Upstairs: lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Downstairs: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Price Range: Lunch from $4.95 to $10.95, dinner from $6.95 to $17.95

Alcoholic Beverages: Full bar

Kids’ Menu: Yes

Reservations: Taken Sunday through Thursday nights for parties of any size. Taken Friday and Saturday nights for parties of five or more.

Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover

Contact: 389-7274