That's right, Liberace himself owned the place and designed the interior, most of which has gone unchanged in the intervening two decades. Legend has it that the flamboyant entertainer would stop by often during his ownership of the joint and entertain surprised diners at the mirrored piano.

It became Carluccio's a few years after Liberace's death in 1987 but all that really changed was the name on the front of the place - although if you closely you can still see "Liberace's" above the current owner's name. The fact that it's located right next door to the Liberace Museum should give you a clue.

The menu is traditional Italian, filled with lots of hearty pastas (ravioli, tortellini, lasagna, spaghetti, and more), chicken and veal favorites (scallopini, marsala, Florentine, parmigiana, picatte, etc.), seafood (shrimp scampi, linguini with clam sauce, calamari, to name a few), and some additional entrees like steak pizzaiola, pasta primavera, and grilled sausage and peppers.

There's absolutely nothing surprising or innovative on the menu but that's part of the appeal. If you're longing Americanized Italian comfort food - (spaghetti and meatballs anyone?) - this is absolutely the place you should go.

You start with some piping hot loaves of bread and can amuse yourself with some appetizers. We tried the fried mozzarella topped with marinara sauce and weren't disappointed in our hopes to actually hear our arteries slamming shut.

I sampled the minestrone soup - spicy but not too spicy, with tender noodles and lots of crisp veggies.

Among the things we tried was the baked tortellini - meat-filled pasta baked in a bed of meat sauce (because you can never get too much meat) and smothered in Romano and mozzarella cheese. Delicious is the simple one word adjective.

We also tried the manicotti - sheets of pasta filled with three kinds of cheeses and topped with a zesty meat sauce. I already used delicious so how about "yummy."

Finally we went for the tried and true - spaghetti and meatballs. Two huge and spicy meatballs floated in an enormous bed of tender spaghetti, covered in meat sauce. Both delicious and yummy.

Portions were huge - so huge that we weren't able to eat everything and that's pretty unusual for this particular group of diners. If you're staying in a room with a fridge, have them box it up for you and you can have it as a late night snack.

Service was adequate although they probably could've used a few more waiters. The place was packed and the staff seemed a little stretched for a Saturday night.

And if a décor by Liberace and terrific food isn't enough for you, consider the prices. The most expensive thing on the menu is the filet mignon, which comes with bread, soup or salad, and pasta for $15.99. Most of the pastas are around $7-8, the chicken and veal dishes $9-13, and the seafood around $12-13. That's a terrific bargain, especially in a town filled with expensive restaurants.

Carluccio's Tivioli Gardens is located about 2 ˝ miles east of The Strip on Tropicana at the corner of Spencer Street. Go visit the Liberace Museum and then stop by here for dinner - it's definitely worth the trip.