Notice the “Italian Grill” after the name Ciao Bella. Yes, in moving from the Mendenhall Commons shopping center to the Erinway shopping center, now occupying the space once home to Lulu Grill, the restaurant has expanded in every way. It’s larger, it has a complete bar and a lounge area, and the menu includes not only salads, pizzas and pasta dishes, as before, but steaks and chops and seafood. Ciao Bella has become a real restaurant.

Pastas continue to be well-made and tasty, as evidenced by the way we scarfed down the ravioli with roasted red peppers and sausage and the Contadina, penne pasta with basil and tomatoes in a garlic butter sauce with the addition of grilled chicken. Pizzas actually seem better at the new Ciao Bella; the Greek Pizza we tried — garlic, chicken, feta cheese, spinach, olives, tomatoes, red and green peppers and oregano — was delicious, and the crust was crisp and puffy without being cracker-like.

Last night, the “Catch of the Day” was a piece of mahi-mahi simply and perfectly seared with a light dusting of herbs and served with rosemary roasted potatoes and sauteed broccolini. I tried the 14-ounce New York strip steak “Fiorentine.” The beef is marinated in lemon, garlic and olive oil and then topped with tomatoes, wilted spinach and mozzarella cheese. The last item I asked to be omitted, being sensually and philosophically opposed to putting cheese atop steaks and chops; they’re rich enough and fatty enough by themselves. This was not the most tender steak I have ever eaten — it was authentic in the sense that Europeans don’t make a fetish, as Americans do, of buttery tenderness in beef — but it was bursting with rich, meaty flavor and was cooked to medium rare exactly as requested.

The restaurant, which is packed most nights, is at 565 Erin Drive and is open for dinner every night beginning at 5. Call 205-2500.