Dining Reviews	Lunch Counter	Restaurant Guide

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Romantic Fulton Five good to keep on your culinary radar

Fulton Street, secluded off downtown's bustling King Street, changes the rhythm of your steps once you begin to walk down its short length.

Fulton Five, the restaurant, funnels you down its narrow walkway, bathed in twinkling white lights, through its front door, where you are immediately embraced by its bar. It is an intimate space, with the slight odor of must, befitting its age and location in "antica" Charleston. There is a comfort about it, with walls the color of Anjou pears, mini chandeliers diffusing the soft light, and tightly spaced tables and chairs flanking a banquette wall of seats. It possesses a dressed-down elegance; an ancestral feel. It is one of Charleston's most romantic restaurants. Soft, muted, burnished, it is a restaurant with decor patina.

It has recently welcomed chef Brian Parkhurst, a Johnson & Wales graduate, to its cucina. Parkhurst has worked with the talented mentor-chef Robert Carter of Peninsula Grill and then as sous chef with maestro John Marshall at Al Di La and lately with the Franco-Italian master Jacques Larson of Mercato. To say that he has had the opportunity to learn from the best is an understatement.

He has tweaked a few menu items at Fulton Five and put his own spin on others, but remains remarkably true to a menu that still delights and satisfies from its early beginnings under Silvia Meier's ownership.

Culled mostly from the north of Italy, the menu is well-conceived. It translates the simplicity of the Italian table with integrity and stocks its pantry with quality ingredients. You taste the difference — in the mozzarella that plumps the Antipasto Spoleto ($9) package; in the supple saltiness of a sheet of prosciutto, wrapped with a leaf of romaine and finished with a warm balsamic and tomato vinaigrette; in the quality of the olive oil that makes its integrity known in the back of your throat; and in the bread from Normandy Farms, served warm, crisp and fresh.

The Insalata di Funghi ($10) features grilled assorted mushrooms, tosses them with tender spinach leaves and finishes this salad with a parmesan and Asiago cheese vinaigrette. You experience the softening of the greens, the creamy, nutty qualities of the cheeses and the meaty chewiness of the mushrooms. For sharing, try the Salumi ($11) or the Bruschetta del Giorno ($9).

The "primi" can be ordered in half and full portions — ideal for sharing and a great value meal on their own merits as entrees. The pastas are made in-house, such as a tender ravioli ($10, $18) filled with goat cheese, topped with local shrimp and finished with a red pepper leek sauce. On another occasion, they were filled with Yukon Gold potatoes and leeks and drizzled with a balsamic vinegar, chive and brown butter sauce.

The ragu Bolognese ($10, $18) tastes like it never left Italy — a marvel of texture, flavor amalgamation and creamy acidity. The risotto ($9, $17) is made with water rather than the traditional broth, making it suitable for vegetarians.

The only misstep was a Roman Carbonara ($10, $18), a classic dish of spaghetti, here made with tagliolini. This pasta is considered una cosa seria (a serious thing), so it's best to leave its traditional preparation alone, especially since the menu read "spaghetti," but the dish was made with the flat pasta.

The Milanese classic, Maiale alla Milanese ($27) is excellent — a pounded and breaded pork chop, sauteed to a crisp finish and adorned with a nutty arugula and tomato salad.

The Pollo al Mattone ($23) did not fare as well. This chicken cooked "under a brick" usually delivers crisp skin, moist flesh and the succulence of the breast basted with its own fats and juices. At the time of our visit, the chicken was overcooked.

The lean (in number) wait-staff are knowledgeable, efficient and passionate professionals who tailor their service to your needs. Hospitality contortionists, they negotiate the narrow spaces among the tables and the streamlined access to the kitchen with grace and ease.

The wine list featured the food-friendly wines of Italy, from a crisp, apple Falanghina to a robust and lush Gattinara. Most importantly, the staff knows the wines.

House-made desserts ($7) include panna cotta, tiramisu, parfait, gelato, sorbet and chocolate cake.

Gelato, essential to the Italian summer, was our choice.

Fulton Five may be off the beaten path, but do keep it on your radar. It can easily remedy its culinary missteps and when it matters for both what is on the table and who is at the table, this right-sized restaurant delivers molto bene.