The Tuscan bean and farro (emmer) soup was equally hearty and delicious, served with good green oil, but we had to ask for the pepper mill.

A huge helping of garlicky roasted monkfish ($13.25) could have benefited from slightly less roasting, but it came with meltingly tender white Tuscan beans.

Gemelli, thumb-size braids of pasta, were terrific with bitter broccoli rape and earthy Tuscan beans ($7.95).

A special of lamb chops with ripe summer tomatoes suffered that fault, as did the grilled sausage with broccoli rape and Tuscan beans.

Linguine with jumbo shrimp and too-hard Tuscan beans was worse.

But they really are not so different from my Tuscan white beans cooked in a clay pot.

Their typical daily meal consisted of Tuscan beans cooked in oil, a meager glass of wine and sometimes a slab of beef.

The other choice for carnivors is the juicy grilled baby chicken atop a nest of Tuscan beans with a side kick of garlic-infused spinach.

A grilled chicken breast served over Tuscan beans flavored with sun-dried tomatoes, pancetta and oregano was soul satisfying.

With Tuscan beans, obviously a favorite, Mr. Kramer recommends Chianti.