I liked codfish in broth with potato, artichokes and tomato, but a seafood risotto ($12.50), wet and mushy, was a textbook example of how not to serve risotto.

Whether cooking with his necktie neatly over his shoulder, serving risotto colored like the Italian flag or eyeing the unattainable fins of a new Cadillac, he captures a well-drawn and hugely sympathetic character.

Anthony Mantuano, chef at Spiaggia in Chicago, began serving risotto a year ago.

Through Dec. 31, BRUNO RISTORANTE, 240 East 58th Street, is serving pasta or risotto with white truffles from Italy for $50 a plate, practically at cost.

George Perry Smith, widely acknowledged as the father of post-war English cooking, opened the Hole in the Wall in Bath, serving continental dishes like bouillabaisse, risotto, goulash and quiche Lorraine, and a young designer named Terence Conran opened a restaurant called The Soup Kitchen in the King's Road, in London.

Serve risotto, passing the remaining cheese at the table.

The Giro Gratta all-in-one grater with cheese is a clever thing to have on hand when you are serving risotto or pasta and are not setting a fancy table.

At the Pindar tasting, diners were served risotto with asparagus, grilled fresh salmon with creme fraiche and caviar, proscuitto of goose, veal Provencal and chocolate mousse cake with raspberry sauce.

"Why not serve risotto in mini copper pans?"

The other is Max A Mia (70 East Main Street, Avon, 677-6299), which serves zesty pizzas, risotto with grilled veal and sweet sausage, lasagne follemente, chocolate polenta cake and other delicious dishes in abundant portions at moderate prices.