Tre Alberi, regarded highly by friends and acquaintances, is a restaurant I hadn't gotten around to since my relocation to the River Valley; a situation I rectified a few weeks ago on the occasion of my wedding anniversary. Oh, how we ate on the night we were wed!

My Stracciatella All Romana (Italian egg drop soup) and my husband's properly salty salad of endive, raddichio and arugula were both excellent, immediately providing that timeless sense of well-being common in really fine restaurants. We sipped Ibruzzi, the house's Italian version of Chardonnay, and debated which of the tenors was ensouling the cozy dining room, appointed with an old iron stove, among other curiosities, until the entrees arrived, eclipsing any other diversion.

My swordfish with polenta was splendid, the steaky, tender swordfish sheathed in tomato and onion, the polenta like silk. The dish was offered as swordfish, clams and mussels, but my allergy to mollusks was easily accommodated, a testimony to the freshness of ingredients and immediacy of preparation. Ron's choice, the penne with meat sauce, was equally splendid. Was it a three-meat sauce or a four-meat sauce? I don't remember and I couldn't tell. The components blended beautifully, a chorus without a diva.

Tea for two and a shared tiramisu, that wonderful concoction of custard and espresso-soaked lady fingers, the house's favored dessert, concluded a delightful meal. The bill was $59.60, modest considering the quality we enjoyed. Service throughout was efficient and friendly.

In addition to several daily specials, Tre Alberi offers a traditional Italian menu of antipasti, soups and salads, pasta, fish (including two squid choices), meat and chicken dishes and sweets.

The "Three Trees" just marked its twelfth anniversary, having opened in September, 1988, when owner and chef Onorato Valic, a veteran of an Adriatic cruise ship, brought his expertise in Northern Italian cuisine to a remodeled private house on the banks of the Delaware. I enthusiastically join the ranks of the many who are grateful that he did. Here's to many more anniversaries, for Tre Alberi and for all of us fortunate to celebrate there.

P.S. The tenor of the evening was Andrea.

Open at 5:00 p.m. daily except Monday.

Credit Cards: American Express.

Parking: Small lot and off-road.

Reservations strongly recommended, especially on weekends.