Elizabeth Keyser photo

Trecolori salad is piled high at Via Forza

Just off the train from New York, hungry but not famished and needing to unwind in a convivial atmosphere before going home, we stepped into Tarantino Restaurant (30 Railraod Place, Westport, (203) 454-3188, www.tarantinorestaurant.com) for something light. One glance at the menu and our choices were made — it was an evening for soup and salad.

La Siciliana was a classic ($15). Shaved ribbons of fennel were heaped in the center of the plate and dressed with orange vinaigrette. Radicchio and endive spears fanned out. The fennel crunched softly and released a mild licorice flavor. Juicy oranges' and brined anchovies' sweet and salty flavors complemented each other.

The waitress set us up with a bowl of bread and olive oil. The olive oil was peppery, bringing life to the bread. La Minestra ($9) — escarole, bean and sausage soup — had a chicken stock base flavored with tomatoes. It's rich with tender crumbled sausage, cannellini beans and succulent escarole.

Over at Via Sforza (243 Post Rd. W., Westport, (203) 454-4444, www.viasforza.com), the after-work scene preferred take-out to dining in, but we sat at the small marble bar, looking at the wood-burning pizza oven. (We made a note to come back to try the pizza; it's not often you see a wood-burning oven.) The barrel-vaulted ceiling was lined with brick. Thick old barn beams displayed antique wine-making equipment: a 200-year-old wooden wine cask, grape crushers and spigots. We got a view into the kitchen, where cooks wearing white chef hats fired up sauté pans.

We tried the La Principe ($9), the classic trecolori salad of radicchio, endive and arugula. The plate was piled high with lettuce and fennel tossed in balsamic vinaigrette. Small black Ligurian olives were a pleasant surprise. Red grape drop tomatoes added sweetness and color.

The bread at Via Sforza is made in-house. It had just the right amount of salt, which made up for the bland olive oil we dipped it in. The minestrone is all-vegetable, but we choose the pasta fagioli ($7). The chicken stock broth was tinged orange and filled with cannellini beans and ditalini, small tubular pasta. The soup seemmed to cry out for a dash of fresh herbs. We sprinkled on the grated cheese instead.

Soup and salad at Via Sforza comfort. At Tarantino, they inspire.