There is a splendid restaurant-wine bar in Verona called Antica Bottega del Vino (the Old Wine Shop). It is indeed very old, a cavernous room decorated with large wall frescoes, and it's always bustling, with waiters darting back and forth and a solid crowd at the small bar at the front. The wine list is encyclopedic. The food is not fancy, but it is superb. What takes most Americans aback is that this temple of gastronomy is usually swathed in a dense fog of cigarette smoke-it's the Italian way-and the mostly male crowd all seem to talk at the same time. I usually go to dinner here early, before the crowd arrives, and it's quieter and more breathable. One dish that's often on the menu is branzino in red wine, deliciously irresistible. Vegetables such as boiled potatoes and steamed green beans soak up the delicious sauce nicely.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, marjoram, rosemary, and wine and bring to a boil. Boil rapidly until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Discard the solids. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir to mix. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Rinse the fish and dry well. Using a sharp knife, score the skin with 3 diagonal slashes on each side. Rub the fish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Oil the bottom of a roasting pan with the remaining olive oil and place on the stove top over medium heat. Place the onion, celery, and tomatoes in the pan and heat through, shaking the pan frequently, until the vegetables release a little liquid, 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and place the fish on top of the vegetables in the pan. Pour the wine sauce evenly over the fish.

Put the pan in the oven and roast the fish, basting once halfway through, until the skin is lightly browned and the flesh is firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, lift 1 fish from the pan, and place it on a work surface. To fillet it, make sideways cuts behind the head and before the tail, and then cut along the backbone from the head to the tail of the fish. Place the knife in that cut, parallel to the backbone, and work the knife down along the rib bones of the fish, from top to bottom. Lift off the fillet and place, skin side up, on a warmed plate. Turn the fish over and repeat the process, placing the second fillet on another warmed plate. Repeat with the remaining fish. Spoon the pan juices, including the onion, celery, and tomatoes, over the fillets and serve.

NOTE: Because of overfishing, sea bass are getting smaller so a 2-pound fish is average. A 3-poonder, if available, will also serve 4 people nicely. This recipe also works well for snapper or other types of bass.

Serves 4.