TABLES FOR TWO.(Maremma)(Restaurant Review)

MAREMMA -- 228 W. 10th St. (212-645-0200)--How is it that no one thought of a Spaghetti Western restaurant before? This earnest, weird little place is named for the arid part of Tuscany where Sergio Leone filmed his raw horse operas. Unfortunately, the owner, Cesare Casella, didn't make use of Ennio Morricone's whistling soundtracks, and the decor settles for mounted longhorns and a few travel-brochure photos. The burden of the theme is carried instead by the goofy names of the dishes--Earn-Your-Spurs, which is short ribs and grits, and the Sloppy Guiseppe, which is shredded pork and rib meat over pasta. But the cowboy gimmickry eventually yields to the sophisticated tone that Casella perfected at his other restaurant, Beppe.

Every plate, small or large, comes with a great sprig of fresh herbs, and the fries have the most appealing combination: fried sage and oregano. There's also a welcome carryover from Beppe in the bean sampler, a mix of heirloom beans simply dressed, like the creamy, giant brown-and-purple fagioli diavoli. A terrific piece of sauteed bluefish, with supercrisp skin, is listed as a small plate but ...