Hello BobbyCruiser, I don't think the specialty restaurant is the answer for your friend who doesn't want to dress up. I've seen the people going into those restaurants, and they seem to be the most formally dressed people on the ship. Even on the casual nights the ones going in there looked especially nice. I think they are treating those specialty restaurants, the way you would treat any high end restaurant at home. You just don't go in there in less than a suit and tie.
That being said, we've not tried the specialty restaurants, (only observed them going in). I won't try it mainly because it just galls me to pay all that money for a meal, when I've already paid for one. It seems like a big rip off. The meals in the main dinning room are usually delicious, and there's always more to eat than I need. More food is unnecessary, better tasting is unlikely. We will save our $50 to buy a nice meal some other time, when we haven't already purchased one.
Aside from that, I would probably not try the Italian restaurants anyway. Like CruiseCutie, I'm from an Italian family, and I expect Italian foods to taste the way I make them. I can enjoy the Italian cooking of other people, but only if I mentally tell myself that this is not really the same kind of food, but some totally different dish.