On a crisp winter evening, my classmates and I find ourselves in the Near North Side area hungry and discouraged. A large group at dinner prime time, we had been turned down by Paris Club, Bub City, and Hub 51. We almost settled on Rock Bottom, but my hunger soon lead to crankiness and I refused to settle for that.
My friend suggested Quartino, an Italian joint off the Grand red line stop. I usually only like my grandma’s Italian cooking, along with a few magnificent Tuscan places I’ve tried. I express this and she responds, “It’s like Italian tapas.”
Now you’ve got my attention.
We high-tail it over to Quartino, faces red with Chicago windburn. To our luck, a large party leaves the restaurant as we enter and we are seated promptly at a round table in the corner. The main dining area is large and open. The tables and chairs are a collection of mismatched wooden pieces below a sea of large illuminating light globes. Every seat is filled on a Wednesday.
The two-floor restaurant can accommodate a full- or semi-private event upstairs. On my way to the restroom, I caught glimpse of an enormous, colorful buffet for a private party. I eyeballed that baby en route back to my table – it took restraint not to pounce (I still had not eaten by this time).
By the time I return to the group, I am ready to tell the server “one of everything!” but my better judgment regains control. Glancing over the menu, I can see my friend was right: the menu of Italian treats is divided into plate categories and priced no higher than $10-15 a course. Better for sharing, the small plates offer a much more pleasant dining style than with the overwhelming portions at a typical Italian restaurant.
We embrace the theme and order a smattering to share. First to arrive are the crowd-pleasers: the Margherita pizza with mozzarella and vibrant sweet basil leaves, and the crisp calamari (crunchy, tender and served with a tangy organic tomato sauce).
Food is served when ready and after less than our first two bites, more dishes arrive: the gnocchi with green beans and arugula pesto (goopy like it should be), and the duck prosciutto with sweet cucumbers. I’m pleased with both the quality and variety of flavors so far, and even more elated when the risotto arrives. I expect the mushroom risotto to be fantastic (and it is), but the shrimp risotto with zucchini and sun dried tomatoes won in that category.
To mix it up, we order beef filets with broccoli rabe, red chili, garlic and EVOO (an acronym for “extra virgin olive oil” that appears frequently on the menu). I love steak and can’t get enough of this course. Unfortunately, the tapas-style dining only allows for about two bites per person. I face a similar disheartening situation with the scallops – delicately seared and served with lemon, caperberries and rings of spicy red pepper for that needed zing.
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