Enoteca Roma is as close to a genuine Roman ristorante as you are likely to find in Chicago. Sure, there are plenty of white table cloth trattorias offering veal and pasta all over the city, but they are not serving the same food in the same way as, say, a ristorante on a square in the Trastevere would do it. We’re talking about a fun, adventurous approach to dining with a dash of style and an abiding respect for Roman cuisine. Enoteca Roma manages to be both unique and authentic.
Eschewing the four heavy courses that most Italian dining is based on, Enoteca Roma is all about the flights. Not only can you select from 10 wine flights of 3 glasses for $11-$14, you can select 3 of 6 cheeses for $13 to go along with them. Nothing too unusual about that. But that’s just the beginning. For $10 you can also select 4 bruschettas from a list of 10, incredibly tasty little toastette preparations with names like Emilia (tomato, garlic, basil and prosciutto) and Sicilia (black olive patè and capers). They are all remarkable but the Piemonte (brie, green apples and honey) is a revelation. It transports you to a fresh spring garden after a rain.
Next up, Salumi. Choose from 3 of 7 cold cuts for $13 – but calling them cold cuts isn’t doing them justice. These are expertly selected and cured meats reminiscent of the Italian countryside – prosciutto, culatello, salame Genovese and soppressata – distinctive and flavorful.
Our cheese flight consisted of semi-soft taleggio and pinna brigante; and a to-die-for gorgonzola dolce, which overpowered the flavor of the other cheeses, although we weren’t complaining. It’s anthem of deliciousness was something we will return for in the future. Accompanying the cheeses were narrow wedges of tasty ciabatta bread and a homemade raspberry preserve that provides the perfect complement to the cheeses and is praiseworthy in its own right.
The well organized and easy to read menu also includes antipasti, pesca, risotto, pizza rustica and a must-try selection of six polentas. We had del contadina polenta, roasted tomato, carmelized onion, wild mushroom and gorgonzola. They pour the hot polenta over a marble slab and serve the ingredients on top. Give it about one minute to air and the polenta gains enough consistency to serve out with a spatula like a pizza, although the flavor and consistency is entirely different and no less delicious. If you have never had polenta this way, you owe it to yourself to try it.
The atmosphere out front on the sidewalk is part of the appeal of Enoteca Roma. From the street it doesn’t look like anything special, but once inside the dining area the red neon sign in the window washes over you, mingling with the accent lights and creating a warm, bright glow that goes well with the relaxed, cheerful attitude and the winning food. Flower boxes, a healthy tree sprouting from the sidewalk, and the sense of community that comes with Letizia’s Café right next door completes the picture. They also offer an outdoor patio in the back but that’s to be avoided until they can get an air conditioner that doesn’t drone on endlessly. In any case, the atmosphere in back is nothing like.
Our service the other night was good, but it has been spotty in the past and some of the portions are egregiously small. (It’s cheese, guys, not gold.) But our quibbles with Enoteca Roma are few and far between. Add a street musician playing classical violin and you’ve got it complete. If you want to take a trip to the Trastevere without leaving Chicago, Enoteca Roma is as close as you can get.
Enoteca Roma
2144-2146 Division St.
773-342-1011 / Reservations Accepted
Hours: Su-F 5pm-2am; Sa 5pm-3am
Features: Outdoor Dining, Late Kitchen, Carryout
Avg. Price of a Meal for two including drinks and tax $90
Website: www.enotecaroma.com
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