With the arrival of Tocco Wicker Park officially becomes the new haunt of the West Loop glitterati, that well-heeled see-and-be-seen set late of Fulton Market and Randolph Street. Expect lots of Botox and air kisses. Expect lots of “anonymous” visits from Chicago Magazine and Time Out. Expect heaps of praise for Bruno Abate’s small plates menu of homemade pastas and wood-fired pizzas, but mostly expect to be dazzled by the sunglasses and heels wearing crowd with their $200 haircuts and their desire to be seated near Jerry Springer or Michael Jordan.
And if you think the chic modern Italian ambiance with it’s white acrylic against black and red will draw them in and make them feel like they can hear the buzz of the motor scooters around Trevi Fountain, you ain’t seen nothing yet, because come summer Tocco will throw open its enormous roll-up doors to the largest outdoor patio in Wicker Park / Bucktown. We’re talking 8,000 square feet of sun umbrellas, Limoncello and designer jeans, just the right ingredients for a demonstration of style over substance, and, baby, at Tocco, that’s the main course The food is good but not great. The radiccio ala griglia is a toothsome combination of tangy grilled radiccio with a smoky melted taleggio, a notch or two above average but nothing to shout about. The pizza bufala, one of more than a dozen intriguing wood oven pizza choices, was okay, but a bit heavy on the sodium, and not noticeably superior to what they’re serving at Crust or Coal Fire. In fact, there is nothing on the menu that surpasses the best of comparable kitchens in the neighborhood.
Tocco’s claim to fame is its homemade pasta, overseen by ever present executive chef Bruno Abate, whose Follia on West Fulton Market is well regarded and a favorite among people who like being called by their first names by executive chefs, all of which means Abate has a following, but if you dine a few blocks away at Lucia’s, you get the same proprietary attention to detail without all the grandstanding and with an arguably better result. Our paccheri con polpette, a house specialty consisting of fat tubes of pasta the size of a diced fire hose bathed in red sauce and complemented with meatballs, ran a little sparse on the meatballs, and although the pasta was certainly superior, was not better than what you can get at Lucia’s in a much larger portion for the same price.Portion sizes at Tocco are surprisingly small. Although it doesn’t market itself as such, Tocco is pretty much a small plates restaurant, which is certainly all right but raises the level of expectation when it comes to quality since, really, no one wants to pay $15 for an average plate of pasta in a child’s portion. And Tocco does rise considerably above the average. The only trouble is that when it comes to Italian small plates in Wicker Park, expertly prepared and offered in a wide variety, Enoteca Roma beats Tocco hands down.
So when it comes to food Tocco doesn’t top the best of what’s already here but rests its appeal squarely on its La Dolce Vida sparkle, the kind of thing that’s often reflected in shaky service by well-meaning but inattentive servers who would be better off employed in a Calvin Klein ad.
Of course, none of this will keep the well-heeled Randolph Street crowd from thronging to Tocco this summer and establishing a foothold in Wicker Park / Bucktown. Expect the once gritty stretch between Paulina and Ashland to become the place du jour for sexy blondes and guys with necklaces and Ferraris. But don’t be misled. Tocco has good food. But that’s not why all those gorgeous people will be hanging around there.
Tocco Pizza & Arte
1266 N. Milwaukee Ave.
773-687-8895 / Reservations Accepted
Hours: T-Th 5pm-11pm; F-Sa 5pm-2am; Su 5pm-11pm; Closed Mondays
Features: Outdoor Dining, Late Night Dining Fridays and Saturdays
Avg. Price of a Meal for Two Including Drinks and Tax $95
Website: www.toccochicago.com
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