caro mio
carry me back to caro mio
chicago cable guide
by karl j paloucek
(word of ravenswood's bite of little italy away from little italy is getting around)
it’s an unassuming little locale. tucked in between delightful cuban neighbors,
and where the metra and “l” tracks cross wilson avenue. caro mio
(“my dear”) is and easy place to miss if you’re driving by.
but if you’re in ravenswood and are in the mood for a bit of good italian
food, you’ll do well to stop in.
getting a table was no trouble, though it was early in the evening when we arrived.
the low-lit, tomato-hued room blends a bit of bucktown-gallery style with it’s
mediterranean accents, suggesting that caro mio is about three parts casual
to two parts upscale. and that’s the key to this place. it’s good,
without taking itself too seriously.
the menu itself is full of favorites—pollo vesuvio and pollo
cacciatore, risottos and homemade pasta—although there’s adventure
to be found amid the calamari and squid ink pastas, as well. We started with
an insalata di fagoli ($9.95) a chilled salad of green beans and fresh
mozzarella marinated in balsamic vinegar and herbs, and found it a simple and
pleasant beginning. splashing a bit of olive oil into the leftover dressing
on the plate, we couldn’t’ resist sopping up the herbed mess with
our bread, in spite of knowing the pasta was to follow.
fearing the starch avalanche to come, we shared a cup of pasta e patate
($4) and a sharply dressed salad of mixed green ($3.95). the richness of the
lightly creamed broth augmented that of the browned pastina shells and diced
potato. while I imagined it might have nurturing properties by itself on a cold
night, I thought a full bowl might be a bit much to take in between courses.
and as our main courses hit the table—with an audible thud—i saw
that i was right.
risotto is one of those dishes that’s relatively simple to prepare, but
easy to botch. the first bits of my risotto funghi porcini ($16.95)
left me a little afraid. the sharpness of the cheese met my taste buds with
a salty forcefulness not unlike sodium-infused prepackaged rice mixes. but I’d
been fooled. within a second or two the saltiness gave way to creamy more complex
textures underneath. the subtle, earthy tones of the porcini mushroom melted
gracefully with the more assertive parmesan. a solid risotto, though i have
to admit i kept wishing for some sort of third surprise element to take it over
the top.
my companion ordered on of the evening specials and was not disappointed. the
pappardelle al gratin ($17.95), a baked pasta with chicken and spinach
in a mascarpone cheese sauce, tasted refreshingly light in contrast to the heavier,
smokier risotto. still, both dishes were rich enough that I think we each wished
the other had ordered something with a red sauce.
overall, we were very pleased with our dinner at caro mio. the service was terrific.
knowledgeable and friendly, our servers obligatory “how is everything?”
was accompanied by non-obligatory genuine concern, one of those small but important
touches that, for the most of us, help guarantee a return visit. for me, dessert
is less important in this regard, so i wasn’t too disappointed by the
lack of spectacular options. the lemon tartuffo ($6) and chocolate
semifreddo ($6) were both good, but a few lighter doi would have been nice.
the only real complaint was that the music piped into the dining room—tom
waits and natalie merchant stood out in the mix—was questionably appropriate,
and moreover just a bit too loud.
as prices go, caro mio is a pretty reasonable place to be. most entrees are
in the $13-$18 range. but if you’re not going home right afterward, during
summer you might want to bring a cooler for the leftovers. (my leftover risotto
encored the following night as dinner for both of us.)
it’s a tricky balance the folks at caro mio are attempting, but they’re
doing it correctly. some restaurants attempt to dress up their lowest-common-denominator
appeal with linen napkins, higher prices and a longer wine list. caro mio inverts
this idea, fusing imagination and a heightened attention to detail with the
comfort and conviviality of a traditional home-style experience. in doing so,
it shows a bit more reverence for the food as well as the patron. when our bill
finally came, we walked away with tat rare satisfied feeling, like we’d
had a part of the best of both worlds and gotten away with it.
oh, one very important caution: caro mio is byob, but alfresco diners in summer
months will have to forgo the privilege.