A WBBM RESTAURANT REVIEW BY SHERMAN KAPLAN
(773-254-6555)
BROADCAST FEBRUARY 23, 2007
The vintage Italian neighborhood along South Oakley Avenue may not be as large as it once was, but there still are a handful of restaurants drawing hungry diners as they have for decades. Among them is Bacchanalia at 2413 South Oakley.
It's a genuine neighborhood family restaurant. There's a crowded bar just inside the entrance with a few tables, and the restaurant's main dining room beyond that. Bacchanalia is not just family owned, but caters to families. It's not unusual to see parents with children, even infants on a Saturday night.
The menu follows the tradition of Italian American restaurants. Our tasting proved completely successful. We began with stuffed rice balls, called arancini, filled with ground beef and mozzarella cheese. Some of the house marinara, a chunky fresh tomato sauce works fine with the arancini.
Fried calamari is crisp, no trace of oiliness, as easy to like as popcorn. Among other apps, baked clams are juicy, not too bready, an example of the straight ahead preparation that comes out of the Bacchanalia kitchen.
As for entrees and pastas, gnocchi are light rather than dense, with a Bolognese style meat sauce. Bacchanalia’s take on chicken Vesuvio is good, but will not be confused with those who know the original. For one thing, it's more garlicky than many versions. and, this version leaves out peas, part of the classic preparation.
There are several nightly specials. Recently, sautéed veal was served with mushrooms and artichokes. I would have liked a little less sauce, and maybe a bit more flavor. The artichoke leaves could have been fewer, and more tender.
Desserts include old fashioned spumoni and not often seen tortoni, rich vanilla ice-cream with almond flavors. The cannolis are home made and classic. The wine list is simple and inexpensive. Service is very affable, part of the restaurant's charm. there is valet parking, certainly a necessity on busy weekend nights. Reservations are a must, as is cash. Credit cards are not accepted. Bacchanalia is at 2413 South Oakley and has a K/RATING of 17.5/20.
AMBIANCE 4/4 HOSPITALITY 4.5/5 FOOD 9/11
(773-254-6555)
Read more Sherman Kaplan Restaurant Reviews at wbbm780.com and in
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