(847-475-1111) 706 Main Street in Evanston BROADCAST JANUARY 12, 2007
Trattoria D.O.C. comes very close to the sort of trattorias found regularly in Italy that serve as neighborhood gathering places. The food is distinguished by somewhat muted flavors, not necessarily a negative quality. If anything, there is a natural appeal, without undue seasoning.
Trattoria D.O.C. serves a lengthy list of pizzas, flat crusts bubbly on the edges, piping hot from a wood fired oven. That’s become somewhat the cliché’ among pizzerias, but I think it only raises the bar separating the good from the better.
The Trattoria’s pizzas are among the better, if our order with mozzarella, sliced potatoes and rosemary among its toppings is typical. Without a red sauce base, the way is open to concentrate on and savor the seasoning and textures. It should go without saying that among its 30 or so pizza choices, some are more typical than others.
We chose pizza as a first course to go along with our antipasti. Mussels in red sauce were fragrant with nautical zest. On the other hand, a platter of mixed grilled vegetables brought more of an earthy, country quality.
There are some excellent pastas, though none of the noodles are restaurant made. Still, with a selection that ranges from tagliatelle Bolognese, to pappardelle with duck in red wine sauce, to farfalle and grilled vegetables with goat cheese, it’s not hard to find something to enjoy.
Among meat and seafood, our taste of veal in lemon sauce with capers continued with the kind of traditional approach we found in other course selections. In addition to the printed menu, there are usually nightly specials.
As for dessert, some are restaurant made, among them a tantalizingly good panna cotta, rich with creamy texture. Service is affable, if not especially knowledgeable. But, the menu fills in any gaps.
The wine list is excellent. The red wine from Puglia which we chose was robust and earthy with lots of fruit, representative of its region. Expect to spend about $50 a couple plus add ons. Street parking can be tricky on weekends. Trattoria D.O.C is at 706 Main Street in Evanston and has a K/RATING of 17/20.
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