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Tivoli Ristorante and Galleria Restaurant Review
The menu at Tivoli is rife with Italian favorites like the Antipasti selections of Mussels Diavolo, Clams Casino, Calamari Fritti and Beef Carpaccio, and Pasta Favorites like Fusilli Carbanara, Fettuccini Alfredo and Gnocchi with Marinara and Pesto... Many tempting veal, chicken, fish and steak entrees also grace the menu, making entree selection difficult but enjoyable. The ambience was as soothing as the music; I liked the ceilings that looked to be fashioned from old- time tin squares and the special touches like white paper-on-white-tablecloth tables, candles and servers attired in black pants and white shirts. The background music of greats like Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole oozed and soothed from overhead speakers. I especially enjoyed the tasty warm bread, served with baked garlic smashed by our waiter on a small plate and served with olive oil, the additional plate of huge green olives that were brought to the table, and fresh-grated parmesan cheese – all nice extra touches that added to an enjoyable evening. Water glasses were kept filled and service was very good, albeit a bit slow... the not-so-busy evening saw one wait-staff leave early and only our waiter was left to tend to our table and at least three others spaced all around the dining room. The Chef comes to Tivoli via Charlie Trotter’s and Tru, and is certainly going to create a stir with her fine plate presentations and excellent signature cuisine. We started the evening with the Calamari – lightly breaded with flour and corn meal (a nice and different touch) and fried to a crispy but tender doneness, served with a light and tasty marinara – a plate easily large enough for four. Dinners were generous portions of Veal Saltimbocca: milk-fed veal wrapped around a sage leaf and sautéed, bathed in a light white wine sauce and served over spinach and pasta, and Eggplant Parmigiana: lightly breaded eggplant, topped with a generous portion of mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce, served over penne pasta. All this was preceded by huge plates of Caesar and House Salads and followed by – for dessert – an incredibly rich but heavenly Tiramisu – a great finish to a fine meal. Service was professional, food excellent and prices reasonable – most entrees generally in the $14 - $20 range except for the steaks (Of course cocktails and wine contributed greatly to our total…). Catering and banquet facilities are also available here at Tivoli, located in West Chicago's new Tower Station Center at 956 Neltnor Blvd (Route 59) in West Chicago, as is live music four nights a week in a separate lounge area. Tivoli just slipped into the Four-Zin category; it was a relaxed evening with very good food and service in a surprising location -- a great venue and a great place to go for some fine Italian dining. Make it easy on yourself and make a reservation through Open Table!
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I have come to enjoy finding new
restaurants – especially if A) they are Italian and B) they are found in unlikely places… like
strip malls for instance. A recent e-mail alerted me to a place
that I found to satisfy both “requirements” and decided to visit Tivoli Ristorante in West Chicago. It was a week night and I expected the place to
be a bit slow... but it was almost empty and I wondered if we had made a mistake.
Not the case. All things pointed to a positive evening – especially when
the owner showed up and offered his hand and a personal welcome… 