Restaurant Review

Cucina Bella

Algonquin, Illinois
Review by Christoph
Dinner January 23, 2010 – 5:00 PM to 6:45 PM

Website

Algonquin is not Milan, but Cucina Bella may just take you there.

I called ahead to see if a reservation for 2 was necessary. I had a brief and pleasant response from the host telling me no, seating would not be a problem.

My daughter and I arrived at 5:00 PM. The evening was semi-dark; fog was settling in; an elevated western ridge of trees on the hill and lights on the streets gave me the ambiance of possibly being in a small Italian village. The restaurant is on the corner of Main and Washington Streets and assumes no elegance from the outside.

We stepped in and, after being greeted a minute later, were seated by the wall and were facing the open kitchen. I liked that I could see the hustle and activity of chef and support staff. Patrons were still sparse, but the servers were many, preparing for and anticipating a soon to arrive Saturday evening crowd. By six o’clock, the restaurant was in full swing.

We were greeted by a young waitress. You can generally anticipate a friendly welcome and service at establishments, but what immediately struck me was her real persona, not the required portrayal of pleasantry. She failed to tell me her name, and that was the only faux pas of the evening. When I requested what it was, she embarrassingly replied Samantha. She was genuine, authentic – a nice person, her face beaming with inner contentment, full of an excitement for life. Not knowing what I wanted to drink, she recommended an apple vodka martini – a first for me. It was exquisite.

Italian bread with an excellent crust, olive oil and a finely ground parmesan cheese opened our fare. We ordered baked Oysters Rockefeller. The spinach had perfect, firm texture, but was plain and un-spiced and the hollandaise sauce offered no flavor.

Insalate: You must have the Barese Salad. Filled with bites of flavorful salami, Fontanella cheese, artichoke hearts and hearts of palm, it was fresh, crisp, cool, light and sparkling.

We were promptly served our minestrone and chicken noodle soups. The minestrone presented a slight vinaigrette savor, something I had not experienced, and was…interesting. The chicken noodle soup was good.

Our main courses were Spaghetti & Puttanesca and a house specialty of Braciola. Both were fabulous.

The spaghetti was al dente. The Puttanesca should have been a soup – one could not get enough of it. Anchovies, onions, capers and strong black olives in marinara sauce were superbly executed – fresh, tart and smooth like an aged single malt.

The Braciola lived up to its menu description – tender. The marinated flank steak was excellent, stuffed full of flavor, parmesan cheese and pine nuts, raisins and bread crumbs, served over linguine, and the marinara sauce absolutely luxurious – rich, well appointed and with an extravagant abundance of self esteem. It was so good and surprising, I insisted on taking a canister home before leaving. It is available for purchase at Joe Caputo’s & Sons and other food stores in the area. What I received was not bottled, but fresh from the kitchen pot. One simply has to go to Cucina Bella and request a canister of this liquid gold.

The waitress was constantly attentive, asking us at what pace we wanted to receive our food – that is not often experienced. We were always kept abreast of when the courses would arrive at the table.

We had a ringside seat to watch the Chef. Erica commanded the kitchen with self assurance and skill – a beautiful young woman, with blond hair in a bun, an orchestra leader with her ensemble. The kitchen was hectic and a blur. We enjoyed her movements as she produced meal after meal. We were both struck at the pleasure she took in her performance – a pointing here and a nod there. Frequent wide smiles with reserved laughs disclosed love of her craft, respect for her staff and resulting creations of excellent fare.

If you are looking for quiet dining, this is not the place to go. Cucina Bella customers this evening were loud, full of laughing and exchange of – you could sense it – meaningful conversation.

Two other locations – Crystal Lake and Palatine – are available. Casual or semi-formal, appeared to be the dress. A young staff was eager to work and please, each of them enjoying their place in time.

The menu will please any pallet – appetizers, soups, salads, pasta, steak, pork, fish, and a nice selection of wines are available. Price is more than affordable. Portions are enormous. I will let you discover the desserts for yourself.

With a light, natural brick setting for interior ambiance, the lighting could be turned slightly up for easier menu reading. Don’t let their website dissuade you. The poor and underexposed photography does not reflect its open, inviting atmosphere. The restaurant was filled with life and a staff, energetic, authentically dedicated to its customers.

Cucina Bella made me feel unrushed – relaxed, as if in Europe. From 5 o’clock to 6:45 I was transported and experienced an all-is-right-with-the-world spirit – a place I will frequent often.