People who know Bruno Abate aren't surprised that the dapper Neapolitan restaurateur managed to take a lowly McDonald's in Wicker Park and turn it into its antithesis: a fashionable Italian trattoria that manages to blend Old World traditions with a trendy New World ambiance. But then again, Abate, with his impeccably tailored wardrobe and his innate Italian flair, has always had a way of turning heads.
His first restaurant, Follia, in the West Loop happens to offer some of the most authentic Milanese food outside of Milan, and its cousin, Tocco, offers more of the same in a strikingly modern space boasting magenta leather panels and bar decorations coated in monochromatic shades of ivory and ebony.
Tocco, after all, is Italian for touch. And as Abate explains it, that's the overriding theme of the restaurant, a touch of this and a touch of that: wood-fired thin-crust pizzas and calzones, imaginative pastas and authentic Milanese preparations of fresh fish and meats.
Order something to drink from the inventive cocktail list (Chambord-spiked red wine with a twist of Domaine de Canton) and then make sure to pick out a pizza. A single pie is big enough to satisfy a fourtop. They range from a basic sweet Margherita to a more complex version that leans on prosciutto and arugula, each understated, nothing contrived, the crust offering the right edge of crunch as it mellows out to a softer center beneath its toppings.
We visited on a busy Saturday night but had no problem being accommodated with course-by-course service. Antipasti followed our pizza. Selections include freshly grilled vegetables, various plates of cured Italian meats and cheeses and an impressive salad collection that floats from a familiar caprese option with buffalo mozzarella to a more interesting mix of grilled radicchio topped with melted Taleggio cheese.
We moved on to pastas, sharing an excellent lasagna with béchamel and Bolognese sauce along with a simpler pappardelle made with tomatoes, plenty of black pepper and fresh basil. I've never tasted a creamier lasagna, while the pappardelle brought basic simplicity to the table.
Two fish specials are usually offered. We chose the branzino, a rather strong-tasting Mediterranean sea bass, paired with mashed potatoes infused with truffle oil and opted to graze on the meat selections, which include Italian standards such as chicken or veal scaloppini, an Italian grilled pork chop with a Dijon-mustard glaze and a couple of steaks.
Scottata with arugula is usually found as antipasti in Milan restaurants. At Tocco, it's an entrée. A strip steak is grilled, then cut into thin strips, layered beneath arugula and shaved Parmigiano. I think freshly ground pepper adds a counter bite to what seems to be rather salty meat.
Desserts are as constrained as much of the menu. Choices include a house version of tiramisu, several excellent gelato options and a flourless chocolate torte. Service is in line with the rest of the dining experience in a room that can get somewhat cacophonous when crowded. But that's more the norm than the exception in today's restaurant world.
There is valet parking. Expect to spend about $70 a couple plus add-ons.
*Tocco
1266 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, 773/687-8895
AMBIANCE/DECOR 4/4
SERVICE 5/5
FOOD 10/11
K/RATING 19/20
