Celebrated chef brings Pugliese cuisine to Arlington Heights with Osteria Trulli
Suburban restaurants have long touted their connection to Italy's Tuscan region with its fruity olive oil and bean-rich dishes, and have boasted about their Naples-style pizza and meaty Bolognese ragus. Now it's time to consider cuisine from Puglia, the Italian region that makes up the high heel of Italy's boot, and Osteria Trulli, at 1510 E. Hintz Road in Arlington Heights, is the place to do it.
Osteria Trulli opened in late 2015 in the space that Cristiano Bassani vacated when he decided to focus all his efforts on Big Chef Burgers in Schaumburg. For chef/owner Giovanni DeNigris, Osteria Trulli provided an escape from retirement and an opportunity to bring a taste of his former Chicago restaurants (Macello, Trattoria Trullo) to a suburban audience.
The restaurant's name refers to the conical homes that dot the city of Alberobello and are still lived in today. Photographs of the prehistoric and modern homes decorate the intimate eatery's walls, and painted frescos transport diners to a Pugliese square. From just about any seat, diners can peer into the kitchen and watch as chefs pull appetizer-sized pizzas and other house specialties from the wood-fired oven.
On the night I visited we passed on the pizze (as tempted as we were by the bianca - rapini, white bean and barese sausage) and decided on the burrata plate. Taking the side of a fork and slicing into the soft, mozzarella-like cheese was the savory equivalent of chocolate lava cake. Toasted bread planks, chopped tomatoes and baby greens dressed with balsamic vinaigrette accompanied the delightful soft, creamy and mild cheese, and the abundance of greens meant a salad was not needed. Should you want a salad, a plate of mixed greens with sliced tomato, Gorgonzola and red onions or a mix of baby spinach, pine nuts, mushrooms and goat cheese with a wild cherry vinaigrette are among the options.
Pre-entree choices also include a trio of soups; the creamy broccoli potage, perked up with a bit of truffle oil, earned a solid thumbs-up.
When it comes to entrees, seafood rules the menu here. Given that the region juts into the Adriatic Sea, that should surprise no one. Scallops, cooked to the point of perfection though a bit strong-flavored, on a bed of bow-tie pasta (a last-minute substitute for the promised orchetti) was a standout. A light sauce and bit of broccoli completed the dish.
Chef DeNigris uses cannaroli rice for the risotto, and it leans toward the crunchy, not the creamy, end of the spectrum. Menu staples include risotto with black truffle puree, fava beans and ricotta salata and a version cooked with porcini broth and mascarpone. But the special on our visit featuring chopped octopus and shellfish won out and didn't disappoint.
Meat eaters aren't left in the cold, and a trio of bracciole bundles surely sated this carnivorous diner. One sirloin roulade filled with pancetta and Parmesan and resting in a rich, slow-simmered ragu was enough for me. The leftovers provided a nice lunch the following day. But I would have liked more green on the plate. Next time I will take advantage of the rapini or green beans available on the a la carte menu.
We ended our tour of Puglia with petit cannoli served with vanilla gelato; the staff happily accommodated our trio with an extra crispy treat. The sweet creamy interior came studded with mini chocolate chips and paired well with the mild gelato. The extra portion of dessert was indicative of the convivial service at Osteria Trulli. The staff, many of whom have worked with chef DeNigris at his previous restaurants, know the menu upside-down and sideways and were confident making recommendations from the ample and affordable list of wines by the glass.
I recommend reservations at this 50-seat spot. There is a bar, but it's more of a decorative service bar than a place to pull up a seat and sip a glass of prosecco while waiting for a table. I spied just two chairs right by the door and feel it would be pretty cramped if you had to settle in while others finished up dinner.
<i>Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.</i>
Osteria Trulli
1050 E Hintz Road, Arlington Heights, (224) 347-1010,
Cuisine: Homespun and seafood-centric Pugliese
Setting: Convivial trattoria
Entrees: $16 to $34
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily